Tiny Terror

Realization

  "Now you chop up these." Vasco told me while placing some vegetables on the table. Mom had gotten his number off my phone and somehow convinced the large male to teach me how to cook since I could only make stuff in the microwave.

  "How big do I cut them?" I asked while picking up a knife.

  "Uh....about that big." He replied while holding his hands close together. He was showing me how to make kimchi-jjigae, and so far, it was going okay. Nodding, I began to chop up the vegetables while he went to the stove to cook the meat. The kitchen was already smelling pretty good, and he glanced over his shoulder to check on my progress. "Do you have some onions done yet?"

  "The little green bits? Yeah." I replied before scooping some up in my hands to bring it to him. Using my hands like a bowl, I held them out to him, and he started to take them and sprinkle them over the meat as it sizzled. God, did that smell good; I was so close to drooling.

  "Thanks." Vasco smiled. "There should be enough left over for when your parents get off work, too." He said as I went back to the table.

  "Still can't believe my mom got you to do this." I sighed.

  "She's nice, though."

  "How'd she convince you to teach me how to cook?"

  "She just asked me." He answered, and I paused what I was doing to look at the back of his head.

  "What?"

  "She just asked me. I wanted to help, so I agreed. Plus, you won't survive long and stay healthy if you live on your own and couldn't cook." Vasco stated.

  "I could get a good job and hire a chef."

  "And if you don't?"

  "Call you and beg for a home-cooked dinner." I joked.

  "Mia, you won't always be able to do that. What if I was stuck doing something or got trapped in an elevator?" ....Wait....why was he talking as if he'd actually show up to cook for me if I called?

  "Trapped in an elevator?"

  "Things happen."

  "Then I guess I'll just be stuck under your tutelage for the time being." I popped off. "Ready for the veggies?"

  "Yup." He smiled. Piling the chopped vegetables onto the cutting board, I carried it over to him, and he began to carefully add them to the food while mixing things together. Looking up at him as he softly smiled while cooking, I felt my ears getting hot again. That seemed to happen a lot when Vasco was around, but I just assumed it was because I thought he was attractive and nothing more. Mom told me that hot people could make a person blush, it just happened, like how seeing a treat made a dog's tail wag.

  "So who taught you how to cook?"

  "My mom. She's a nice lady, too. Really smart." He grinned while looking directly at me, and it made my heart feel as if it was fluttering. 'Hold it....the fuck was that? Oh, shit, am I gonna die?!' "I used to just watch her in the kitchen, but then she started teaching me, saying it was a vital tool to have whenever I went into the world on my own."

  "Oh, well, my parents are both a bit busy for that. They did manage to teach me the other basics though. You know, like fixing some plumbing or whatever."

  "Well, I'm here to help you become able to feed yourself." Vasco beamed, and my heart did the thing again. 'Oh no....heart palpitations? Funny stomach? Oh, God....am I in love with him?!' I thought while looking at Vasco with my eyes wide in shock. That would explain why a bunch of shit happened to me while Vasco was around, but I was surprised it took me this long to actually realize it.

  How could I be certain that's what I was feeling, though?