dawnleaf1234 and Assaultrogue269: you each get a free meal courtesy of Steven Stone!
Now, between writing Culinary Rivals, Poketopia Endurance Championship, Pokemon: Inception, and university, I never have enough time to write, except on the weekends. Even now, this is a chapter I wrote before I started university.
Currently, I have to focus on university alone now. If I can find time to write, I'll see how I'll allocate the time.
Chapter two: The (Pretty?) Rival Across the Street
Two mornings later, Martine Grenadine's fears were justified.
Over a period of a day and two nights, construction crews had been working nonstop for hours and hours developing and raising a four-storey high building with concrete supports. What stood out from this structure was the top floor – a dome completely made of glass with only a steel frame to hold it together. Some hoped it might have been turned into a mall (Martine was one of them), but the way the structure was built featured a lot of outdoor patios and balconies, and multiple floors with glass windowing – framed with wood and steel – unlike the Stone Restaurant and Bistro.
Some hoped it would have been turned into an apartment bloc (James d'Arc hoped so), but no apartment building ever appears this hollow. Plus, there was a little extra complex extending from this building's side: it had a set of tables and chairs too!
"It looks like a café," James said.
"No café ever looks this massive," Martine said.
"I meant the side there," James muttered. "Say, if this place does become an apartment bloc, that'll good for business. After all, don't apartments have convenient coffee shops at the bottom? This'll be good!"
The three co-workers stood in awe of the huge structure. It kind of felt it was a rival to the Stone Restaurant and Bistro.
In minutes, however, the crescendo of an approaching truck could be heard on the left. In the distance, Steven saw a long moving truck approaching them on the road. The truck stopped in front of the new building and three people disembarked. They, from the looks of them, were workers of a moving/transport company.
One of them approached Steven.
"You the manager here?" he asked in a businesslike manner.
"Not at all," Steven replied. "What's going on?"
"Classified," said the worker. "You'll find out in a few minutes."
Martine piped, "But if we're going to find out in a few minutes, doesn't that make it un-classified? We have a right to know, right?"
No matter how Steven or James looked at it, Martine always had a way with words. Judging by the worker's reaction, Martine had him trapped. Finally, he gave in.
"It's going to be turned into a… dessert shop, I've heard," he said. "At least, that's what I've been told by those in the know. Don't ask me, because I don't know a thing. I just do what I'm told. All I can tell you is we're unloading a lot of cooking equipment."
Dessert shop, huh? Steven thought. That might be useful.
"Who is the manager?" Steven asked again. However, it was more of a demand than a request.
The moving worker glanced over to the road, and without answering Steven, he pointed in that direction before rejoining the construction crew to continue his work. Despite his unannounced departure, the employer and two employees from the Stone Restaurant and Bistro glanced at the road to see… something appear in the distance.
It looked like a taxi!
"Suppose that taxi's come all the way from Lumiose City," James said. "Just look at the decals on it. Where else could it have come from?"
The taxi drew closer, and Steven and Martine decided in that moment that James had a good eye. The taxi was one that had come from Lumiose City, and even from this distance, James could clearly see what it was, and where it had come from.
"You don't suppose a restaurant owner would take a ride by taxi?" James asked.
Steven and Martine remained silent but watched the taxi pull in front of them. While the driver went to the back to retrieve some luggage, the rear door opened and someone stepped out.
It was a face many would recognise. Her near-platinum blond hair, her Lucario-like ornaments on her head, her 24-year old appearance, and…
A business suit? She wore black pants and heels, that was for certain, but unlike the times she repeatedly appeared, she wasn't wearing a black coat, but a black blazer, white blouse, and a black tie. What happened?
"That's… Cynthia… the Champion?" Martine said.
Their presence (Steven's, Martine's, and James') did not go unnoticed. When Cynthia stepped out of the taxi she fixed her gaze on the three people who were staring right back. There was a fair-haired man with a medium-length haircut, an auburn-haired girl who looked younger than she was, and…
"Ah, if it isn't Steven Stone," Cynthia said.
To her amusement, Steven appeared to be in a small state of shock. Martine, though, closely monitored Steven's reaction as soon as she recognised Cynthia.
"Long… long time no see," Steven appeared to be scrambling for words. To Martine, in particular, this was very amusing. "Wha… what are you doing here?"
Before Cynthia could even say a word, Martine cut in. "She's here to operate some sort of dessert shop, I guess! There's a café, so she can deliver plenty of cakes and pies and red bean ice cream. Etcetera. And maybe even some Kalos-style macarons! Oh… macarons…"
Indeed, Martine always had a way with words, and she drifted into a daydream thinking of macarons.
