If you thought I vividly described the croutons in the Caesar Salad, just wait, because the chicken cutlet sandwich, though modest and to-the-point in title, is an explosion of flavor once it touches your tastebuds.
Serena leaned back with a smile as she thought back to her lunch, a breaded chicken cutlet sandwich. At least, that is what an average lunch-goer would call it. To Serena, it was a masterpiece: breaded with panko that was pan fried just right to reach a beautiful golden brown, dressed with fresh sprigs of spicy arugula, crisp red onion rings, and a slice of tomato all atop a freshly baked ciabatta roll that had a house made lemon garlic aioli spread thickly on the top bun. When she bit into it, no longer was her meal considered just a chicken sandwich; it was going to be featured in her review of the restaurant.
Growing up, food was Serena's pastime. Her friends mercifully teased her for her ridiculous eating habits, wondering how on earth a teenager could shovel down a burger, fries, and a chocolate milkshake on a daily basis without gaining weight or health issues. As she matured, her love for food only diversified, learning to pair meals with wines and trying different cultural meals she once would turn her nose up at in childlike defiance. One day, when at college she suddenly had an epiphany as she exuberantly described her dinner from the cafeteria; she should become a food critic! Her steel stomach and endless appetite could handle any meal, and her passion for telling anyone who would listen about her meal would actually be appreciated. No sooner did she change her major to journalism with a minor in creative writing did she begin an online blog, which took off with great success. When she graduated, she had accepted an offer to become Tokyo's number one magazine, inTokyo, newest food critic. Three years later, she still found as much passion and joy in her job, especially when it came to putting a new restaurant on the map. It was an amazing feeling knowing that not only was she living out her dream, but also she could help entrepreneur's make their dreams come true as well.
As her fingers continued to click against the keyboard of her MacBook, she glanced at her desk calendar to see which restaurant she would be trying out next. Zwei Towers her handwriting reminded her, to which she paused from her typing. "Zwei Towers?" she said aloud before puckering her lips in wonder. She ran her fingers through her blonde bangs as she tried to recall any mention of Zwei Towers, but none came to mind. She shrugged before opening up Safari, knowing her memory was never that great, partially due to her high demand in the area. After performing a quick Google search, she reached their webpage, black text boxes and posh images staring back at her. "Great," she mumbled as she perused the website. "Trendy and overdone," she sighed as she looked through photos of the restaurant, its modern black booths and silver décor showing up in every photo. Going to restaurants like these were the worst; overpriced, overcooked, and underappreciated staff. Only a small handful of places like this survive, that is if their food is even any good. She learned quickly that the flashy exterior often was at the expense of cheap meats, undertrained chefs, and a businessperson who suddenly "wants a restaurant venture on his portfolio." Only one or two places in the area received a fine review from Serena while the rest fell short of mediocrity. She hated writing bad reviews, but sending patrons to a place where their money and business was unappreciated allowed her to work through disappointing business owners.
She stretched her arms over her head, letting them come to rest atop her head. Taking in the welcoming stretch, she thought about what she would do to try to set this restaurant apart from those in the past that disappointed. Every place deserved an unbiased opinion when walking through the doors, Serena firmly believed. She glanced at the menu, noting a lemon artichoke soup as an appetizer that sounded unique and tasteful. Pulling over a pad of paper, she scribbled down the item, adding to it truffle risotto and in-house mango sorbet to the list. Curiosity satisfied, she clicked out of the website and pulled up her Word document, daydreaming about the balsamic vinaigrette she drizzled on her leafy lettuce side salad, its thickness delivering a pungent flavor of herbs and flavor that you only needed a small amount to savor it. With calories and fat content concerns nowadays, finding a salad dressing that delivers so much flavor in such a small amount was a gem nowadays, especially amongst the fitness friendly. She smiled as she continued through her glowing review, making final revisions and sending a first draft to her editor. She closed her laptop with a content sigh before picking up her phone.
