The Restaurant

Chapter 3

"I can't believe how much of an idiot I looked like. 'I got a voice!' I mean who says that?" I was cooking away in the kitchen while Christy, Kat's girlfriend, sat on the counter and listened to me. Our apartment is quaint. A two bed, one bath, designed in whatever we could find at the goodwill, yard sales, or in alleys. Which is to say anything and everything that looked interesting, from a table made of old skateboards, to old coke signs hung on the walls. I guess you could call it retro. We call it a poorly perfect design. But one area I didn't skimp was on my knives, pots, and pans.

"Well not many people can pull it off, but you certainly take the cake and drop it, I might add, for being a klutz and awkward."

"Thanks...I appreciate that...I just was developing some form of self-respect and there you go."

She laughed as she popped another grape into her mouth. "Oh stop it. You're a great looking nice guy with a nice body and a great cook at that."

"You know if I didn't know any better I'd think I just walked in on my girlfriend hitting on my best friend." Kat came in with hair still moist from her shower in a pair of pink flannel pants and a purple tank and stole a grape from Christy. "Should I leave so you two can get better acquainted?"

"Well he does have all that going for him and you...well...you're alright." She winked at me. Christy may be a sweet girl and cute but she was really quick with snappy comebacks.

"Is that how it is?" Kat asked as she sauntered up to Christy and started tickling her. I laughed as Christy jumped and started giggling.

"Ok ok ok! You're a much better fit for me and you know it!" She smiled as she kissed Kat. "I'm just trying to help him out. He's feeling awkward after that incident the other day with the door and 'Tina'," she emphasized her name. Kat laughed.

"Not helping Kat."

"I can't help myself. You're still hung up on this? It's been a few days and you haven't seen her since. But the way you met certainly will have her remembering who you are. If I knocked someone out unintentionally, I'd certainly remember that story to tell everyone I know."

"Great...now I'm a conversation starter and a punchline to jokes for her and her friends."

"Oh don't be dumb. She'll remember you if you ever run into her again. Don't worry. Now...what are you making here, mad scientist?" Her nickname for me because I like to grab ingredients and see what I can make out of them.

"Tonight, for your tasting pleasure, I made braised chicken with parsnips, garlic mashed potatoes, and steamed broccoli with carrots."

"Sounds delicious!" Christy exclaimed.

"Yeah, it does...what's the catch?" Kat asked.

"What?" I looked at her innocently. She glared at me. "Alright. I want you to try my soup again. I added different spices."

"Seriously? This is the fifth week of you 'trying different spices.' Don't get me wrong, apart from the time you got Christy and me sick with it, it's not too bad. But it's nothing to write home about. If anything, the spices are fine. It just may be the ingredients all meshed together. Why not try a basic soup and develop from there?"

"Alright fine I won't ask you to try my soup again after tonight. How's that?"

"Deal!" She and Christy both took their bowls, sat down, and proceeded to simply taste it.

"Well...that's...ok...," Christy said.

"You can be honest with him about how it tastes. Otherwise, he won't ever get better and he'll make it, again and again, thinking you like it," she said to Christy, then turned to me, "Dude...isn't happening."