Happy New Year everyone! Now, I've been spending quite a bit of time developing the next few chapters, but in my carelessness I kind of forgot to upload this chapter. Plus, it doesn't help knowing I'm still a full-time student for the time being. Over Christmas, I'm happy to say I got plenty of writing done!
I'm quite disappointed that I haven't received a lot of orders last time. dawnleaf1234 (my special guest), please, have a seat and enjoy a serving of the Stone Open, with Watmel berry salad, and soup! Albeit, I trust everyone was busy with the New Year, yeah? QUEENSPELLER67, please refer to the chapter 'Croquembouche' to get your answer, and without further please enjoy dinner! A Stone Open, Watmel berry salad, and soup.
It is also with pleasure that I have taken the liberty of using a new book cover for Culinary Rivals. The image itself, though slightly modified, belongs to its rightful and respective owner, and I take no credit for its development whatsoever. It still looks nice!
Chapter nineteen: Harbinger of Flattery
James d'Arc had never expected the lobby situation to be so serious.
When Laurent had raised the issue to him and Sophie informing a group of sixty people had showed up uninvited, James went to the lobby immediately in an attempt to calm the situation. At first, they appeared to be regular paparazzi. However, upon the first few minutes of interaction, James could tell they were all acting like an angry mob altogether. It was fortunate that Laurent's Hawlucha was able to keep things in order for now.
"I'm afraid we have no records for a party of sixty," James said very sternly to the group. "If that is all, I'm going to have to ask you to leave the premises."
"I'm warning you, let us in! We have work to do!" someone yelled.
Soon enough, Laurent had made a call to Sophie via the receptionist phone. It had taken about eight minutes before Sophie was by Laurent's side. By then, she realised how serious the matter was.
As she and Laurent always had the occasional Pokémon battle, so she kept a Pokémon with her likewise. In her case, a Clauncher in which she sent out in support of Laurent's Hawlucha. James was on the front line, trying to keep the atmosphere calm.
"If you will not comply or if you are not willing to make some reservations now, I will ask you again to leave the premises, or I will call the gendarme." There was no room for negotiation now. James had resorted to threatening.
Some of the group had started to leave the lobby for outside, but the majority stayed where they were. James, as sous chef, had to get more information, because these people were behaving so suspiciously.
"State your business," he demanded.
"We're here…" someone started.
"We're here to have dinner! Is it that hard to understand?!" another paparazzo shouted.
James, however, glared at them. Sophie and Laurent looked at each other for a moment, unsure of what to do, but they continued to support James all the same. Their claims were not making sense in that they 'booked' reservations on the third floor when clearly the floor had been closed off. Sophie took the liberty of showing the records.
"Consider this your final warning," James clearly was annoyed now. "Leave!"
For two minutes, it looked like a standoff, and subsequently James nodded to Laurent and Sophie to begin evicting the mob from the lobby. With Hawlucha's and Clauncher's assistance, progress was made. James, while pleased that the situation hadn't escalated, wasn't sure of what to do with these people once they were outside the building.
"Oh, you're clearing the road for me? And keeping these people at bay?" a sharp, crisp, voice spoke from beyond. "Honestly, I'm flattered."
Outside, James realised that there was someone else waiting just in front of the doors. A woman, remarkably dressed in a white coat, white dress, and heels, swiftly bypassed the crowd who, on the other hand, had just realised she was in their presence and had hastily begun to start up their cameras. A celebrity, no doubt.
Even Sophie and Laurent could hear those words from where they were (of course, as they were taking part in the crowd control), and it was followed by the sound of clicking cameras. The numerous flashes blinded pretty much everyone (thankfully, neither Hawlucha nor Clauncher, who were still handling crowd control), but this woman, who was sporting sunglasses, seemed used to it. Realising the situation, Sophie motioned Laurent to keep the crowds at bay. Doing what they could, James, Laurent, Hawlucha, and Clauncher did their best to create something of a walkway for the celebrity to pass through. The paparazzi were forced to stand on the sides, behind the makeshift barriers of James and Laurent to allow this woman to pass through. The constant clicking of cameras went on as she went forward to meet Sophie.
