The waiter nodded."Each course will be served with a drink at regular intervals.If you wish for any extra drinks, then please signal to one of the serving staff and we'll bring them to you."
"Thank you," I responded.
"The tasting menu at the moment isAround the World, featuring seafood dishes inspired by different cuisines from across the globe.Are there any allergies, dietary requirements, or non-drinkers in the party?"he asked, looking between us all.
I shook my head and waited for the others to respond.
"Excellent.Your first course will be with you momentarily."He dipped his head and disappeared.
"Oh, so are we not picking anything today?"Ivy asked.
I shook my head."There's a menu if you want to check it."
She reached out and picked up the menu printed on heavy cream paper from the middle of the table, scanning down it.I didn't pay any attention to my friends' discussion as I readied myself for the work portion of my evening.I set a notebook down by my place setting, along with my phone.I wouldn't normally have it out during a meal with friends, but I wanted to take photos of the food we were served so that I could effectively write my review.
It wasn't long before the waiters returned to the table, the first pouring a surprisingly large amount of wine into my glass.I was going to have to be careful with that, I didn't want to drink too much and ruin the food.
A couple of others followed with the first course, setting a plate down in front of each of us.
"Your first course is a mussel tortelli," a waiter said as he put a plate with a black stuffed pasta shaped like a mussel shell in front of me."It's served with a sea salt crumb, and a white wine and garlic reduction."
"Thank you," I said, reaching for my phone so that I could take a photo of the dish before I ate it.The sweet smell of garlic emanated from the dish, making my stomach rumble in response.I was hungry, which was a good thing when I was here to eat.
"So this is Italy?"Ivy asked as she examined the dish in front of her."The waiter said that the theme wasAround the World."
"France," I responded."I think it's a take onmoules frites, just without the chips."Which was an interesting way to do it, and I had to appreciate the way that the chef had decided to present it.Though I was tryingnotto think about the fact that the chef was Poseidon.All head chefs could be a little temperamental at times, but I was a little worried about whether there'd be any potential blowback if I reviewed a god badly.Not that I was going to hold back for his benefit.I was sure a god could deal with a little honest critique of his food.
"Tortelli is one of my favourites," Cupid said."It'll be interesting to see if a Greek god can pull it off."
I didn't think it through when I invited a Roman god tonight.From what Eloise had told me, the enmity between the Greek and Roman pantheons was still at a simmer even after thousands of years.Hopefully, I wasn't going to regret the invitation.I liked Cupid with my best friend.I didn't want to change that.
I pushed those thoughts to the side and focused on my food instead.The pasta was black, presumably from squid ink, and had been shaped to look like a mussel shell.I appreciated the attention to detail, even if it probably wouldn't add anything to the taste of the dish.
Carefully, I pushed my knife through the shell.The inside was firm and generously filled, though I was glad I only had one of the tortelli on my plate, but that was because I knew there were a lot more courses to come.The menu was expensive, but it was also extensive, and I hoped there would be a lot of delicious seafood to come.
I took a bite, letting an explosion of garlic and white wine, along with the distinct texture that I only ever associated with seafood.It was excellently cooked, and I had to admit that I was impressed.Sometimes, having a celebrity chef meant that there wasn't as much attention actually paid to the food, but that didn't seem to be the case atIl Cavalluccio Marino.
I was looking forward to discovering what Poseidon had in store for us for the rest of the meal.
Chapter2
LAILA
I didn't necessarily love working in the office, but sometimes it was required, particularly when my boss wanted to see me.I hoped she wasn't about to fire me over my review ofIl Cavalluccio Marino.It had been a good one, but I hadn't been entirely uncritical about Poseidon's cooking.
I straightened my blazer and made my way to her office, knocking a couple of times.
"Come in," Caroline called from the other side.
I took a deep breath and held my head up high.I'd told my truth in my review.If that wasn't what my boss wanted of me, then this wasn't the right place for me to be working.My integrity couldn't be bought, and I was going to make sure that she knew that.
She didn't look particularly annoyed to see me as I stepped inside, which was reassuring.Maybe she didn't have a problem with what I'd written about Poseidon's restaurant after all.
"Ah, Laila, it's good to see you.Why don't you take a seat?"She gestured to one of the empty chairs.
"Thanks," I said, sitting down and running a hand over my skirt to make sure it hadn't ridden up, but everything seemed to be in place the way it should be.
"I read your review," she said.
