Gemotions

"Impossible," Maya breathed, her voice barely a whisper. The review, a scathing indictment of her innovative fusion cuisine, lay crumpled on the counter. Her stomach felt as if it had been replaced with ice. She'd spent months perfecting the kimchi risotto, the dish the critic had savaged as “a culinary abomination.” She'd walked on air after her last service.

She ran a hand through her already messy hair, leaving streaks of flour across her forehead. The usually vibrant kitchen, usually filled with the rhythmic chopping and sizzling of ingredients, now seemed ominously quiet. She grabbed her apron, pulling it tighter than usual. Then she turned to her sous chef, her voice tight, "Did you see this? Did… did you read it?"