Table for Two 4: Fruits de Mer

>You spend Tuesday afternoon brainstorming menu options to run by The Mayor

>It's enthralling work for you

>The menu at the restaurant gets a change every three months, and the week or so leading up to the change is one of your favorite times to work

>Brainstorming, writing up ingredient lists, optioning garnishes, sauces, sides...

>And the testing

>You do love to test new recipes

>If service is the performance for your symphony, testing and experimenting with new dishes is the composition and arrangement

>You sit at your desk in the study jotting down ideas for hours, enthusiastic at the prospect of showing off new recipes for Em

>As you work, you find yourself every so often thinking about the lunch you had with her

>In telling Em about your early career, and in your excitement at landing the catering job for the restaurant, you'd neglected to ask her about her own interest in food

>It was odd, that

>You don't usually give so much information about yourself away to p0nies you've just met

>But there's something different about Em

>She's distinguished to be sure, having an almost matriarchal air about her in the presence of her colleagues and constituents

>But at lunch, away from all that, it was all notably absent

>There was no canned enthusiasm, no crowd-pleasing pretense

>She seemed genuine and open...

>You realize that it's been a half-hour since you've even looked at your papers

>With a sigh you get up and go to the kitchen to make dinner

1/x

 

>After a quick look through what you have, you decide what you'll make to eat

>You gather the things you need with rapid precision

>Garlic, tomato, chives, zucchini, and penne

>A pot goes onto the range filled with water

>You turn the flame on high and place a large frying pan on the front burner, adding enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan completely

>While you wait for the oil to come up to temperature, you finely dice a clove of garlic and a handful of chives

>With a satisfying hiss they fall into the pan and you continue preparing the vegetables

>You take the tomato and with the paring knife remove the stem before setting the bright red orb back down to be chopped

>The garlic and chives having released their flavors into the oil, you scrape the tomato pieces into the hot pan and turn up the heat

>A cloud of steam billows up from the pan and you go back to the counter

>By now the water is boiling

>You pour the pasta into the boiling water and take a moment to take in the aroma of garlic and cooking tomato

>With a wooden spoon you stir the tomatoes as they fall apart, making a thin red sauce

>As it bubbles and simmers you slice the zucchini and add it to the pan

>You throw in a pinch of salt and some pepper before letting the sauce sit until the pasta is finished

>Once you drain the penne you toss it with the sauce and plate it

>You take your dinner to the kitchen table and eat

>It's a simple enough dish, but satisfying nonetheless

2/x

 

>Despite it being the middle of Restaurant Week, the owner gave you  this and the next two nights off

>You can't complain. Three nights off in a row to work on a menu isn't something you normally get to play with

>Though it did complicate your meeting with Em on Thursday

>Maybe you can reschedule your meeting for the afternoon rather than the morning?

>You finish your dinner and clean the kitchen before returning to work

>Best case, you'd like to get the menu set tonight so you can test a couple dishes tomorrow-

>Crap...

>Rarity...

>You've got dinner with Rarity tomorrow...

>That puts a bit of a wrench in the works

>You can't reschedule with her either; not after how down she looked when you said you couldn't do lunch Monday

>No, you would work around this

>Just have to work late tonight and tomorrow so you have something substantial to show Em

>It's not ideal, but you've dealt with worse hangups in the past

>You sit at your desk and start working again

>The restaurant got a letter from Em's office detailing numbers this morning

>300 ponies are expected to attend the dinner

>You'll need a few appetizers, two or three entrees, and three or four desserts

>Dishes should compliment each other without being too similar

>Guests should be able to pick a number of combinations without sacrificing that

>You look at what you've got written down

>It's going to be a long night

>You get up and put a pot of coffee on before returning to your desk

>Then you get started

3/x

 

>The alarm wakes you up at 8

>A groan escapes you as you haul yourself out of bed to get ready for work

>You were up until 2 working on Em's fundraiser menu

>You're tired as hell, but at least you've got a good number of options for her to choose from

>You just need to test a couple after work and before dinner

>At least you can spend some quality time with Rarity, though

>Since you came to Ponyville she's been a pretty close friend

>She's like the little sister you never had

>You're reminded a little bit of the mares in Manehattan who strove for the high-life; wanting to make it big in anything with an air of class and distinction

>When she met you the first time you thought  she was going to have a stroke

>Apparently she'd been following your career since you helped cater the Gala

>At first you took her for shallow; like she only wanted to spend time together as a way to experience the Manehattan lifestyle

>But she turned out to be eager to learn about cooking and your past experience. You also liked having somep0ny to teach outside of the restaurant, so you went along

