15 My Gluttonous Tigress

After some silent journey, they finally reached their destination, the Coachman made the trotting horse come to a halt just right in front of a very high story building, almost the height of a Skyscraper, but the difference is that, each storey seems to have only one building which was wide, it wasn't divided into cubicles, offices or rooms like some company's skyscraper, but it had a window glass or more like, it was made of glass walls, although it couldn't be opened, it had multiple tiny holes pocked into them, the windows I mean.

Just directly in front of the building's entrance stood two well built and muscular body guard, who where on cooperate attire (i.e plain black trousers and a white shirt with a black long sleeved suit and a properly knotted tie)

Above their heads, just in front of super wide entrance door was a projector that hung ontop of the entrance, slide showing the words:

"WELCOME TO RAPHAEL'S RESTAURANT"

Gabriella was wowed, it was unbelievable, she never imagined that she would be here before she became a celebrity, her initial plan was that she would come here with her parents once she had become a well known basketball player, but, this works too. Another amazing thing was that most of the people who came in and went out were all celebrities and well known business men and women. She even got a chance to see one of the most iconic actress there, she was really trying so hard to keep her composure and contain her excitement

"Wow..." She muttered with glittering eyes clearly showing how much she was withholding her excitement

"You know, you don't have to hold back all that excitement" Henry said, notifying her of how easy it was to read her

"So you noticed huh? Anyways thanks again coach"

"You're welcome" Henry replied her before they start heading towards the entrance, once there, one of the guards demanded a ticket from them, Henry brought out two golden tickets and gave to the guard, after a examining it for a little while, he tore it a little before giving them back to Henry,

"Go to the 6th floor" The guard, directed

"Come on, let's go" Henry said before dragging Gabriella along with him, they got into the elevator and hit the number '6' button. Henry was busy studying the fascinated Gabriella as she was looking so happy. He then decided to take advantage of it and tease her

"I wonder how this tigress eats, would she have mercy on her poor prey, or would she mercilessly devour them" He said attracting her attention

"Now that you mention it, I think it's best if I tell you now, I'm not a princess and as such, don't expect an elegant manner from during the meal, and I'm not going to pretend to be one, if I remember clearly someone once said

"Don't let people's opinion about you affect your life style" and that's what I'm doing, I'm a foodie and I'm not holding back"

" . . ."

Henry was surprised and dumbfounded at the same time, he had planned on teasing her, but instead, he gave her a chance to express herself

"I look forward to seeing how you pounce on your prey" Henry smiled, eyes closed while Gabriella just ignored him

~Ting~

The elevator sounded and shortly after, the door slid open. The inside was a magnificent sight to behold, from outside you'll think it's just a wide hall, but the inside had this unique setting that allows a customer have his/her privacy, each sit had two chairs, set directly opposite each other, some were designed to be a couples taste while some were just casual, no lovey dovey design. Each table had a curtain that was hung just in a way that if the people are not comfortable eating in the public, they could simply push a button and the curtain will cover them, to maintain their privacy. This setting so much impressed Gabriella that she was wondering how high the decorator's IQ was to bring up such a mind blowing idea. Just few steps away from the elevator, were female attendants, or as you may call them, hostesses, two of them, politely and professionally welcomed customers and assigned office them their tables. One of them approached Henry and Gabriella

"Good day ma'am, Good day sire" She greeted politely bowing to them in turns

*Ma'am? she's just about the same age bracket with me, no, she's older, how disrespectful, hmp* Somehow Gabriella found the welcome annoying

Henry did not say a word but gave the attendant their already torn tickets, she studied it and then gave it back to them

"Follow me" She said and they both quietly followed her, she finally stops at a table and the number 78 was written boldly on it, the two took their seats and was given a tab to order their food. They both sat in a couples sit but Gabriella did not mind that, or rather, she did not notice it as she was still looking around the restaurant.

