Dante couldn’t remember if he ever did get some shuteye. He thought his eyelids closed for a couple of minutes, but he was certain that it wasn’t what one would call an ample rest. Since Frank told him about Sharee, she’s been running in his mind until he found himself greeted by the sun’s earliest golden rays.
It was morning. He himself felt the irony, being too sleepy to notice that he hadn’t slept.
Dante got to his feet and walked towards the door. Stepping out, he went to the kitchen for some water, where he found Juliet busy with something. Both stoves were lit, one having the steaming pot while the other had raw pasta which was being softened over the heat.
“You’re awake,” said Juliet as she noticed him when she looked over her shoulder, “I’m sorry, breakfast isn’t ready yet.”
“It’s okay. I was wondering where I could some water?”
“Oh, yes. I’ll get you some, but, could you keep on stirring this pot for me?” requested Juliet.
“Sure thing,” Dante took the ladle from her, their hands touching for a brief moment, “This smells good.”
Swimming in the pot were vegetables and chicken mixed with macaroni. The soup was very inviting, and Dante had to admit that her cooking skills were quite a match to his, better even. Upon returning the jar of water inside, Juliet closed the fridge and traded the glass of water with the ladle he held in his hand.
“Thanks,” he took the glass and drank without stopping, “And by the way, if it’s alright, I’d like to have a bath. Is that okay?”
“Ah, yes of course,” she nodded, “Can I leave you for a while I go get something? Keep stirring this pot for me.”
“My pleasure,” gladly accepted Dante, “I love to cook.”
Juliet heeded no interest into dwelling at his statement despite finding commonality between the two of them. She turned her back to him and marched away to fetch unused towels and some amenities for him to use. Her absence was sufficient time for him to give the pot a taste. It was good, just as he expected. Thinking that he could improve the already excellently seasoned soup, he searched for some powdered pepper in the shelves. Dante then generously added the gray powder into the mixture when he heard a woman’s voice speak behind him.
“What are you doing?”
Turning around, he saw Juliet carrying a neatly folded towel and some soap, her expression indistinguishable between wondering and furious. “I thought it could use some more spice, so I put in some pepper-
“You shouldn’t have done that,” Juliet protested on what has already been done. She eyed him like an eagle primed for a swoop.
How could you be so stupid Dante? Mind your own business.
“I’m sorry, I just…you’re right. I shouldn’t have done that. Sorry,” Juliet sounded very threatening despite her gentle appearance. Looks do kill.
“This is all I could find. It’s a bit small, but it will have to do. I don’t know where Father stored the other towels. Here’s some soap as well as some shampoo. The shower’s over there,” Juliet pointed to a pathway heading somewhere unseen unless a turn is made at the corner.
“Juliet, I’m really sorry.”
“It’s fine. Let me take that,” she bartered for the ladle with the towel she brought with her.
He left her to do the remaining stirring needed to thicken the soup while he headed towards the bathroom. He wondered if Juliet was pissed, but knew better not to doubt it, for even he would get mad when his cooking formula was altered by anyone in any way. Juliet was probably upset. He even forgot to return the bottle of ground pepper to where it was before.
Two chefs in a kitchen just won’t work.
The bathroom had the same color of tiles to Sharee’s, which made Dante miss her, then not just her, but the two of them, when he stepped under the warm jet of water from the shower, something they used to do together years ago. Tragic, his love story only got worse when he learned of Sharee’s arrest. He wished he could simply undo everything and trade places with her, and be where he’s really supposed to be, just so Sharee won’t have to be caged.
It was pointless to look forward to a fairytale ending.
What’s done is done, and he’s the reason why Sharee’s in jail.
It was his turn to scratch her back.
Dante got lost in his thoughts until the constant sprinkle on his body brought him back to the present. He turned the shower off and dried himself with the towel Juliet lent him.
Walking now the way he went through to get to the bathroom, he felt ashamed of himself as he saw Juliet turning her eyes away. All of a sudden, it seemed to him that he forgot he wasn’t in his own house, not even Sharee’s, and didn’t bother to cover up save the towel that wrapped around his waist. Half-naked, he didn’t know if he should apologize or just get the hell out of her sight to end the awkward moment.
Dante himself was fed up with his own apologies so he just made an exit as fast as he could and went straight to his room. After getting into some clothes, he went back this time to have some breakfast. He found a couple of bowls on placemats each with a pair of eating utensils, and all that was left was for Juliet to invite him to eat.
“Let’s eat,” she invited, sounding sweet.
Pulling a chair, Dante sat down and waited for his turn on the soup. Swimming in it were generous servings of macaroni topped with vegetables and strips of what he could make out as chicken. In short, it was delicious, unless Juliet found it as the opposite, not to mention blame him for the excess pepper.
“How’s it?” Juliet asked with a concerned tone that the taste might not be to his liking.
Instead of giving a yes-it-tastes-good comment, he ate some more before judging. “Lacks pepper.”
“You think so?” Juliet stood up.
“Yeah,” answered Dante, being honest to his tongue.
Juliet walked towards the shelf and grabbed the bottle of pepper, “Here take this.”
“Sorry. It’s just me. It tastes good even without it. I just like it spiced.”
Juliet didn’t respond. She focused on her own bowl. To cut the silence, Dante thought of something to talk about, and hopefully please her in doing so, because he felt he pissed her in some way. She was about to put the spoon in her mouth when he asked, “How about those noodles?”
“Spaghetti. They’re for later.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“You’re a mystery to me.”
“Sorry, what?”
“You. There’s so much about you that turns me half wary and half curious. I never asked Father anything about you because I thought if ever I’d get to know your story, I’d hear it straight from you,” Juliet explained.
“What do you want to know about?”
Suddenly, Juliet felt it was the chance to finally fill in some blanks, for the sake of turning him into a lesser stranger, and perhaps because of her own desire for answers, “Why were you in prison, if you do”
“I was framed.”
“So you want revenge?”
Dante forced a smile. Being with such kind people made him think if inflicting his enemies pain would really grant him contentment and peace. If there was a way to reverse what had happened, there’s a chance that he’d do it, but he just couldn’t simply forgive and forget.
In real life, one may be able to forgive, and then forget.
But it would only be a matter of time before that person remembers, and the healing wounds would again reopen. Hate takes its rightful place once again, urging oneself towards vengeance. Dante knew this, as he still felt he wanted to get even with Lisa despite her having a valid excuse for double-crossing him.
Juliet’s hand flew across the table to where he put the pepper and held it. With a few sprinkles, she placed it back, this time close to her, “I think you’re right.”
“About what?”
“This lacks pepper.”