A Love Trap

Francis looked down at the vegetable in his hands. 'Did I do something wrong?'

"What's wrong?" he asked innocently.

Looking at his handsome face, Ellie couldn't find the words.

"Ellie, what's the matter?" Ashley came in from the living room. When her eyes fell on the vegetable in Francis's hands, her mouth twisted. She had been away to fetch something just for less than a minute. How could he mess up a simple job of washing vegetable?

Only the stems remained in his hands and the leaves were torn into pieces and scattered all around.

"Can you tell me what kind of vegetable you are washing?" Ashley came over and looked at the stems in the basket. She stared at his innocent face resisting the urge to punch it.

"Isn't this how you're supposed to wash it?"

"Then what is it?"

Francis looked at the pile of leaves in another basket and said, "Oh, you meant these? These can't be eaten, right? I have removed all the leaves. I will throw them away."

"Who told you those can't be eaten?" asked Ashley.

"But I have never eaten those. Can they really be eaten?"

Judging from Ashley's and Ellie's expressions, Francis could tell that he must have goofed up.

Ashley slapped her forehead. "Okay, I will take it from here. You go rest in the living room," she said in resignation.

And this time she didn't listen to Francis' explanations. She just pushed him out of the kitchen. If she allowed him to stay in the kitchen any longer, there wouldn't be any dinner today.

Francis was puzzled at being pushed out of the kitchen. He asked Ashley for the name of the vegetable and searched it online.

convolvulus, angiosperm, known to have

You could cook the leaves, or you could also remove the leaves and cook the

mumbled, "So what's

the dinner table and looked delicious. Francis got a whiff of the aroma, and he took a deep breath. As it was all homemade food, he had

eyes lit up.

briefly

interjected, "Eat more if you like. We have work for you to do

her. He was totally

tasted all kinds of

for free. Are you going to do something

and replied immediately, "I'm

at the dishes on the dinner table and flashed an

and Ellie sat on the couch comfortably and started watching

the dinner table?"

Ashley had seen Francis eating so much and so fast, she, too, was infected by his zest. She ended up eating more than she usually would and it became a bit too much for

that Ellie kept looking in the direction of the kitchen from time to time. She was amused. "Why? Are you worried about

eyes at Ashley and said, "Why would I worry about him? I'm just worried about my kitchen and

the dishes. He won't create

was a loud crash from the kitchen. Ashley said, "Maybe

she could finish her sentence, there was another loud smash in the

almost a slap in her

to the kitchen and found Francis standing in front of the sink with a pile of broken dishes on the

in quality. They break as soon as they

was a genius in coming up with

not good enough? They broke when they were dropped to the floor? What the hell kind of excuse was that?