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Table for Two 9: Caviar et du Pain

By: Fillydelphian on Jun 26th, 2012 | syntax: None | size: 34.33 KB | hits: 276 | expires: Never

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>”...So you've been doing well, I take it?”
Yeah, the restaurant's doing really well. I hear it's still getting talked about in Canterlot?
>”You hear right. I'm glad. I was sad to see you leave Canterlot so suddenly...”
I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone like that. It wasn't fair to you
>”It's alright. I figured you weren't in a great place after that happened”
It was too sudden...But that's in the past. We don't have to have a depressing conversation. How's the modeling been treating you?
>Fleur smiles from across the table at the pub
>”Very well, actually. I couldn't be happier with it, though I don't often get to go to places like this anymore”
>She laughs as she looks around at the dark wood beams and thatched roof
Glad to hear it
>You lean back and take a drink
>”And how have you been outside of work? Is there still such a thing for you?”
>A smile flashes on your face
It's been fine. I'm not a total workaholic, you know
>”Could have fooled me, Anon. I distinctly remember you blowing me off to cater some function a few times”
And I distinctly remember you not really minding once I made it up to you
>She blushes and shoots you a sly look
>”Ever the charmer, aren't you, Anon?”
>She takes a sip of her drink, never breaking eye contact with those big lavender eyes
>”So is there somep0ny special out here I should be jealous of?”
>You gag a little on your drink
>”Touchy subject? Big fight? Is that why you're out late with me and not snuggled up in bed with her?”
>Dammit, why do you have to know so many sharp mares?
>You take a long sip of your drink
>”Hard question, I know...”
1/x
>So far, the only p0nies who know about you and Em are Em, Rose, and maybe Pinkie Pie
>Can you keep it under wraps if you tell Fleur?
>She's trustworthy. Always has been
>You look around to make sure nop0ny else can hear you
Alright, but I need you to keep this to yourself, deal?
>Fleur looks a little confused, but nods
...It's The Mayor
>Her jaw nearly hits the table
>She leans forward
>”Seriously? I know you like them mature, Anon, but...Really?”
>The look on your face stops her incredulous teasing
>”You're serious...”
Yeah
>”How long?”
Three, four weeks?
>”First fight?”
Nailed it
>”You want to talk about it?”
>You sigh and look at your drink
>You haven't seen Fleur in what, three years?
>Do you really want to lay this kind of crap on her right now?
>Though, thinking about it, you don't really have anyp0ny else to talk to
>Rose is too close to Em. She's liable to tell her everything you say
>”Anon?”
Yeah, just give me a second
>”That bad, huh?”
>She takes another sip and looks at you, sidelong
Alright, where should I start?
>”At the beginning. You can get to the depressing drama later. For now I want all the juicy details about this Mayor you're sweet on!”
>Was this a bad idea?
>You'd forgotten how much Fleur loves to hear about other p0nies and their social lives
>Even more so when she and you have...history
Okay, okay. This whole thing started about a month ago during Restaurant Week...
2/x
>You walk her through the last three and a half weeks
>Fleur rolls her eyes at how the two of you met
>”You WOULD go for the mare who critiques your cooking”
>She laughs when you recount the tale of the Fillydelphian critic
>Her hoof goes to her face at your indecisiveness
>And her face turns red when you tell her about the time you caught her in the morning to make plans
>Hoof to face again when Em's lack of cooking skill comes up
>”For real? Can't even cut vegetables?”
And she went to Academie de Selle for a semester too
>Fleur laughs out loud
>”You're kidding! You have to be pulling my leg!”
>She looks at you, tears of laughter in her eyes and calms herself down when she sees you furrowing your brow
>”That related to your fight?”
...Yeah...
>”Well?”
Well what?
>”Are you going to tell me about the fight?”
You sure you want to hear about my drama?
>She rolls her eyes again
>”Anon, I put up with your drama for a year in Canterlot. Lay it on me”
Okay, you know how she seems a little old?
>”Yeah, gray mane, old-mare glasses, she's what, middle-age, later?”
Turns out she got kicked out of de Selle twelve years ago
>Fleur looks at you blankly
She wasn't a late entry at de Selle
>Still blank
>Your frustration starts to mount
Plus, she got kicked out for uh...
>”For what?”
She slept with Hickory
>THERE'S a reaction
>Fleur chokes on her drink a little
>”What??”
Yeah
>”THAT'S what you had your fight about? A stallion she slept with TWELVE YEARS AGO??”
>She reigns herself in and sets her glass down on the table
>This is not quite the reaction you expected...
>”I expected better, Anonymous”
3/x
>She's glaring at you now
>Her use of your full name does not bode well
>”Honestly, I thought you'd gotten over that jealous streak...”
I am not jealous
>”Remember when I started modeling for Fancypants? You nearly kicked him in the face the first time you saw me with him”
He was running his hoof up your thigh...
>”He was taking my measurements for a dress!”
Okay, okay! Fine! I may have a bit of a jealous side...
>She rolls her eyes and continues
>”From what you told me, you've really got something good going on with this mare. Are you really going to let it go over a little tiff like this?”
>You sigh, exasperated
It's not just that. She lied to me about her age-
>Fleur's hoof flies to her face
>”What mare doesn't? Buck, Anon. Even I tell everyp0ny I'm younger than I am. So she's done the opposite...Are you seriously about to complain to me that she's not as OLD as you thought?”
>You look away and scowl. She's got you there
Well, she-
>You stop when you look up and see that she's frowning slightly
>”Anon, shut up. I haven't seen you overreact this badly since-”
>You cut her off
Don't
>She leans back in her seat and sighs
>”What is it about falling in love that makes you boys act like such fools?”
Probably rubs off on us from you ma- wait...
>She looks at you coyly
Did you just say 'love?' I've known her for THREE WEEKS, Fleur...
>The coy smile disappears when she hears the nervousness in your voice
>A white hoof comes across the table and rests on your arm reassuringly
>”Sometimes these things happen faster than we'd like”
4/x
Maybe they do in those books of yours, Fleur, but this is real life. Things are more complicated
>”Only if you make them. Though I guess you do have a talent for that”
Is that a hint of bitterness I hear?
>”A girl has a right to be a little bitter, don't you think?”
I guess you do
>She laughs at the guilty face you make
>”Don't worry Anon, I've moved on from all that. Maybe you should too?”
...Do you think she'll forgive me for freaking out?
>”You won't know unless you go and find out, Anon. You'd better hurry, though. Never good to let a mare go to bed angry”
>The clock chimes 11:30
>”Tick tock, Anon”
Thanks for the advice, Fleur
>”Hope it goes well for you, Anon”
So do I
>As the two of you walk out of the pub, Fleur puts her hooves around your shoulders
>You return the hug and look towards Em's house
>You can fix this
>Fleur heads to the inn, leaving you alone to walk to Em's house
>Hopefully she'll still be awake by the time you get there
>Em's house is dark, for the most part
>A single light in the kitchen let you know she's still up
Thank Celestia...
>You stop at her door, take a deep breath, and knock
>There's an excruciating pause
>Then the sound of hoofsteps which stop at the door
>Another pause
>”What is it? What do you want now?”
>Em's voice is shaky
Em, it's me. Can I come in?
>After another pause, the door opens
>Her eyes are puffy; she's been crying
>Without thinking, you've got your arms around her
I'm sorry
>No response
>Em slowly pulls away with a long pink hair in her hoof
>”...Anon?”
5/x
>You were expecting a little better of a response than this
>Em just steps back silently, looking between you and the hair
Em, liste-
>”What is this? Whose mane did this come off of?”
>She stares coldly at you
>You rub your forehead and look down
>This is not getting off to a good start
>Should you lie?
>No, that wouldn't be right
>You look back at the mare
...It's Fleur's. I-
>”Went to see her tonight?”
How-
>”Lucky guess, judging from how close you two seemed when I saw you”
>You sigh and walk over to her
>She turns away
>”I saw how she looked at you when she walked back to the table, Anon. Friends don't look at friends the way she looked at you...”
Em...
>Her voice is starting to shake, but she keeps it under control
>”What was she to you? What IS she to you?”
>There's no lying out of this one. Even if you could bring yourself to, she'd see through it
She's...
>You pause, trying to phrase it as best you can
She WAS my...special somep0ny...when I was in Canterlot
>”And now?”
We're just friends now
>”When was Canterlot?”
...Three years ago. We were together for a year and then we broke it off- Why are you so up-in-arms over this? I came here to apologize...
>”Because you came back here two hours later, reeking of drinks and perfume, sporting this 'friend's' hair on your shoulder like a trophy!”
>She's yelling now, tears in her eyes
>”How would YOU react if I came to you late at night with some some of Hickory Smoke's hair on MY shoulder?”
Fleur and I ended things three years ago, Em!
>”Hickory was TWELVE years ago! But you still saw fit to storm out!”
6/x
That was a completely different issue!
>”How was it different?? I made a mistake! I was young! It was YEARS ago! Why can't you see that?”
>She sits on the couch
I-
>She cuts you off in a harsh, terse voice
>”Go”
>Your anger fails you
What...
>”Just go”
>Your heart sinks into your stomach
...Em...
>”GET OUT!”
>You flinch in surprise when she yells
>She's buried her face in her hooves, holding back tears
>You want so badly to wrap your arms around her and stop her crying, but as you step forward-
>”NOW”
>With a quiet sigh, you hang your head and walk out the door
>As you close it behind you, you can hear Em's pained sobs as she breaks down again
>With your face in one hand you walk home, defeated
>In front of your house you stop and look back at the town
>You thought you could fix this
>You were so wrong...
>In anger and frustration, you lash out, striking the door with your fist
>The paint cracks and you hear a slight splintering of wood as blood trickles down your hand
Goddamnit...
>You go inside and bandage your knuckles
>Luckily you didn't break anything in your little outburst
>Once you have time to cool down, you look at the clock
>12:10
>There's no point going back there tonight
>You'll only make things worse if you're both worked up
>Why'd this have to happen tonight, of all nights?
>All you wanted after the fundraiser was to go home with Em and decompress, have a drink or two to celebrate, and lie with her in your arms as you both go to sleep
>Not so
>Tonight you're both going to bed alone and hurt
>And it's your fault
7/x
>You wake up to the ringing of your alarm clock
>Without a second thought, your hand flies up and hits the snooze button
>You're not in any mood to face the day today
>With a groan you go back to sleep
>After an extra couple hours in bed, you finally get up
>Having no drive to cook anything for breakfast, you sit in the kitchen with a glass of water until you decide to stop moping and go to Sugar Cube Corner for something to eat
>Pinkie will be there, no doubt, and she'll probably start bombarding you with suspicion again, but you don't really care right now
>Last night was not one of your finer moments, to be sure, and you walk to the bakery running it over in your head repeatedly
>In trying to make things better with Em, you somehow managed to make the whole fight even worse
>You wonder if it's worth going over to apologize now...
>That might be a bad idea...
>Maybe give yourselves a couple days to cool down
>...Maybe more than a couple days...
>The door chimes as you enter Sugar Cube Corner
>”Good Morning! How can I help you?”
>Pinkie's voice rings out from the counter
Morning, Pinkie
>”Anon! Did you have a good fundraiser? It sounded like a party but they didn't want me to set it up so it can't have been as good as a Patented Pinkie Pie Party, but I'm sure it was sti-”
>She looks at you, head cocked to the side
>”Why don't you look happy? Did it not go well?”
No, it went well... Can I just get a cheese danish and coffee?
>”Sure thing. Two bits”
>Her tone becomes calmer and quieter
>”I'll bring them to your table”
Thanks, Pinkie
8/x
>Pinkie brings the danish and coffee out after a couple of minutes
>She places the plate on the table and looks at you for a second
...Something I can do for you, Pinkie?
>The pink pony narrows her eyes
>”Why do you look so down? I haven't seen you this scowly in foreve-”
>She stops
>You look at her, confused
>You didn't think her eyes could get any more narrow, but they do as she leans in closer and closer
>”Are you hiding something, Anon?”
>Her face is right up in front of yours now
>...No
>She pulls away and you take a sip of coffee
>”Oh. Alright. I just asked because I like to see all my friends here in Ponyville happy and smiling and I noticed you're not today, so I thought to myself 'Why wouldn't Anon be smiling after such a good night, unless the night didn't go well, and then I remembered I saw you walking around last night going East near even though your house is West of here and THEN I remembered...”
>She turns back to you
>”Who.”
>She's right up in your face again
>”Lives.”
>Her hoof is pointing towards the window
>”East.”
...What are you suggesting, Pinkie?
>There's an uncomfortable pause before she again pulls back and asks in a knowing tone
>”How's Madam Mayor doing?”
>After a beat, you swallow the coffee nervously
>Pinkie's tone becomes soft, almost sad
>”I knew it”
You knew?
>”Pinkie Sense, plus I just put two and two together”
Is it that ob-
>”Not to everyp0ny. Come with me”
>You don't see how this could get any more awkward, you follow the mare into the kitchen as her mane seems to sag
>”...So does Rarity know?”
>...You stand corrected
9/x
>”...Well, does she, Anon?”
>You look away from the party pony
...No
>”You mean you haven't told her?”
>Pinkie stares at you with deadpan look on her normally cheery face
No
>She's really doing a good job making you feel even worse about the situation you're in
>After the night she met you outside your house, Rarity had gotten more distant with you
>It was understandable
>After all, you'd rejected her point-blank
>Of course things were going to be awkward for a while
>But that was three weeks ago and you haven't very seen much of her since then...
What's Rarity been doing, anyway?
>”Working on her commission. I've been going over to try to cheer her up, but-”
>Wait...
>The gears start to turn
...Why are you so intent on prying into this?
>Pinkie blinks a few times in surprise
>”Why wouldn't I? I want to see all my friends smile, and Rarity's one of my best friends”
>That was an unusual tone at the end
>You narrow your eyes
You sure?
>”What do you mean?”
>You stand up
>Pinkie shrinks back a little bit
>You head to the door back into Sugar Cube Corner before turning
Are you sure that's what you really want?
>Without waiting for an answer you're out the door and walking home
>If you weren't so wrapped up in your current problems, you might have been a little happy with yourself for turning the tables on Pinkie like that
Looks like everyone's got something to hide, huh?
>Rarity crops up in your mind as you walk
>Pinkie knows about you and Em
>Can you trust her to keep it secret?
>You look back at the bakery
>...Maybe it's time to pay Rarity a visit...
10/x
>You reach Carousel Boutique as the town clock strikes 11:00
>Part of you wants to avoid this
>You think of how much you'd like for everything to go back to normal as you come up to the door
>But you knock
>And you step back
>And you wait for Rarity to answer the door
>It's not long before you hear the hurried clopping of the mare
>”Coming, coming!”
>She opens the door mid-sentence
>”I'm terribly sorry. It's been dreadfully busy these last fe-”
Hello, Rarity
>”Oh. Anon. What can I do for you?”
>Her tone has dropped
Can I come in? There's something we need to talk about
>She pauses for a moment, levitating her glasses onto a table before beckoning you inside
>”O-of course, Anon. Right this way. Tea?”
>You take a seat in an expensive-looking silk-upholstered chair in the atrium
No, thank you
>She must detect something in you tone, because she almost immediately returns to the room, empty-hoofed
>”What would you like to discuss?”
>You rest your arms on your knees and lean forward, trying to think of the best way to say what you're about to
...It's about you and me...I wasn't entirely honest with you that night you came to me, Rarity
>You take a deep breath. Rarity looks on in silence, waiting for you to say your piece