"I thought they were called macaroons?" Steven said.
Cynthia was spoken for.
"Macarons are different," she said. "Macaroons are more like clustered coconut or grounded almonds. But what we're talking about is the Kalos-style macaroon – a macaron – where we're talking about the sandwich cakes made of meringue and filled with buttercream. You know what I mean?"
"On the other hand, your friend's almost hit the mark," she said to Steven. "I'm actually here to operate a restaurant business, moreover. I've heard this city had a reputation for being a classy resort area, so I thought it'd be prospective to open a restaurant here!"
Neither Steven nor James was inclined to tell Cynthia that they operated the restaurant right across from the new establishment. They kept quiet but continued to listen to Cynthia's discussion. She started business in Cyllage City only a month prior to building the restaurant, and that she was an expert dessert-maker in Lumiose City.
However, both Steven and James – thinking about the business perspective – saw this posed a threat to their business. What would happen to revenue and profits once Cynthia's got into gear?
"I thought you were still Champion of Sinnoh?" Steven asked. If anything, he hoped to persuade this woman to change her mind, but that hope felt very faint.
"Not anymore," she said. "I got beaten by some kid back in Sinnoh, so… I decided to move on and do something more productive. Sure, paperwork in the Pokémon League is permissible, but I thought maybe I can get some profit doing something else…"
Cynthia handed a business card to Steven. He took the card, briefly read it (Former Champion Cynthia, Owner of Vue sur la Lune), and put it in his wallet. At the same time, Cynthia handed what looked to be a voucher to Steven, "Well, since you're the first to see me here, I think I'll invite two of you to my opening dinner tonight. There'll be high-end food for you to see, so…"
Steven shook his head and pushed the voucher back into Cynthia's hands. "I have to work tonight, Cynthia. I think I'll pass."
Yet, Martine snapped out of her daydream, swiped the voucher from Cynthia's hands and pocketed it. "Of course he's going. I have plenty of time on my hands, and we work in the same place! He will have plenty of time, too!"
Cynthia smiled. "May I ask where do the three of you work? I'm surprised, Steven, that for a former Champion of Hoenn for this long, you'd rather spend your time here than working at your father's office back in Hoenn."
Steven was still slightly lost for words, but he straightened his tie.
"Office skills at Devon do come into use here," he said, "especially when I'm the administrator of the Stone Restaurant and Bistro just across from here."
Cynthia's smile remained constant. "I guess I'll see you tonight, then. Be sure to dress well! Although I think the suit right now shouldn't be a problem."
She left for the restaurant right after. For Steven, his first reaction was to turn to Martine, who took the voucher out of her pocket to her hand.
"Why do we need to go to this dinner?" he calmly asked Martine. "First, we just met someone who could be a threat to our business, and second, we have to operate that business tonight! We have no time, Martine."
James put a hand on Martine's shoulder.
"Consider the number of people who will show up tonight," he said. "We'll be busy tonight, so none of us can go, anyway."
Yet that night, there were a considerable number of seats and tables that were empty in the Stone Restaurant and Bistro. In Martine's opinion, she could have well survived the night without even having to work.
Even Steven had nothing much to do!
"Come on, Steven! Just one night, please? We can let James run the restaurant on his own if he isn't coming!" Martine pleaded. "At least it'll just be you and I. We can check out what kind of food there is... and maybe, maybe…."
"What is it?" Steven demanded. There was something fishy about Martine's tone.
"Oh, nothing!" Martine grinned. "Let's just go!"
Steven sighed, yet for some reason he did want to check out Cynthia's restaurant for reasons unknown.
"James," Steven said. "Martine and I will take our leave early. You can close the restaurant but keep the bistro running."
"Roger that, Steven," James called back.
While business still existed within the walls of the Stone Restaurant and Bistro, Steven and Martine found the less noisy atmosphere to be both relaxing and unsettling. If this continued, Steven thought, he would have to lay off at least half of the restaurant's workers. That would be the last action he wanted.
The two of them descended down the metal stairs toward the restaurant's lobby and foyer, where the majestic chandelier hung high above their heads. The two receptionists at the lobby, one handsome male and a pretty female, noticed their business admin leaving.
"Going on a date, Mr. Stone?" the male receptionist teased.
"Not in the slightest!" Martine cut in, before Steven could even formulate a response. "James was supposed to come too, but he declined. And on the contrary, Steven has someone else he likes!"
The female receptionist giggled. Steven, in a mix of confusion, frustration, and embarrassment, glared at the receptionist first, and then to Martine. The latter brushed her shoulder-length auburn locks and said, "Let's go outside and talk."
