The meal ended up being as fantastic as she’d hoped, if not more so. After a lot of thought, Kaitlyn ended up ordering something she’d never had a chance to try - the sea bass. The sizeable slab of grilled fish nestled atop a bed of risotto sent her to the moon. The lemony oil drizzled atop the dish even elicited a silent vow to hound Scarra for its source.
Kaityln left each plate practically sparkling. It would be a waste to not eat it all when the leftovers wouldn’t carry over.
After the meal, she settled back into her chair happily. This was amazing. I’m so full. I don’t even know if I have room for dessert… Well, that’s a lie. I totally do. I won’t have to worry about a stomachache in the morning, so might as well go all out.
The door opened behind her as a group of patrons left, calling out farewells to Chella as they went. Kaitlyn shivered at the cold wind that snuck inside.
Dang. It’s getting chilly fast. She rubbed her bare arms. Not looking forward to walking back in that…
She relaxed, digesting as she waited for Philip to return. The dishes were good enough to possibly warrant doing this again in a future loop. Not that it was a high priority, of course. If not for her single minded focus on studying this loop, that money would have been better put to use elsewhere. But perhaps splurging every once and a while wasn’t so bad.
Eventually, the dark-haired server approached the table. Turning toward him, her gaze alighted on yet another plate in his hand. One with a familiar slice of dessert atop it.
Scarra’s tiramisu didn’t appear every loop. Frustratingly, it was the closest thing to a random drop she had encountered. The rest of Scarra’s giveaways stayed relatively consistent, but this one? Its appearance was governed by some butterfly effect-like rules that remained a mystery. She’d gotten to enjoy it a few times, but not nearly as often as she’d have liked. Nor had she made time to prepare her own version with any frequency. Not that it came close to comparing.
Philip set the plate in front of her. A perfect little rectangle of cocoa-dusted cake occupied one side, its layers of coffee-soaked ladyfingers and mascarpone cream on full display. On the other, a cluster of strawberries sliced in the shape of roses sat adorned with a mint garnish. Below, a message had been piped in chocolate sauce.
“Congratulations Kaitlyn! A+ Student!”
“To help you celebrate.” Philip informed her as he straightened.
She looked up. “Did you… tell them that I’m celebrating?”
“Of course..” He inclined his head slightly. “We strive to make every experience a memorable one. Particularly so when our patrons choose to dine with us for a celebration or special occasion.”
Kaitlyn fell silent for a moment. Her gaze settled on the words before her, processing.
I… I really did it, didn’t I? It doesn’t quite feel real still.
“Thank you.”
“Of course. Though Chef Scarra is the one who deserves your thanks. Please enjoy.”
“No, not for the tiramisu.” She interrupted Philip before he could disappear once again. Sincerity filled her voice. “Thank you, Philip. For… well, everything. Believe me when I say I couldn’t have made it this far without your help.”
She looked up at him once more, meeting his eyes. For once, their constant chill seemed… lessened, somewhat. Instead, a hint of softness cracked through the tutor’s otherwise implacable exterior.
“I am happy to have been of assistance. However, do not forget that you are the one who made all efforts to improve. You are the one who reached out for assistance, as well as the one who actually put in the necessary work.”
Kaitlyn gave a small shrug. “I guess. But I don’t think it would have gone nearly as well without you. I mean, I didn’t even know where to start with Calculus until you made it look easy. You really walked me through every step of the way. If I had gone to some other tutor, I don’t think I would have ended up having half as much success.”
“Unlikely. You displayed a high amount of familiarity with the subject even at our first session. You give yourself too little credit.”
“Well, you do too.” Kaitlyn cracked a slight smile. “So guess we’re even.”
After a moment, Philip inclined his head. “Very well. I am pleased to have been of service.” He paused slightly, as if thinking, then continued speaking. “If you ever require additional tutoring in another subject, it would be a pleasure to have you as a student once more.”
She smiled. “Of course! I’ll make sure to call you.”
“Now then, please do enjoy.” Philip bowed once more as his formal waiter persona settled into place again. “Do not hesitate to let me know if you require anything further. Though I would suggest against requesting a to-go box. The chef might become offended if you don’t finish the dessert.”
Stolen story; please report.
Kaitlyn’s jaw dropped as she saw a ghost of a smile flit across Philip’s face. Did he… did he just make a joke?! Philip?!
Before she could recover, the guy strode away. Fortunately, Kaitlyn needed no more invitation. With her appetite magically reignited, she grabbed a fork and got to work.
***
The receipt for the meal had another pleasant surprise in store for Kaitlyn. She hadn’t been charged for either the appetizer or the dessert - both were on the house. A quick mental calculation revealed that the development brought her significantly under budget.
Despite the initial temptation to order another dessert to snack on that night, she decided against it. The meal had been perfect, leaving her stuffed and satisfied. Instead, she left the extra funds as an extra generous tip for Philip. Hopefully he’d appreciate the gesture, even if it didn’t really matter.
