René chuckled to himself as he took in the sight of the spacious dining area. How could this really belong to him? After years of hard work and struggle, he had a restaurant to call his own.
Growing up in Paris he had dreamed of this day. The title of chef was the ultimate goal for him, and his time for realization had arrived.
Now he was almost ready to welcome his first customers. The tables were wiped spotless and accented with vases of flowers. The floor was swept, and the menus were stacked. The framed portrait of his parents hanging on the wall...was crooked.
"Damn," he muttered to himself as he reached up to make the adjustment. A day like this required absolute perfection.
He really couldn't believe his luck. Just when he thought he might never get the chance to have his own restaurant, the opportunity found him. The building came vacant with an asking price that seemed too good to be true.
"René!" he heard a voice calling from the street and made his way to the door to see who it was.
Recognizing his neighbor Gerard, he ushered him inside.
"Welcome to my restaurant," he said proudly, motioning him to sit at a nearby booth.
Gerard removed his overcoat and placed it in the booth before taking his seat.
"I'm famished, René," he said. "What does the chef recommend?"
Excited to have the opportunity to answer this question, René considered his response for a moment.
"I've got it!" he said. "Wait right there and I shall bring you the finest Gruyère soufflé you've ever tasted!" With that he turned and disappeared into the kitchen.
Gerard salivated at the thought of the meal he was about to enjoy. Getting up from the table, he headed to the restroom to wash his hands.
As he returned to his table, he did a double take. His coat was gone! He checked under the table but found nothing.
How could his coat have disappeared in an empty restaurant? Concerned, he headed to the kitchen to confront his host.
"What is going on here?" he demanded.
René struggled to find his voice, clueless as to what could possibly have offended his guest.
Gerard gestured to the empty booth behind him. "I leave my seat for a moment and my coat disappears! How do you explain that?"
Hmmm...that is strange, René thought to himself. It brought to mind a conversation he had with the previous owner of the building. He asked why there was such a sense of urgency to finalize the deal. "Something has come up and I just need to move on with other opportunities," the owner replied.
Determined to resolve the current situation and appease his guest, René searched the dining room thoroughly. Finally he caught a glimpse of the jacket underneath a table on the opposite side of the room.
"Here you are," he said as he handed the coat to Gerard. "I hope that there are no hard feelings and that you will give me another chance to serve you."
Gerard took his coat and turned to leave. "I hope you are successful here," he replied. "But I get some strange vibes from this place. Be careful."
Closing the door after his guest, René wondered just what this place had in store for him.
