“How long will it take to be ready?”
“Forty-five minutes.”
“Okay, I can hold on that long,” his wife nodded. “I’ll set the table and heat up the leftover meat from yesterday.”
“Want me to toss it on the grill?” the husband asked.
“You just keep an eye on the fries, I’ll handle the rest.”
“But with the new machine, I don’t have to watch it! I just put in the chopped potatoes, start the app on my phone, set how I want it cooked, and done. I can do anything else alongside.”
The wife shrugged.
“Well, it’ll taste better grilled than if I just reheat it in a pan.”
“See! Told you!” the husband said proudly, puffing out his chest.
“Bring the meat up to the terrace and don’t worry about anything else!”
“Alright,” his wife smiled. “Just make sure it’s really done in forty-five minutes, because I’m starving.”
“I know. I saw you sneak a piece of raw potato earlier.”
The wife blushed in embarrassment. She had hoped she’d managed to sneak herself a little snack before lunch.
“I can’t help it. At half past twelve, my stomach starts growling, and it won’t settle until I put something in it.”
“Don’t worry, with this super machine I bet it’ll be ready even faster than frying it in oil.”
“Thank God,” the hungry woman sighed in relief. “I’ll go get the meat slices right now.”
“Are you ready yet?” the wife shouted from the bottom of the stairs, toward the upstairs terrace.
“What?”
“Come on already, I’m going crazy from hunger!”
“Uh, wait, just a second, almost done!” the husband called back, his voice a little uncertain.
The wife immediately sensed something was off. Reluctantly, but without hesitation, she started climbing the stairs. But the distinct smell of meat sizzling on the grill was missing from the air. As soon as she reached the top, she flung open the terrace door with a determined swing.
Her husband was leaning against the stone railing, deeply absorbed in fiddling with his phone. The meat sat exactly where she had left it on the counter of the open cooking area they’d set up on the terrace, waiting to be placed on the grill. And the fries? Even worse — they were still soaking in water, waiting for attention, just like her rumbling stomach.
“What on earth are you doing?”
“It’s all fine, I just had to update the air fryer app, but to do that I first needed the latest software version on my phone. You know, that takes a while to update.”
“But I’m starving! You could’ve at least called me up so I could warm the meat!”
“I didn’t even notice how much time had passed,” the husband replied in perfect calm.
“I can’t believe this…” the wife groaned.
“There you go, it’s ready now,” the husband said proudly, holding up the phone screen for her to see.
“It’s not ready! Lunch is not ready at all!”
“Oh, come on, in half an hour we’ll be eating. That’s not a long wait.”
“For you.”
“You know what? Bring a cold beer, and let’s just enjoy the sunshine. It’s finally such nice weather — you were waiting for this too.”
“I don’t want a beer.”
“But I do,” he said, kissing her on the forehead. “Get yourself something else, and here — take a piece of potato for now, while you bring up the drinks.”