Don't Cry Over Phở

Chapter 23: Feelin' sPEACHY

Opening the lid, I peeked inside. For a second my heart thudded in anticipation. Was the Bunsen burner flame even strong enough? It was a single flame after all, compared to the usual multiple ones that a stove could emit.

I was just about to call it quits over this whole crazy idea, until the broth started to bubble a little bit. Wait, it was starting to boil! Luca and I both shared a look of amazement. He seemed just as relieved as I was that it worked. I have to say— I grudgingly had a new found respect for this boy.

"Wow! You guys are so creative!" said a random student from the crowd that gathered.

Jokingly tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, I smiled, "Yup, all part of our demonstration folks!"

"I want to try the phở!"

"Yeah, can you heat up my bowl of phở too please?"

The crowd of students erupted into a flurry of questions and desires to try the phở. I felt giddy with joy as I served them warm bowls of phở. Now we didn't have to worry about it being cold. The restaurant could now be represented in the best way possible. At least I hoped.

Luca worked alongside me as he adjusted the Bunsen burner from time to time. With our matching outfits, I'm pretty sure people thought we were partners of some sort. I mean I guess we were, but not in the romantic way. Definitely not in the romantic way.

I couldn't celebrate the success of the phở just yet though. I had no idea if they would like it, but the more people that tried, the better. There was now a mini line of people waiting to be served phở after our little unplanned fire demonstration. Soon enough, the pot was close to being empty by the time we finished serving almost everyone at the potluck.

I tried to gauge people's reactions as they ate from their mini bowl, but I couldn't tell what most of their reactions were. If anything, all I heard was the sound of slurping, murmuring, and the clangs of utensils. My eyes kept flickering from person to person for a hint of what they felt. A hint of any kind. Anything.

"Do you think they like it?" came Luca's deep voice next to me.

Even having him talk in such a close proximity to me, I felt my skin prickle in awareness. "I'm not sure, but I hope so," I replied nervously.

"Well, however they feel about it, we did good," he said.

I perked up at his sudden compliment. Did he just say we worked well together? Coming from Luca, that was pretty significant as I felt warmth spread through my face.  I enjoyed hearing that a little more than I should as I offered him a small smile in response.

"You think so? Did you try the phở for yourself?"

A corner of his mouth tugged up a little. "I don't need to try it to know it's good."

Unable to keep the obvious pride from showing on my face, I laughed, "Okay, good to know you're that confident in my parents' phở."

"Allison! There you are!" exclaimed a cheerful voice I recognized all too well. Wild lavender hair emerging straight from a crowd was hard to miss. She smiled at Luca as well. "Hi Luca!"

"Zoey!" I smiled in greeting while Luca gave her a small nod of acknowledgment.

She was holding something in her hand as she made her way to our table. I couldn't make it out, but as she came closer, the object became more recognizable. It was a microphone.

"I'm so glad you brought your phở. You should say something to promote your restaurant. I was able to snag the microphone for you," she said, shooting me a sly wink.

I shook my head shyly. "Thank you Zoey, but it's alright. I'm sure they have more important things to announce."

"Nah, trust me. This is the perfect opportunity to say a few things."

For a second, I exchanged a look with Luca. He gave me a reassuring nod and I realized Zoey was right. This would be a good chance to say a few things about the restaurant. Even though I had nothing planned to say, I had to try.

I hesitated before nodding at Zoey. She led me to the front and our eyes met for a brief moment. She gave me a gentle reassuring smile and while I appreciated her support, I still bit my lip anxiously. I tried to ignore the small amount of sweat that was starting to pool on my back.

"Hello ASU Club! May I have your attention for a moment please?" Zoey called through the microphone. Her voice became an echoing boom that was loud enough to have the chattering in the room die down significantly.

Once most conversation subsided, Zoey continued, "Thank you for your attention. Allison, here would like to say a few words about her phở."

She passed me the microphone, giving me a quick smile before standing off to the side. I tentatively took it from her, fiddling with the microphone wire with my fingers.

"Um-" I said into the microphone before it suddenly gave a loud SCREECH! I cringed as the high-pitched sound made most of the room cower from the ill-sounding noise.

Realizing I was stepping on the wire, I gave a sheepish smile before stepping off and clearing my throat with an ahem that echoed through the microphone. Oh man, I was a total shitshow already.

If the room was quieting down before, it was completely silent now as like 40 pairs of eyes stared at me. Swallowing the anxiety I had, I spoke, "Hi everyone. My name is Allison Nguyen and if you don't know me, I'm the one who brought the phở today."

The 40 pairs of eyes blinked. Okayyy, don't be nervous Allison. You got this.

"Well, my parents and I worked really hard to make that huge pot for you guys. My family owns the phở restaurant called Backyard Phở if you guys are familiar with that place," I said, chuckling a little. I paused for a second to scan the crowd, looking for any signs of recognition in their eyes.

Disappointingly, it didn't seem like most people knew about our place judging from the blank look they gave me in return. My eyes met Luca's for a second and for some reason, his presence made me feel a little calmer. There was no judgement in his expression and his full attention on me gave me some small encouragement to continue, interestingly enough.

"If you guys enjoyed the phở, bring us one of the flyers we're handing out today to the restaurant and you'll get 10% off your meal!"

And finally for the question that would determine the restaurant's fate. I took a small breath before asking, "So what do you guys think about the phở?!"

The question hung still in the air.