>It took a while, but eventually she stopped bombarding you with questions

>She'd been a good friend ever since

>There was the occasional outburst, but she was your biggest fan, it seemed

>You eat your breakfast and smile to yourself

>She tries to be so refined and ladylike, but she's young and it shows and it makes you laugh when she tries so very hard

>With a few minutes to spare before you have to leave for work you look over your notes

>You mark a couple recipes to test and head out the door

4/x

 

>The lunch service that day is relatively light

>You manage to coast through it without issue

>A meeting with the owner and a few managers caps off the work day

>You run a few menu items by them for feedback and are met with positive results

>A couple changes are made to bring costs down, but nothing too drastic

>The owner again expresses his thanks for landing the job

>It was lucky, he says, that The Mayor took such a liking to your food so quickly

>When the meeting lets out you go to your office to pack up your things

>With your list approved by the owner, you can go and test the new recipes at home

>You decide to stop at the market to pick up any ingredients you still need for tonight and tomorrow

>Then it's off to The Mayor's office to reschedule the meeting

>Then home to to test recipes

>Then you've got to get Rarity and go to dinner

>You've got a feeling that it's going to be another one of those nights

>Before the reality of the challenge facing you can set in you're off towards the market

>You wouldn't be Chef if you couldn't handle this kind of tight schedule

>The market is your first stop. You pull the ingredient list from your pocket and walk from stall to stall picking up what you need

>From the produce stall, shallots, green onion, cabbage, peas, carrots, rhubarb

>An assortment of large mushrooms and a few truffles from one stall

>A sack of rice and one of barley from another

>Berry Punch is selling Gooseberries, which you buy with some raspberries

>You also manage to get a bottle of wine imported from Prance from her

>Now loaded with ingredients, you head home

5/x

 

>After you unload the food at home, it's time to visit Em at work

>The walk to Town Hall is short

>Since you got out of work early, you've got a good amount of  time before the office closes

>Even more time before you have to pick Rarity up

>You arrive at Town Hall after about five minutes of walking

>It's a well-maintained building. Not too much ornamentation like in Canterlot

>The buildings there are a little too ornate

>Too many frills. Takes away from what's actually important

>You're reminded of a place in Manehattan that a friend used to work in

>A pitch-black restaurant called “Nyx”

>No light in the place at all

>No distractions to take away from the experience of eating

>Just the food, nothing else to get in the way

>You would have loved to work there

>Maybe someday you can open your own place, have creative control ove-

>”Anon? What are you doing here? Our appointment isn't until tomorrow”

>The Mayor's tone is slightly rough, like it was on Sunday

>You snap out of your daydream and look up to see that, once again, her face isn't matching her voice

Sorry, Madam Mayor

>You smile and nod knowingly

>Her face shows relief that you know she's just putting on a performance for whomever might be listening

I needed to come down and tell you that I've got to reschedule tomorrow's meeting

>Her face falls a little. An unexplained pit forms in your stomach seeing her look that way

Just my hours got shuffled around a bit and I'm not free in the morning. If we could do afternoon tomorrow that would be ideal

>She gives a quick look around before replying

6/x

 

>”Of course I'll have to check my appointments, but I think we can work you in somewhere”

>Now she looks sort of...happy. She walks past you into her office

>”I'll see you tomorrow, Anon” She whispers to you as she passes you

>You feel the faintest chill run up your spine as you turn and watch her leave

>She gives a playful flick of her tail just before the door closes

>You stand in the hallway in a sort of daze for a minute or two before coming to your senses and walking back out into Ponyville

>On the way home you feel a spring in your step

>You're feeling good about this

7/x

 

>Back home you look at the time

>4:30

>Good. That gives you a nice 2 hours to work with before picking Rarity up

>You set to work at once

>A couple recipes need to be tested to makes sure they're up to your standards

>A barley and arugula salad for appetizer first off

>It's a simple salad

>You boil up the barley while you wash the arugula and toss it with some chopped tomato

>Mixing some oil and vinegar in a bowl with some oregano makes the dressing

>When the barley is done you strain it, chill it, and put it into the salad as well

>The barley adds an earthy flavor to counter the bitterness of the arugula and compliments the acidity of the vinegar

>You take a taste and mark the salad off as up to the standard

>A look at the clock tells you how much time you have left

>5:00

>Okay, enough time to test one more dish

>You pull out the mushrooms and get to work

8/x

 

>The next dish is stuffed mushrooms filled with rice, peas, and carrots with a gooseberry reduction