"Hey, Mina," Serena replied to Mina's overly chipper "hey doll" when she answered.
"What's up? Please tell me you're asking me to tag along with you tomorrow!" Mina asked on the other end of the phone. Serena laughed; Mina loved food almost as much as Serena and took any opportunity to join her.
"You know me to well," Serena replied as she leaned back into the chair, propping her legs onto her desk. "Ever heard of Zwei Towers?"
"Oh yes, that's in the financial district! Many business executives go there. I've been trying to get Mally to take me, but he won't do it," Mina pouted as she mentioned her stock broker boyfriend, Malachite. "Honestly, you'd think he would take my advice since my BFF is the food mongrel of Tokyo, but nope!"
"All the more reason for you to come with me; free lunch AND if it's any good, bragging rights about being right!"
"Love it! Do you want me to meet you there or swing by your place first?"
"Let's meet there; I have to stop by the office in the morning to pick up my edits," Serena replied as she mentally mapped out her day. "11:30 sound good? Get in before the lunch rush?"
"Sure thing! What do we wear?" Mina asked, resulting in Serena opening her laptop again and click back to the website.
"I don't see anything about a dress code. I say we arrive dressed how we normally do. Not yoga pants, but no need to get dressed up," Serena figured. She clicked around further to see if it was business professional or casual only, but no such advisory came up. She was a little surprised, since most places like this require shirt and jacket for men or slacks or dresses for women. She pursed her lips and nodded in silent appreciation; maybe the relaxed dress code for a modern, chic restaurant would be the thing to set them apart from the restaurant. After a few minutes of additional searching just to be sure, she exited back out of the website, her question unanswered.
"See you then! Love ya! Bye!" Mina enthusiastically said as she ended their call. Placing her phone down, Serena stood up out of her chair and walked over to the window, looking out toward the financial district. She was so happy to have found an apartment in the city with such a view. Her cat, Luna, rested on the windowsill, mutually enjoying the twinkling of lights emitting from the high-rises and stars alike. She smiled as she scratched Luna's head, her soft gaze settled on the horizon.
"More food tomorrow, Luna," Serena said happily to her cat, who was purring in response to the affection. "Tomorrow will be a busy morning and afternoon, so please make sure you don't let me sleep in!" She laughed as she grabbed her phone and set her alarm for 6:00, knowing that if she did not leave her apartment by 7:00 she would be running behind for every appointment. Tossing a glance at the time, she let out a yawn even though it was only 6:00. "Luna I don't want to work out tomorrow," she grimaced, knowing that she had her kickboxing class at 7:30 in the morning with Raye and Lita. "I hate working out so much," she whined to herself, even though she knew she could do nothing about it. 27-year-old Serena versus 14-year-old Serena meant that fitness needed to be an active part of her life if she was going to eat and write for a living. Besides, sprinting to school for being late was not exactly part of her world anymore, so she resorted to 60 minutes of pure misery with two of her best friends. If anyone could whip someone in to shape, it would be Lita. Her fitness programs worked magic, so much that she was surprised she was not yet roped into a workout video contract yet. People were on waitlists trying to join her classes. She and Raye definitely had Lita to thank for keeping their bodies so thin. Not like Raye needed it, on a fitness level, at least; as an attorney, she used kickboxing to let out pent-up frustrations from the duties of her work pressure.
She looked back at the kitchen, debating if she wanted to make a light dinner to give her some energy to do something into the evening, but her appetite was undemanding due to her large lunch. She quickly dismissed the idea and turned on the television, letting herself slip into mindless humor as she snuggled into her couch.
"My legs, I can't feel them," Serena whined as she leaned against a wall, her thighs quivering from the intensity they just worked out. She lowered her head, her ponytail feeling much too heavy as its weight swing from side to side.