Steven Stone had no idea what was going on in Martine Grenadine's mind, but whatever it was, it seemed natural for a girl like her. Steven was still dressed in his neat suit, whereas Martine had changed into her other working uniform – a black blouse, black dress pants, and a white tie. That seemed appropriate to where they were going.
"What did you mean 'I have someone else I like'?!" Steven demanded. He had no idea what Martine was talking about, never mind his tone nor his suddenly pink cheeks and red ears.
"It's nothing much," Martine said, and Steven realised that Martine was using almost the exact same tone the male receptionist gave him just minutes ago. "I kind of noticed your reaction to seeing the Sinnoh champion – or the former one, I should say – and I couldn't help but think your reaction was really, really, cute, Steven!"
Steven glared at Martine, but she was all smiles.
He shook his head as they walked to the newly built Vue sur la Lune restaurant. "Martine, you do realise that this is a threat to my business here. Relationships are one thing, but business is another. Right now, what Cynthia is doing is she is going to wreck business at the Stone Restaurant and Bistro. She's become not only a rival, but a competitor, too."
To Steven's disbelief, Martine wasn't shaken.
"Oh… but I had this idea of one of those classic stories," she said excitedly. "You have a guy as the main character, who does what he does for a living. In the next instance, a girl comes into his life and the two become bitter enemies to the end. Over time, the guy has feelings for the girl and the two end up with a good relationship –"
"Yeah, Martine, but this isn't a storybook, and I'm not the main character," Steven said, before Martine could go any further. Yet, Martine was very, very, persistent. She was 19-years old! Then again, Martine always had a way with words. Why did he, Steven, of all people, have to fall victim to a topic like this?!
"Face it, Steven, I watched you react to Cynthia when she first got here!" Martine grinned. "Your face was pinkish, a bit, and you couldn't say much to her either. I bet that when you were a Champion, you would look at her every time when you had the chance!"
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Martine."
Did Steven ever do that in his life? He wasn't sure, but if what Martine said was true, then this would either be good or bad news…
In an attempt to change the topic, as they approached the front doors of Vue sur la Lune, Steven said, "You really are quite the romanticist, aren't you, Martine?"
Martine's grin faded slightly, but not enough. She simply rolled her eyes at Steven. "I've read a lot of books when I was in school. There were so many genres to read, I just had to pick something. Romance was one of them, yes, but there were others too. I could tell you later, but why don't we check out what kind of food Cynthia makes?"
They passed the doors only to be greeted by a vast surrounding of marble and glass (this made Steven think back to his restaurant, which was primarily steel, wood, glass, and drywall). The waiting area was a lounge with a welcoming fireplace and armchairs.
Steven went ahead to the waitress to hand in the voucher, and was surprised to hear that the voucher entitled him and Martine to reserved seats. Well, since Cynthia specified it was for two people, Steven took advantage of that.
Within five minutes, Martine and Steven were seated at the third floor at a window seat, below the glass dome, overlooking the twinkling lights of Cyllage City. The two sat across from each other with a basket of bread and butter between them.
The smell of entrées filled the dome, but Steven had other thoughts than food. There were a lot more customers present in Vue sur la Lune as opposed to the Stone Restaurant and Bistro tonight.
"I don't understand why we're here," he said. "Still, I'm not going to let some 'instant restaurant' ruin mine. Mine started off small! Now, this… this restaurant starts off large!"
"Say that after we've had dinner," Martine said.
A waitress appeared in front of the two with a notebook in hand, unnoticed by Steven and Martine until now. "Well, are you ready to order? Oh, and would you like anything to drink, come to that?"
Martine ordered water and Steven a glass of red wine. Given they weren't that hungry either, they ordered a set of salads and vegetable soup. They didn't say much while they waited for the food to arrive, and instead they spent their time gazing around at the table styles and the design of the building itself.
"I'll admit, Cynthia did spend a good amount of time preparing this place," Martine commented. "Not that I have anything against your restaurant that is."
But Steven wasn't paying attention, but rather he held his glass of wine in front of him, elbow on the table, and swirled the liquid with mere motions of his wrist. He was staring at the glass for some reason… or so Martine thought.
"Okay everyone, here is the moment of the night. Please welcome the owner of Vue sur la Lune, expert chocolatier and master dessert maker Cynthia!" a voice said from behind her, causing Martine to look back. There was an assembly of a waiter and a waitress walking together with – lo and behold – Cynthia herself. Applause filled the room, with the customers clapping loudly and the sound of clapping rebounding off the walls. Between the customers and the staff, Cynthia was standing there. This time, she was dressed in the usual outfit she was known for: black top, black dress pants, heels, and a long black coat.
