"Do you know who it is?" I asked.
"He looks important," she replied.
"I'll go talk to him." Marissa told me which table, so I removed my apron and went out to the dining room. The Governor of the Realm had come, after getting elected for another term.
"Governor, thank you for coming," I nodded respectfully to him.
"You know, there was a time when I thought you were dead to us, Reah." He smiled.
"And I would have agreed with you," I said. "I'll probably serve the ox-roast again next Eight-Day. I think I can fit you in for a reservation if you don't already have one."
"I'll get one," he smiled. "But this pork roast is just as good. The sauce is excellent."
"Thank you, Governor. Is there anything I can get for you? I think we have a bottle or two of Sun Vineyard Red in the kitchen." Sun Vineyard Red was an expensive wine that we served to special guests.
"I'd like that," he nodded.
"With my compliments," I smiled at him and asked his waiter to bring it out.
"I don't suppose I could hire you to work for me again?"
"Sir, I have other interests at the moment, so one day a week is what I can manage. If that changes, I'll be sure to let you know."
"Please do so. Have you met my wife and daughter?" I hadn't, so I smiled as the Governor introduced them. The waiter brought out the wine; I poured it for the Governor and his wife.
"I'll bring something special for you," I told his daughter, who was in her early teens and not old enough to have wine. I went to the kitchen and put a citrus fruit drink together for her and brought it out in a tall glass.
"Mother, this is really good," the girl took a sip and handed the glass to her mother.
"It is," she said. "What's in it?" I described what I'd put in it. It was very close to the rum drink I'd served the night before, without the alcohol.
"Don't forget to contact me if you become available," the Governor reminded me as I said good-bye and returned to the kitchen.
"That was the Governor of the Realm? I didn't recognize him without his formal robes," Marissa whispered.
"That's him," I sighed. I don't think I could ever work in his kitchen again without remembering Master Cook Vyn. Those weren't good memories. I turned back to preparing meals. It wasn't until about a click before closing that Marissa was back, telling me that another table wanted to speak to me. I went out again and got quite a shock. Fes, Aldah and Addah were there. They'd ordered several items off the menu, including the fish stew.
"Did you cancel your engagement with the King of Karathia?" Aldah sneered as I stopped beside their table, my heart thumping in my chest. I tried to breathe through my fear—they shouldn't be able to hurt me.
"No, Wylend and I are still engaged," I said. "He doesn't control every bit of my time and I still enjoy cooking."
"This fish stew is suspiciously similar to what we serve," Addah threw in. Did he think to threaten me? I'd designed the recipe to begin with, and Ilvan and Edan would likely support my claim now.
"Yet it is not the same." It wasn't, I'd added a few things and perfected it. Desh's couldn't lay claim to what I'd done. Where was the family I should have had? There sat my paternal grandfather, accusing me of stealing his recipes, when they'd never been his from the beginning. "Grandfather," I sighed, staring at Addah, "your customers will always come to Desh's. The food is exceptional and you always have a fine wine list and the best in décor and staff. Did you come here solely to make me miserable? Is that what you did? Because I can assure you, there is no need."
"We came to check on the competition." Fes spoke for the first time. "You know we've always done that."
"Yes, I do know that," I nodded. "I might have liked to do it in the past, when I was still at Desh's number two, but I never received anything other than pocket change from Edan. I had to buy all my clothing second hand, Grandfather."
"That blame is Edan's," Addah rumbled.
"No, Grandfather. That blame is yours as well. You sent a child you didn't want off to someone else, because she had no mother. You never thought to check on me or Ilvan or any of the others besides Fes and Edan. Where are your other twenty-two children tonight, Addah? Can you even give me their names? Is there anything else you want from me tonight? I can give you a full sampling of the menu if you like. And you Fes, I envy you. You at least saw my mother when she still lived. I never got that. Even the photographs of her were withheld or destroyed. I never saw those. You have a mother, Fes. A good one. I saw how she treated you, Aldah and Rane. You probably don't appreciate her nearly enough." I turned and walked away from them, wiping tears.
"Reah, what did they do to upset you?" Lok was walking beside me before I got even halfway to the kitchen.
"That's my grandfather and two of my uncles, come to check on their competition," I sniffled. "It could have been worse. Did you get your noodles and your rice wine?"
"Yes. They are very good. Do you need anything?"
"No. I promised I'd send a sampling of the menu out, and I will," I said. "Go finish your meal before it gets cold." I patted Lok's shoulder. He examined me carefully with glittering black eyes before nodding and moving away.
I sent a tray out with a bit of everything on it, and it was dutifully delivered to Addah's table. I hid behind a row of tropical plants and watched as the three men sampled this or that, discussing the food. Eventually I went back to the kitchen and finished everything for the night.
"Sure you don't want to take the bus?" Oris asked when we walked out of the restaurant after midnight.
"You know, I think I will tonight," I said. I was tired and I wanted time to think before going back to the apartment. Now, I'd be going in the same direction that Oris and Danis went. We waited in the cold at the bus stop, our breaths blowing away from us in a strengthening wind. Limited seating was available at this particular stop and the hard plastic slats on the bench would be frigid—I didn't want to sit on that.
We all stood, waiting for the hoverbus to arrive. The familiar noise of the braking system sounded as the bus pulled up, the door swishing open to allow us inside. Warmth billowed out—the bus was heated well, at least. Danis, Oris and I scanned our credit chips as we climbed up the steps and chose seats. Six others rode with us as the door shut the cold out, the brakes released and we lurched forward.