Chapter 29

“Have you put the ginger in?”

“No, but here’s the pandan.” Alex took a generous sniff of the blade-like leaves, shuddering as if she had just breathed in d**** before dropping it beside his feet. She fanned the fume coming out of the wok and grimaced. “Ambrosial! But I think it’s still missing something.”

“Pepper?” Antoinette asked.

“No, he’s already a pepper.”

“Oh. Right.”

Alex tried to find the right word for it, then, like an imaginary light bulb blinking above their head, the witch sisters chorused, “MSG!”

Yves rolled his eyes while soaked in lukewarm water sprinkled with herbs and flowers. He couldn’t even see them properly because of the mist on his glasses, but the way their silhouettes danced was starting to embody a sisterhood witchcraft trying to cook him alive later for lunch.

“Here’s the fresh milk you ordered,” Patrick said. “Who will do the honor?”

“Timothy, of course.”

Patrick offered the bottle of milk to Timothy