THE CEO AND THE COCONUT HUSK
Kei didn't wait for an explanation. She threw her car into gear and roared away from Sterling Hospital, her vision blurring with hot, stinging jealousy. Every time she blinked, she saw those vibrant sunflowers clashing against the soft, garlic-scented memory of their lunch.
She drove aimlessly until a flickering neon sign and a plume of savory smoke caught her eye. She slammed on the brakes, parked her luxury car haphazardly at the curb, and marched toward the street vendor's tent.
As she stepped inside, a wall of thick, charcoal smoke greeted her. It was loud, cramped and smelled of grilled meat and cheap spirits, a world away from her silent sterile boardroom. She bee lined for a stool in the corner, right next to the elderly woman running the grill.
"Beer," Kei commanded, her voice sharp. "And keep them coming."
THE GREAT DEBATE
Three bottles later, Kei's "Iron Queen" persona had melted into a messy, pouting puddle. She leaned over the counter, peering intensely at the owner.
"Grandma," Kei slurred, pointing a finger at her own face. "Be honest. Who is more handsome? Me... or Leo?"
The owner paused, a pair of metal tongs frozen in mid-air. She looked at Kei's expensive clothes, then at her flushed, drunken face. Who on earth is Leo? she wondered. But seeing the fire in the woman's eyes, she gave a quick, practiced nod.
"You, of course," the owner said, deciding it was best to just go along with it.
Kei slammed her hand on the table, satisfied for exactly two seconds before her face fell again. "Then answer this, what do you prefer? Garlic shrimp... or a sunflower?"
The owner hesitated. She looked at the smoke-filled room, then back at the scary, beautiful drunk woman. "A... sunflower?" she whispered.
Ha?! kei said
Kei's expression darkened instantly. Her brows knit together in a look of pure, heartbroken betrayal. Sensing a disaster, the owner immediately waved her hands.
"No! No! I meant garlic shrimp! Definitely the shrimp! Sunflowers are just... yellow sticks!"
Kei's face transformed. A bright, victorious smile broke across her lips, and she let out a hum of approval. The owner let out a long sigh of relief, wiping sweat from her forehead.
THE GUEST CHEF
Suddenly, a rush of customers flooded the tent. Five, ten, then fifteen people piled in, all shouting for orders. The owner looked panicked; she was short-staffed and falling behind.
Kei stood up, wobbling slightly but looking determined. "I'll do it. I'll cook."
The owner looked at Kei's silk sleeves and white cuffs. "Oh, no, no, dear. You're... you've had a lot to drink. Just sit...."
Kei gave her a look the "Believe in Me" look she used when closing multi-million dollar deals. It was so intense that the owner had no choice but to hand over the spatula.
To everyone's shock, the drunk CEO was a natural. Despite the swaying and the occasional hiccup, she moved with "executive precision." She tossed noodles, seasoned the meat perfectly, and plated the food like it was going to be served at a five-star gala.
"This is amazing!" a customer shouted, mouth full of spicy pork.
"Best meal I've had here in years!" another cheered.
THE MASTERPIECE
An hour passed. The rush died down and the moon was high in the sky. Kei returned to her corner stool, exhausted but still fueled by spite and beer.
The owner sat beside her, genuinely curious now. "I've been thinking... I'm really curious. What does this 'Leo the Villain' actually look like? He must be a monster to make you this upset."
Kei narrowed her eyes. "You want to see him? I'll show you the monster."
She demanded a pen and a piece of paper. The owner scrambled to find a receipt and a ballpoint pen. Kei gripped the pen like a weapon and began to draw with extreme focus.
A minute later, she slid the paper across the counter.
The owner leaned in, expecting a sketch of a dark, brooding man. Instead, she saw a stick figure with a giant, lumpy circle for a head textured with lines to look like a coconut husk. It had two perfectly round eyes, a single line for a nose and tiny, thin eyebrows.
"It looks exactly like this," Kei said, dead serious. "A coconut-headed Stick."
The owner stared at the stick man, then at the CEO of one of the country's biggest companies. She burst out laughing, shaking her head.
What did I expect from this idiot? the owner thought, tucking the "portrait" of Leo away as Kei still mumbling about the shrimp.
After a few hours, kei was so drunk that she pull out her phone, she was gonna call fay, but when she look at her phone there's no number of fay there, she forgot to asked fay for her number. She tried to call for her assistant but her assistant is not answering, so she scroll down and found Nina number.