The Kidnapped Bride

A smirk landed on Javier's face when he heard her piece of advice. At this moment, he turned to look at Jennifer who started bowling water, and stood with the support of the wall, "You are speaking from experience?"

"No, just what I have seen. Never make any woman feel underestimated due to her cooking skills if you wish to survive. Otherwise, go ahead and speak whatever you are up to...but don't blame me if you are beheaded.'' She was honest and acted too innocently. 

But he wasn't able to hold himself from giggling. Her innocent voice added more conscience to the talk, making him realize that she was practically speaking with a related situation. 

When Jennifer looked at him from the corner of her eyes, she knew that he was once again taking her words too lightly, too much of himself as usual. 

"See, because of your this nature of yours, you don't have a girlfriend till now! Shh! A virgin baby," she mumbled the second half in between her breath but it was loud enough for Javier to hear, and narrowed his eyes. "Are you doubting my capabilities, Ms.Taylor?"

"We doubt anyone's capabilities if they have experience for once. You are so innocent boy...go and have a bath. I don't wish to tease a child with my words." her words held double meaning which she spoke while chopping some vegetables.

Javier just smiled at her magical and teasing words and seeing her so relaxed made his heart calm too. 

Just then he made his way to the washroom to have a good bath, meanwhile, Jennifer was left in the kitchen, wearing an apron and cooking with whatever ingredients were available in this apartment. 

It was going to get dark soon, so Jennifer decided to finish the works as soon as possible and take the rest. After all, the entire day was too hectic for them to handle and tiredness was evident.

But at the same time, when Jennifer was adding vegetables to the bowl, her mind diverted back to some past incidents. Javier's words were right, she was never perfect in cooking.. even worse to say her cooking skills were enough to make someone die with her overcooked food.

But with time she improved since she had to live alone, without her parent's shelter, and had to manage her university days as well.

*FLASHBACK* 

An eighteen years old Jennifer was standing in front of the gas stove and was utterly annoyed. 'How does this thing even work? Do we have to.. like.. use it to cook dinner?'

All her housemates went out downtown to chill on Friday night. Unfortunately, she can't. Her menses showed up on the right day and it was difficult there to roam around on her first day itself.

Her face crumbled more with deep brows on her forehead when she tried to use the stove with her hand.. but failed miserably. At the same time, something struck her brain. 

Opening her phone, she searched about how to make some delicious noodles. After all, she can only eat something to satisfy her small tummy.

Some video popped up in recommendation, so she finally opened them to see how they made the dish and slapped her own forehead,"That was so easy! I was thinking that it is difficult.. Gosh.."

If someone had told her this earlier, she might have made things until now but who knew that watching is easier than stepping into the kitchen and doing the same task herself.

Jennifer made some sauce that blended perfectly. Tasting it with her finger, a bright smile came to her lips when she understood she was successful. But the ultimate task was to fry the noodles.

Taking a large bowl, she kept it on the stove and ignited it with an instrument as shown in the videos which she watched. Alongside, she put the noodles back into the water for them to soak a little bit.

'Hopefully, I will be able to make some delicious noodles according to my taste..' Jennifer waited for some time, until she found them fully soaked, and then separated the water and the noodles accordingly as told.

With a lot of patience, in the end, Jennifer added the noodles in the pan and some spices, without stirring them.

"Hmm.. since noodles will be ready in few minutes, I shall take a steamy bath by that time!" Jennifer clapped her hand at her excited level and went into her room, forgetting completely that her stove was at the high flame already.

Jennifer took the hot steamy bath, under the shower, and at last, she was fully energized. The pain subsided a little bit and somehow she found herself drying her hair in her bedroom.

Her hair flipped around with the skin of hers glowing more and more with the time which was no less than that of a baby's skin.

But at the same time, she felt something… a smell of something registered in her mind. 'That smell.. is from bringing something.. what is burning?' She was totally clueless and after drying her hair in a hurry, she made her way out of the room to find smoke coming out of the kitchen.

"WHAT THE HELL! COUGH.." She was able to comprehend what was happening. Her precious noodles… thinking about the same Jennifer stepped inside the kitchen to see all the noodles and spices were black.

'How come they are now burnt? Gosh.. what am I supposed to do now?' Her forehead crumbled into wrinkles as she landed herself in a pathetic situation where she was caught in a dilemma. The entire sight only made her feel her head down with her heart already shattered.

'At least I should get this smoke out..' Jennifer did open the small window, switched on the exhaust and the door of the kitchen was also wide open to let the smoke and the smell passed out before her friends came back and.. lash at her in furry..

Jennifer waited until all the smoke vanished into the air, but her mouth was converted into a pout, "What am I supposed to eat now?"