Gemotions

“A culinary black hole,” the critic had written, the words burning into Chef Mei’s mind. She sat in the office, the review crumpled in her hand. The small space seemed to shrink around her, the walls closing in. She felt the weight of debt, the pressure from her investors, the disappointed faces of her staff.

She’d left her family, her home, to chase this dream. And now, she felt that she had nothing. The thought of losing it all, of returning home a failure, paralyzed her. The phone rang, her investor. She was unable to answer.

She rose, her legs heavy, and walked into the dining room. The few remaining diners looked at her, their expressions curious. She knew she had to face them, had to serve them. She had to.