Hero and Perfect

Chapter Five.

Pt. 3
Four years later.
Bistro Perfection.
First day of Three/4/One's North American mini tour.
******

" LINE! 'Hero bellowed.
They were deep in the swamp of a demanding late supper rush.
The restaurant he had taken over two years ago was savagely hammering his back of house.
They were two cooks short, and it was a packed Bistro.
Every section was full, with a foyer waiting.
'SERVICE!' He yelled again.

Steam rose from the broth pots.
Ramen was revolving out of the pick up window as quickly as the servers could take the fragrant bowls to the waiting tables.
The sounds of clanging pots, sizzling grills voices and chopping knives, was raucous.
Hero's forehead gleamed with sweat.
His hard muscled arm was a blur of motion as he chopped through a long side of char sui with his cleaver.

Four hours passed in what felt like moments.

Lee Hu, his assistant manager , approached him directly.
" Chef - there is a table of six asking for seating .
Celebrities. One of them is a manager - they have just asked for the back table .
May I seat them?"
Hero scowled.
" No. it's midnight . We are already past service . The line is closed."
" Chef - you should " -
WHACK! The heavy cleaver stuck in the thick wooden cutting board.
" I said- NO."
Lee Hu recoiled, then drew himself up.
He leaned over and thrust a cell phone beneath Hero's scowling gaze.

" You might want to consider staying open for them."

Hero glared at the small screen. His scowl deepened.
He recognized the members of the award winning group.
Perfect would never forgive him if he refused them.

" Seat them then. No fuss. Make sure you completely clear the back section first, then bring them in through the side door, straight to the table. I'll cook for them myself.
Lee Hu smiled.
" That is actually what they requested. They were very specific that they wanted it to be you preparing their order."

Hero nodded.
" I'll make whatever they want. Will you stay to complete the service? If not I can take care of the dessert personally.
You can clock out as soon as the last order is in. Tonight was heavy and you held the line well."
Lee Hu looked at him cynically.

"Really? You will serve them? Hmm. Do they deserve to be glowered at while they order...no, I think I'll stay.
I'm a fan. Both my bias and my bias wrecker are here...do you even remember how to smile?"

Hero's angry scowl lightened to a frown. He yanked the cleaver out and wiped it.
" I appreciate you staying."
Lee Hu's expression was resigned.
" I know that's as close as I get to a real ' thank you Lee Hu.'
You're lucky you're not just the youngest and angriest chef in the city, you're also one of the best."

It was because he never slept, Lee Hu thought as he hurried back to the floor and began to close and finish the remaining tables.

Chef Chanthara didn't sleep.

He worked.
Constantly.
Lee Hu was probably the only person in the world that knew why, and then only because he had proved willing to endure staying by the surly young chef's side outside of work - calmly ignoring the long bouts of morose silence.
Accepting the grunts or terse, one word answers to direct questions that comprised his dour companionship.

It had taken time. But Lee Hu had proven implacable in his tenacious pursuit of self appointed friendship to Hero.

He would sit.
Be ignored.
Drink for awhile, then leave.
He remained relaxed and unperturbed when Hero would abruptly leave first.
He cheerfully ignored Hero's ignoring , and began speaking amicably about his previous fine dining experiences when he joined him.