...But you're my friend and I love you like a little sister and you deserve to know:
>She takes a deep breath of her own, trying to figure out what you mean to tell her
>It's hard to find the right words; to make it less awkward, but you decide to just come out and say it
I've been seeing The Mayor, Rarity
>The unicorn sits silently, a pensive look on her face
11/x
>You look up at her, expecting some kind of outburst
>There isn't one
>She just sits there, appearing to mull over what you've just said
>”So...that night when I...were you...”
>Her mind is clearly racing. You're not sure what to expect from her right now
>”Were you on your way home from...her? Is that why you-”
>She stops, eyes widening
>”Is that why you weren't home the morning before?”
>Ahh...crap...
Uh...
>This is not going well, is it?
>Her expression sours more and more as you stall. You can practically hear her gritting her teeth
>Well, you've dug yourself this deep, might as well see if you can hit Neighjing...
...Yeah
>”How long has this been going on?”
...About three...four weeks?
>The white mare's face is turning red
>”You waited a MONTH to tell me you were seeing her?”
Well, we-
>”You what? You decided to start something with The Mayor the day I finally work up the nerve to tell you MY feelings?”
I-
>”I can't believe you wouldn't tell me something like that...”
>Today seems to be shaping up to be just like yesterday...
Rarity, it's more complicated than that. I couldn't just tell you what was going on...We both wanted to keep it under wraps, and you took me by surprise when you caught me outside my house that night...
>You know you're in the wrong here, but you're sick of being in the wrong
>So you backpedal
It just wasn't something I could have come out
>”But you can tell me now? What changed?”
...Uh...
>Should you tell her about the fight?
>No, probably best to keep that to yourself
I decided it wouldn't be right to keep something like this from my friends
>A knock at the door
>”Excuse me, Anon”
Of course
12/x
>A familiar voice sounds off as Rarity opens the door to Carousel Boutique
>”Thank you so much for this opportunity, Ms. De Lis”
>Your hand goes to your face and you mutter under your breath
Dammit, not this right now...
>”Anon! What are you doing here? I didn't think you were interested in fashion!”
>You put on a fake smile and look up at Fleur as she walks into the room
Hey, Fleur. I'm not actually here for business. I was just talking to Rarity here
>A smile curls on Fleur's lips as she turns to Rarity
>”Well, you watch out for this one. He's a heart-breaker. Aren't you, Anon?”
>Rarity casts her gaze at the ground
>You shoot Fleur a death-glare and she looks between the two of you, realization dawning on her face
>She mouths to you silently
>”Sorry...”
>You rub your forehead and wave it off
>Rarity stares at you intently, suppressing her anger at you in the presence of company
>In an effort to break the palpable tension, Fleur pipes up again
>”So, Rarity, why don't you show me those designs you've done, if I can steal you from Anon?”
>She looks up slowly and turns to you, speaking coldly
>”Alright. Anon, we'll be sure to catch up later on”
>She opens the door using magic before leading Fleur into the back
>“If you'd be so kind?”
Right...I'll see you later, Rarity...
>Fleur looks back at you apologetically before disappearing around a corner and you walk out of the store, dejected
Well, this day's going just great, isn't it?
>As you walk home, the clock strikes 11:30
>There's still an hour until you have to go in to work
>You groan just thinking about it, wondering if Em is having an easier time today
13/x
>You get in to work at 5:00
>Fortunately, the prep is all finished and your Sous placed all the produce orders on Sunday while you were working the fundraiser
>”Evening, Chef”
>The greeting comes up from each cook as you walk through the kitchen silently
>You put on your coat and hat and take your knives to your station to start getting everything ready
>At the very least, tonight is Monday. The restaurant is usually not so crowded on Mondays
>You take a little bit of solace in that...
>...Right up until a manager comes up to you
>”Hey, Chef. We've got a couple big parties coming in tonight around 8:00”
How big?
>”Like...15-20 each?”
Okay and it's at 8:00?
>”Yep”
What time's the second one?
>”...8:00”
>You pause for a second
...So you booked two parties of 20 on the same night at the same time?
>”Yeah. Just thought I'd let you know”
>He trots off, leaving you at the counter, holding back an eye-twitch
>”You alright, Chef?”
>The kitchen-colt comes up behind you holding a few carrots to add to a soup
Yes, just getting ready for service. I expect you to be on your game tonight
>”Yes, Chef!”
>You're somewhat glad he didn't catch the threatening tone in your voice
>After a few deep breaths, you compose yourself and put on a fake smile, trying not to let stress get the better of you
>Turning to your station, you start preparing for dinner service
>Something tells you it's going to be a long slog tonight
14/x
>Dinner starts off slow
>You manage to get into a rhythm, pushing thoughts of your last couple days out of your head and focusing on your work
>The orders come in at a good pace and the kitchen keeps up perfectly
>For a couple hours, you feel like this isn't going to be so stressful as you thought it would be
>Then the clock hits 7:30
>Ponies start filling up the restaurant
>More than usual
>The orders pick up
Table Seventeen: Two Ceviche, one Eggplant!
>”Yes, Chef!”
Table Six: One Ratatouille, one Fettuccine!
>You turn to the counter, then back to the kitchen
Where are Table Eleven's soups?
>”Coming, Chef!”
How long?
>”Er, one minute, Chef!”
Get it done and get it here! We don't have time for this!
>”Yes, Chef!”
Table Fourteen: Up! Table One: Two Avocado, one Eggplant, one Asparagus!
>”Yes, Chef!”
Where are those soups?
>”On the way, Chef!”
>The kitchen-colt runs the soup to the counter and you get it onto the platter to be taken to the table
Table Eleven: Up!
>You whip around to the kitchen-colt
What happened?
>”It took a little longer than it usually does, Chef!”
Don't let it again!
>”Yes, Chef!”
>You turn back to the counter and look out at the sea of tables
>Gotta get through this service
>Just get in the zone...
Table Twenty: Two Onion Soup, one House Salad, one Eggplant!
>”Yes, Chef!”
>You glance at the clock
>7:45
>Okay, making decent time...
Table Twenty Six:up! Table Four: One Fettuccine, two Spaghetti!
>”Yes Chef!”
>No big problems yet tonight. You hope it stays that way...
>A plate clatters on the counter
>”Table Six's Fettuccine. They would like it cooked more”
>Your eye twitches
15/x
>”Chef?”
>The waiter looks at you impatiently
Right, tell them it'll just be a few minutes
>”Yes, Chef”
>You turn to the Sous
Take over plating for a few minutes. I've got a return
>”Yes, Chef”
>The Fettuccine con Funghi. Simple enough dish. Just long pasta, some sautéed mushrooms, and a simple cream sauce
>You fetch the sauce from the walk-in along with the sliced mushrooms and portioned pasta
>The sauce is made earlier in the day. A roux with vegetable stock, oregano, thyme, garlic, and cream
>You pour it into a small pot to heat
>The sliced mushrooms you toss into a pan with some oil and finely diced onions to sauté
>The smell wafts up and fills your nose
>It takes your mind off the stress of the day for a little while as you bring a pot of water to a boil
>The pasta goes in the pot for a couple of minutes to finish cooking
>If you didn't cook it prior to service, the pasta dishes would take far too long to prepare on the line
>With the pasta done in little time, you strain it, toss it with the sauce and mushrooms, and plate it
Table Six: Up!
>Normally, you'd be able to really enjoy putting together a dish like that
>But you've got your mind on other things
>You shouldn't
>You should be focused entirely on work
>Not so
>You go back to plating dishes, sending the Sous back into the kitchen
>One return isn't too bad
>Not ideal, but still...
Table Fifteen: Up! Table Twelve: One Spinach Salad, one Spaghetti, one Onion Soup!
>”Yes, Chef!”
>You look at the clock
>8:07
>Turning to the dining room, you see 40 ponies being led to two tables
>You rub your temples
...Not my day...
16/x
>There's a blessed lull before the parties start ordering
>You take the time to reign in the stress-monster growing inside you
>The kitchen is keeping up with the orders tonight
>It's been a little more busy than the usual Monday, but nothing you and your team can't handle
>You're in the middle of convincing yourself to reduce your stress-levels when the orders start coming
>”Chef”
>A waiter hands you a slip of paper
Table Twenty Three: Four Ceviche, seven Asparagus, three Ratatouille, five Croquettes, one Avocado!
>”Yes, Chef!”
>The other party's orders come in soon after
Table Thirty Six: One Asparagus, six Ceviche, four Ratatouille, five Avocado, four Croquettes!
>”Yes, Chef!
>The waiter lingers for a moment
>”And they would like to let you know that there will be a cake brought 'round the back. If you could have it put in the walk-in”
Of course
>You do your best not to let him see that you're gritting your teeth
>”Thank you, Chef”
>Despite your best efforts, the dam you've put up to hold yourself back is starting to crack and chip as the night progresses
>The first party's appetizers come out ready after a few minutes
Table Twenty Three: Up!
>The second party's food begins to come up to the counter and a couple minutes later it's nearly ready to take ou-
Where is Thirty Six's Asparagus?
>Two delays tonight? This is trying...
>”Two minutes, Chef!”
Two minutes? What have you been doing while the rest of the food's been coming out?
>”It's nearly done, Chef! Just er, one minute!”
It had better be!
>You turn back and wait for the asparagus to come out
>Finally it does and you put it on the plate and send it out
17/x
>Hopefully there won't be any more issue-
>A yelp from the kitchen turns a couple heads in the dining room
>You look into the kitchen to see the kitchen-colt holding his hoof and Ginger Gold tending to it
>He must have burned himself on a pan
>Not too seriously, from the looks of it
>Still, got you on edge
>Thankfully, the next half-hour goes smoothly
>The kitchen-colt gets back to work after a couple minutes, sending out soups as fast as you put the orders in
>At least something is going right...
>A waiter clears his throat and lays a Ceviche on the counter
>”Table Thirty Six would like a new Ceviche. Too much radish it seems”
Can't they just pick it- forget it. Five minutes
>”Yes, Chef”
>You call the Sous over and set about quickly making a new Ceviche
>It's fast work. Everything is prepped and no cooking is required
>You put the chopped radishes and water chestnuts into a bowl with lime juice and vinegar, add some salt and pepper, toss, and put it in the serving dish
>Two minute process
>The Ceviche is done and put out and you turn back to plating, your ire ever-rising
>Having had two dishes sent back in one service, you start checking dishes at random to make sure nothing is amiss in the kitchen
>An hour goes by with no further problems
>The two parties are still in the dining room, finishing entrees
>Only one more hour to go...
>You look down to check a bowl of soup
>With a clean spoon, you take a small amount and sip
>...It's over-salted
>Something snaps in your head
>The straw that broke the camel's back was an over-salted soup, apparently
>You turn to the kitchen, taking the bowl with you
18/x
Unacceptable! Who's bright idea was it to put a pound of salt in here?
>With a furious swing of your arm you hurl the bowl to the floor, shattering it loudly
>You're livid
>One thing after another tonight
>Two returns, two big parties out of the blue, and now this?
>The dam creaks, breaks, and lets loose a torrent of pent-up frustration and anger
>You see the kitchen-colt turn pale
I told you to be on your game tonight! What happened?
>You look up at the kitchen-staff
That goes for all of you! Two returns? Delays?
>The colt shrinks back
Did I make a mistake putting you on this station? Are you not ready??
>Ginger Gold steps forward
>”Chef, come on, don-”
I don't want to hear it! Get your acts together!
>The kitchen doors burst open as you storm out
>The kitchen-colt looks at the floor, his breath catching in his throat
>”Hey, hey. Don't be down on yourself”
>Ginger comes over to him
>”It's been a tough service for everyp0ny. He's just frustrated is all”
>The colt looks up
>He's never been chewed out like that before and he's certainly never seen you get so angry
>Ginger looks him in the eye as tears start to form
>”You've got to pull it together, kid. There's still an hour left in service”
Table Thirty Six: Get that cake out to the table!
>”Yes, Chef!”
>The cooks get back to work
>Ginger looks over at the soup station and watches the kitchen-colt try to pull himself together
>She would offer more comfort, but she knows that he needs to know how things are in the kitchen
>After a glance at the door, she goes back to concentrating on her station
19/x
>Pinkie sits at the table with the Cakes and their extended family
>It's the Twins' birthdays today and they've all gone out to celebrate
>She's thankful to get her mind off of what Anon said earlier today
>Mrs. Cake calls a waiter over to bring out the cake
>As Pinkie nibbles the last of her entree, there's a loud crash from the kitchen
>She can hear Anon yelling
>The doors muffle most of the sound, but she can tell he's furious about something
>...Not just about work, either
>She can hear the frustration in his voice similar to what she heard this morning
>Something must be up
>But Pinkie's got problems of her own
>Anon's words this morning have stuck with her and she's been in a slightly off mood since then
>The dinner had lightened her heart, but hearing Anon's yelling cast a new shadow over her
>Maybe she should talk to him after he's done with work?
>She could wait after everyone has left and get him as he's leaving...
>Yeah. She'll do that. She's got to talk to somep0ny, why not the non-p0ny who made her doubt herself in the first place today?
>She crunches the very last piece of celery on the plate and looks at the kitchen
20/x
>Fleur flinches when she hears the bowl crash to the floor
>At first she thinks it was an accident, but when she hears Anon's yelling, she knows somep0ny in the kitchen must have screwed up bad
>She remembers when he'd get like this in Canterlot
>Only one who could ever stop him mid-rant was Hickory Smoke...
>...And she's not sure even he could stop this one...
>She thinks back to this morning when she walked into Carousel Boutique
>Why couldn't she have been a little more perceptive and noticed the tense atmosphere?
>The rest of the party looks towards the kitchen as Anon storms out and gets back to working
>He must really be having a hard time
>Did things go badly with The Mayor last night?
>Fleur decides to wait until closing time to talk to him about it
>If he's this mad, he'll need somep0ny to talk to...
>Maybe she can give him better advice than last night's apparently was?
>If only she were in town longer, she could help Anon a bit more
>But she's got two shows in Canterlot next week and a photo shoot in Manehattan after that...
>She'll just have to make due and catch him after work
21/x
>The rest of the night is quiet
>Either the kitchen-staff have gotten their collective act together, or you scared them enough that they're policing themselves
>You're fine with both outcomes right now
>11:00 rolls around and both parties leave
>Must have been something going on tonight. They both stayed for three hours
>You clean up your station and walk to your office without a word to anyp0ny
>You're not in the mood to talk
>The shift notes get written out quickly and you jab a tack into it to put it on the cork board
>Then you take off your coat and hat, pick up your knives, and stalk out into the night
>You stop at the end of the alley when you hear a familiar voice
>”Anon, wait up! Can we talk?”
Not now, Pinkie
>Your voice is almost a snarl and your gaze ice-cold
>She stops approaching you, seeing your scowl
I'm not in the mood for you or your questions. Just leave me alone
>You start walking home, going right past Fleur as she exits the restaurant. She stays silent and goes unnoticed
>She heard the way you spoke to Pinkie and decided that she would likely only make things worse talking to you about Em
>Pinkie follows after you a few steps, coming to a defeated stop in front of Fleur, who puts out a comforting hoof
>”Sorry about him. He gets like this when he's conflicted”
>The party-pony looks up at Fleur, who gives a smile and, seeing the obvious pain in Pinkie's eyes, decides she might be able to at least help SOMEP0NY tonight
>”Want to talk about it?”
>Pinkie nods and says weakly
>”Can we talk at the bakery? I've got some cookies that need eating...”
End

