Chapter fourteen

Ann’s Pov……

As I pushed open the heavy oak door of the high-class cooking class, I felt a wave of hot and the rich aroma of spices envelop me. The room was filled with the sound of sizzling pans and the soft chatter of students. I glanced at my watch almost an hour late. A flush crept up my cheeks of embarrassment of being stared at as I stepped inside, hoping not to draw too much attention

The instructor, whom I barely could see sounded like an elderly woman, but an agile one, turned to her with a raised eyebrow. "Ah, welcome dear," she said, her tone a mix of amusement and disbelief. The other students paused, their eyes darting between I and the instructor, some stifling smiles.

"Sorry! I got caught in traffic and had a slight accident I had to take care of” I stuttered, clutching my bag tightly as I moved further into the room. I could feel the heat of their gazes on me , and I tried to shake off the embarrassment, lifting my chin up like I alway saw in the movies I walked in with

On getting to the front roll, my eyes was met with an unexpected personed, the woman from earlier who had spilled coffee on my dress causing the delay.

"Well, since you’ve missed the introduction, you’ll have to catch up," she continued all smiles, the same smile that sent the comforting feeling, gesturing to a station closer to her. "We’re currently preparing a classic coq au vin. You might want to start by chopping those vegetables."

Nodding, grateful for the task and grateful for seeing her again. I quickly made my way to my station, where a colorful array of vegetables awaited me.As I grabbed a knife and began to chop, I could hear snippets of conversation around me. The laughter and charisma of the other students made me feel even more out of place.

"Need a hand?" a voice said beside her, looking up to see a woman with curly hair and a warm smile. "I’m Mia. Looks like you’ve got a lot to catch up on."

"Ann," I replied, returning the smile. "Thanks, I appreciate it. I didn’t mean to be late—this class was supposed to be my little escape"

Mia nodded knowingly. "We all need that sometimes. Just dive in; it’s a lot of fun once you get the hang of it."

As I chopped the vegetables, I felt the tension in my shoulders ease a little. The rhythm of the knife against the cutting board was oddly soothing as though I had done this before, while all I did was watch tutorials online for better initial reference. I glanced over at the instructor, who was demonstrating the perfect way to sear chicken. Her passion for cooking was evident, and it ignited something in me, a desire to learn, to be part of this world and also give Williams a new experience with me since I all brought chaos around him.

"Okay, everyone! Let’s regroup for a moment," the instructor called out, and my heart sank. I wasn’t ready to be in the spotlight again.

As the students gathered around, I stayed at my station, trying to blend in. But the instructor’s sharp gaze found me. "Ann, since you’re late, why don’t you tell us what you know about coq au vin?"

I swallowed hard. "Um, I know it’s a French dish, right? With chicken and wine?" My voice was shaky, but I pressed on luckily I had glances through a vlog on how to make French dishes and it was part of them"I think it’s traditionally cooked with mushrooms, onions, and bacon."

"Not bad for a beginner" she replied, a hint of a smile playing on her lips, her demure firm but smooth. "But there’s so much more to it. Cooking is about passion and precision. Let’s see if you can bring that to your dish."

As the class resumed, I felt a renewed sense of determination for this. I focused on my chopping, my mind racing with thoughts of how I wanted to impress not just the instructor, or myself……….

Cooking had always been a passion of mine but circumstances made it impossible for me to exercise it and life had gotten in the way. Now, my purpose was anew to reclaim it.

After a while, the instructor walked around, offering tips and encouragement. When she reached my station, she paused. "You’re doing well, Ann. Just remember to keep your knife skills sharp literally and almost pricier cutting, have you ever been a chef?"

“No maan, I barely made it in the kitchen” I answered, a bit more embarrassed than I was when I came in and angry at myself for spilling such information, but who was I kidding?! Me being there meant I knew nothing about kitchen activities.

“In cooking, your meal prep is important and cutting is part of it,I’ll give you thumbs up, you chop and cut well, keep it up” she said with a soft smile.

"Thanks! I’ll keep that in mind," I replied, my confidence growing.

As the class progressed, I found myself laughing and chatting with Mia and an another elderly woman close to us who talked about how she planned to open a five star restaurant after her lessons.we shared stories of their culinary misadventures, and for the first time that evening in a long while people who barely knew who what was made me feel like I belonged.

When the time came to plate our dishes, I stepped back to admire my creation. It wasn’t perfect, but it was mine “Ann you did it” I muttered to myself like a prayer.

As the class wrapped up, I felt a sense of accomplishment wash over me, faced my fears and stepped into a new experience, and it felt exhilarating. Maybe being late had led me to exactly where needed to be, maybe meeting this woman had been put here to help me have a new purpose.

I thought of making it for dinner, Williams would be shaken by my new skill, I then stopped at the fresh food market and got all my ingredients for the dish making sure I crossed checked the list one more time to be sure I didn't forget anything, I headed home, hoping I would be alone and get it ready before he would be back from work.