A Loveless Meal

Chapter 1: A Broken Heart

Rody was a complete mess after his breakup with Manon.

He'd denied that Manon truly meant to leave him and initially had given her space for a few days. Surely after letting her cool off, she'd be willing to talk things out.

The space made him feel uneasy though, so he spent that time making plans for what he could do to win her back. A date maybe? She'd shut that idea down pretty soundly when she had said she was breaking up with him, but maybe when she called him back they could talk things out and he could give that idea a try. He had a few things in mind... A candlelit boat ride at night or maybe a romantic picnic... Perhaps one of those really expensive restaurants she really liked. Of course, he'd really have to save up to afford that. But it would all be worth it for her.

However, he'd never know which date would have done the trick. Because her call never came.

After not hearing from her at all for a week, even after he had broken down and tried to get in touch with her, he'd gotten angry. Angry with her for not giving him a chance to prove he could do better (Though admittedly, he wasn't sure what it was he had done wrong. "Not ready for a relationship"... What did that even mean?), then he was angry with himself for his misplaced ire.
If only she would have explained to him a little better what it was he was lacking, he could work on it!

He then tried bargaining and had attempted to get ahold of her countless times, determined that he could change her mind if she would give him the time he needed, only for her to answer on the 22nd phone call just to tell him that while she hoped he had a nice life, she would be changing apartments and her phone number. And so she had. Not a single one of his many calls connected the next day or any day after.

What followed was a deep, dark depression.

He didn't leave his house for nearly 2 weeks, spending his days strumming his guitar, reading over half finished love songs he had written just for her and composing songs of heart ache as he cried on the couch. His apartment was littered with takeout containers and sad remnants of food he had attempted to either cook or reheat, now merely lumps of charcoal decorating his kitchen. While his home had never looked particularly... Cleanly, it now looked to be the victim of a natural disaster. Which, in it's own way, wouldn't be inaccurate. What could be more natural than love and heartbreak?

After a total span of a month, a full ~30 days of Rody's emotions rubberbanding with a violence that would exhaust even the most mercurial person, he finally came to the end of the rollercoaster. Acceptance.

Her phone number no longer worked. Her friends had only appeared long enough to give him back some of his items he had left at Manon's apartment and take back any she had left at his, avidly refusing to answer any questions about her beyond confirming she was okay and ready to move on, having already vacated her apartment and moved in with a friend until she saved up for a new one.

Faced with all of these facts, he simply had to accept it.
She was gone and she wasn't coming back.

After the initial helpless feelings and question of 'why?', there was nothing left but to try to pick himself up and move on.
He was late on his rent and had all but run out of money by this point, holding on by a thread merely because his land lady had taken pity on the boy and had tacked this month's rent payment onto the next.

And so after scrolling job listings on his phone, he found himself at the doors of La Gueule De Saturne. The Maw Of Saturn...
While awe inspiring, it did feel like such an intimidating name for a restaurant. The outside was elegant and unassuming, maybe even understated considering how highly rated the chef apparently was. Not that he really understood any of those fancy terms they used for chefs of his caliber, so for all he knew Vincent Charbonneau was low-tier famous or high class famous. It all felt the same to him. That is to say, it all felt better than he could ever attain.