Chapter 194 The Enchanting Soup
Evelyn figured once Samuel wrapped up his business talk, they'd bounce, but nope, he took her to a restaurant instead.
"Did you check out that spot I told you about?" Samuel asked, all casual-like.
Evelyn nodded. "Yeah, it was pretty solid."
The place brought back memories of that wild day. She hadn't seen Ethan since and wondered what he was up to.
Food allergies? Totally a thing. Lots of folks are allergic to stuff like dairy or seafood. Some unlucky ones even react to random things like wheat or eggs.
It was kinda nuts that Avery, Ethan's mom, didn't know about his allergies.
"Anything you wanna eat?" Samuel handed her the menu, letting her pick.
Evelyn shook her head. "I'm not really up on the food here. You order. I'm good with whatever."
Honestly, Evelyn just couldn't get into foreign food.
"Since we checked out the Marseille soap, how about some Marseille fish soup? And two steaks, plus this and that..." Samuel pointed at the menu, then looked at Evelyn. "We drove, so no booze."
Evelyn nodded, and Samuel ordered two orange juices, then handed the menu to the waiter.
"You still bummed out?" Samuel asked, noticing her zoned-out look.
"Why would I be?" Evelyn snapped back to reality. "You got me gifts and dinner. Why would I be mad?"
Samuel laughed. "So, dinner was a good call."
"Well, I haven't tried the food yet, so let's not get ahead of ourselves," Evelyn joked.
The food came out quicker than she expected, all fancy-looking. Some dishes were a mystery.
"Dig in." Samuel started cutting his steak like a pro. Evelyn eyed the soup, ready to serve herself. "Is this Bouillabaisse?"
"Yep! Don't forget to dip the bread in the fish soup," Samuel reminded her.
A bit confused, Evelyn did as he said, hesitating with the soup. "What now?"
"If you're cool with the taste of rouille, slather some on the bread," Samuel suggested.
To Evelyn, this dish was starting to feel like some weird, dark cuisine. But since Samuel had gone through the trouble, she figured she should at least give it a shot.
Evelyn took a careful sip, and the mix of flavors—savory and spicy—made her cough a bit.
"How's it taste?" Samuel asked, handing her a tissue.
"It's pretty good," Evelyn said after a pause. "Really flavorful."
It was tasty, but she couldn't quite figure out all the ingredients with her not-so-sensitive taste buds.
"What kind of fish is in this Marseille fish soup?" Evelyn asked, tasting hints of shellfish and shrimp but not sure about the rest.
"The cool thing about Marseille fish soup is that it's different every day," Samuel explained, switching their steaks and giving her the cut one.
"Finding the flavor a bit much? Try some steak," Samuel suggested.
Evelyn was surprised. "How'd you know I was struggling with it?"
Even though she hadn't said anything, Samuel seemed to know her preferences. He casually listed her dislikes, nailing each one.
"I never told you that!" Evelyn was a bit picky but not enough to make a fuss when eating out with Samuel.
Samuel pointed to his eyes with a smirk. "You didn't have to say it. I can see it."
Well, he had a point.
But looking at the reddish-orange fish soup, Evelyn asked, "If you knew I wasn't big on fish, why bring me here for fish soup?"
Samuel looked at her and said cryptically, "Because... life’s short, and there’s a lot worth trying."
"Actually, the Marseille fish soup here is famous, and I wanted you to taste it. You're not a big fan of fish, but you do enjoy grilled and poached fish, right?" Samuel said, stuffing a piece of soaked bread into his mouth with a smile.
Samuel was spot on!
And as she savored the flavors, Evelyn found herself wanting more. Initially unimpressed, the intricate blend of spices in the soup made her crave another serving.
This soup had some kind of magic!
Just as she was getting into her meal, her phone rang. Seeing Laura's name on the screen surprised Evelyn, so she picked up. "Hey, Laura."
"Evelyn, has Liam contacted you?" Laura asked straight away.
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