Sophie ended up grinning. Without a doubt, she (and probably Laurent and James) recognised her as Diantha, the regionally popular actress who also served as Kalos League Champion. Of course, she was expected given she made a reservation earlier.
"Bienvenue au Stone Restaurant and Bistro," Sophie greeted. "Bonsoir, Diantha. You're expected."
Although wearing sunglasses, Diantha turned her head a little to see the paparazzi capturing her every move. She turned back to look at Sophie.
"You're too kind."
It appeared that taking the elevator was a better option (not the kitchens' private elevator, of course), and it also appeared more necessary that she continue to be escorted. Diantha didn't seem to mind the number of photographers who attempted to get past James and Laurent, since they were halted by Clauncher anyway.
Moreover, Sophie took the liberty of personally escorting Diantha to her seat. Plus, she could use this as an excuse to see her handsome boss again… Oh, Sophie could imagine how jealous Laurent would be right now. But still, she did promise him earlier that she would provide updates on what was going on.
Whereas the paparazzi desperately tried to make contact with Diantha.
"Diantha! Diantha! Look over here!" one of the photographers called out, but her voice was drowned by the others who said exactly the same thing.
But by the time Diantha was safely in the elevator, escorted by Sophie, the journalists and photographers had no way of getting close to her now. James made it absolutely clear that no one was to get through.
As a result, most of the people remained on the floor to have as many pictures taken of Diantha as possible. However, a fraction of the people had other ideas. Two people stayed in the lobby to blend with the crowd. One was a photographer. The other a journalist.
The photographer decided to send out a Vivillon, and initiated a series of Supersonic attacks to start, and left everyone – save for her accompanying journalist – confused. The duo took advantage of their window of opportunity and made a dash for the stairs.
Interestingly enough, when Diantha appeared, the crowd had settled down. Much to the relief of James d'Arc, who worried a riot could start at any given moment.
"I'm surprised you haven't got any music here tonight," Cynthia muttered. "The last time I was here, there was a grand piano."
"That was a special occasion," Steven said back. "Of course, I did have time to think of some improvements to the dining experience here. Mind you, some I can't tell you, but others…"
He snapped his fingers, and an accordionist, a clarinetist, and a bass guitarist showed up on another side of floor. Given there were some walls dividing up the floor a little, the musicians found whatever space they had and, after sitting on some stools they brought with them, began to play. Smiling slightly, Cynthia turned her attention to her entrée.
The Stone Open was a delicious piece of work. Cynthia had to hand that to Steven. It occurred to her that he wasn't having any of it himself, which she found strange. The entrée was so delicious, she even wanted her Garchomp to try it too. However, Steven was against the idea.
"This is a dish that should be enjoyed alone while you are still the first to taste it," Steven suggested. "Perhaps your Garchomp could wait another time."
She raised her eyebrows, so that their eyeshadow seemingly gleamed at him that was enough to make him shudder. To take his mind off her, Steven breathed, and lifted his glass to sip more of the wine (for a moment, forgetting that this wine was supposed to be reserved for the coming actress, and he still hadn't caught the actress' name). Cynthia giggled just a little.
"Oh, you're too much, honestly," she said, but she complied with Steven's request nonetheless. "I have to ask, though: why aren't you joining me for dinner? You're not having any of the food yourself."
Steven couldn't think of an answer at first. Yet, it didn't take long for him to form one, and by then Cynthia had another bite of baguette.
"I actually had one of these earlier," he answered. "Don't forget that this is a brand new dish, so you can imagine the number of times I've tried it! In all seriousness, I've eaten, but I'm more than happy to join you at the table. At least we've had one of those Watmel berry salads, eh?"
She smiled, and once again Steven found himself mesmerised by her beauty – her makeup, hair, and dress said it all. Words failed him once more, and if he thought that another sip of wine would take his mind off things, he was badly wrong (that is, he refrained from picking up his glass). On the other hand, Cynthia could notice this, evidently.
"You look good, by the way," Steven added absentmindedly, like he had no idea what he was saying. Cynthia's cheeks went pink, and when Steven caught wind of what he had said, his cheeks went pink as well.
"Um, Steven, would you care to elaborate on that?" she giggled even more.
