>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