>You start by heating the oven and cleaning the mushrooms

>After setting the mushrooms aside, you start a pot of water for the rice and put a pan of oil on the burner to saute the vegetables

>A third pot will hold the reduction

>Into the fry pan you throw some crushed sage and rosemary to impart some flavor to the oil

>The carrots are chopped and the peas split before you add them to the pan

>With the vegetables cooking and the rice now steaming, you turn your attention to making the reduction

>You take two shallots and finely dice them, adding some oil to the pot to start

>As they simmer, you dice up the gooseberries and put them to the side

>When the shallots become translucent you add a cup of red wine and simmer

>Steam rises from the pot in a heavy column

>A few minutes later you add the gooseberries and raise the temperature to a boil after they've simmered a while

>You fill the mushrooms with the rice and vegetables and put them into the oven

>Twenty minutes later they're ready

>You plate the now roasted mushrooms and take a bite once they've cooled

>You make a note to use less sage next time and mark the dish as done on the list

>Another look at the clock tells you that it's time to wrap up for now

9/x

 

>You take the leftover food and put it in the refrigerator for later

>The kitchen needs cleaning before anything else happens

>You give the pots and pans a scrub and rinse before moving on to inspect your knives

>A few swipes on the steel and your kitchen knife is a razor-edge again

>Sitting at the table with your tools and notes you feel accomplished

>You've managed a good range of choices for Em in only a couple days

>Of course, the real test will be tomorrow when you make these things for her to try herself

>You wipe some sweat from your palm and look back at the clock

>6:30

Guess I should head to Rarity's soon

>You get up and get changed into your non-work clothes, make sure you're showered, shaved, and get ready to pick your friend up

>As you walk out the door you turn back and look at the kitchen which is full of ingredients for tomorrow's demo for Em

Okay, dinner, then back to work

>You close the door and walk out to Carousel Boutique

>It's a short walk, as always. Carousel Boutique is silhouetted against the rapidly fading sky

>Rarity answers your knocking, looking incredibly nervous when she does

>She's certainly dressed to go out...

>Even in your business attire you feel under-dressed

>You see a slight blush come over Rarity's face when she sees you

>At first you'd chalked up her apparent nervousness to her work, but you now feel a creeping uneasiness coming over you

Evening, Rarity. Ready to go?

>”Of course, Anon. You look very handsome, I must say.”

Thanks. You look very nice too

>The two of you walk off into the night

10/x

 

>Rarity's chosen restaurant lies across town

>Plastered brick walls and a stucco roof set it apart from the thatched roofs and wooden frames of the rest of Ponyville

>Ponies sit at outdoor tables, chatting amongst themselves over tapas plates

>You look around, taking mental notes of the place

>It's a trendy establishment. The kind you've seen crop up by the dozens in Manehattan

>They also close by the dozens there

>Only the good ones survive the first six months

>Only the really good ones see their second year

>But being that this is the only place of its kind in Ponyville, it just might make it

>Rarity looks excited

>Would you rather eat inside or 'al fresco?”

>You look down at her, wondering a little if this was a good idea

It's a nice night, not too chilly. Why don't we eat outside?

>”Wonderful! You're just going to adore this place, Anon. I know it!”

I'm sure it'll be great. Shall we get a table?

>Rarity follows you inside and up to the host

Dinner for two, outside if you can

>”Certainly, sir. Right this way”

>The host picks up two menus and leads you to a table looking out into Ponyville

>You pull out a chair for Rarity and, once she's seated, take your own

>The menu is printed on heavy paper in ornate script. Ornamenting the edges are knots and patterns taken from Pegasus art

>Too much for your tastes. Your menu layout is always simple and straightforward

>The items here seem solid though, if a little on the pretentious side

>Before long, the waiter returns to take drink orders

>Rarity chooses the house red; some incomprehensibly long vineyard name

>You order a lager

>You see her balk ever so slightly at your choice

11/x

 

>”No wine, Anon? You won't have anything to compliment the meal”

Beer compliments food just fine. I actually prefer it

>She tries to hide her shock

>”It's just so...plebeian. I'm surprised”

You say that like it's a bad thing

>”In Canterlot they'd never dream of it”

Well, I never really was one for that part of Canterlot culture. Too uptight, not enough focus on what matters. Besides, I'm not one of those snooty Canterlot chefs. I thought you knew that about me

>”I suppose. Applejack and Rainbow Dash are always going on and on about the stuff and they're so unladylike...”

I understand. But it's always better to keep your horizons broad. Now does anything here catch your eye?

