Can’t Win Me Back by Ginger Sue

One agonizing hour later, Jasper served up a few fairly presentable dishes on the dining table.
He could manage simple dishes. Once the complexity of the dishes had increased, he realized he wasn't talented at cooking!
Moreover, these were dishes he had completed under Alyssa's supervision. If he had relied on himself, dinner would most likely
be served at midnight.
By the time Jasper was done, his forehead was covered in sweat. His white shirt was also completely soaked in his sweat.
Alyssa noticed all these, and her heart ached for him. She picked up a piece of tissue to wipe his sweat for him.
She pouted, "Winston is so troublesome. He has so many cooks at home. There is also Lyla, who is such a capable cook. Why
did he insist on staying when he could have all the scrumptious food at home? He's just making things difficult for others!"
"Lyse, you and Mr. Taylor haven't seen each other in a long time. Plus, you said it yourself that he can stay and try my cooking."
Jasper didn't see it as troublesome at all. On the contrary, he enjoyed the heartwarming moment of cooking with the woman he
loved.
Alyssa felt terrible that her sarcastic invitation ended up tormenting Jasper. Her face flushed red with anger. "I was saying that
out of spite! Wasn't he able to tell?"
"It's alright, Lyse."
Jasper wrapped his arm around her slender waist, comforting her softly, "I've been thinking of doing something for Mr. Taylor
anyway. Even if it is a simple meal."
"You're thinking of getting in his good books?"

Alyssa leaned close to him until the tips of their noses almost touched.
"I think that you should just forget about that thought. Winston is very unreasonable. You can bombard him with as much flattery
as you would like, and he may still stay mad.
"Plus, there's no need for you to do that. It doesn't matter whether he's willing or not. As long as we are together, nothing else
matters."
Winston cleared his throat loudly, interrupting the pair's private conversation.
Alyssa rolled her eyes. Winston was such a killjoy!
"So, I guess I made things difficult for Jasper. I thought that I had to wait till breakfast time," Winston
scoffed as he took a seat elegantly.
Jasper didn't respond.
Alyssa sniggered, "You were the one who said that you'd stay. No one forced you to."
She narrowed her eyes and said sarcastically, "Jasper has never cooked for anyone personally. So far, I was the only one.
You've lucked out today, so just stop fault-finding."
Winston was speechless.

Jasper couldn't hold himself back from laughing.
They were indeed like father, like daughter. Their manner of speech and tone of voice were the same. It was like they were
looking into a mirror.
Winston straightened his back. He picked up his cutleries and dug in.
The entire time, Jasper felt like his heart wasn't his own. He couldn't even feel his own heartbeat anymore. He held his breath as
he watched and waited for Winston to taste his dishes.
It was time for him to prove himself. His emotions surged. It was as if he was receiving an appraisal.
"Is salt free of charge for you, or do you own a salt farm? These vegetables are all overcooked. They don't look fresh at all. This
one's a failure!"
Winston gave his comments as he devoured the dishes.
Jasper had predicted that Winston wouldn't have great comments for him. But he hadn't expected it to be this bad. He could only
respond with an awkward smile.
Besides, Winston had allowed Jasper to make a meal for him. That was already something that was beyond what Jasper could
imagine.
At last, Alyssa's patience ran out. She lost her cool.
"That's it, Winston! I don't care if you can stomach these or not! Just leave! Jasper put in so much effort in his cooking. Even if
you don't appreciate his gesture, you shouldn't insult him like this!

"Moreover, didn't you say that they don't taste good? Why have you eaten so much? Are you trying to torture yourself?"
"I rushed over to Solana City to see you. I haven't even changed since I got off the airplane. Until now, I didn't even have a single
drop of water to drink!
"I was finally invited to stay for a meal, but this fellow here took his own sweet time with cooking! I was famished!
"Otherwise, would I be happy to eat all these? All these dishes he made are just so... so lousy! I could barely eat them!"
Upon saying that, Winston stuffed more roasted potatoes into his mouth. He chowed down on them. It was as if he was grinding
down Jasper's bones.
Alyssa was still fuming at first. But she lost it once she heard Winston's explanation, and she burst out in laughter.
When Winston saw that Alyssa was amused, he ended up smiling too.
Jasper and Neil saw that Jasper and Alyssa had finally broken the ice. They were also overjoyed.
The atmosphere surrounding the dining table had lightened, and the earlier tension and anxiety had dissipated.
At least, it was now a tad more homely and warm.