A Ruling Passion – Chapter 1811

Arianne sampled every single dish on the table. “No, honestly, I think they are all very good! Really, I’m not the type to lie if I can help it,” she remarked. “Your restaurant’s business is just... booming, man. Which is kinda surprising, don’t you think? Considering your family’s main venture is something else, wouldn’t your family have a bit of an opinion about you directing your focus into your restaurant?”

Mateo's eyes cast down to the floor and shook his head. “They’ve always been respectful of my life choices. Anything I want to do doesn’t face opposition from my family, under most circumstances, anyway. Of course, I can’t abandon the family business, either, so I guess after a while I won’t be able to watch my restaurant as often as I’d like.”

Arianne nodded. “I agree. I wouldn’t want you to spend too much of your time and focus on a single eatery, too. Your family’s main business should be the right way forward, especially when this restaurant’s significance hardly matches the grandness of your family business. But hey, if you’re worried that you not being here is gonna stop me from coming, well, don’t. Because I’ve turned into one of your most loyal customers, Mateo, the food in this place is just... God, it’s right up my alley!”

Suddenly, Mateo leveled her enthusiasm with a long look etched with unheralded solemnness topped by piercing eyes. “You really mean that? You’ll always come to my restaurant from here on out?”

Their eyes linked, and Arianne felt an abrupt flare of indescribable but tangent feeling deep in her gut, churning her stomach a little, making her weirdly uneased enough to consciously steer her eyes away. She furtively looked elsewhere to break the spell. “I, uh, guess? I mean, Tiffie and Melanie really love your food too, you know, so they will probably want to meet here often. By the way, Mateo, you mentioned your crush before and I wonder Have you gotten your closure yet?”