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>”...So you've been doing well, I take it?”
Yeah, the restaurant's doing really well. I hear it's still getting talked about in Canterlot?
>”You hear right. I'm glad. I was sad to see you leave Canterlot so suddenly...”
I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone like that. It wasn't fair to you
>”It's alright. I figured you weren't in a great place after that happened”
It was too sudden...But that's in the past. We don't have to have a depressing conversation. How's the modeling been treating you?
>Fleur smiles from across the table at the pub
>”Very well, actually. I couldn't be happier with it, though I don't often get to go to places like this anymore”
>She laughs as she looks around at the dark wood beams and thatched roof
Glad to hear it
>You lean back and take a drink
>”And how have you been outside of work? Is there still such a thing for you?”
>A smile flashes on your face
It's been fine. I'm not a total workaholic, you know
>”Could have fooled me, Anon. I distinctly remember you blowing me off to cater some function a few times”
And I distinctly remember you not really minding once I made it up to you
>She blushes and shoots you a sly look
>”Ever the charmer, aren't you, Anon?”
>She takes a sip of her drink, never breaking eye contact with those big lavender eyes
>”So is there somep0ny special out here I should be jealous of?”
>You gag a little on your drink
>”Touchy subject? Big fight? Is that why you're out late with me and not snuggled up in bed with her?”
>Dammit, why do you have to know so many sharp mares?
>You take a long sip of your drink
>”Hard question, I know...”
1/x