I guess he deserves it though. He’s actually a really good server. Helpful without being overbearing, super polite, even if he’s still too formal… But he kind of made me feel comfortable too. Like I did belong here, despite being a broke college student. The guy’s a real professional.
After settling the bill, Kaitlyn headed toward the back of the restaurant and stepped through the kitchen door. With a broad grin, she called toward the stove. “My compliments to the chef!”
Scarra just snorted. “Get outta here, ya freeloader. Flattery ain’t gettin’ you another slice of tiramisu.”
Chella smiled at her, wiping her sudsy hands off from washing dishes. “I’m glad you enjoyed it, dear. Which was your favorite?”
“Aside from the tiramisu?” She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Probably the sea bass. Specifically the risotto. I don’t know what you put in it, but I couldn’t get enough of it.”
“Parmesan and roasted black truffle.” The chef stated matter-of-factly as he stirred a pot of sauce. “With the drippings from the fish and a bit of the lemon oil, it comes together nice. I gotta adjust the balance of truffle and cream for that dish though, compared to the other ones. Otherwise it doesn’t quite hit right.”
Kaitlyn mentally filed the information away. That was something to research in another loop. Maybe she could bother Scarra to teach her that recipe someday.
“Thank you guys, really.” Her grin widened as she patted her stomach. “This was awesome. It’s so much better than I imagined.”
“Yeah, to-go leftovers ain’t the same, are they? ‘Specially not for the entrees.” Scarra snorted once again. “Makes me feel like I shouldn’t even give you that kinda half-baked experience.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. “Scarra, that half baked experience is what got me in the door in the first place! And if that’s half baked, then I don’t think I’d survive ordering the spaghetti carbonara for real. That stuff nearly makes me faint from sheer happiness as is.”
“Yeah, yeah.” The burly chef waved her off. “Congrats on your finals. Now scram. I got people to feed.”
Yeah, right. There’s only one table out there still, and I’m pretty sure you’re plating their stuff right now. Still, she acquiesced. With a last grin toward Chella, Kaitlyn turned toward the kitchen door. She’d already pushed it open halfway when Philip called out to her.
“Wait.”
Confused, she turned her head toward him. “What’s up?”
“Are you walking back to campus?”
“Yeah. Why?”
He stepped forward. “Take this. You can return it to me next shift.”
Before she knew it, Philip had draped a black zip-up jacket around her shoulders. The garment felt thick, its interior lined with some sort of flannel. It wasn’t the softest thing in the world, but even this brief contact assured her of its warmth. Looking down, Kaitlyn spotted a few holes in the cuffs and the hem that had been sewn inexpertly shut.
Her eyes widened as she met Philip’s gaze again. He simply shrugged. “You shivered each time the door opened. I imagine that walking through this weather will not be much better.”
He noticed that? “...T-thank you.”
He just nodded. “Take care. Enjoy your evening, Kaitlyn.”
For a moment, she just stared. Then she nodded and put the jacket on. It fit her surprisingly well. With a final wave, she pushed open the kitchen door, heading out the front of the restaurant.
As she stepped into the chilly night air, Kaitlyn considered the night’s events. Not just the meal, but the interactions with Philip. Such a thoughtful and warm gesture as this seemed completely out of character for the guy. Unless…
She thought back on their other interactions across past loops. Yeah, he taught me to fold napkins, but that’s because Chella asked him. Even if he was really patient about it. And giving me a ride back to campus was also because of Chella, at least the first time. Though I guess he just started doing it on his own, especially when we stayed late. Plus he’s been pretty helpful and super overprepared in tutoring, because that’s how you keep customers - by being a good tutor. And there was the time where he helped with dishes way back when I started, but that’s because I was being too slow. And…
Kaitlyn halted just outside the door. Shoot. He’s actually just a nice guy, isn’t he?
A heavy sigh escaped her at the revelation. Guess I might have really been too harsh on him. All this time, I thought he was a jerk because of how cold he seems. Well, not just because of that, I guess. It was also because he lectured me about not trying hard enough that first loop. But… he was kind of right.
Gazing up at the stars, Kaitlyn watched the twinkling constellations high above. The moonlight bathed the sidewalk in a soft glow, illuminating her path without the need for a flashlight. She zipped up the jacket to keep the cold wind out. And here I thought I had gotten so much better. Joke’s on me, I guess. Even though I’ve gotten classes down, I’ve still got a long way to go.
With that, she headed toward Hartland University once more.
***
Cycle 23 Complete!
Ending: Under the Radar
Total Endings Unlocked: 6
Achievement Earned: Dean’s List
Writing - A (100%)
Calculus - A (100%)
Statistics - A (100%)
Chemistry - A (100%)
Genetics - A (100%)