As I hustled nonstop throughout my shift, working in a kitchen, sometimes make you question yourself – "Why am I even here?" We sweat and figuratively bleed out all our efforts and be underappreciated. Achieving greatness could wait. Because tonight, I couldn't wait to go home and sleep it off.

I was cleaning my station when I got distracted by the loud murmurs that my friends were making. They were gossiping, as usual. This happened often when all we get to talk about how we meet some guests that definitely had no experience in fine dining etiquette. Food would get returned because the portion was 'too small' for the price that they were paying. Other times, they would wonder why the steak was still raw even if they ordered it in medium-well. Those were just some of the things that we laugh about behind the scenes.
Since my shift was going to end soon, I stooped to their level of petty and joined in the gossip. I removed my dirty apron and bandana and went to them.

"What are you guys talking about?" I asked them.

Leo nodded beyond the order counter which divided the kitchen and the bar to a certain table, "Check this out, mate. Lonely woman in a black dress. Do you think she'd been stood up?"

I just shrugged since I had no idea. Yet, another co-worker interrupted, "The servers have talked as well and said she's been ordering red wine all night. She actually has some dried up tears on her face."

They resumed on guessing what the real deal was. I zoned them out and looked out the counter to see the woman lost in thought while holding the stem of the wine glass, swirling the red liquid around. I could only see the side of her face. She looked pristine with her neat updo and posture that showcased her elegance. However, her face was expressionless, and you could see her eyes were really sad.

The restaurant was closing soon. What the woman needed was some good soul food. It was something that could always bring comfort when you eat it. This wasn't in our menu but tonight was an exception. I put on my apron again and started getting ingredients from the walk-in chiller.

"Um Dean, don't tell me you're going to impress that woman out there?" Leo criticized me for preparing a simple meal for this very troubled woman.

I gave him another silent shrug and went on to chop some vegetables. It wasn't about impressing people with the food I prepare. If you couldn't get that certain connection with a stranger, just present them with food that was specially prepared and let it do the talking. When that smile could shine through after the first bite, you knew you have done something right. You just earned that certain bond with that person in which you could go ahead and do the next step – Start to get to know them.

After marinating the chicken in curry paste mixture for a few minutes, I started preparing the Thai chile aioli for the dipping sauce. All I had to do now was fry the chicken and plate it in. The delightful smell in the kitchen immediately wafted throughout which piqued my friends' curiosity. They surrounded me around the stainless tabletop and watched me do the plating.

I wanted to take the food out to the woman. Before presenting her the dish, I fixed my hair a bit and smelled myself. Yep, definitely smells like grease and seasoning. There was no time for a clean shower.

She still hadn't noticed me while I was approaching. I slid the food in front of her, and she jumped in surprise. That was when our eyes met, she had these dark brown eyes that matched her beautiful complexion. Her startled face turned into confusion.

"Uh sorry, but I didn't order this," she muttered softly.

"I know. May I?" I asked for her permission if I could sit at the opposite end of the table. She hesitantly nodded and took a seat.

"I'm Dean, by the way. I run the kitchen. What's yours?"

"Just call me Lisa," she replied.

"Great," I smiled. "You should try the fried chicken torqued in curry with the sauce. I noticed you hadn't ordered any food."

She gave out a nervous smile, "I really don't..."

I sat up straighter and interrupted her, "Here's the deal. I won't ask why a pretty woman is sitting here alone for hours like she's waiting for someone. In return, you try tasting the food I'm offering. What do you say?"

It had taken a few seconds before she responded with a burst of melodic laughter. Her eyes shone with amusement for the first time tonight. "You're not the type to give up, huh?"

"You could say that," I chuckled.

"Alright, I'll give in but you have to respect our agreement."

"I'm not the type to break any promises."

My answer earned a genuine smile from her. "Good," she responded. Picking up a piece of chicken with her hand, she took a huge bite and her eyes widened. "Wow! This is really good. I never thought you could have dry curry. Is it a thing?"

We have finally established rapport comfortably around each other. I told her more about the food and just let the conversation flow to wherever it may lead us. By now, the restaurant was already closed. Everyone was clearing up and preparing to leave. I was usually one of the last people who locked up, so I wasn't in any rush.

Lisa had forgotten the half bottle of red wine she swigged at a fast rate just moments ago. She opted to drink water as we shared the plate of chicken whilst exchanging meaningful wisdom about what life had to offer. I have never seen such a passionate woman. We were probably an hour in with our topic but I haven't really grasped what kind of person she was outside of this bubble we were in. Questions like, what was her day job or what she liked doing as a hobby, none of it even popped up in the conversation. It was as if she was someone who has been through a lot but had a positive drive to keep moving forward.

Without knowing the time, I finally took notice that the lights of the restaurant dimmed out, and it was eerily quiet. She also took notice and said, "Oh! I seriously didn't notice that it's closed."

"I guess we have to wrap up this meeting," I grinned and proceeded to clear up the table.

Lisa swiftly stood up to help out, "Let me help you. I'm really sorry for wasting your time."

"Are you kidding? I haven't had a real conversation in a long time. Kitchen gossip is not really a good example of personal growth." I truthfully told her.

She laughed again, "Really? Guys gossip? That's new information."

As I carried all the soiled dishes into the kitchen, Lisa followed after me. "Of course we do. It's the only thing that keeps us sane after more than a ten-hour shift."

"Must be tough working in a kitchen," she commented.

I couldn't agree more, "You have no idea. But, it has its perks... sometimes."

I started washing the dishes and Lisa started to reach for the sponge. Stopping her from doing the dirty job, I raised my eyebrow and asked, "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm trying to help, so the job gets done and you can go home."

"No. Step away from the sink."

But of course, she didn't listen. The dishes cleared in less than five minutes and I still had to do some last-minute cleaning. We were silent the whole time, concentrating on getting everything done. Although she had every intention to bump into me just so she could try to get some reaction from me. It was nice to see her glow like that.

The lights went off and the locks were in place as we exited the restaurant. It had been a long night and surprisingly it went well for both of us. However, as the night grew darker, we had to part ways.

"So, I guess this is it."

"Yeah. Thanks for everything. You did keep your promise."

"I told you, I would."

Our eyes met, and I could see the sadness engulfing her again. In a quick second, she fought it off and finally gave me the smile that would haunt my dreams for a very long time.

"You want to know a secret?"

Curious, I played along. "What secret?"

"I ran away today... couldn't bear seeing everyone look down on me and feel their pity."

Lisa finally cracked.

"It's going to be okay," I consoled her, putting a hand on her shoulder to reassure her.

A tear fell on her cheek.

"Witnessing my husband's burial today was the most painful thing I had to endure. So no, I don't think it's going to be okay."

"I—"

For the first time tonight, I had run out of things to say. How was I supposed to reply to that? I could never wish for someone to go through that pain.

"You don't have to say anything. It will just ruin the moment. I'm really grateful. Goodbye, Dean." Lisa smiled one last time and turned her back. She walked away confidently, without looking back, braving the nightmare of a life that she was going to fight head on.