>So far, the only p0nies who know about you and Em are Em, Rose, and maybe Pinkie Pie
>Can you keep it under wraps if you tell Fleur?
>She's trustworthy. Always has been
>You look around to make sure nop0ny else can hear you
Alright, but I need you to keep this to yourself, deal?
>Fleur looks a little confused, but nods
...It's The Mayor
>Her jaw nearly hits the table
>She leans forward
>”Seriously? I know you like them mature, Anon, but...Really?”
>The look on your face stops her incredulous teasing
>”You're serious...”
Yeah
>”How long?”
Three, four weeks?
>”First fight?”
Nailed it
>”You want to talk about it?”
>You sigh and look at your drink
>You haven't seen Fleur in what, three years?
>Do you really want to lay this kind of crap on her right now?
>Though, thinking about it, you don't really have anyp0ny else to talk to
>Rose is too close to Em. She's liable to tell her everything you say
>”Anon?”
Yeah, just give me a second
>”That bad, huh?”
>She takes another sip and looks at you, sidelong
Alright, where should I start?
>”At the beginning. You can get to the depressing drama later. For now I want all the juicy details about this Mayor you're sweet on!”
>Was this a bad idea?
>You'd forgotten how much Fleur loves to hear about other p0nies and their social lives
>Even more so when she and you have...history
Okay, okay. This whole thing started about a month ago during Restaurant Week...
2/x

