Food Is Love!

Recipe 63: Shift

Roadtrip Day 23
Location: Digos City, Davao Del Notre

Alex's POV:

"WHAAA!!! What should we do?!!!" I hear Danica panics as she talks with Claire and Azmina.

"Don't worry. We got this." Claire pats Danica's shoulder. "We just need to convince Alice that our cookings are good and sellable so that she could accept our apology."

"Yeah, she's right." Azmina added. "But...if it wasn't for your prank, Claire, we wouldn't ended up like this."

"Yeah, I know. I didn't know that my prank is too much for her so I apologize to her...but it's too late."

"Don't worry, Claire. Help Danica and I so we could be prove ourselves worthy of Alice's apology, okay?!"

"Okay!!!"

As the mood between the three friends has become ecstatic, on the other hand, Flonne's mood is somewhat...umm...how could I say this...a little bit gloomy...

"Come on, Flonne. Cheer up." I tried to talk to her so she can stop pouting.

"Hmph! I could never forgive them for the prank that they did to me...unless they prove themselves that they have cooking skills just like mine! Hmph!"

...sigh...Flonne's still can't move on from that hard scare prank that Claire did to her...she's still pissed off...so I try to...umm...pat her head. At first, it didn't work with her...she will only take my hand off her head. But I persist...and that's when it works. She stopped from taking my hand off her head, calms down...and finally, closes her eyes and smiles...

"Hehehe! That's so much better...thanks, Lexi! Hehehe!" Flonne regains her composure and giggles.

Flonne then stood up and approaches the girls. Coming from a rough confrontation, Danica is a bit scared at her.

"Um...oh! He-hello, Alice!" Danica stutters. "Ple-please forgive me! I wa-was dragged in tha-that pra-prank. I swear! Be-believe me, please?!"

"Ehehehe! What are you talking about? Don't worry, I forgive you all." Flonne makes a friendly smile. "But that doesn't stop me from giving you your punishment. You'll still gonna make your own dishes to sell today. If fails, it's all on you...not me, understand?"

"Yes, Alice."

After that conversation, Flonne approaches me again and smiles...

"...sigh...Lexi, how about we settle down and take a rest for today. Let them handle this for awhile."

"Yeah...yes, we should." I agree on her condition, but... "But, how about our deal?"

"Oh, jeez! Just forget about it, okay?" Flonne pouts at me. "You already establish a lead over me...and you wanted to widen it further, would you?"

I was about to tell her that I really don't meant to widen my lead to her in our cooking rivalry...but in a split second, Flonne approaches the Azmina and whispers something...in which she approves. She returns to me with an evil grin.

"Oh no! No, you don't!" I stand up and pouted her. "Don't tell me you tell Azmina that they should cook entirely homemade cooking?!"

"Hehehe! Yes, I did!"

"Dang it!" Then I approach somebody who is good enough to cook fastfood for me...my former workmate back when I was a cook in the fastfood restaurant...Danica. "Hey, Danica. Can I ask you a favor?"

"Hmm? Okay. What is it, Alex?" Danica is visibly curious about my question.

"Well...Flonne is already resuming our war against me...by delegating Azmina and Claire to cook something homemade today. Right now, I need your help. Show to them the fastfood is one of the best among the rest!"

"Affirmative, Sir Alex!" Danica saluted me like a random police officer. "I already know what I should do today!"

A smile is painted along my face...I won't let Flonne tie the series once again! For years that I worked in the fastfood restaurant, Danica is the only person I knew who cooks burgers, fries and chicken meals more better than mine. Yeah...I remember that when she had the opportunity to cook...the restaurant's sales gone up for a week because of very delicious dishes if you compare with premium restaurants serving expensive first-class dishes. Hey, it's true you know! Even my boss is very pleased to her. Ha! It's good that I have her by my side...for with her, I could won another "proxy" battle against Flonne!

Alice Flonne's POV:

Hmm...really, I smell danger with my plan...to tie the rivalry with Lexi. I sense that he just released his secret weapon...oh no! I forgot! Danica's working at the same restaurant as Lexi's! Oooh! What should I do?!?!

"Azmina! Claire! Cook the best dishes that you had!" I handled down a new order. "Make sure that your dishes are very delicious, okie?"

"Yes, mam!" Claire then turns to her cookmate. "Azmina, here's the deal. Since we're good in cooking, how about we make our own dishes...but, we'll help each other when it comes the ingredients that we are using. How's that?"

"Well, that's not a bad idea. Let's do it then."

And as the two opposing sides are keeping themselves busy in preparing and cooking their mysteries dishes, I looked to Lexi and noticed that...he's a bit uneasy about his candidate of choice, Danica...as if it telling me that if they lose...Danica would doubt her skill as a fastfood frycook...besides, she's outnumbered: two is to one.

"Lexi! Danica!"

"Oh, yes. What is it." I called their attention to tell them something.

"Don't worry, this just a friendly match, no pressure." I smile to Danica. "Just do your best to make your best dish. If somebody bullies you because of it, just tell us and we will handle it, okay?"

Like a thorn removed from her throat, Danica takes a deep breath and smiled back at me.

"OK! Thanks, Alice! Hehehe!" Danica giggles as she recomposes herself. "I will do my best, just watch me!"

And now everything's settled, I drag Lexi to our driver and passenger's seat, respectively.

"Okay, we should sit back...relax...enjoy...and let our friends do the work."

"Yeah...I guess we should...but wait! If they'll gonna cook for us today, who will gonna attend the customer's orders?"

"Huh?! What are you talking about?" I pouted at him. "They will handle this by themselves...unless you're gonna challenge me again to play rock, paper, scissors with me."

"Hey! I didn't say that I challen-ugh! Fine! Let's do this anyway."

We face each other with a grin...and position our own fists. Don't you know that I'm good with rock, paper and scissors? I mean I beat all of my brothers with this several times before. I'm not gonna be beaten...not even my own boyfriend.

Jack ne Poy! Ha! Look, I win!

WHAAAAAA!!!!!