Ramen?

Okay, so she admits that she’s hungry. Really hungry. The meeting had gone longer than it should and they weren’t able to provide muffins (some idiot from the mail room took them�"said he thought it was rotting). It was past five in the evening, she quickly grabbed her purse and made her way out the door while quickly saying goodbye to people who matter. She stops in front of a restaurant; she’s been craving for ramen.

 

She can just smell it from outside the door. The taste of something sour and spicy with thick but soft noodles, feeling full from the broth alone. She wipes the corner of her mouth, feeling like she began to drool at the thought. She enters.

 

The atmosphere was nice, very closely like a real ramen restaurant in Japan. There weren’t a lot of people; too, considering office employees are beginning to leave for home. She sits in the corner booth and settles in comfortably. A paper menu placed in front of her, she sees a waitress getting ready to take her order (they must be really bored, she hasn’t even looked at the menu yet). She smiles up at the waitress to be polite and raises the menu.

 

Her smile was quickly wiped off when she saw the prices. She twitched and told the waitress that she’s having trouble deciding for now and that it might be best if she just called for her later. The waitress tried not to scowl, but clicked her tongue in annoyance and walked away.

 

Two-hundred dollars!? Were they kidding!! This wasn’t an actual restaurant in Japanese and the chef certainly didn’t look or even act Japanese! How could they charge this much for a medium-sized bowl of beef ramen!!

 

She reaches for her wallet in her purse and checks her bills. A hundred dollar bill, three ten dollar bills, two fives and three dollars in quarters. It wasn’t going to reach it at all. But she can’t leave now. The chef and the waitress were both looking at her, expecting to be called for an order. They were watching her closely. She fidgeted. She calls for the waitress and when the waitress arrives, she asks if she could get a soda.

 

“Beef ramen, large-sized, please!” A voice from behind the waitress booms and the waitress jumps at the level of the voice. A man, around the same age as her, with messy hair, wearing a white polo-shirt tucked in his pants with a brown leather belt appeared from behind. He smiles at them both and proceeds to sit in front of her, passing by and effectively now ignoring the waitress.

 

She looks at him, very shocked. “Hey, honey. You didn’t expect to see me today, did you? I thought I’d surprise you today.” He says, casually talking and reaching for her hand in an affectionate way. The waitress coughs to get their attention and the man raises an eyebrow. “Beef ramen, large-sized for two. Didn’t you hear me? How long have you been working here?” He snaps and the waitress twitches and storms off to the chef.

 

She retracts her hand quickly and hisses. “Who the hell are you?”

 

“I’m buying you free food.” He says, leaning back onto his chair, his attitude completely different from how he treated her in front of the waitress.

 

“Why? I don’t even know you!” She says. “You’re not going to drug me and then bring me to your home and do unspeakable things to me, will you?”

 

The man looks at her as if she was a lunatic. “I just didn’t feel like eating alone today. You can at least be thankful that I’m paying. No expectations.”

 

“I don’t even know your name.”

 

“Well, not that it’s important, but�"I thought you’d at least know the person who owns the company you’re working for. I mean, I did interview you, too.”

Author's Note

Part of my Project 365 (day 7). Might get picked up after Project 365.