Capítulo 23: Jack Cooking

The apartment kitchen was buzzing with energy as Jack stood at the counter, surveying the ingredients they'd bought the day before. Spread out in front of him were bags of rice, quinoa, lentils, and vegetables. Beside them, Lena and Samantha hovered with a mixture of curiosity and uncertainty.

Jack was wearing a simple apron over his t-shirt and jeans, while Lena had opted for one of the cute aprons she'd found stuffed in the back of a drawer—pink with little cartoon cats on it. Samantha, in her usual businesslike style, had tied a plain white apron over her blouse and loose pants, looking both ready and slightly out of place in the kitchen.

Jack clapped his hands together. "Alright, ladies. Let's get to work. We've got enough food here to make some solid meals."

Lena was already peeking into the bags of fresh vegetables. "So... what's the plan? What are we making first?"

"Well," Jack began, pulling out a couple of pots and pans, "we'll start with something easy—a veggie stir-fry with quinoa and lentils, and maybe a salad on the side. Then, if we have time, we can bake some bread."

Samantha's eyes widened. "Bread? We're baking bread?"

Jack nodded. "It's not as hard as it sounds. Trust me."

"Easy for you to say," Samantha muttered, tying her purple hair back into a neat ponytail. "I've only ever baked cookies—and they were from a box."

Jack laughed, motioning to the cutting board. "Don't worry, you'll both be fine. Lena, can you start chopping the veggies? Tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots—just rough cuts. And, Samantha, could you rinse the quinoa? We'll need it in a bit."

Lena eagerly grabbed the knife, but her enthusiasm quickly turned into hesitation. She picked up a tomato and examined it as though it might explode in her hands. "So... just cut it? Like this?"

Jack leaned over and showed her how to properly hold the knife. "Here, grip it like this. And don't worry about making it perfect. We're not at a fancy restaurant."

Lena, now looking more confident, began chopping with determination. Meanwhile, Samantha was staring at the bag of quinoa, a slight frown creasing her forehead.

"So... do I just dump this in water?" she asked, holding up the bag.

"Yeah, just rinse it a bit first. Helps get rid of the bitterness," Jack replied as he started heating oil in a pan for the stir-fry. "You're not afraid of quinoa, are you?"

Samantha shot him a look. "I'm not afraid of it. I just have no idea what it is. This is literally my first time even seeing quinoa in real life."

Jack chuckled, tossing a few cloves of garlic into the pan to sauté. "You'll survive. Quinoa's easy."

As the smell of garlic filled the kitchen, Lena beamed. "Mmm... that smells amazing. You sure you don't want to work in a restaurant, Jack?"

Jack shook his head. "Nah, I like cooking for fun. Less pressure."

Samantha, now done rinsing the quinoa, set it aside and leaned against the counter. "So, Jack," she said with a sly grin, "you're good at cooking... but what else are you hiding? Any secret talents?"

"Secret talents?" Jack raised an eyebrow as he stirred the veggies. "Well, if you count being able to fix a broken washing machine with a paperclip, I guess that's one."

Lena laughed, still chopping. "You're like a real-life MacGyver!"

Jack grinned. "I'll take that as a compliment."

As the vegetables sizzled in the pan, Jack added the lentils to a pot of boiling water. He glanced over at Samantha, who was curiously watching him as if trying to absorb every detail of what he was doing.

"Okay, Samantha, want to try stirring these veggies?" Jack asked, handing her the spatula.

Samantha looked at him like he'd just handed her the keys to a spaceship. "Are you sure you trust me with that?"

"You'll be fine. Just stir them so they don't stick. Think you can handle that?"

With mock seriousness, Samantha took the spatula and began stirring, though it was clear she was treating it with more caution than necessary. "I feel like this is more responsibility than I've ever had in a kitchen," she joked.

"You're doing great," Jack encouraged, smiling.

Meanwhile, Lena finished chopping and brought the colorful array of vegetables over to the stove. "Do I just... toss these in?"

"Yep, into the pan," Jack said, guiding her. "Careful not to dump them too fast, or you'll splash oil."

Lena gingerly added the vegetables to the pan, and soon the kitchen was filled with the vibrant colors and aromas of the stir-fry.

"This actually looks like something I'd pay for at a restaurant," Samantha admitted as she continued stirring.

"See? Cooking isn't that scary," Jack said, adding a pinch of cumin and black pepper to the mix. "Now we just let this cook down while the quinoa and lentils finish."

They worked together like an unlikely team—Jack directing, Lena chopping and measuring, and Samantha learning how to stir without overthinking it. Soon, the lentils were soft, the quinoa was fluffy, and the stir-fry was done.

Jack tasted a spoonful of the veggies and nodded in approval. "Not bad. Could use a little salt, though."

Samantha handed him the salt shaker. "You're the chef. You do it."

With the final touches added, they served the meal, and all three sat down at the small kitchen table. Lena took a bite of the quinoa and lentil mixture, her eyes lighting up. "This is actually really good!"

Samantha, meanwhile, was eyeing her plate as though unsure how to start. "So... this is healthy, right? Like, really healthy?"

Jack grinned. "Yep. Full of protein, fiber, all the good stuff."

Samantha finally took a bite and chewed thoughtfully. "Okay, I'll admit it—this is good. Like, really good."

"Thanks," Jack said with a small smile. "And you two did a great job helping."

Lena giggled. "I mostly just chopped vegetables."

"Still counts," Jack said, taking a bite himself. "And next time, we'll make bread."

Samantha raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to turn us into professional chefs?"

Jack laughed. "Just trying to make sure we all eat well."

As they finished their meal, Lena leaned back in her chair, looking content. "You know, Jack, if you keep cooking like this, we might never let you stop."

Samantha nodded. "Yeah, you've set a dangerous precedent. We'll expect gourmet meals every day now."

Jack rolled his eyes, smiling. "Don't get too used to it. But... I can definitely keep making dinners like this."

After they finished eating, the three of them worked together to clean up the kitchen, laughing and teasing each other as they washed the dishes and packed away the leftovers.

By the end of the evening, Jack couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.

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