Chapter 25: Steamed Clams (2)
"By the way, Manaia, you lost the bet, don’t forget to pay," I reminded her with a mischievous smile.
"What bet?" Vira asked, curious, but Manaia quickly cut her off before she could say more. Manaia just shot me a warning glance, while I laughed and told them it was a secret.
"It’s a secret, girls, you can only ask Manaia," I added, enjoying their intrigue.
I approached the sea. Some steam was still rising from the water due to the heat radiated by the process. I started pulling out the cooked clams. The girls looked at me, intrigued, and asked what I was going to do with them.
"They’re delicious, but be very careful," I warned them. "You need to eat them slowly, a small piece at a time, and don’t overdo it, or you’ll pay dearly."
Taking advantage of a shell that hadn’t been completely destroyed, I used it as a pan and placed it over the flames. I began to sauté the clam meat. Soon, an extremely delicious aroma wafted from the meat, making everyone drool, eagerly waiting to taste it.
"Here you go: Steel Clam in its shell. Enjoy!"
Each of them began to devour pieces of clam. The girls ignored my warnings, taking large bites of the meat.
"Wow, what a delicacy! I’ve never tasted anything like this, Chief Jax. If I can always eat like this, I’ll follow you to hell!" Zyra exclaimed.
"Zyra, you’re always so greedy, though I support you this time! Leader, you’re a magnificent cook," Vira added.