"Shut, your, face," Raye panted as she pressed against the wall for support, trying to regain her breath, her black hair tumbling over her shoulders. Lita introduced a new workout routine in their boot camp, one that neither were forewarned. Raye continued to send murderous glares Lita's way, who simply grinned as she jogged over energetically to the girls.
"Hiya!" she gleefully exclaimed as she tossed her chestnut ponytail behind her shoulder. "You loved it, right?!" Lita's jade eyes were full of laughter as she taunted the girls with her sugary sweet question, knowing exactly how much they wanted to yell at her right now.
"I… would punch you, if… I… had… energy," Raye said between deep breaths, causing Lita to bellow out in laughter.
"Oh Raye, you know you needed that!" Lita said as she stretched her arms out over her head. "After all, don't you have a preliminary hearing today?"
"Oh… fuck…" Raye said again, less winded but just as miserable. Her head dipped lower. "I don't want to go to work today," she grimaced.
"Want to stay here and go another round?" Lita asked as she slapped Raye on the back, causing her to wince in pain.
"I'd rather die a thousand deaths than flip a 25 pound weight up and down the length of the gym ever again," she exclaimed with sparks in her eyes.
"I'd better get a seriously sexy back for that horrific addition to your workout, Lita," Serena whimpered as she raised her water bottle to her lips, drinking in the cool liquid.
"Back? Please, you will be amazed at what that is going to do for not just your upper body strength, but also your legs. Full body workout baby. You'll be tender tomorrow!" She grinned as she placed her arms on her hips.
"Bitch!" Raye exclaimed as she stood up straight, already feeling the soreness of the workout.
"Yea, yea," Lita dismissed her name-calling with a wave. "Any who, don't forget to hydrate, girls. See you on Friday, right?"
"You bet. I am so in need of a girl's night it's not even funny," Serena nodded as cosmopolitans swirled around her head in daydream.
"I meant for class, hun. But yes, girl's night too, can't wait!" Lita laughed as she scampered off as Raye endearingly called her a bitch yet again.
"Ok, I'm going to attempt to walk over to the locker room and shower. You changing here or at home?" Raye said as she gingerly stretched out her muscles. Serena looked up at the clock, seeing it was a little past 8:30.
"Looks like I have time to head home first and take a shower there before I meet with Audrey at 10:30. I'm actually meeting Mina at Zwei Towers today at 11:30 for lunch for a review," Serena stated as she picked up her gym back and slung it over her shoulders.
"Oh? I have been there before for drinks. They have a really nice bar! We should try them out for girl's night!" Raye exclaimed.
Serena shrugged. "Let's see how my review goes first, I do not need any owners screaming at me if I give them a bad review while I have a drink or two in me," she winked.
"Fair enough," Raye said as she picked her bag up. "See you Friday morning for another round of Hell?"
Serena grimaced. "I'll be here unfortunately. Good luck today!"
Raye waved as they separated, making her way to the locker room while Serena exited the studio. She took in a deep breath of the warm spring air before making her way down the walkway, her apartment only five blocks away from the studio. No sooner did she arrive home did she freshen up, deciding on a maroon sundress atop a flowy white top accessorized with a feathery pendant and some strappy sandals. After adding some light makeup, she made her way back out to the world, stopping at her office to pick up her editors notes before continuing onward to Zwei Towers. She arrived at 11:25, an overly animated Mina waving in excitement, dressed to kill in a white patterned tank top and sunny yellow pants that almost matched her long hair.
"Serena, I am so excited! I was looking at their website last night and they are so trendy. It's like they took a restaurant out of Hollywood and stuck it here in Tokyo!" Mina exclaimed as she linked arms with Serena, guiding her into the high-rise business tower. They looked around for signage to the restaurant, indicating it was on the 25th floor. Serena was briefly impressed, knowing her love of landscapes, but continued to keep her focus on her job as Mina idly chatted away about how lavish and posh this establishment must be.