>Rarity looks at the menu

>Despite her high-class attitude and attempts at acting above her age, she still sometimes comes off as judgmental

>But she's young, so you can forgive that

>...To a point

>You look at the menu some more

>It's all small portioned and expensive, from the looks of it

Spaghetti Squash with garlic and polenta looks pretty good

>”I like the sound of the Autumn Lily salad”

Autumn Lily? Are you sure you don't want to order more food than that? It's only a small portion

>”Yes. They're wonderfully delicate this time of year. All the important ponies in Canterlot rave about them”

Alright, I'll flag down the waiter. Sure you don't want anything more?

>”Quite”

>You may have taught Rarity about good food, but the difference between liking good food and liking expensive food hasn't sunk in just yet

>Autumn Lilies are costly and you can think of five or six salad flowers that have better flavor for far less

>But there's no point in arguing it

>You place your orders and get to talking

12/x

 

>The ordering out of the way, you actually start to relax and enjoy the evening

>For all her little quirks, you do genuinely like Rarity

>You'll grant that she can be shallow and pretentious at times, but she's like a little sister to you

>She's as passionate about her work as you are about yours

>She talks at length about her fashion business

>Apparently she's been hard at work on a commission for some Canterlot aristocrat

>She couldn't be happier about it

>”...so I've been absolutely swamped with the designing process. My new client is SO demanding and SO particular. It's been a real challenge keeping up with her, but this could be my big break into real honest-to-Celestia Canterlot fashion!”

>She continues in this vein until the food arrives

>Rarity's face brightens when she sees the Autumn Lilies come out

>You take in the smell of your own dish

>The squash is well-seasoned with cardamom, nutmeg, and a little cinnamon, perfect for an autumn meal

>Roasted garlic sits to the side neatly with the polenta

>You have to admit, you're pleasantly surprised

>Usually places like this are all about presentation and fall short on the actual food

>However, it seems that this place has it right

>Rarity happily eats her salad as you dig into your food

>You finish a bite of polenta and ask

How are you liking your salad?

>She swallows a mouthful before replying

>”It's divine. Didn't I tell you this place was fabulous?”

That you did, Rarity

>Leaning back in your chair, you cast a glance into Ponyville

>You see The Mayor walking down the street

>She looks over and sees you

>As you raise a hand to wave you see a flash of...something across her face and she abruptly turns and leaves

13/x

 

>You hold your gaze on the receding form of The Mayor until she disappears from view

>You turn back, a little confused

>Was that...jealousy you saw just then?

>There are a couple things wrong with that, you think to yourself

>One, you're not here on a date. You're just having dinner with a friend

>Two-

>Two...

>A feeling of nervousness comes over you again as you form the thought in your head

>You're not with Em...is number two

>...Right...

>...Why was that hard to think of?

>...

>”Anon? Have you finished? The waiter looks like he wants to take our plates”

>Rarity's voice pulls you back into reality

Wh- yeah...yeah, sorry. Just kind of...spaced out for a minute. It's been a long few days

>”I'm sure it has been, with Restaurant Week and all. I don't know why you come down so hard on your pre-fix menu; I think it's a wonderful selection, myself”

Oh, right, I haven't gotten the chance to tell you!

>You perk up at the realization. Rarity will be thrilled you've landed a job like this

The Mayor actually hired my restaurant to cater her annual fundraiser dinner in a couple weeks. I've been working the last few days coming up with a menu for her

>The mention of Em seems to bring Rarity down. She offers a semi-sincere congratulation and then goes quiet until the check arrives

>Ok, NOW you're confused...

>You look back out in the direction Em went, wondering what she's thinking

14/x

 

>The check comes out to something on the order of 70 bits

>You remember a time in your life when that kind of money would buy you all your meals for a week

>Hell, you can buy enough food for a week NOW for less than that

>But it's worth it to see your friend happy, so you shell out

>The two of you leave the restaurant and you walk Rarity home

>By the time you reach Carousel Boutique it's gotten quite a bit cooler outside

>Rarity shivers slightly and you put your jacket over her shoulders

>She blushes when you do so

>You aren't sure why; you'd do the same for anyp0ny

>At the door Rarity stops

>”I had a really good time tonight, Anon. Thank you for a marvelous dinner”

You're welcome, Rarity. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself

>She fiddles with her keys for a minute before opening the door

>”Would you like to come in for some coffee or tea...?”

