"So we're making a small detour on you grand plan of revenge?" Selene asked. She sat in the passenger seat of the car, turning to Quang to see if the anger on his face had subsided. His enraged look had given way to one of tiredness and exhaustion.
"You can't plan this kind of stuff on an empty stomach," he replied, not taking his eyes off the road. He navigated the vacant lanes of Isla Lucrecia as he made his way towards a location that both he and Selene were familiar with. His passenger looked out the window and watched the bright and vibrant sign of a fast-food restaurant whizz past .
"I think a good Swifty's burger could satisfy your hunger enough to help you come up with a good battle strategy," Selene remarked as her thumb gestured towards the direction of the diner.
"I agree," Quang replied. "But I don't really have the kind of money to be dropping on a medium number four combo. At least at Pho 68 I could whip up something for both of us in the kitchen for free. As long as my mom is asleep, that is."
"We're going to be stealing food?" Selene asked with a tone of surprise.
"It's not stealing if I helped pay for it! A lot of what I make goes back into maintaining the restaurant. That's why I'm always broke. I’m working just to break even. I've been paid for these meals!"
"If you say so, Quang," Selene looked out her passenger window again. "If you say so."
Quang thought of something to say, but instead focused on the road ahead. From the corner of the eye, he saw just enough of Selene's face to tell that she was still upset by the way her lips curled downwards. He kept the vehicle straight, slowing down once he got to the turn that led into Pho 68. He eased his car into a parallel parking spot and cut off the engine. There was a long silence between the two, only the sound of the animal night life could be heard.
"You mad at me, Selene?" Quang said, unable to bear the quiet any longer.
The passenger remained silent, not drawing her eyes away from the window. "No. I'm not mad. Just tired. And frustrated." There was another pause. "Okay, maybe a little mad. But not at you per se."
"You want me to drop you off at your home without giving you something to eat? What kind of guy would that make me?"
Selene pried her eyes away from the concrete scenery outside. She breathed a heavy sigh before making eye contact with Quang. "Normally I'd make fun of you. Probably say something about how this is a terrible attempt at a first date. But if I'm being honest, I'm too tired and hungry to come up with something witty to respond with."
"It's kind of like when we first me," Quang said. "Let's try it again, huh? Maybe I can go back and try to make a good first impression this time."
Selene let out a short and soft smile. "I don't think that could hurt. Let's just hope the Union is too busy to stop by and cause trouble."
"I think they've got their hands full working on that memorial. But give me a few minutes so I can clear off a table for us. You're fine with waiting a short bit?"
Selene nodded. "If it means getting another shot to try out your pho, then definitely!"
The front door to the Nghiem's diner swung open. Selene looked around the area, taking notice of the large table in the middle of the diner that clashed with the rest of the place's aesthetic. As she approached the same table that she sat at before, she could hear the clatter of plates and metal utensils in the kitchen. She took the same seat as well and began looking at the menu that was left for her. As she scanned her options, Quang exited through the kitchen door and made the way to her table.
"Know what you're getting... I mean... how can I help you today?" Quang said as he pulled out a notepad and pen. "Might I suggest the pork pho? It's a specialty of Pho 68."
"Sure, that sounds quite tasty," Selene replied with a smile. She handed Quang the menu which he promptly took.
"And what can I bring for you to drink?" he asked, feigning the tone of a waiter at a pompous restaurant.
"I'll just have a water. Thank you."
"Very well. One pork pho and a glass of the finest tap water. Coming right up." Quang put his notepad in the pocket of his jacket as he headed back towards the kitchen. The door towards the side of the kitchen opened wide and his mother stepped into the dining area. He froze, his eyes opened wide when he saw Mrs. Nghiem stomp towards him.
"Quang!" she shouted as she continued towards him, waving her pointer finger in the air. "Where have you been all day?"
"I-I told you Ma, I went out to take care of some business," Quang said as he scratched the back of his head.
"I didn't think you'd be gone past closing time! Me and your father have been working here all day without you! You think you're too good to work?"
"It's not that, Ma! I had personal things to do. Errands to run. You know. That kind of stuff."
Mrs. Nghiem was getting ready to lay out another verbal lashing until she caught wind of the guest sitting behind Quang. Selene couldn’t help but look at the pair’s conversation from the corner of her vision, hiding the fact that she was listening. "Oh, you brought her back!” Mrs. Nghiem said. “I'm surprised you didn't scare her away with how you talked to her when she stopped by last time!"
"You think my customer service skills would have turned her off from Pho 68 and not the fact that we had a gang of angry construction workers come in here and smash the place up?"
