Gemotions

“Utter garbage!” Chef Damien slammed the magazine onto the counter, but his fury quickly faded, replaced by an unsettling… anticipation. The critic's harsh words about his risotto stung, but all he could think about was the man who had penned them. He remembered him, the critic, with his sharp, intelligent eyes, his subtle nods of approval. He'd seen him in the dining room, moving with a quiet grace.

He spent the next hour cleaning, thinking of him, of how wrong he was. He was not going to let him beat him. He would reinvent the dish, making it a masterpiece. He would dedicate himself to it. The critic would be back, and when he was, he would regret his words.