>You walk her through the last three and a half weeks
>Fleur rolls her eyes at how the two of you met
>”You WOULD go for the mare who critiques your cooking”
>She laughs when you recount the tale of the Fillydelphian critic
>Her hoof goes to her face at your indecisiveness
>And her face turns red when you tell her about the time you caught her in the morning to make plans
>Hoof to face again when Em's lack of cooking skill comes up
>”For real? Can't even cut vegetables?”
And she went to Academie de Selle for a semester too
>Fleur laughs out loud
>”You're kidding! You have to be pulling my leg!”
>She looks at you, tears of laughter in her eyes and calms herself down when she sees you furrowing your brow
>”That related to your fight?”
...Yeah...
>”Well?”
Well what?
>”Are you going to tell me about the fight?”
You sure you want to hear about my drama?
>She rolls her eyes again
>”Anon, I put up with your drama for a year in Canterlot. Lay it on me”
Okay, you know how she seems a little old?
>”Yeah, gray mane, old-mare glasses, she's what, middle-age, later?”
Turns out she got kicked out of de Selle twelve years ago
>Fleur looks at you blankly
She wasn't a late entry at de Selle
>Still blank
>Your frustration starts to mount
Plus, she got kicked out for uh...
>”For what?”
She slept with Hickory
>THERE'S a reaction
>Fleur chokes on her drink a little
>”What??”
Yeah
>”THAT'S what you had your fight about? A stallion she slept with TWELVE YEARS AGO??”
>She reigns herself in and sets her glass down on the table
>This is not quite the reaction you expected...
>”I expected better, Anonymous”
3/x

>She's glaring at you now
>Her use of your full name does not bode well
>”Honestly, I thought you'd gotten over that jealous streak...”
I am not jealous
>”Remember when I started modeling for Fancypants? You nearly kicked him in the face the first time you saw me with him”
He was running his hoof up your thigh...
>”He was taking my measurements for a dress!”
Okay, okay! Fine! I may have a bit of a jealous side...
>She rolls her eyes and continues
>”From what you told me, you've really got something good going on with this mare. Are you really going to let it go over a little tiff like this?”
>You sigh, exasperated
It's not just that. She lied to me about her age-
>Fleur's hoof flies to her face
>”What mare doesn't? Buck, Anon. Even I tell everyp0ny I'm younger than I am. So she's done the opposite...Are you seriously about to complain to me that she's not as OLD as you thought?”
>You look away and scowl. She's got you there
Well, she-
>You stop when you look up and see that she's frowning slightly
>”Anon, shut up. I haven't seen you overreact this badly since-”
>You cut her off
Don't
>She leans back in her seat and sighs
>”What is it about falling in love that makes you boys act like such fools?”
Probably rubs off on us from you ma- wait...
>She looks at you coyly
Did you just say 'love?' I've known her for THREE WEEKS, Fleur...
>The coy smile disappears when she hears the nervousness in your voice
>A white hoof comes across the table and rests on your arm reassuringly
>”Sometimes these things happen faster than we'd like”
4/x

Maybe they do in those books of yours, Fleur, but this is real life. Things are more complicated
>”Only if you make them. Though I guess you do have a talent for that”
Is that a hint of bitterness I hear?
>”A girl has a right to be a little bitter, don't you think?”
I guess you do
>She laughs at the guilty face you make
>”Don't worry Anon, I've moved on from all that. Maybe you should too?”
...Do you think she'll forgive me for freaking out?
>”You won't know unless you go and find out, Anon. You'd better hurry, though. Never good to let a mare go to bed angry”
>The clock chimes 11:30
>”Tick tock, Anon”
Thanks for the advice, Fleur
>”Hope it goes well for you, Anon”
So do I
>As the two of you walk out of the pub, Fleur puts her hooves around your shoulders
>You return the hug and look towards Em's house
>You can fix this
>Fleur heads to the inn, leaving you alone to walk to Em's house
>Hopefully she'll still be awake by the time you get there

>Em's house is dark, for the most part
>A single light in the kitchen let you know she's still up
Thank Celestia...
>You stop at her door, take a deep breath, and knock
>There's an excruciating pause
>Then the sound of hoofsteps which stop at the door
>Another pause
>”What is it? What do you want now?”
>Em's voice is shaky
Em, it's me. Can I come in?
>After another pause, the door opens
>Her eyes are puffy; she's been crying
>Without thinking, you've got your arms around her
I'm sorry
>No response
>Em slowly pulls away with a long pink hair in her hoof
>”...Anon?”
5/x

