His Sensible Taste (SPG)

Chapter 3

Busy days never left Rico's life. He was returning from the investor's meeting when he returned back to his office. The usual looks of his staff inside his simple building made him the impression that the day will end up good for all of them.

"Any appointments, Denny?" He asked his secretary who greeted him as soon as he reached the door.

"Umm... Sir, there's someone who would like to see you inside," she informed him reluctantly. She was frequently biting her lips which made Rico very annoyed.

He just closed his eyes. He has an idea already of who this uninvited guest is inside his office. He turned to his side and saw a familiar face and the last person he wanted to talk to at this very moment. He let out a sigh and looked at Denny with a serious face. "Well, don't just stand there. Give him what he wants before I face him. I'll come back after 15 minutes. Thank you." He didn't wait for his secretary to answer and just left her there, leaving all the things she needed to do.

Rico walked out of the office and looked at his wristwatch. He hasn't eaten anything yet since he talked to his prospect investor for Sensible Taste. He plans on eating alone inside his office but since there's an unwanted visitor, he'll just have to buy something in the cafeteria.

Upon his entry into the cafeteria, many staff looked at him with their shocked faces. He just smirked and approached the head chef at the counter.

"Sir Ricky! What a surprise! I haven't seen you visit this place in a long while. Pretty busy?" The head chef named Rancho greeted him with delight. He was testing all the food that his co-chefs serve him. He frequently nods if the taste is good. He would seldom shake his head or make them add another ingredient that's lacking. Rancho is not just his employee but also one of his friends. It was more than a decade that they bonded together. Since the good things came to Sensible Taste, they only talk too formally and have less space for fun talks. Rancho is also an LGBT member. A very intelligent and nice guy. He's also one of the top chefs in Sensible Taste. He is also his college batchmate before Rico decided to open a business like this.

Rico smiled as he looked at his staff working so well. It made him ease his unhappy state. "You seemed to be very busy?"

Rancho laughed with his jolly voice. "Don't be silly, Sir Ricky! Can't stop doing this. It'll make my mind crazy. You know that..."

He laughed. "You're so like me. Anyways, can you give me champagne and nachos? Less cheese and more cucumber bits, please," he ordered.

"Sure you do! I think I know what's this for," Rancho eyed him mischievously.

Rico just waved his hand in front of him while smiling. "Never mind the bull. I know what he's up to right now. Guess what? I made him wait for another 15 minutes." He laughed at his own statement.

Rancho shook his head while making the order in front of Rico. "He's so persistent. But, kidding aside. I think it was about three months since the last time you told me he visited you?"

Rico nodded. "Yup. Definitely. Same reason. However, I might actually hear him out about it."

His friend laughed and finished making the nachos. After putting it in a paper clamshell and plastic bag, he gave it to Rico with a paper bag of his favorite champagne. "All good. Good luck in talking to him!" he dismissed him while laughing.

Rico waved goodbye and walked back to his office. The smile on his face seemed to fade. A sudden memory came back rushing in his mind again.

It was about him and his first love after discovering his chosen path. There was once he and John Michael. He was his high school classmate. They're both proud LGBT members since then, became friends, and then... lovers.

He was his puppy love. His first light of a second chance at life. But it all ended in a sad break-up.

Rico found out that John Michael had another lover other than him. Worse, it's a girl. It really broke Rico's heart that it became a toxic break-up. It was the first time that he pleaded in front of a man, begging him to choose him instead of a woman. He begged and begged until there's nothing left of him. He became too depressed to a point he had forgotten about himself, his importance. Those were the memories of him and John Michael.

As Rico had already come in front of him, the longingness in John Michael's eyes became evident. He stood up and gave him a perfect smile.

John Michael is a good-looking guy. With his round-shaped face and tantalizing Spanish eyes, girls his age would drool over him. Talented, creative, and sexy. When they were still together, Rico would always want to be like him, wearing fabulous sweaters, fitted shirts, and jeans. He's still that person Rico had met 10 years ago. The past between them seemed to be just a part of his life but he's not affected by it anymore.

John Michael is a TV producer and a celebrity just like him. The only difference between them is that Rico is only focused on his own career as a businessman. He wanted his life to be private as possible. What made Rico turn away from him was because of something that he doesn't like. The cooking show.

"I'm so glad we could finally talk, Ricky..." John Michael started.

Rico just crossed his arms on his chest and leaned against his table. "I told you... I'm not interested and you know the reason behind it," he reminded him.

His visitor sighed. "Come on. It's all in the past, Ricky. Can we just move on?"

He scoffed. "Are you trying to make it look like I'm still into you? Because if you do, you better get the hell out of this place."

John Michael waved his hands in mid-air as a sign of surrender. "Okay. Okay. Fine," he resigned. "Not gonna push on that. I'm just here to give you another proposal."

"I told you, I don't want it. I'm already loaded with my job. Can't you see that?" he frustratingly uttered.

"You're doing this because you wanted to get distracted, aren't you?"

That question made Rico freeze. He laughed and pointed at him. "You're seriously saying this right now?" moved his jaw as he made all the efforts to stop himself from punching John Michael's face. He may seem to be soft-hearted, but his fist isn't. He'd gladly do it to make this lunatic in front of him get a taste of his own medicine.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I am. I wanna let you know that I know a lot about you even about Levi."

