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Finally, when your surprise had turned into frustration, the little hellcat pushed off of your back and flipped back onto her bed in a crouched position. She was glaring up at you, resting on all fours like a wild animal. You were simply too flabbergasted to respond.
After a few seconds, she blew a stray strand of black hair out of her face, and a mischievous grin spread across her lips.
Despite yourself, you returned the grin and even managed a weak chuckle. <span class="mu-r">“Alright, you little spidermonkey. Get up and get dressed. I made breakfast. We’ve got a big day ahead of us?”</span> you declared.
She gave you a puzzled look.
<span class="mu-r">“I’ll tell you after you get ready. It’s a surprise!”</span>
She frowned slightly, but eventually consented and got up to take a shower. You left her to own devices and texted Matt to inform him that Cindy won’t be attending her training sessions for a while.
Yep. Everything was going according to plan…
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<span class="mu-s">“Cooking classes?”</span> Cindy asked, in sign language as she shoveled a slice of pancake into her mouth.
<span class="mu-r">“Yeah! I thought it’d be fun for us to do it together.”</span> you said, leaning over the table. <span class="mu-r">“And it's a good life skill to have, you know?”</span>
Cindy nodded, thought about it, swallowed her mouthful of pancakes and smiled.
<span class="mu-s">“Sure. Sounds fun!”</span>
<span class="mu-r">“Attagirl! We’re headed out as soon as you finish eating and get suited up.”</span> you said, pulling your mask on.
Judging by her confused expression, she was probably wondering why you were suiting up for a cooking class.
<span class="mu-r">“Traffic’s still abysmal out there. Especially for public transit.”</span> you explained. <span class="mu-r">“They still haven’t cleared the roads completely, and I personally find it convenient to circumvent the whole process.”</span>
She didn’t need much convincing after that. After breakfast, the two of you gathered your things and headed out in full costume.
—----------
By the time you’d arrived, the class was just about filling up with middle aged men and women. There were a few younger people too, but not many that were close to Cindy's age.
<span class="mu-r">“I see we have a couple of new faces here today.”</span> said the bubbly cooking instructor. She was a slightly overweight redhead that looked to be in her early 30’s. <span class="mu-r">“I’m glad that all of you could join us. Rest assured that we’ll be keeping it simple in today’s lesson.”</span>
The objective today was to make “Pan-seared Pork Chops with Minced Peppers”. True to her word, it sounded reasonably simple. Cindy was more excited than you were, honestly. She even brought her own apron from home.
<span class="mu-r">“Be sure to follow the recipe exactly, and just call me over if you feel like you need help.”</span> the instructor said. <span class="mu-r">“Remember, these lessons are all about giving you some confidence in the kitchen. Don’t rush, and just have fun!”</span>
(Cont.)
