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“So, what did you make for dessert?” I asked as Chumley scampered over to the fridge with excitement.
There were three fridges side by side, and two large chest freezers. The kitchen reminded me of a commercial grade one in a restaurant, with stainless steel benches and everything kept in pristine clean condition.
“Never been in here,” Bug murmured as he glanced around the kitchen, tapping his foot nervously as Chumley emerged from the fridge.
My face broke into a wide grin as he set the large chocolate mud cake on the counter.
“Cake!” he declared as he stood before it proudly.
I stepped closer to get a better look and took in the carefully designed frosting swirls.
“You made this?” I breathed, impressed with how well it had turned out.
“It’s my fifth attempt at it. I’ve been practicing frosting. It’s a belated birthday cake for you!” he said as he turned to me with a broad smile.
“It’s incredible,” I said honestly. “It looks delicious.”
“I’ve got chocolate sauce too for us to heat up and pour on it,” he added as he spun around and shot across the kitchen. I chuckled at his excitement and exchanged a look with Bug, who was smiling too.
Chumley returned with plates and a knife, and I stepped back as he began serving it up.
Then they were into the microwave one by one, followed by the bowl of sauce, which he poured over them.
He made us wait as he added some strawberries and cream, and then he finally handed the plates over.
“Your presentation is on point,” Bug stated as he drew in the sweet steaminess of the cake and sauce.
“Thanks. I took your advice, Lily. Maybe I could be a chef. It’s quite fun!” Chumley grinned before he delved into his cake.
It was incredible. So smooth and moist, bursting with chocolatey goodness. The cream, strawberries and sauce only enriched it, and I savored the rich cake.
“This is amazing, Chum. You’ve found your calling,” I moaned through a mouthful of a cake.
“She’s not wrong. This is even better than the one the keepers made,” Bug added, and Chumley puffed up with pride.
“Jack and Creeper need to try this,” I mumbled through another mouthful, unable to stop shoveling it into my mouth. It was utterly delicious. I was so glad he’d taken the initiative to start cooking and testing out his skills.
“How many cooking videos have you watched?” I asked once I finally swallowed. I was glad he’d gotten us spoons instead of forks as I scooped up the warm sauce.
“A lot. Few hundred, maybe a thousand. We don’t sleep, so I’ve been doing a lot of studying,” Chumley said as he finished his slice off with ease.
“You have to start cooking for everyone, they’ll love it. What else have you been practicing?” I asked after I’d downed a scoop of the sauce.
“Roasts are fun, I like to play with herbs and marinating sauces for the meat and vegetables. I’ve been trying a few more gourmet meals too,” he said, clearly thrilled and eager to talk about it.
He began listing off some dishes he’d been practicing with, and I had to remind myself that because he didn’t sleep, he had a lot of extra time to do all of this. Half the dishes I didn’t even know what they were, but he was so animated and alive as he spoke that it made my heart soar.
Even Bug looked quite elated at his clear delight, and we both listened to him tell us all about the methods he was practicing and what other recipes he wanted to try.
He wouldn’t even let us help tidy up as he washed up and put the remainder of the cake in the fridge. He’d bring it to dinner tomorrow night for dessert, but there wouldn’t be enough for everyone, so it was first come first served.
“Well, I’m probably going to stay here and work on something else so I have it mastered by morning,” Chum said as he started bustling around the kitchen again. “Then maybe it can be included in the breakfast menu.”
“I’m sure it’ll be amazing,” I said, and he grinned at me.
“I’ll find Creeper and Jack later too so they can try the cake, just need to make sure I have everything for what I want to make,” he said, his voice trailing off as he started checking the cupboards.
“Want us to hang around with you?” I asked, and his head popped up from where he’d knelt behind a counter.