>You were expecting a little better of a response than this
>Em just steps back silently, looking between you and the hair
Em, liste-
>”What is this? Whose mane did this come off of?”
>She stares coldly at you
>You rub your forehead and look down
>This is not getting off to a good start
>Should you lie?
>No, that wouldn't be right
>You look back at the mare
...It's Fleur's. I-
>”Went to see her tonight?”
How-
>”Lucky guess, judging from how close you two seemed when I saw you”
>You sigh and walk over to her
>She turns away
>”I saw how she looked at you when she walked back to the table, Anon. Friends don't look at friends the way she looked at you...”
Em...
>Her voice is starting to shake, but she keeps it under control
>”What was she to you? What IS she to you?”
>There's no lying out of this one. Even if you could bring yourself to, she'd see through it
She's...
>You pause, trying to phrase it as best you can
She WAS my...special somep0ny...when I was in Canterlot
>”And now?”
We're just friends now
>”When was Canterlot?”
...Three years ago. We were together for a year and then we broke it off- Why are you so up-in-arms over this? I came here to apologize...
>”Because you came back here two hours later, reeking of drinks and perfume, sporting this 'friend's' hair on your shoulder like a trophy!”
>She's yelling now, tears in her eyes
>”How would YOU react if I came to you late at night with some some of Hickory Smoke's hair on MY shoulder?”
Fleur and I ended things three years ago, Em!
>”Hickory was TWELVE years ago! But you still saw fit to storm out!”
6/x

That was a completely different issue!
>”How was it different?? I made a mistake! I was young! It was YEARS ago! Why can't you see that?”
>She sits on the couch
I-
>She cuts you off in a harsh, terse voice
>”Go”
>Your anger fails you
What...
>”Just go”
>Your heart sinks into your stomach
...Em...
>”GET OUT!”
>You flinch in surprise when she yells
>She's buried her face in her hooves, holding back tears
>You want so badly to wrap your arms around her and stop her crying, but as you step forward-
>”NOW”
>With a quiet sigh, you hang your head and walk out the door
>As you close it behind you, you can hear Em's pained sobs as she breaks down again
>With your face in one hand you walk home, defeated

>In front of your house you stop and look back at the town
>You thought you could fix this
>You were so wrong...
>In anger and frustration, you lash out, striking the door with your fist
>The paint cracks and you hear a slight splintering of wood as blood trickles down your hand
Goddamnit...
>You go inside and bandage your knuckles
>Luckily you didn't break anything in your little outburst
>Once you have time to cool down, you look at the clock
>12:10
>There's no point going back there tonight
>You'll only make things worse if you're both worked up
>Why'd this have to happen tonight, of all nights?
>All you wanted after the fundraiser was to go home with Em and decompress, have a drink or two to celebrate, and lie with her in your arms as you both go to sleep
>Not so
>Tonight you're both going to bed alone and hurt
>And it's your fault
7/x

>You wake up to the ringing of your alarm clock
>Without a second thought, your hand flies up and hits the snooze button
>You're not in any mood to face the day today
>With a groan you go back to sleep

>After an extra couple hours in bed, you finally get up
>Having no drive to cook anything for breakfast, you sit in the kitchen with a glass of water until you decide to stop moping and go to Sugar Cube Corner for something to eat
>Pinkie will be there, no doubt, and she'll probably start bombarding you with suspicion again, but you don't really care right now
>Last night was not one of your finer moments, to be sure, and you walk to the bakery running it over in your head repeatedly
>In trying to make things better with Em, you somehow managed to make the whole fight even worse
>You wonder if it's worth going over to apologize now...
>That might be a bad idea...
>Maybe give yourselves a couple days to cool down
>...Maybe more than a couple days...
>The door chimes as you enter Sugar Cube Corner
>”Good Morning! How can I help you?”
>Pinkie's voice rings out from the counter
Morning, Pinkie
>”Anon! Did you have a good fundraiser? It sounded like a party but they didn't want me to set it up so it can't have been as good as a Patented Pinkie Pie Party, but I'm sure it was sti-”
>She looks at you, head cocked to the side
>”Why don't you look happy? Did it not go well?”
No, it went well... Can I just get a cheese danish and coffee?
>”Sure thing. Two bits”
>Her tone becomes calmer and quieter
>”I'll bring them to your table”
Thanks, Pinkie
8/x

>Pinkie brings the danish and coffee out after a couple of minutes
>She places the plate on the  table and looks at you for a second
...Something I can do for you, Pinkie?
>The pink pony narrows her eyes
>”Why do you look so down? I haven't seen you this scowly in foreve-”
>She stops
>You look at her, confused
>You didn't think her eyes could get any more narrow, but they do as she leans in closer and closer
>”Are you hiding something, Anon?”
>Her face is right up in front of yours now
>...No
>She pulls away and you take a sip of coffee
>”Oh. Alright. I just asked because I like to see all my friends here in Ponyville happy and smiling and I noticed you're not today, so I thought to myself 'Why wouldn't Anon be smiling after such a good night, unless the night didn't go well, and then I remembered I saw you walking around last night going East near even though your house is West of here and THEN I remembered...”
>She turns back to you
>”Who.”
>She's right up in your face again
>”Lives.”
>Her hoof is pointing towards the window
>”East.”
...What are you suggesting, Pinkie?
>There's an uncomfortable pause before she again pulls back and asks in a knowing tone
>”How's Madam Mayor doing?”
>After a beat, you swallow the coffee nervously
>Pinkie's tone becomes soft, almost sad
>”I knew it”
You knew?
>”Pinkie Sense, plus I just put two and two together”
Is it that ob-
>”Not to everyp0ny. Come with me”
>You don't see how this could get any more awkward, you follow the mare into the kitchen as her mane seems to sag
>”...So does Rarity know?”
>...You stand corrected
9/x

>”...Well, does she, Anon?”
>You look away from the party pony
...No
>”You mean you haven't told her?”
>Pinkie stares at you with deadpan look on her normally cheery face
No
>She's really doing a good job making you feel even worse about the situation you're in
>After the night she met you outside your house, Rarity had gotten more distant with you
>It was understandable
>After all, you'd rejected her point-blank
>Of course things were going to be awkward for a while
>But that was three weeks ago and you haven't very seen much of her since then...
What's Rarity been doing, anyway?
>”Working on her commission. I've been going over to try to cheer her up, but-”
>Wait...
>The gears start to turn
...Why are you so intent on prying into this?
>Pinkie blinks a few times in surprise
>”Why wouldn't I? I want to see all my friends smile, and Rarity's one of my best friends”
>That was an unusual tone at the end
>You narrow your eyes
You sure?
>”What do you mean?”
>You stand up
>Pinkie shrinks back a little bit
>You head to the door back into Sugar Cube Corner before turning
Are you sure that's what you really want?
>Without waiting for an answer you're out the door and walking home
>If you weren't so wrapped up in your current problems, you might have been a little happy with yourself  for turning the tables on Pinkie like that
Looks like everyone's got something to hide, huh?
>Rarity crops up in your mind as you walk
>Pinkie knows about you and Em
>Can you trust her to keep it secret?
>You look back at the bakery
>...Maybe it's time to pay Rarity a visit...
10/x

>You reach Carousel Boutique as the town clock strikes 11:00
>Part of you wants to avoid this
>You think of how much you'd like for everything to go back to normal as you come up to the door
>But you knock
>And you step back
>And you wait for Rarity to answer the door
>It's not long before you hear the hurried clopping of the mare
>”Coming, coming!”
>She opens the door mid-sentence
>”I'm terribly sorry. It's been dreadfully busy these last fe-”
Hello, Rarity
>”Oh. Anon. What can I do for you?”
>Her tone has dropped
Can I come in? There's something we need to talk about
>She pauses for a moment, levitating her glasses onto a table before beckoning you inside
>”O-of course, Anon. Right this way. Tea?”
>You take a seat in an expensive-looking silk-upholstered chair in the atrium
No, thank you
>She must detect something in you tone, because she almost immediately returns to the room, empty-hoofed
>”What would you like to discuss?”
>You rest your arms on your knees and lean forward, trying to think of the best way to say what you're about to
...It's about you and me...I wasn't entirely honest with you that night you came to me, Rarity
>You take a deep breath. Rarity looks on in silence, waiting for you to say your piece
...But you're my friend and I love you like a little sister and you deserve to know:
>She takes a deep breath of her own, trying to figure out what you mean to tell her
>It's hard to find the right words; to make it less awkward, but you decide to just come out and say it
I've been seeing The Mayor, Rarity
>The unicorn sits silently, a pensive look on her face
11/x