"The Union only stops by here once every few months. But you work here all the time," Mrs. Nghiem scolded. She then looked at the customer sitting at the table. "Has he been nice since you've been here?"
Selene held her laughter back but couldn't hide her wide grin. "Yes, Mrs. Nghiem. He's been very polite from the moment I walked in."
"Good." She then faced Quang. "Now, don't mess this up! Maybe she'll be a regular now!" Selene placed a hand over her mouth, stopping any sound from coming out as she chuckled. Quang continued to keep one hand behind his head, avoiding eye contact with his mother.
"I get it, Ma. Geez. It's not like I've been working her my entire life. I'll make sure to... treat her right... okay?"
Mrs. Nghiem squinted her eyes and began to walk away. "Fine. I won't make a scene right now. We'll talk about this more tomorrow. You just make sure she enjoys her meal here!"
Quang nodded. "I will."
Mrs. Nghiem headed back upstairs. Quang turned his head up to the ceiling, placing his hand over his forehead as he shook his head. "I'm so sorry, Selene."
"For what?" she asked.
"For my mom raising such a fuss."
"I don't see why you're apologizing. You're the one that got humiliated. I can see it in how red your face is," she pointed towards his crimson cheeks as she let out a quiet laugh. Quang didn't reply. Instead he took of his jacket, leaving his upper body covered in only his white tank top. He tossed the jacket onto the back of a chair and vanished into the kitchen. It didn't take long for the sound of pots and pans clacking to erupt again. After some water running from the sink, Selene could almost taste the soup. She drummed her fingers on the wooden table as she waited for Quang to finish making the meal.
The wait was brief. Quang came out of the kitchen holding a tray with both hands. On it were two bowls and two glasses; one filled with water and the other with a cola soda. He carefully placed the tray in front of her and took a seat on the opposite side of the table.
"You don't me sitting here, do you?" he asked as he scooted his seat forward. He took his bowl off the tray along with the accompanying silverware.
"An entire empty restaurant and you choose to sit here of all places?" Selene joked. She took her food and drink off the tray and began to blow on her pho to cool it down.
"I did promise my boss that I'd make sure to treat you well. Besides, you never know what kind of danger could befall a small pho diner like this one."
"You make a fair point, Quang." Selene laughed. She then took a small sip of water. "That... doesn't taste like tap water," she said with surprise.
"That's because it's bottled."
"Sparing no expenses, I see."
"Anything to keep a loyal customer." Quang huffed on a spoonful of his food and then took a bite.
"What did you get?" Selene asked.
"Same as you." He then took a sip of his soda." Thought I'd save myself from cleaning another pot by making an extra portion of the same dish."
"Clever," Selene then took a bite of her food, nodding as she all the ingredients tingled her tastebuds.
"Work harder, not smarter." Quang continued to help himself to another bite of his meal.
"One thing I can say for certain is that you've earned yourself a tip for this wonderful meal. The service. The food. I'd rate it four and a half stars."
Quang raised an eyebrow. "Four and a half? What can I improve on?"
Selene turned her attention to the dingy table in the middle of the diner. "I think the atmosphere could use a bit of touching up. But don't worry. I will most definitely be coming here again."
"Nice. So now my mom won't kill me." A hearty laugh came out of both eaters.
"I appreciate you doing this for me, Quang," Selene said. "It’s nice to have a reprieve from everything that's going on and just enjoy a good dinner with a close friend."
"I'm the one that should be thanking you," Quang replied. "You think anyone else would have agreed to come along on my crazy scheme?"
"That's fair. A normal person would have said you were nuts and walked away."
"Good thing you're not normal." Quang pushed around the pork in his pho with his spoon. "Kind of like me."
"Almost like it was meant to be," Selene said. Quang froze, his hand keeping still despite his spoon being filled with noodles. "I almost didn't come here that night. I was going to stop by somewhere else, but I wanted to try something new. If I went to my usual dining spot, we might have never met."
"Yeah. It's uh... wild how life works. Sometimes fate comes walking through your diner's door when you least expect it." Quang moved his attention away from his food and locked eyes with Selene. She placed her spoon back in her soup as she gazed back into his dark hazel eyes. Both of their faces turned red and just as quickly as they had made eye contact, it broke.
"Quang...I..." Selene began. Before she could figure out what to say next, a series of loud knocks broke her concentration.
"Sorry, Selene," Quang said with annoyance. "I'll go answer it." He got up from his seat and walked to the entrance.
"Be careful Quang!" she said.
"I'll be fine." He opened the door, letting out a loud gasp once he saw who was standing on the other side.
