Ermita, Manila, February 14, 2018…

“IF it’s brown, it’s done. If it’s black you’re done,” using his serious dead tone, Nathaniel told his newly hired kitchen assistant. “Pull the pan out.”

The young kitchen staff opened the oven nervously. His hands were so tensed that it almost couldn’t pull open the oven. He put the baking pan over the stainless tabletop of the Restaurant’s kitchen. He started to remove the wrapped baking sheets slowly around the lengthwise, sliced eggplant that they’re going to use for their Italian Cuisine of the Day: Eggplant Parmesan Rollatini. The freshly cooked dish steamed upon opening the foil sheets.

Everybody gave a sigh of relief when a brownish color of eggplant appeared. “You’re safe, dude,” Sous Chef Martin commented and tapped the kitchen’s staff shoulder.

“Buen trabajo, Mike,” Nathaniel commended with a chuckle. “Chill out. You did great.”

Martin laughed. “You scared him big time, Chef Nathan,” he said with a shake of his head. “You always do that whenever there’s a newbie kitchen staff.”

Nathaniel arched his brow to Martin then turned to his new employee. “Hey, kid. Who did your interview?”

The young man hesitated to answer and glanced at Martin before replying to him. “It was Chef Martin that interviewed me. He said you’re—”

“I was out of the country during that time,” Nathaniel cut off. “But, I’ve seen your resume, and I’m impressed.”

Mike shyly smiled and bowed his head. “Thanks, Chef.”

“I was just testing your patience,” Nathaniel said and laughed. “You may continue making the dish. Let’s see if you’re also good at plating.”

Nathaniel Salvatore is the head chef of his Italian Restaurant named Salvatore Kitchen. He’s not an Italian, but he’s in love with Italian cuisine, and that was because he spent his childhood days in Venice with his father, where he tasted all the different kinds of food that the city has to offer.

He grew up in Madrid, but even so, he can still speak the Tagalog dialect fluently. Thanks to his Filipina mother, who taught him to speak Spanish and Tagalog while growing up, he didn’t have a hard time adjusting when they decided to live in the Philippines after he finished his Culinary studies in Spain.

And, because Nathaniel got his dominant genes from his Spanish father, he became a girl-magnet and was labeled as playboy and womanizer by his friends who witnessed the many hands of women that slapped on his perfect jaw. But, for Nathaniel, he was being friendly and gentleman. He treats women just like how he treats his beloved mother.

“Chef Nathan, somebody is asking for you outside,” Nina, the waitress, told him with a sweet smile on her innocent-looking face.

“Who was it?” he asked, brows furrowed. He’s not expecting any visitor today.

Nina just shrugged her shoulders. “She refused to tell her name, Chef,” she drawled in a flirtatious tone.

“Her?” he asked, ignoring her flirtatious tone.

“You might want to check your surprise visitor outside, Chef,” Martin said and nudged him in the waist. “And, don’t meet Nina’s gaze. She’s mine, dude.”

Nathaniel almost chuckle. Too bad for Martin, Nina sees only him.

He removed his toque and apron and put it properly in a rack beside the kitchen’s swinging door before going to the dining area where his unexpected visitor was waiting for him. As soon as he stepped out from the kitchen, his eyes caught a brunette-looking woman talking with his restaurant manager.

Nathaniel was about to walk towards them when the woman glanced at him. The creased in her forehead vanished as soon as their eyes met. She raised her slender arms and waved at him.

“Nathan!”

The woman’s shrill voice sounded familiar to him. But, Nathaniel couldn’t remember this woman’s name. Where did I meet her? He asked in his mind.

“Hi…” he waved back hesitantly. Her pretty face was familiar, her smile and doe eyes. “A-Antonette, what a surprise!”

The smile in the woman’s face faded instantly. “Did you just call me in a different name?”

Nathaniel was doomed. His mind started to think of whatever reason that he could use to calm the angry tigress in front of him. “Did I?”

“Who the fuck is Antonette, Nathan?!” the woman’s voice raised, getting all the attention of their customers. “That’s not my name!”

Nathaniel tried to hold the woman’s arm, but she swept his hand away. “Don’t make a scene here—”

“Damn you, fucking playboy!” she shouted angrily and slapped his face. “We’re done!”

Nathaniel caught his jaw in surprise. Angeline, this woman’s name is Angeline. But, it’s too late for him, the woman marched towards the Restaurant’s exit, leaving him shocked and completely clueless of what she just said.

“We’re done?” he asked, facing his manager whose expression was contrary to everybody’s faces. “Did we have a relationship?”

His manager, Terese, just arched her brow. “Maybe, that’s what she thought, Chef.”

He stroked his jaw. He can still feel the impact of the woman’s hand in it. “That hurts…”

“It looked like a blow, Chef,” Terese commented as they started to walk back in the kitchen. “You messed with a Gym Addict, based on her body built, she might be spending half of her life in weights.”

“You think so?” he asked, hand still on his jaw. Nathaniel can see his kitchen staff peeking over the swinging door. “Look at those insects—”

Nathaniel paused and stopped on his step. His eyes caught a glare from the far tables. He narrowed his eyes and found a woman in a maroon cardigan. She has a beautiful deep brown hair and a pair of sharp eyes that were strangely focused on him—or glaring at him, rather.

Nathaniel flashed his killer smile and bowed his head slightly to the woman’s direction. But, in return, the woman just rolled her eyes and looked away from him.

That unsolicited reaction that he got from a beautiful stranger made Nathan smile. And, somehow, made his bad day a little brighter.

***