>You look up at her, expecting some kind of outburst
>There isn't one
>She just sits there, appearing to mull over what you've just said
>”So...that night when I...were you...”
>Her mind is clearly racing. You're not sure what to expect from her right now
>”Were you on your way home from...her? Is that why you-”
>She stops, eyes widening
>”Is that why you weren't home the morning before?”
>Ahh...crap...
Uh...
>This is not going well, is it?
>Her expression sours more and more as you stall. You can practically hear her gritting her teeth
>Well, you've dug yourself this deep, might as well see if you can hit Neighjing...
...Yeah
>”How long has this been going on?”
...About three...four weeks?
>The white mare's face is turning red
>”You waited a MONTH to tell me you were seeing her?”
Well, we-
>”You what? You decided to start something with The Mayor the day I finally work up the nerve to tell you MY feelings?”
I-
>”I can't believe you wouldn't tell me something like that...”
>Today seems to be shaping up to be just like yesterday...
Rarity, it's more complicated than that. I couldn't just tell you what was going on...We both wanted to keep it under wraps, and you took me by surprise when you caught me outside my house that night...
>You know you're in the wrong here, but you're sick of being in the wrong
>So you backpedal
It just wasn't something I could have come out
>”But you can tell me now? What changed?”
...Uh...
>Should you tell her about the fight?
>No, probably best to keep that to yourself
I decided it wouldn't be right to keep something like this from my friends
>A knock at the door
>”Excuse me, Anon”
Of course
12/x

>A familiar voice sounds off as Rarity opens the door to Carousel Boutique
>”Thank you so much for this opportunity, Ms. De Lis”
>Your hand goes to your face and you mutter under your breath
Dammit, not this right now...
>”Anon! What are you doing here? I didn't think you were interested in fashion!”
>You put on a fake smile and look up at Fleur as she walks into the room
Hey, Fleur. I'm not actually here for business. I was just talking to Rarity here
>A smile curls on Fleur's lips as she turns to Rarity
>”Well, you watch out for this one. He's a heart-breaker. Aren't you, Anon?”
>Rarity casts her gaze at the ground
>You shoot Fleur a death-glare and she looks between the two of you, realization dawning on her face
>She mouths to you silently
>”Sorry...”
>You rub your forehead and wave it off
>Rarity stares at you intently, suppressing her anger at you in the presence of company
>In an effort to break the palpable tension, Fleur pipes up again
>”So, Rarity, why don't you show me those designs you've done, if I can steal you from Anon?”
>She looks up slowly and turns to you, speaking coldly
>”Alright. Anon, we'll be sure to catch up later on”
>She opens the door using magic before leading Fleur into the back
>“If you'd be so kind?”
Right...I'll see you later, Rarity...
>Fleur looks back at you apologetically before disappearing around a corner and you walk out of the store, dejected
Well, this day's going just great, isn't it?
>As you walk home, the clock strikes 11:30
>There's still an hour until you have to go in to work
>You groan just thinking about it, wondering if Em is having an easier time today
13/x

>You get in to work at 5:00
>Fortunately, the prep is all finished and your Sous placed all the produce orders on Sunday while you were working the fundraiser
>”Evening, Chef”
>The greeting comes up from each cook as you walk through the kitchen silently
>You put on your coat and hat and take your knives to your station to start getting everything ready
>At the very least, tonight is Monday. The restaurant is usually not so crowded on Mondays
>You take a little bit of solace in that...
>...Right up until a manager comes up to you
>”Hey, Chef. We've got a couple big parties coming in tonight around 8:00”
How big?
>”Like...15-20 each?”
Okay and it's at 8:00?
>”Yep”
What time's the second one?
>”...8:00”
>You pause for a second
...So you booked two parties of 20 on the same night at the same time?
>”Yeah. Just thought I'd let you know”
>He trots off, leaving you at the counter, holding back an eye-twitch
>”You alright, Chef?”
>The kitchen-colt comes up behind you holding a few carrots to add to a soup
Yes, just getting ready for service. I expect you to be on your game tonight
>”Yes, Chef!”
>You're somewhat glad he didn't catch the threatening tone in your voice
>After a few deep breaths, you compose yourself and put on a fake smile, trying not to let stress get the better of you
>Turning to your station, you start preparing for dinner service
>Something tells you it's going to be a long slog tonight
14/x

>Dinner starts off slow
>You manage to get into a rhythm, pushing thoughts of your last couple days out of your head and focusing on your work
>The orders come in at a good pace and the kitchen keeps up perfectly
>For a couple hours, you feel like this isn't going to be so stressful as you thought it would be
>Then the clock hits 7:30
>Ponies start filling up the restaurant
>More than usual
>The orders pick up
Table Seventeen: Two Ceviche, one Eggplant!
>”Yes, Chef!”
Table Six: One Ratatouille, one Fettuccine!
>You turn to the counter, then back to the kitchen
Where are Table Eleven's soups?
>”Coming, Chef!”
How long?
>”Er, one minute, Chef!”
Get it done and get it here! We don't have time for this!
>”Yes, Chef!”
Table Fourteen: Up! Table One: Two Avocado, one Eggplant, one Asparagus!
>”Yes, Chef!”
Where are those soups?
>”On the way, Chef!”
>The kitchen-colt runs the soup to the counter and you get it onto the platter to be taken to the table
Table Eleven: Up!
>You whip around to the kitchen-colt
What happened?
>”It took a little longer than it usually does, Chef!”
Don't let it again!
>”Yes, Chef!”
>You turn back to the counter and look out at the sea of tables
>Gotta get through this service
>Just get in the zone...
Table Twenty: Two Onion Soup, one House Salad, one Eggplant!
>”Yes, Chef!”
>You glance at the clock
>7:45
>Okay, making decent time...
Table Twenty Six:up! Table Four: One Fettuccine, two Spaghetti!
>”Yes Chef!”
>No big problems yet tonight. You hope it stays that way...
>A plate clatters on the counter
>”Table Six's Fettuccine. They would like it cooked more”
>Your eye twitches
15/x

>”Chef?”
>The waiter looks at you impatiently
Right, tell them it'll just be a few minutes
>”Yes, Chef”
>You turn to the Sous
Take over plating for a few minutes. I've got a return
>”Yes, Chef”
>The Fettuccine con Funghi. Simple enough dish. Just long pasta, some sautéed mushrooms, and a simple cream sauce
>You fetch the sauce from the walk-in along with the sliced mushrooms and portioned pasta
>The sauce is made earlier in the day. A roux with vegetable stock, oregano, thyme, garlic, and cream
>You pour it into a small pot to heat
>The sliced mushrooms you toss into a pan with some oil and finely diced onions to sauté
>The smell wafts up and fills your nose
>It takes your mind off the stress of the day for a little while as you bring a pot of water to a boil
>The pasta goes in the pot for a couple of minutes to finish cooking
>If you didn't cook it prior to service, the pasta dishes would take far too long to prepare on the line
>With the pasta done in little time, you strain it, toss it with the sauce and mushrooms, and plate it
Table Six: Up!
>Normally, you'd be able to really enjoy putting together a dish like that
>But you've got your mind on other things
>You shouldn't
>You should be focused entirely on work
>Not so
>You go back to plating dishes, sending the Sous back into the kitchen
>One return isn't too bad
>Not ideal, but still...
Table Fifteen: Up! Table Twelve: One Spinach Salad, one Spaghetti, one Onion Soup!
>”Yes, Chef!”
>You look at the clock
>8:07
>Turning to the dining room, you see 40 ponies being led to two tables
>You rub your temples
...Not my day...
16/x

