No Strings Attached

Chapter Three

Jennie nodded while taking a sip of her red wine. “What about you?”

“I’m catching up with some old friends. I used to stay in Japan for a couple of years before moving back to Seoul.” Lisa unscrewed the cap of her mineral water bottle and poured herself some water.

“Oh I see. You studied here previously?”

“Hmm..sort of. I did an apprenticeship here several years ago after I graduated, just out of my own interest,” Lisa explained.

“I saw recipes scribbled on some papers while I was going through the bag to find the identity of the owner. You like to bake?” Jennie asked.

“I do have a keen interest in baking. I like to try out new recipes and baking is a great stress reliever for me.”

Jennie laughed. “I’m the total opposite of you. I’ll probably burn the kitchen if I were to start baking. Would I get a chance to taste your cakes?”

“Maybe…” replied Lisa cheekily before breaking into a hearty laugh. “Oh well, perhaps there would be future opportunities. Who knows?”

Just then, the waiter came by with their dinner. The two women tucked in heartily as both of them were famished.

“Would you like dessert?” Lisa asked, handing Jennie the small dessert menu by the side of the table.

“No thanks. I’m quite full,” Jennie replied, wiping the corners of her mouth with a napkin.

“Their strawberry shortcake is delicious and you should try it. I’ll order a slice and we can share it if finishing a single piece sounds too sinful,” Lisa said, waving to a nearby waiter.

Jennie looked out of the window, admiring the numerous twinkling city lights as she drank the red wine.

“It’s beautiful. The night view of Tokyo city,” Lisa said. And so are you.

“Yes it sure is. The irony is that we tend to admire and take in the sights more when we’re overseas instead of appreciating what we have back home. The stars always seem to shine brighter when you’re away from home. Do you agree?”

“Hmm…you sound like you travel very often.”

“Yea I guess. I’m practically living out of the suitcase for the past two years,” Jennie said with a bitter laugh.

“Awww, that sounds quite tiring. I’m sure you must be highly respected in the company and your boss trusts you a lot to let you go on such frequent trips,” Lisa speculated.

Jennie let out a laugh. “You sound like you’re reading my fortune. So what else can you tell me?”

“I sense you’ll like the dessert that I’m recommending and thank me for introducing it to you.” The corners of Lisa’s lips turned upwards, revealing a mischievous grin.

As if Lisa had just waved a magic wand, the dessert arrived at that very moment. There was half a strawberry on top of the cake and light sponge took up most of the middle part of the cake. Sitting in the middle of the slice was a layer of sponge was a strawberry filled cream.

“Try it. It’s one of my favourite desserts here.” Lisa handed Jennie a small fork and pushed the plate nearer towards her.

Jennie pinched a small portion of the cake with her fork and placed it into her mouth. The Japanese always had a knack for making the fluffiest and lightest cakes. She looked up and noticed that Lisa was smiling at her.

“I take it that you like it a lot since there’s a wide smile on your face and I see your eyes twinkling with delight,” Lisa said, looking at the happy face in front of her.