The Special One : TaeTen

Chapter 2

I haven't updated in a while....I feel bad about it

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The next time Ten came back - a little less than a week later - it was closer to lunch, but there were still only a couple of tables full; the waiter was the same as the time before, and Ten decided to sit at the bar this time.

This time, Ten saw a beef bourguignon on the menu that caught his interest - he wanted the Chef's Special again, but it was cold outside - but when he made his order he almost thought he saw a flicker of disappointment cross the waiter's face, and he found himself making excuses.

"Yeah, you know, it's really cold outside, so that looked good, and it just seemed like what I'd want right now, so I didn't want to maybe give a bad review to something just because it wasn't what I was looking for at that exact moment, so..."

"I understand." The waiter smiled, and again, Ten found himself drawn to it - he wasn't even going to try to lie to himself that he'd picked the bar for any reason other than that he was hoping to get a chance to talk to the guy a bit more. "In the chef's defense, that is something that's taken into consideration, but don't worry. I'm sure you'll enjoy your meal."

"Yeah, well, not that I think she'd care or anything but if for whatever reason she does, just tell her I'm sorry, and I'll probably go for that the next time I come back." Ten wondered why he felt a little guilty, but either way, he shouldn't feel bad about ordering what he wanted at a restaurant, should he? Either way, he nodded. "I'm sure I will enjoy it. Glass of red wine with it, please, but only one."

"Of course."

The waiter was gone on and off while Ten waited for his meal; occasionally the silver-haired would spot him seeing to the other tables, but the rest of the time he wasn't sure where the guy was. It wasn't until his meal was brought out - a rich bowl of beef and vegetables topped with a generous dollop of cream with sliced bread on the side - that the red-haired man appeared to have returned somewhat for good, starting to wipe down glasses behind the bar.

And, of course, this is when I'm going to be stuffing my face.

Oh well. Itadakimasu!

It was, as he'd expected, amazing - although there wasn't quite the same flair that the other dishes had, which was a little bit of a disappointment. Still, it was delicious, and Ten ate hungrily, although he kept an eye on the waiter.

"So, the food here is fantastic, but there's rarely any customers any more-?"

An expression of sadness flashed across the red-haired man's face, almost too quickly for Ten to notice, and he sighed. "Well, we do have more customers at lunch and dinner - you tend to come at unconventional times."

"Sorry about that. I work nearby, and I tend to lose track of mealtimes." The silver-haired looked a little guilty, but the waiter smiled at him.

"Oh, don't apologize. I know that- well, the chef - enjoys the chance to invent new recipes. Besides, it's always nice to see a regular."

His smile was warm, and Ten made sure to return it with one as warm as he could manage - the guy was totally his type, even if he did find himself feeling a little curious about the chef, too. "Well, I'll try to do my part next time."

He was rewarded by a warm chuckle, and he loved it, and then the waiter was speaking again. "We don't really advertise much, which is probably the problem. It... would be nice if we could get some of the lunch crowds we used to have, though. It's lucky that we decided to hire temporary waitstaff for the opening week rather than bring people on full-time. But then there's the chance that we could overstress our workforce - I'm not sure I- well, the chef - could handle coming up with recipes so quickly if the place was constantly packed."