"Won't you order? you can order anything you want, okay, it seems like I'll need to explain the procedure and process of how this place works, you see, when you buy a golden ticket online, you have literally paid for everything and when I say everything, I mean everything, so you can order anything you want, it has all been paid for, although there's limit to how many you order

"really? can I really do that?"

"Go on tigress don't Hold Back"

"I wasn't planning on holding back"

she smiles before scrolling through the tab she has a lot of things she wanted to order, she was really hungry and she really wanted to test them all and there was no restriction to which type she can order, she called the waiter and made her order, Henry just stared smiling from his angle

she notices Henry looking at her and she turns to him

"What, I told you I wasn't going to hold back didn't I?"

"Yes you did go on ahead Tigress" He said and when the waiter was done collecting Gabriella's orders, she went to Henry and he ordered a cup of decafe coffee

"Coffee? Why?"

"That's my daily routine, I don't take foods in the morning, I prefer a cup of coffee"

"Oh" Gabriella said as it was the only word that could come to her mind

"So, let's talk about training, what are the routines your ex-coach used in teaching you?"

"Well, nothing much, we begin with running around the court, then doing some jugging and then some press ups before we start"

*What the hell? that's just a super lazy training schedule. That coach is more messed up than I thought*

"Coach, I want you to get something straight, it's not that I trust my former coach, it's just that, he was my only hope at that moment, my personal coach was already begining to feel reluctant and that's why I decided to hold onto that one"

"So tell my Tigress, why don't you give up? You knew it was going to be difficult, why don't you just give up and look for another career or job"

~Scuffs~ Gabriella scuffs at Henry

"What? Did I say something funny?" Henry asked with a serious tone

"No, it was just that... I wasn't expecting such a question from the person who always gives motivational speeches" She teases

😑

"Give up you say? why should I give up? If that was how everyone gave up without even trying, taking risk and pushing, I bet you, most people wouldn't have made it to where they are now. You see, basketball is not a game I play just for fun, or just because I want to make a living out of it, it's what I have passion for, and you don't give up on what you know you'll enjoy doing for the rest of your life without being tired of it, I know I'm not good at playing it, but each time I step into the Court with the ball in my hands, I do get nervous, but , I still get that feeling of satisfaction, because, I'm doing something I love. Once you have passion for something, giving up on it is not an option, because both you and your spirit have accepted it, so if you want to give up on it, your spirit won't allow, and the only option you have is to keep on trying until you get there"

". . . " Henry looked at her speechless

"What stop looking at me like that"

"Sorry, who knew you were a better motivational speaker" Henry teased

"Hmp" Gabriella snorts

"Well, I like your spirit, keep up with your optimism and you'll make my job easier"

Henry said, Gabriella looked satisfied at his words, immediately after their discussion, as if timing the two, a number of waiters, like seven of them, carrying different dishes on a tray came to their table and one carrying a cup of coffee on a smaller tray, Henry saw them approaching their table

*I ordered a cup of coffee didn't I?*

"Sorry but you must have the wrong table" He said to one of the waiters who was already setting the food on their table

"No they don't" Gabriella replied him,

"huh?"Henry was confused

*I only ordered a cup of coffee and she's saying they don't have the wrong table, that means... what the hell? How could she have ordered so many, yes I knew she had ordered alot, but this is quite more than alot, this could be a whole dinner for an extended family* Henry was just speechless, this girl, who is she? she always manages to surprise him almost all the time he speaks to her.

Soon the Waiters were done serving the food, the dishes covered almost all of the table, but the waiters somehow managed to fit it in avoiding covering the three buttons in the middle, one of which was supposed to let down the curtain and taking it up, the other was to spin the table; let's say in a case where you have a troublesome girlfriend or wife who suddenly decides that she wants to eat your food, instead of having to pass the food around, you can push the button and the table will spin, switching the position of the foods and the third one which is to inform the waiter that you're done and they should come clear up, pretty neat huh?

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Fun fact: This whole idea and layout of the Foodies Base Estate was made by yours truly, your favorite author, and if you want to use it in building your future restaurant, you can contact me, we'll have to sign a business partnership contract 😁

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