The Food Critic
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Desperate to clinch a great review, sassy restaurant boss Donna discovers just how far she’s prepared to go to get what she wants. |
My first ever story in print was picked up by the Virgin Books imprint Black Lace — sadly no longer publishing erotica.
The story was included in a special Wicked Words anthology entitled Sex in the Kitchen, and it's still available for download as an e-book or in the original 2006 paperback print version at Amazon. Just click here.
The Food Critic has recently been filmed as an independent short film production under the title On A Plate.
Synopsis
The world of the restaurateur is a cutthroat business at the best of times. Donna may be strong, stylish and single-minded, but she’s under no illusions about the struggle she faces to get her newly-opened place on the map.
She’s got the food covered, thanks to her top Italian chef. She’s nailed the ambience, courtesy of a small fortune spent on fixtures and fittings. Quality of service shouldn’t be an issue after the drilling she’s put her staff through.
So what could be more appealing than a stunning review in one of the better guides to good eating in the capital?
When Donna identifies lone diner Mr Porter as just such a food critic, she watches in dumbstruck horror as clumsy waitress Harriet threatens to derail the entire operation. The incident with the soup spoon looks set to escalate when Harriet’s attempt at a subtle clean-up turns a spot into a smear. And when Donna intervenes to take personal charge of the important customer, her own private skirmish with a hostile white blouse plunges her still deeper into misery.
With the odds now firmly stacked against her, Donna takes decisive action — and surprises herself with the lengths to which she’ll go to keep her man happy.
But this sexy and sassy short story isn’t just a comedy of ethics: it has a glint in its eye and a gleeful twist in the tail.
She’s got the food covered, thanks to her top Italian chef. She’s nailed the ambience, courtesy of a small fortune spent on fixtures and fittings. Quality of service shouldn’t be an issue after the drilling she’s put her staff through.
So what could be more appealing than a stunning review in one of the better guides to good eating in the capital?
When Donna identifies lone diner Mr Porter as just such a food critic, she watches in dumbstruck horror as clumsy waitress Harriet threatens to derail the entire operation. The incident with the soup spoon looks set to escalate when Harriet’s attempt at a subtle clean-up turns a spot into a smear. And when Donna intervenes to take personal charge of the important customer, her own private skirmish with a hostile white blouse plunges her still deeper into misery.
With the odds now firmly stacked against her, Donna takes decisive action — and surprises herself with the lengths to which she’ll go to keep her man happy.
But this sexy and sassy short story isn’t just a comedy of ethics: it has a glint in its eye and a gleeful twist in the tail.