With that charming smile on her lips in front of him, Steven felt his heartbeat pounding in his ears. He was placed in her limelight and she was expecting an answer from him. Actually, it felt more like a hellhole than anything. He was trapped in his own words, no thanks to her.
"What I meant to say is – I mean, what I meant was –" Steven stammered. "I mean that out of all the guests I've had here at this restaurant, there's no need to say how… beautiful you look." After he said that, Steven felt like slapping himself. Who was he to say this?! This woman was practically his enemy! He felt like his body was being ripped apart, let alone his mind. It was being torn between conflicting sides.
Therefore, unfortunately, his mind was not in good shape. He wanted to stay focused that he was competing against her, and she was ripping apart his business in longer runs, but how could he do that when she was… completely someone else?
"Flattery will get you nowhere," Cynthia scoffed, but she smiled no less. "Alas, I'm glad to have dined here with such a handsome host, and a fellow friend no less. You're looking pretty good too. Are those cuffs I see on your sleeves?"
Steven looked down at his right-side cuff for a moment, and before he could even say anything, he looked up to see Cynthia's face directly in front of him. She was looking straight into his face once more, even though she had one eye hidden behind her hair.
"I love your suit," she whispered, albeit through a blush. "You picked a nice one, for sure. Not to mention your face looks… outstanding."
This was more than enough to make Steven blush too. She had just complimented him… and was that perfume he could smell? He secretly took in a breath to smell it, and after realising what he was doing, he turned his head away to look at what was left of the sunset. If wine won't help, he hoped the scenery was a better solution. However, the smell of her perfume lingered around him, and set his senses into astray.
"I… Your eyeshadow is lovely, too," he said back.
Cynthia stayed silent for a moment to examine Steven while she didn't have his attention. She couldn't believe herself that she was looking at him as if he was the most handsome man in the world. He was her host, he served her dinner, and he looked stunning. In her bones, she felt like this man was a different person from the one who had bribed her berry supplier.
For a precious few minutes, Cynthia felt comfortable, as if she hadn't been comfortable earlier. On Steven's part, he began to relax. As he watched the sunlight fade away, he turned his attention to Cynthia again, and this time, he felt much better that Cynthia came here looking as if she wasn't carrying a grudge. On the contrary, she still looked stunning no less, and it helped that the restaurant's lighting made the skin of her face, one of her shoulders, and her slim arms shine. But his mind was still in an uncomfortable state.
How many times was he going to be thinking this way?! He couldn't help himself.
Elsewhere, at a nearby table, the food that was served to Wallace, Winona, and Lisia had gone stone cold (no pun intended). As expected, the obvious reason for the food going cold was that the three were observing the interaction between the two former Champions at a lone table near the ceiling-high window.
"At this rate…" Wallace said, with arms behind his head and reclining body, "he'll win her over in no time. Ha! I never thought I'd see the day… I'm glad he took my advice!"
"You know, Wallace, I hardly see Steven behaving like a gentleman, there," Winona muttered. "He looks like he's already fallen in love with her. Oh… Steven…"
Once again, Winona had fallen into another deep sigh at the sight of that Steven. Wallace didn't know if he ought to be happy for Steven or that he should be jealous of him in that Steven was a hit on his girlfriend. So, he had an idea.
"Look at me, Winona." Wallace leaned over the table such that he was positioned right in front of her; enough to capture her attention. "Is he that much more handsome than me? He doesn't have the looks, right?"
Winona blinked, and so did Lisia.
"You know what, Wallace?" Winona said it straight. "He does look more handsome than you. Just look at that face! That hair! That… suit… Oh… That… suit…"
That hurt.
It was as if Winona had taken Wallace's heart out and smashed it to bits. The first reaction, Wallace's jaw dropped; and the second reaction, his face was frozen.
Lisia, hoping to ignore what was going on in her uncle's mind, decided to finish whatever was left of her dinner. Still, although she kept her eyes fixed on what was going on between Steven and Cynthia, she failed to ignore her uncle's dejected expression.
When Lisia did look at Wallace, she saw his eyes red with tears.
