Love and Food by K.L. Prince

wine that she thinks will complement the meal.  When they’re seated across from each other, she watches Ethan take his first bite of the pasta dish she created.
                  “Wow.  You weren’t joking.  This is delicious,” he says when his mouth is empty. 
                  “I thought that you would like it,” she says, starting to blush.  It’s always been hard for her to take a compliment.
                  “To be honest, I wasn’t so sure about the champagne bit, and then with the wine.  I thought it was all going to be too much, but I was so wrong.  It all works and it tastes fabulous.”
                  “So, do you think that customers would like it?  Do you think that customers would order something like this if it were on the menu?”
                  “I think that people won’t just order it, I think that they are going to love it.”
                  “Ethan, you are telling me the truth, right?  I don’t want you to say that you like something and you think it tastes awful.  I hope that you’re being completely truthful.”
                  “Haillee, I know what’s at stake and I know that it is not the time to worry about hurting people’s feelings.  In fact, this is probably the time when the most feelings will be hurt.  Trust me; if I thought this dish wouldn’t work on the menu, I would not hesitate to tell you.  I am not a people pleaser.  I don’t say things just to make people feel warm and fuzzy inside.  If I did that, I would be wasting everyone’s time.  We mine as well just throw everything in the trash, if I’m just going to tell you everything that you want to hear.  I try to be as straight up as I can be at all times.  In my opinion, being a straight arrow is the only way to get people to trust you, anyway.”
                  “Okay.  So, my first dish is a success then?”
                  “You’ve hit it out of the park.  It’s a homerun.”
                  “Thanks.  I appreciate your kind words.”
                  “It’s the truth.  So, this is just one dish.  How is the rest of the menu looking?  Is this dish all that you’ve come up with so far?”
                  “Honestly, the menu is complete.  It’s been complete for a while, actually.  I have every dish that I would like to be on the menu picked out, but I just wanted cook this for you and see if I went in the right direction.”
                  “If the other dishes are anything like this one, the menu is going to be great.”
                  “I would like to cook all the dishes for you at some point and get your opinion.  You might be able to see something with them that I can’t see.  You know what I mean?”
                  “Of course, that would be fine.  Anytime you want, just call me over and I will taste it all.”
                  “Good.  Thanks.”
                  After a couple more bites of food, he asks, “So, Haillee, I know that ultimately you want the restaurant to make money, but is that your only goal?”
                  “Money is obviously very important, but it’s not the main reason I started the restaurant.  I want to be able to provide for myself and have a comfortable life, and I want my employees to have the same, but the restaurant has really been about the love I have for food.  I want people to taste my food and taste the amazing things that can be made from the things provided by the earth.  I want people to be able to come to my restaurant and be able to enjoy good food and escape the worries, stresses, and pressures of life.  I always envisioned my restaurant as being a place for people to go and escape for awhile.”
                  “I totally get that.  Food and good company have always been one of the