Chapter 39: Cooking Disaster

The shriek of the smoke alarm pierced through Olivia's chaotic kitchen like an overwrought soprano, furthering the deluge of sizzling pans and clattering utensils. Through the haze of smoke, Olivia was able to make out Mark attempting to fan the wailing device with a dish towel or something like that. "I thought you said you could cook!" Olivia cried over the din, trying not to laugh as she surveyed the mess around her. Mark's words were muffled by the towel he'd pulled over his nose and mouth, and his eyes crinkled with a mixture of amusement and chagrined triumph. "This was supposed to say that I can cook eggs and toast. This," he gestured to the pan on the stove, "is clearly not eggs and toast." When the alarm finally shut up and the smoke began to clear, Olivia surveyed their attempted gourmet meal. Salmon that had once been a beautiful pink fillet now looked like charred briquettes. What should have been creamy, delicate risotto had congealed into this glutinous mass, bearing a