That statement made Rico tremble in fear. His eyes widened in surprise. "I-I don't know what you're talking about..." he denied, looking away.

John Michael laughed. "Stop pretending, Ricky. I know you more than anyone who thinks they already know you. I know you better than Levi knows you," he challenged him.

"Stop it. You're not supposed to say that. You already have a wife and children," Rico said. It is true. John Michael already got married after 5 years. It was the moment that he realized he had to stop begging for him to come back. At that point, he was too broken to a point he wanted to take away his life. Good thing Lyka and Carmelli were with him all the way and never left his side.

"I know. I'm just telling you what I know, and I'm not saying this to scare you or what. I came here because maybe this will be the chance for you to really make yourself busy. I'm sure he'll see you on TV with a smile on your face. He'll wonder if you're fine now that he left you."

"He never left me..." he corrected John Michael.

"Oh yeah? He didn't. He just disappeared. Was that it?"

"Damn it! Just get straight to the point." Rico is getting pissed. John Michael has been a prick in his eyes little by little. He didn't know that his words could be as lethal as it was 10 years ago.

His guest sat back on the sofa and placed an envelope on the table. He gestured to Rico to open it. "Come on and read it."

Rico reluctantly walked to the table and sat on the sofa right next to John Michael. He grabbed the envelope and opened it. The proposal was filed neatly inside a sliding folder. The title of the proposal is "Sensible Taste Cooking Show".

Rico fell silent as he read through the details. He was eager to know about it. He has forgotten about his eagerness to topple John Michael's offer. He is more eager to know if it's true, that he'll be really distracted if he agrees on doing the show. As he read through the lines, a rule has captured his attention.

He raised his eyebrow and looked back at John Michael. "I will be doing the show with some random actress who isn't a chef by profession?" he asked in disbelief. "No..." He slammed the paper back into the table and was about to stand up, but John Michael stopped him.

"Woah. Woah! Wait a minute... that's it?"

He turned to him with his cold stare. "Yeah. I'm going to do it. It's final."

"Come on, Ricky! Tell me your conditions and I'll make it all up to you. How's that?" John Michael offered. He's too desperate to have him in the show. He wondered why.

"Tell me... why are you so eager to put me on that show?" he asked curiously.

John Michael nudged. "I just feel like it, Ricky. Because I know you can do this better than other chefs I know. I have been tasked to do this and I just refuse them because I couldn't make you do it." He laughed wryly. "You know that I'm also a frustrated cook myself. I'm not just doing this because it's you. I'm also doing this for myself..."

Rico laughed sarcastically. "Or so I thought..."

They both fell into silence before Rico finally said something.

"Fine. I'll do it."

"Yes!" John Michael celebrated, gesturing his hand in mid-air.

"On one condition..."

"Tell me. Anything's fine, Ricky..." he pleaded.

Rico faced his ex with his serious face. "I want you to refrain from finding any co-host for me. I'll find one myself. I need someone who knows Sensible Taste well. Also, I want the trademark of this show to be in my name. I do all the rules and the recipes. You just film it and take care of the show guestings yourself. Understood?"

John Michael sighed in relief. "That would be fine for me, Ricky. Thank you for agreeing with this proposal!"

****

After that meeting, Rico finally arranged the files he got from Denny. He ordered her to collect all the data of Sensible Taste's employee chefs, especially those who are head chefs and sous chefs. He read all through their performance grading. Finally, he has come up with a list of chefs that he wanted to interview.

One of the chefs he chose was a sous chef named Cheska Samaniego.

****

It has been a pretty tough day for Cheska as she came to work. There was an accident inside the branch that made everyone a little alarmed. Good thing she was fast enough to move.

Inside the kitchen, fire suddenly surprised them when one of her co-kitchen members mistakenly put something flammable near the pot. It lit too quickly and was about to scatter near the gas pipe. Good thing Cheska removed her apron and quickly put out the fire using it. The whole kitchen was shocked as they saw how fast enough the fire was put out. They even shouted in joy.

Cheska sighed in relief. She smiled at them. "Are you alright, guys?"

After the long work, she tried to be as civil as possible but Toni was getting mad at her again. After that fire incident, she was shut out by him. Sometimes, she wanted to just stop everything and get her old life back. She never listens to her friends when they tell her to just drop Toni because it's not working for the both of them. He's always jealous.

After the shift, she immediately ordered a bottle of beer inside a resto-bar. The place is a bit peaceful, unlike any other bar that she knows.

She laughed all by herself. "I'm so messed up," she commented to herself. No matter how she wanted to fix things, it's simply not working. If only something could make her get distracted, she would gladly take it just to forget how Toni treats her.

After some internalization, a ring on her phone has brought her senses back. She immediately took her phone from her pocket and answered it.

"Hello. This is Denny from Sensible Taste's main office. Am I speaking to Ms. Cheska Samaniego?" The caller started.

"Yes, I am Cheska," she answered.

"We're calling to inform you that you've been chosen to be in a special project with the CEO of Sensible Taste. I will send you the details in your email," she said.

"W-wait. What?!"

-to-be-continued-