"Alright, just to be clear," I stressed, tapping the recipe as I put it down on the table, "In return for you hacking a private company and stealing their financial records, you want me to make you a bowl of soup?"
"Hey, this isn't just any bowl of soup," The woman stressed, as she swatted my finger off the paper, "It's my grandmother's recipe, and I've tried to make it time and time again, but I can never get it just right. But maybe you can, Señor Chef."
"First of all, that's one of the worst nicknames I've ever had, and second of all, have you just considered it doesn't taste the same because you're remembering it through rose-tinted glasses?" I stressed only for her to grin, "Maybe, but that's not my problem anymore, it's yours. Or do you not want these?"
As she finished her sentence, the cyberpunk brat reached into the pocket of her hoodie and pulled out a small, inconspicuous flash drive.
My eyes widened a bit, seeing the drive and guessing what was on it. "You already got the files?"
"Yep, I did it on the ride over here. It's not like I was breaking into a government database or anything. That would have taken me a few days."
I stared across the table for a long second, "Just who the hell are you, and how the hell do you know Ashe?"
"We were roommates in college, as for who I am," The hacker grinned before winking at me, "You can call me Sombra."
I paused for a long moment, "That's not your real name, is it?"
Sombra's grin faded away, and she crossed her arms. "I can see why Ashe would like you; neither of you has a sense of humor."
---
"Whoa, they really threw a brick through your shit," Sombra commented unhelpfully as we walked up to the restaurant, "I thought that stuff only happened in movies."
"And my life, apparently," I muttered while stepping through the broken window, copying Ashe's earlier mover, "Luckily, the kitchen is fully operational if a bit cluttered, so we can get this deal over with."
"You know, for a chef, I thought you'd be glad to pay with food instead of money." Sombra wondered aloud as we walked to the back of the restaurant, towards the kitchen.
"I'm also practical, which is everything this deal is not. You can just say I didn't make the soup according to your standards and just walk away with the files. The only reason why I'm agreeing to this at all is because Ashe trusts you, and I trust her judgment more than my own." I replied as I undid the locks on the kitchen door and stepped inside.
"I won't argue about trusting Ashe's judgement, but trust me, I'm not that much of a puta," Sombra grinned as she followed me into the kitchen and looked around, "Wow, this is a nice space you got going on. Did you get that firepit custom-ordered?"
"Nope, it came with the place, left over from the original owners," I answered somewhat absently as I looked over Sombra's recipe, 'This is just a list of ingredients, nothing about cooking times, or detailed instructions. I imagine that her grandmother did things a particular way, which is why Sombra can't get that taste she's searching for.'
Folding the paper back up, I put it away in my pocket as I started to look through the pantry, checking what I had in stock and what I would have to discreetly order through the system, seeing as I had an audience.
"So when you're not committing cybercrimes, what do you like to do?" I asked while pretending to pull out a bag of tortillas from the pantry.
"You mean like a day job…" I work as a freelance graphic designer," Sombra replied as she grabbed a seat at one of the tables I had pulled in the night before, "keeps the lights on and my creative juices flowing."
"That's an interesting way to put it," I commented while taking out a small stack of the tortillas before grabbing a knife and cutting them into thin strips, "Now follow-up question: Did you go to college for art or cybersecurity?"
"Both, actually, dual major. Nearly burnt myself out doing it, but I finished with honors," Sombra answered while kicking up her feet and leaning back in her chair. "What about you? Did you go to some famous culinary school before apprenticing under an abusive master chef who molded you into a prodigy, but gave you a deep-seated trauma you know have to work through with your estranged family?"
"I'm beginning to think you watch far too many movies," I pointed out, while grabbing a heavy-bottomed skillet and a bottle of frying oil.
"Nah, nowadays it's all violence and sex on TV, not my cup of tea," Sombra corrected, "Besides, I already spend all of my day staring at a screen, if I have some free time I'd prefer a good book any day. But enough about me, I asked you a question."
I laughed a little while filling the pan with oil and left it on the stove to heat, "No, I did not go to culinary school. I was actually a finance major and worked at a big accounting firm before deciding that my sanity was worth more than a fat paycheck. I quit and never looked back."
"And now you're a successful head chef at your own restaurant and dating two girls," Sombra finished off, making me pause and look over at her with a raised eyebrow, "I didn't take Ashe for much of a gossiper."
"Oh, that's because she isn't. I did my own investigation, didn't take long for me to find Meg and Patty's socials. Very well done by the way, half of me is jealous, and half of me is tempted to find out how you can keep two girls like that happy and satisfied."
"Normally, I would indulge in this flirty banter, but I'm afraid I'm not in the mood right now," I warned as I started to dice up the ingredients for the soup base. Tomatoes, onions, garlic, cilantro, and jalapenos were all chopped up and diced before being thrown into a stockpot with a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of salt, and some chicken broth.
"I guess having some rich multi-millionaire threaten you and your friends will do that to you," Sombra said darkly before sighing, "I don't know how many people would still be up and fighting as hard as you are, though. It's admirable."
"Not the worst thing I've been called," I replied before picking up the stockpot, moving it over to the stove, and setting it to boil. Meanwhile, the tortilla strips had finished crisping in the oil, so I grabbed a sieve, scooped out the strips, and salted them before letting them dry.
Finishing off the chicken last, I heavily seasoned some thighs and breasts with adobe and cayenne powder before throwing them in a pan to fry. Before long, the kitchen was filled with the rich smells of stewed vegetables and well-seasoned chicken. Both of which would taste even better once combined.
Before assembling the final dish, I poured the stewed vegetables into a blender and held down the button until I was left with a rich broth. I got out two bowls, dividing the broth between them, then took the chicken out of the pan and finely shredded it with two forks until I was left with a small mountain of thin strands.
I loaded each bowl with chicken and tortilla strips, then finished the dish with fresh-sliced jalapeños and diced avocado.
Walking over with both bowls and spoons in hand, I brushed Sombra's feet off the table before placing them down, "Bon apattie."
"Alright, let's see how you did." Sombra grinned as she rubbed her hands together and picked up a spoon. I didn't bother waiting for her reaction; instead deciding to enjoy my own bowl. The soup was nice, with the blend of spices and refreshing herbs cutting through the slight heat from the jalapenos and the chicken, 'I should add this to a lunch menu if I ever get around to making one.'
Neither Sombra nor I exchanged a word, which was hopefully a good sign that she was enjoying the meal. But I was still on edge as she finished off her bowl and pushed it away, "That…was very good."
"But compared to your grandmother's, it still fell short, didn't it?" I said finishing her sentence before Sombra could break the bad news.
"Yeah, but I still think you deserve this," Sombra said as she put the flash drive on the table and slid it towards me. "Honestly, I was probably gonna give it to you regardless, seeing that the only reason you're in this deep is that you wanted to help Ashe get back her farm. You don't know how long it's been since I saw her in such high spirits."
I looked from Sombra to the flash drive before taking it with a nod, "Thank you, I'll remember this, and maybe in the future I'll try your grandmother's recipe again."
Sombra smirked and stood up, "I look forward to it."
Then, without another word, she turned and left, leaving me certain that there was far more to her character than what met the eye.