When the clapping died down, Cynthia spoke. "Dear friends, it's my pleasure to welcome you to the opening night of Vue sur la Lune. I know it's only the first night, but I am pleased to see the number of customers who showed up tonight. Your patronage is much appreciated."
As if, Steven thought, but he continued to watch Cynthia.
"So now, I am pleased to announce – as you are the first customers of Vue sur la Lune – that I am offering a free batch of freshly made macarons to everyone here!" Cynthia continued. "Thank you for coming tonight for dinner, and here's to prosperity tonight!"
Apart from Steven, most people gathered on the floor applauded. Even Martine. (Needless to say this annoyed Steven a little).
"The master dessert maker, the honourable Cynthia, would be pleased to share a toast with every table," a waiter announced. "Please, be seated and enjoy your meals tonight. You will have opportunity to toast with Cynthia when your time has come."
Steven kept his eyes on Cynthia. Martine, on the other hand, could tell that Steven was watching the dessert master, but the question was – was Steven watching Cynthia out of admiration, or envy? That was question think about over dinner, as the salads and soups were placed on their table. (They both had green salads served with almonds and berries. Steven had a soup of rice and barley, and Martine had a blend of Tamato and Nomel berry soup.)
Steven ate the food absentmindedly and kept watching Cynthia.
While this happened, Martine smirked multiple times at Steven's expressions. His eyes told Martine that he was infatuated, but he wanted to bring down Cynthia's business before it could make an impact on his.
"Admirable," Martine whispered.
A plate of macarons was set between Steven and Martine. They were cold to the touch, but they looked and smelled appetizing nevertheless. There were six macarons on the plate, each with a light tint of a different colour. Martine, already craving for a delicious dessert, reached for a green macaron, feeling the crisp outer shell of meringue at her fingertips, and opened her mouth wide to bite half of the macaron.
"Oh… it's so… good!" Martine grinned, as she tasted the familiar crunch of the outer shell and the softness within… and the taste of green-coloured buttercream filling her senses. "I've had macarons before, but wow, I've never had a macaron this good. Boss, you should try one!"
Reluctantly, Steven reached for a light blue-coloured macaron and tasted it. In truth, he did find to macaron to be delicious, but his thoughts dwelled on his future, and how this could impact his business. What if Martine were to quit her job now and work for Cynthia?
He chewed on the macaron bits, as the sweet delicacy traveled past his heart toward his stomach.
About half an hour later, Cynthia was toasting with the table directly behind Martine. Steven had finished his soup and salad much earlier than Martine and resumed his position holding his glass of wine in front of him, and watching Cynthia.
Still, Martine monitored Steven's emotions. At this point, and in his current position, they were very difficult to read. What on earth was Steven thinking? But between the time the food arrived and when Steven had finished eating, the former champ kept peeking over Martine's shoulder to look at Cynthia.
He's jealous of Cynthia yet still admiring her, she thought.
"What are you thinking about, boss?" she said.
"Oh!" Steven's cheeks flushed. "Nothing… nothing." Yet he stared off at Cynthia – at one instance looking like he had seen nothing like her, and at another instance looking like he wished he had never seen her.
AHA, Martine thought. I've got you at last…
"She is an attractive woman, isn't she?" Martine teased. Maybe, if she could ask enough questions, she just might be able to get her boss to crack.
His eyes became alert. "I don't know what you're getting at, Martine. We've talked about this already. There's no need to go further."
"Look at her elegance!" Martine disregarded his warning. "That attractive face, the figure, the platinum-like blond hair that falls down to her knees… incredible, isn't it? Why haven't you made your move yet? There aren't a lot of people like her… who once was a champion like you, and now ends up opening a food business. Admit it, boss, she's really pretty!"
"Behave!" Steven glared. "She's not my love life, okay?! She's my –"
"Hello, hello, if it isn't my neighbour," Cynthia greeted and holding her glass up to Steven. "Former Hoenn champion Steven."
Steven flushed. (Martine, secretly, was laughing hard inside out). "Oh, hello, Cynthia," Steven quietly said, and likewise held his glass up to Cynthia (with shaky hands). "Well, I don't have much to say… but here's to your success."
A man has a crush on a woman who happens to be his main rival, and Steven and Cynthia were toasting before her eyes right after an interesting argument. Oh, what more could Martine ask to embarrass her boss! Martine sometimes would wonder if Cynthia felt the same, but she doubted it. Still, she could predict the next few weeks would turn out interesting…
You have to give credit to Martine Grenadine here.
Review please! Anyone who reviews gets a freshly baked macaron from Cynthia!