>There's a blessed lull before the parties start ordering
>You take the time to reign in the stress-monster growing inside you
>The kitchen is keeping up with the orders tonight
>It's been a little more busy than the usual Monday, but nothing you and your team can't handle
>You're in the middle of convincing yourself to reduce your stress-levels when the orders start coming
>”Chef”
>A waiter hands you a slip of paper
Table Twenty Three: Four Ceviche, seven Asparagus, three Ratatouille, five Croquettes, one Avocado!
>”Yes, Chef!”
>The other party's orders come in soon after
Table Thirty Six: One Asparagus, six Ceviche, four Ratatouille, five Avocado, four Croquettes!
>”Yes, Chef!
>The waiter lingers for a moment
>”And they would like to let you know that there will be a cake brought 'round the back. If you could have it put in the walk-in”
Of course
>You do your best not to let him see that you're gritting your teeth
>”Thank you, Chef”
>Despite your best efforts, the dam you've put up to hold yourself back is starting to crack and chip as the night progresses
>The first party's appetizers come out ready after a few minutes
Table Twenty Three: Up!
>The second party's food begins to come up to the counter and a couple minutes later it's nearly ready to take ou-
Where is Thirty Six's Asparagus?
>Two delays tonight? This is trying...
>”Two minutes, Chef!”
Two minutes? What have you been doing while the rest of the food's been coming out?
>”It's nearly done, Chef! Just er, one minute!”
It had better be!
>You turn back and wait for the asparagus to come out
>Finally it does and you put it on the plate and send it out
17/x

>Hopefully there won't be any more issue-
>A yelp from the kitchen turns a couple heads in the dining room
>You look into the kitchen to see the kitchen-colt holding his hoof and Ginger Gold tending to it
>He must have burned himself on a pan
>Not too seriously, from the looks of it
>Still, got you on edge
>Thankfully, the next half-hour goes smoothly
>The kitchen-colt gets back to work after a couple minutes, sending out soups as fast as you put the orders in
>At least something is going right...
>A waiter clears his throat and lays a Ceviche on the counter
>”Table Thirty Six would like a new Ceviche. Too much radish it seems”
Can't they just pick it- forget it. Five minutes
>”Yes, Chef”
>You call the Sous over and set about quickly making a new Ceviche
>It's fast work. Everything is prepped and no cooking is required
>You put the chopped radishes and water chestnuts into a bowl with lime juice and vinegar, add some salt and pepper, toss, and put it in the serving dish
>Two minute process
>The Ceviche is done and put out and you turn back to plating, your ire ever-rising
>Having had two dishes sent back in one service, you start checking dishes at random to make sure nothing is amiss in the kitchen
>An hour goes by with no further problems
>The two parties are still in the dining room, finishing entrees
>Only one more hour to go...
>You look down to check a bowl of soup
>With a clean spoon, you take a small amount and sip
>...It's over-salted
>Something snaps in your head
>The straw that broke the camel's back was an over-salted soup, apparently
>You turn to the kitchen, taking the bowl with you
18/x

Unacceptable! Who's bright idea was it to put a pound of salt in here?
>With a furious swing of your arm you hurl the bowl to the floor, shattering it loudly
>You're livid
>One thing after another tonight
>Two returns, two big parties out of the blue, and now this?
>The dam creaks, breaks, and lets loose a torrent of pent-up frustration and anger
>You see the kitchen-colt turn pale
I told you to be on your game tonight! What happened?
>You look up at the kitchen-staff
That goes for all of you! Two returns? Delays?
>The colt shrinks back
Did I make a mistake putting you on this station? Are you not ready??
>Ginger Gold steps forward
>”Chef, come on, don-”
I don't want to hear it! Get your acts together!
>The kitchen doors burst open as you storm out
>The kitchen-colt looks at the floor, his breath catching in his throat
>”Hey, hey. Don't be down on yourself”
>Ginger comes over to him
>”It's been a tough service for everyp0ny. He's just frustrated is all”
>The colt looks up
>He's never been chewed out like that before and he's certainly never seen you get so angry
>Ginger looks him in the eye as tears start to form
>”You've got to pull it together, kid. There's still an hour left in service”
Table Thirty Six: Get that cake out to the table!
>”Yes, Chef!”
>The cooks get back to work
>Ginger looks over at the soup station and watches the kitchen-colt try to pull himself together
>She would offer more comfort, but she knows that he needs to know how things are in the kitchen
>After a glance at the door, she goes back to concentrating on her station
19/x

>Pinkie sits at the table with the Cakes and their extended family
>It's the Twins' birthdays today and they've all gone out to celebrate
>She's thankful to get her mind off of what Anon said earlier today
>Mrs. Cake calls a waiter over to bring out the cake
>As Pinkie nibbles the last of her entree, there's a loud crash from the kitchen
>She can hear Anon yelling
>The doors muffle most of the sound, but she can tell he's furious about something
>...Not just about work, either
>She can hear the frustration in his voice similar to what she heard this morning
>Something must be up
>But Pinkie's got problems of her own
>Anon's words this morning have stuck with her and she's been in a slightly off mood since then
>The dinner had lightened her heart, but hearing Anon's yelling cast a new shadow over her
>Maybe she should talk to him after he's done with work?
>She could wait after everyone has left and get him as he's leaving...
>Yeah. She'll do that. She's got to talk to somep0ny, why not the non-p0ny who made her doubt herself in the first place today?
>She crunches the very last piece of celery on the plate and looks at the kitchen
20/x

>Fleur flinches when she hears the bowl crash to the floor
>At first she thinks it was an accident, but when she hears Anon's yelling, she knows somep0ny in the kitchen must have screwed up bad
>She remembers when he'd get like this in Canterlot
>Only one who could ever stop him mid-rant was Hickory Smoke...
>...And she's not sure even he could stop this one...
>She thinks back to this morning when she walked into Carousel Boutique
>Why couldn't she have been a little more perceptive and noticed the tense atmosphere?
>The rest of the party looks towards the kitchen as Anon storms out and gets back to working
>He must really be having a hard time
>Did things go badly with The Mayor last night?
>Fleur decides to wait until closing time to talk to him about it
>If he's this mad, he'll need somep0ny to talk to...
>Maybe she can give him better advice than last night's apparently was?
>If only she were in town longer, she could help Anon a bit more
>But she's got two shows in Canterlot next week and a photo shoot in Manehattan after that...
>She'll just have to make due and catch him after work
21/x

>The rest of the night is quiet
>Either the kitchen-staff have gotten their collective act together, or you scared them enough that they're policing themselves
>You're fine with both outcomes right now
>11:00 rolls around and both parties leave
>Must have been something going on tonight. They both stayed for three hours
>You clean up your station and walk to your office without a word to anyp0ny
>You're not in the mood to talk
>The shift notes get written out quickly and you jab a tack into it to put it on the cork board
>Then you take off your coat and hat, pick up your knives, and stalk out into the night
>You stop at the end of the alley when you hear a familiar voice
>”Anon, wait up! Can we talk?”
Not now, Pinkie
>Your voice is almost a snarl and your gaze ice-cold
>She stops approaching you, seeing your scowl
I'm not in the mood for you or your questions. Just leave me alone
>You start walking home, going right past Fleur as she exits the restaurant. She stays silent and goes unnoticed
>She heard the way you spoke to Pinkie and decided that she would likely only make things worse talking to you about Em
>Pinkie follows after you a few steps, coming to a defeated stop in front of Fleur, who puts out a comforting hoof
>”Sorry about him. He gets like this when he's conflicted”
>The party-pony looks up at Fleur, who gives a smile and, seeing the obvious pain in Pinkie's eyes, decides she might be able to at least help SOMEP0NY tonight
>”Want to talk about it?”
>Pinkie nods and says weakly
>”Can we talk at the bakery? I've got some cookies that need eating...”
End

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