"No… no…!" Wallace cried. As dramatic and flamboyant as Wallace was, no surprise to Lisia, he clutched his chest as if he was mortally wounded. Gasping for air, it appeared he was approaching the brink of death, like a thousand shards of glass piercing into his heart.
Still, Winona ignored him, which brought him further down in misery. It took a long moment before Winona realised just how close Wallace was to her face. Giggling, she pushed him back, and he collapsed on his chair, still breathing heavily.
"Oh, please," Winona rolled her eyes. "Stop that!"
But Wallace was still appalled and his face showed it. Even so, Winona turned back to look and observe Steven again, and resumed her sighing. For Lisia's part, the most she did was give gently take her uncle's hand and gently pat it in an effort to calm him down.
Steven picked up his glass to sip his wine again, though his glass was almost empty. Cynthia took the time to enjoy what was left of her dinner, in the Stone Open. Even after so long, the baked stone was relatively warm… and when Cynthia looked at Steven enjoying his wine, she decided to pick up her glass again too.
It was then she was reminded the tablecloth had stains that smelled of alcohol.
"By the way, what's with the tablecloth?" she asked. "You still haven't answered me."
"Oh, that," Steven, now taken aback, blushed again. Choosing his words carefully, he said, "That was the result of… seeing you, I guess. I mean, I totally wasn't expecting you of all people to arrive so –"
"Oh wait, it was you who spit out that wine?" Cynthia's voice became very amused.
Now self-conscious of what she said, Steven mentally slapped himself again. Another flaw in his words, and he was embarrassing himself in front of her. He felt like Cynthia was really pushing him down this hellhole now. Although he had to take some share of the blame.
"Steven," she said, not waiting for him to come up with an answer. "Is there a reason you're serving me this wonderful dish? You know I'm only here by invitation, so you didn't really have to serve me this, you know…"
Now Steven could relax again. "I… had to."
She blinked.
"You can consider it a thank-you present for those vouchers you gave me. It's the least I can do." He couldn't believe he just said that, but was there anything bad about it?
Cynthia's face brightened, but Steven wasn't finished. He looked at her in the eyes again. In particular, her beautiful eyes covered delicately in eyeshadow.
"Besides, Cynthia, I was thinking… I mean, I was wondering…" he started.
It was then the waitress who had been assigned to Steven's table walked up to him, albeit in a still slightly flirtatious manner such that she looked clumsy. Even Cynthia could notice that, though she would agree that Steven would be a hit for just about any woman or girl tonight. If she counted herself, she would join the crowd too. If only Steven knew how she felt…
"Your intended guest has finally arrived," the waitress whispered, with which Steven replied with a nod.
There was no trace of sunlight left on the ocean horizon now. With nothing much more to say, Cynthia helped herself to finishing her Stone Open. In her honest opinion, two pieces of baguette was simply not enough.
"You know something, Steven?" Cynthia said. "You know that baguette is thin, so how is a guest supposed to really enjoy this? This is small!"
To her slight surprise, Steven smiled. This time, he smiled as a manager who would normally greet a guest on an everyday basis.
"I know, but let's consider that this is the first time I'm serving it to a guest, like we discussed. If something went wrong, then the harm would be small. But now I know that you like the dish, so… I'll toast you to that." He lifted up his glass to her.
As their glasses clinked, Steven could detect out of the corner of his eye… two women fast approaching his table. The first was Sophie, who looked as serious as ever… until her eyes fell on her boss (Steven) again, and her face softened. The other woman was… the actress.
Diantha. Of course.
"Bonsoir, mademoiselle Diantha," he greeted. "Please, please. Join us."
Before Steven could register what happened, he felt a hand on his cheek pulling his head back to face Cynthia again. When Steven realised that it was her who was touching his face, he was breathless, and not to mention wide-eyed.
Once more, he was looking into her beautiful eyes.
"Was there something you wanted to say, Steven?" she whispered.
Steven swallowed hard, along with his words.
"No," he replied. "Not at all."
I would seriously be laughing hard at this point. Just imagine Steven's facial expressions!
Looks like they're getting warm...
Reviewing entitles you to a serving of the Stone Open. I'm not giving up on this entrée yet! However, dawnleaf1234 and QUEENSPELLER67, if you review, then please help yourselves to a serving of tea.