Midnight Diner

Episode 2

He looked into her eyes. It gleamed of pure interest and curiousity. He turned away for a brief moment.

Eye contact has always been a weakness of his.

"I see cooking as an art form. There are many factors in cooking and much more in eating. It ranges from ingredients, cooking methods, temperatures to taste, aroma, texture and even aftertaste. I never liked to stick to a strict menu where dishes are always the same. Yes, it is consistent, but it also means that I am following a recipe each time, and over time, even if it is my own recipe, I feel like I no longer own the dish. That I am simply a slave to a recipe and method...does that make sense?"

He had always had these thoughts in his head but he never thought someone would ask about it. Hence, he never really knew how it sounded like to another person.

"So that's why you don't have a menu," she replied. "Interesting."

"Mhm..I like to have someone give me a dish of their choice. I would then cook it while adding some of my own touch and twists to it. I see that as art. It is also more fun when I do not already know how to make the dish, I get to explore and learnt about dishes from different cultures, countries and also envoronment. For example, sometimes someone orders a dish because he misses when his mom makes it."

She found this very interesting and perculiar. She looked at her watch. It was almost 3am. She turned her attention back to her food and started eating faster. She had to be at a 9am meeting.

"What's the rush?"

"Sorry I just have to get myself home soon and get some sleep, I have a meeting at 9 in the morning," she put down her chopsticks and rushed to the door. "I'll pay when I come back I promise !!" she yelled backwards as she opened the door and held her brown leather suitcase and used it as an umbrella and ran into the heavy rain.

He picked up her dishes and started washing them. What was in her suitcase? Why is she awake so late at night? And did I just get scammed?

It didnt really matter. He had made enough to cover the food cost anyways. Oftentimes he would use old ingredients and made free lunchbox meals for and deliver to the nearby homeless shelters. He did not like dumping food in the trash. And not everyone can afford to eat.

But with this many questions in his mind, he developed an interest in the girl.

He continued to sweep the floor and wipe the tables. Then he closed the store, shut off the lights and headed home.