Episode One Hundred and Fifty-Seven: Chef’s Kiss

The warm scent of coffee filled the air as I ground the beans to make the espresso.A nice normal day sounded great at the moment. First coffee, then breakfast. Everyone else still slept as far as I could tell.

Indigo snored from her cat tree as I got up and got ready for the day, and I didn’t see anything of the Cat. The shop felt quiet. Sunlight barley peeked in from the skylights, and the sound of the grinder felt muffled. Like Betty agreed with me on how things felt.

I knew it was early. Yet, I felt great and I’d climbed out of bed before my normal time. For once I started with an Americano, then at the last minute I added a splash of cream before I left the counter.

Warmth from my mug felt great as I padded my way into the kitchen to decide on something for breakfast. We had plenty of eggs, and frozen waffles, but I wanted something else. Something better.

Then it hit me. Eggs benedict.

There wasn’t a chance I could make it. Though it sounded so perfect, I knew it was beyond me. I’d never gotten a benedict sauce to come out right, and poaching eggs was not a skill I’d mastered. Somehow, I always overcooked them, no matter the method I tried.

My stomach growled while thinking about it, and I headed back out front to see what places I could order breakfast from. Within two clicks on the tablet, I had options. Five minutes later, and I’d placed a rather large breakfast order for the three of us.

The one thing I counted on was Betty keeping everything nice and warm while the others slept.

I sat at the counter, staring over the shop as I sipped my coffee. Bits of sunlight filled the area in a golden light. That light made everything feel like magic. 

“I am so lucky…”

The floorboards under my feet warmed up at my statement, and a shadow by the door caused me to jump up. I raced to meet the delivery person before they could knock.

The six foot tall blue person handed me the bag without blinking, then went on his way. The shops lining the street had signs in various languages I didn’t recognize, and soft music came from somewhere.

With a sigh, I closed the door, wondering what world I’d just ordered breakfast from. Maybe someday I could explore other worlds and see what else was out there. I carried the giant plastic bag to the kitchen and pulled out various cardboard containers. Though, they didn’t feel like cardboard, really, and the plastic bag felt strange as well.

The bag dissolved into nothingness after I removed all the containers. The cardboard felt more like wood. Inside, each container was filled to the brim. One had crispy, hot diced potatoes with onions, another with poached eggs slightly too big to be from the chickens I knew. A third with sliced bread of some kind, and not the English muffins I was used to. The last though, a pale golden color. I touched it with my finger and tasted the sauce.

Pure goodness rippled through me, and I resisted eating right then. Instead, I let Betty put everything in storage so it stayed the perfect temperature until everyone woke up to share this bounty together.

That sauce though.

Whatever world this was, I needed to somehow make my way back to it. I quickly rushed back to the front counter and favorited the restaurant. We definitely needed to eat from here again, and I hadn’t even tasted everything. 

Breakfast was gonna be good.

I silently made my way to the rooftop deck to watch the sunrise, even with the walls. Yet, as I stepped out they faded away, and more of the town I’d glimpsed from the delivery came into view. The bright yellow light peeked over the horizon, and I sat down to enjoy my coffee along with the slow awakening of the foreign place.

That music came from the same direction as the sun. It was soft, almost like someone singing quietly. Yet, I couldn’t make out any of the words. It softened even more as the sun crested the horizon.

I couldn’t make out anyone in the streets, and really could only see the tops of some shops, but in the distance a pyramid stretched upward in a soft green color. The golden light hit different areas, and black designs formed on the surface.

After the sun rose high enough that pure heat hit me, I finally got up and headed inside. The walls shimmered back into view and a rush of cool air met me. Which was good, since I didn’t want to be sweating all day.

Indigo chirped from downstairs, and I quickly made my way to the kitchen. Both the Cat and Indigo sat on the island, talking to one another. They glanced in my direction as I entered.

“Found you!” Indigo’s wings fluttered.

“I watched the sunrise on the deck.”

“What about breakfast?” asked the Cat, sniffing the air.

“I ordered food from a local place,” I said, pulling open the fridge. Plates rose on the island, already made up. 

Piles of roasted crispy potatoes next to toasted bread, with poached eggs on top and that amazing sauce over everything. 

I drooled and snagged my stool before digging in, getting a forkful of the sauce, egg and the crispy bread all together.

The first bite melted in my mouth as the tangy cream sauce took over. Then the yolk pushed that aside as I chewed, followed by a nutty flavor from the bread. Energy rushed through me as I swallowed. I had to pause, eyes wide at the sensation.

“What was that?” I asked.

“It has magical effects.” The Cat glanced up at me with sauce and egg yolk on his face. “Where did you order this from?”

“No clue. It was listed on the register, and highly rated.” I carefully grabbed a piece of potato and dabbed it in the sauce. Spice took over from the potato, but it didn’t linger.

Indigo chirped twice, her front two paws almost in the center of the plate as she ate, way too fast.

I did the opposite and slowly lingered over every bite, enjoying the flavors and the rush of energy that made my fingers tingle.

Both the Cat and Indigo finished before I did, and the Cat jumped off the island and vanished to the front of the shop. It took several minutes for him to come back. By that time, I’d cleaned my plate with the last bite.

My lonely Americano sat next to my plate, and I picked it up to take a sip.

“That was an expensive meal,” added the Cat, as he landed back on the island. “From a world I’ve never heard of.”

“How much?” I asked, trying to picture the prices the register had shown, but unable to remember clearly.

“More than your salary for the day.”