The elevator decelerated as they arrived to the 25th floor, and when the doors sprung open, they were greeted with abstract metallic designs popping out against black on black. It had a modern design, with its oblong shaped booths and exposed piping, but it felt a little cold. This was definitely an establishment for someone with a trendy personality, which Serena did not possess. Mina, however, was drinking it in, complementing everything from the different shades of black to the contrast of the metals in the artwork. At that moment, she was glad to bring Mina to add a different perspective; just because she did not personally like the look did not mean it wouldn't be attractive to someone else. Besides, her job was to judge the food, not the look.
After discussing the look, they noticed there was no one at the hostess stand. Serena looked at her Apple watch, noting that it was after 11:30, and finding the lack of staff quite odd before a lunch rush. Soon enough she saw a young man, dressed all in black, whispering to a gentleman in the corner, who was looking at them with a piercing gaze. Serena's eye caught his and met with an intense shade of cobalt staring her down that she shivered. She had never seen eyes so deep in color before! He stood up and began to make his way over to her, allowing her to check him out. He was dressed to kill in a charcoal gray suit, crisp white shirt with an inky navy tie. He had jet-black hair, which was parted at the side and styled back and a clean shaved, sculpted jawline that Serena's hands itched to trace with her fingertips. As he neared, she could see he was a good foot taller than her, who stood at 5'3", with an olive skin tone that looked straight out of the Mediterranean. She instantly felt herself turned on to him, but for the sake of professionalism she tried to shut down. Desire began to pool in her system as his handsome features became more clear the closer he became. She tried to ignore her body's signals; damn being single for six months. Maybe if the review went well she could try and approach him on a personal level.
"Excuse me, but can I help you?" he asked as he was in closing distance of the two girls.
"Yes, we would like a table, please," Serena stammered, trying to avoid picturing what he would look like naked. Dear God, he was like sex on legs! She tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear as she was about to introduce herself as the food critic, but he spoke first.
"I am sorry, but we cannot seat you," he stated matter-of-factly.
"Excuse me?" Serena replied with surprise in her voice. She raised an eyebrow at him, his attractiveness suddenly ceasing as he spoke.
"You are not dressed appropriately to be in this establishment. We only allow those in business professional, and as you can tell, you clearly are not dressed to be in this place. I suggest you find a Panera Bread or a Starbucks if you wish to obviously check out potential mates on their lunch breaks," he coolly stated. "Now if you will excuse me," he stated as he motioned for them to leave.
"What did you just say to me?" Serena rhetorically asked, looking at this smug man with distain. "How dare you insult my friend and I! First off, nowhere does anything mention any type off dress code, and secondly, I am Serena Thompson, the food critic for inTokyo who was assigned to have lunch here, which clearly we will no longer be doing so. Mina, come on, let's go," she said as she turned around to leave, not watching the look on the handsome man's face at what he had just done.
"Food critic? Please! You look like you are barely out of college, yet you are telling me you are the number one food critic in Tokyo? I highly doubt that," he sneered as she turned back to look at him, appalled.
"Google me tomorrow, dickweed, and you'll see my picture show up rather quickly, next to the name of this place with one hell of a tarnishing review," she retorted as she pressed the button for the elevator. "Let's get out of here and find ourselves a Panera like this jackass insisted," she sarcastically said to Mina.
The doors sprung open and she hastily stepped inside, eager to get away from the infuriating man. Just as Serena was pressing the button for the lobby, she watched as he stared at his phone realizing his mistake. He looked up wide-eyed at her, but it was too late for him; the doors sprung shut just as he began to make his way to the elevator.
"What a jerk," Mina said as she flung her hair over her shoulders. "So what if I checked him out? He was hot! But with that attitude? Hell no would I ever consider doing anything with him."
"Seriously! He was such an ass. I never, ever want to see him again," Serena stated as she crossed her arms in insult. No one treated her with such disrespect and got away with it, and she had the byline to make sure of it.