In the bustling heart of the culinary world, where spices meet flames and recipes are family treasures, Teni stirs up more than just her signature dishes. By day, she's the maestro behind the sizzling pans at her family's beloved restaurant. By nigh...
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TENI
THEKITCHENOFOURFAMILY restaurant was a familiar symphony of clanging pots, sizzling pans, and the occasional burst of laughter from the kitchen staff. The early evening light filtered through the small, tall windows, glowing warmly over the stainless-steel counters. The calm before the storm of the dinner rush. I wiped my hands on my apron, glancing around the bustling room, my mind wandering back to the moment my life took a sharp, unexpected turn.
"So, about our deal," Luci had said. "It's a week."
How did I get roped into this? "Oh right, desperate times and desperate measures." Desperate times, indeed. "Alright, deal. But this better not blow up in my face."
"Who knew a simple summoning spell could complicate my life so much?" I muttered to myself, shaking my head at the memory. "Now I'm entangled with the Queen of the Underworld!" I glanced around the kitchen, making sure no one was paying too much attention to my conversation.
"And now, I have to balance my family's expectations, my secret competition, and Luci's mysterious plans," I continued, rolling my eyes at the sheer chaos of it all.
As I watched the staff prepping for the dinner rush, I couldn't help but smirk at the absurdity. Here I was, juggling the expectations of being the perfect daughter, a secret culinary career, and an ethereal relationship. My life had become a bizarre sitcom, and I was the hapless protagonist trying to keep everything from falling apart.
The restaurant hummed with energy, and the kitchen was a flurry of activity as we prepared for the dinner crowd. I moved from station to station, checking on the sauces simmering on the stove, the meats marinating in the fridge, and the vegetables being chopped at lightning speed. Everything was running smoothly, just the way I liked it.
Then the door chimed. I looked up, expecting a delivery or perhaps a regular, but my heart sank when I saw who had walked in. Kunle Adesanya. Of all the days...
Kunle strolled in like he owned the place, his perfectly tailored suit and polished shoes looking out of place in our cozy, bustling kitchen. His smug grin widened when he saw me. "Hello, Teni. Thought I'd see what's cooking."
I forced a smile, though my jaw clenched involuntarily. "Kunle. What a surprise." My voice was tight, trying to mask my irritation. He had always had a way of getting under my skin.
We'd crossed paths before, mostly through social media. Kunle loved to post pictures of his elaborate dishes, always accompanied by hashtags like #MasterChefKunle and #CookingRoyalty. He'd left more than a few comments on my page, always with that same condescending tone. "Nice attempt, Teni," he'd write. "Keep practicing!"
He looked around, inhaling sights and smells with an exaggerated sniff. "Smells good in here. Just wanted to see what the competition is up to."
Great. Just what I needed. Kunle, with his wealthy background and privileged attitude, always thought he could waltz in and take whatever he wanted. "Competition? Do you mean the cooking competition Jenna Marbleson was supposed to be in? She dropped out, didn't she?"
