Gemotions

The two chefs stood side-by-side, facing the panel of judges. The presentation platters, showcasing their signature dishes, were eerily alike. She felt a knot forming in her stomach. All the creativity, all the years of training, reduced to a strange, culinary echo. Across the table, her competitor, a man named Marco, offered her a slight, almost patronizing, nod.

Her hands were clammy. She felt a stinging heat in her cheeks. He’d stolen her idea, and now they were both standing there looking foolish.

She swallowed hard. "Well," she started, her voice barely a whisper, "this is certainly… awkward."