>You pause

>You're about to say 'buck it' and have some coffee, but you remember Em's face earlier that evening

I'd better not; still lots of work to do tonight, I'm afraid

>Rarity looks really disappointed

>You can't leave the night on a low-note like this

Another time, definitely. I wish I could stay

>She gives a slight nod of understanding

>”Okay, Anon. Another time. Goodnight”

Goodnight, Rarity

>The town clock strikes 9

>You turn around and make your way back home to finish preparing for tomorrow

>You've got a big day ahead

>Best to be prepared

15/x

 

>You walk back home a little disappointed yourself that you had to leave Rarity on such a low-note

>Ever since you mentioned Em to her she seemed to be in lower spirits

>But you want to be prepared for your demo tomorrow

>Em shows up in your mind again as you think about it

>She's been on your mind repeatedly since she came in for lunch Sunday; more so since you had lunch with her on Monday

>Usually when you work on catering jobs you're focused on cost and efficiency

>Not this time, though

>This time you find yourself concerned with impressing this one client

>This time you're thinking more about her than her guests

>By the time you reach your house, you're more conflicted about this situation than you've been in the last week

>You go over it in your head

>You're a professional. You're not supposed to get involved with clients

>It should be as simple as that

>She's a client, you can't get involved with clients, so you should stop involving yourself with her

>If you keep doing what you're doing here, you're going to risk compromising your work

>No need to panic, though; you're not involved that way

>But you really can't get her out of your head

>And you really don't want her out of your head...

>Shit...

>You look at your notes

>At this point you've already done more than you usually do for menu demos

>That's good. It means you have time tomorrow to talk to somep0ny about this

>Now, who can you go to?

>Somep0ny who knows The Mayor fairly well...

>You snap your fingers as you realize

>Rose seemed to be pretty close to Em; you'll go talk to her about what to do tomorrow

16/x

 

>Across town, Rarity is pacing again

I just don't understand what happened, Sweetie Bell. I thought we had a wonderful dinner together, but he looked so preoccupied some of the time...

>Sweetie Bell looks at her sister, tired

>”He's probably got his mind on a lot of things right now. Didn't you say he's in the middle of putting together some fundraiser menu on top of Restaurant Week?”

Well, yes, but-

>”Well don't you think THAT might take a little bit of his concentration off of other things?”

It probably does, but even so, he could have at least stayed for tea, couldn't he?

>”Maybe...I don't know, YOU'RE supposed to be the one who tells ME this stuff”

...And on top of that, you should have seen what he ordered: squash and beer, of all things!

>”Oh nooo...”

>Sweetie Bell's sarcasm is lost completely on Rarity

I know! It was positively plebeian. And he acted surprised when I asked him about it!

>”...You asked him why he ordered squash and beer? Don't you think that's a little...judgmental?”

Well...I may have... But he's supposed to be a chef! He's supposed to be high-class; running with the Canterlot socialites... isn't he?

>Sweetie Bell looks on as Rarity sits on the bed, looking defeated

>”...Are you sure you like Anon for the right reasons, Rarity?”

>She walks over to her sister and places a hoof on her shoulder

I don't know-I just...

>”Maybe you should talk to somep0ny who can give better advice than me”

>Rarity looks up at her sister and sighs

I suppose I should...

>”Why don't you go talk to Pinkie? I'm sure she'll know what to do. She's good with ponies”

Right, Pinkie Pie will know

17/x

 

>At her house, The Mayor sits in her living room

>She's reading a cooking magazine, but not really paying much attention

>Her mind is elsewhere

>She's playing over the scene she saw tonight in her head

...It had to just be a simple meeting between friends

>But it's such a trendy place...

>It couldn't have been cheap...

>Is Anon really the type to spend so much on friends?

>She rests her head on her hoof as she lets out a sigh of discontent

>After a minute she raises her head and tries to explain it to herself again

No, it was just a friendly dinner, I'm sure. I mean she's so much younger...

>She gets up and walks to the kitchen

>It's spotless; she hasn't used it since she cleaned on Monday in anticipation of Anon's demo

>She tries to reassure herself once more

Not a date, just a demo. The two of us are just going over the menu for my fundraiser...at my house...at night...alone...

>It's not working

>She's already pushing it with the way she's been talking to him in public

>Anything more would be...

>...well...

>She's not really sure

>She's dug herself quite a hole already

This is what happens when you don't think, Em. You get yourself into spots like this...

>She went to Rose for advice earlier that night, half-hoping her friend would try to talk her out of whatever it is she's doing

>Instead, Rose only encouraged her:

>”You should go for it, Em. You'd do well to have somep0ny like that, even if he's not a pony”

>Em walks out of the kitchen even more conflicted than when she went in

>Tomorrow she'll ask Anon about Rarity. At least she can get one needling uncertainty out of the way...

End