Sadly no shippy goodness to be had, but...
anonymous
February 26 2011, 06:17:02 UTC
Ratatouille on a Wednesday night was a pleasant place to be. The place was mostly full, but there were always three or four empty tables. The murmur of conversation didn’t overpower the gentle French songs that played while everyone dined. And of course, there was an overwhelming aroma of Remy’s luscious dishes.
Linguini loved these nights. They gave him enough work to keep him from hanging out in the kitchen bugging Remy and Colette, but not so much work that his skates felt like they would burst into flames. He glided to and fro through the restaurant, handing out menus, serving food, and in one particularly epic instance speeding over to a table and catching a full wine glass as it fell over and nearly hit the floor.
Now, he was serving his latest arrivals, a pair of American tourists and their daughter.
“And what will you be having, sir?”
“I’d like the Carpaccio de Boeuf, please.”
“And you, ma’am?”
“Are the scallops fresh?”
“Everything here is fresh, ma’am.”
“Then I’ll have those gratinéed, if you please”
Linguini noted this, then turned and bent down to the girl.
“And what would you like, miss?”
She was as cute as a button, with short brown hair and big brown eyes. She had been dressed up for the restaurant in a pretty black velvet dress, white stockings and black shoes. But what interested Linguini the most was what the girl had in her lap.
Sitting there, its own lap covered by the little girl’s napkin, was a smiling cowboy doll. He was somewhat faded in color, and his arm had been torn and repaired, but the little girl obviously loved him despite the wear and tear. Linguini smiled when he realized she had dressed up the doll for the big night out, pinning a plastic bow-shaped barrette onto his bandana as a makeshift bowtie.
She was now studying the menu with a very serious look, before delivering her pronouncement
“I would like some weinerschnitzel please.”
Linguini blinked.
“It’s a little quirk she’s picked up,” her mother said hastily. “She just knows the word and that it’s a food, and she likes the sound so much she tries to order it whenever she can.”
“Oh.” He now crouched down, eye to eye with her. “We don’t have weinerschnitzel, but we have diots. They’re a little like weinerschnitzel and they’re very tasty. Would you like to try those instead?”
The girl thought for a moment, then nodded her head. Linguini wrote down her order and began to get up.
“Wait!” The girl suddenly said. “Woody has to order too!”
“Bonnie-”
“No, no, it’s all right.” Linguini said to the increasingly exasperated mother. He took out his paper and pencil again, and prepared to write. “What would Woody like to order?”
Bonnie held the doll up to her ear and listened intently. “He would like diots too. With jelly beans.”
“All right. I’ll tell the chef to make them, special order.”
Bonnie smiled, and held the doll close.
“Bonnie, what do you say?” Her mother said next to her.
“Thank you.” She held the doll to her ear again. “Woody says thank you too. And that he likes your skates.”
“You’re very welcome, and tell Woody that I like his hat.” Bonnie giggled.
Linguini skated away from the table and through the kitchen doors, where Colette and Remy were bustling here and there. Remy was on a shelf over a large pot with a clear lid, watching the progress of some boiling lobsters, while Colette sautéed onions.
“I’ve got a Carpaccio de Boeuf, scallops au gratinee, and a small order of diots and potatos.” Linguini pinned up the paper, then paused.
“Do you think you could put together a little dish of diots and jellybeans?”
Remy looked up at Linguini, “What the fuck?” written all over his face. Colette turned too, one eyebrow raised.
“I suppose we could, if you have time to run down to the corner store to get jelly beans.”
Linguini gave a quick look to the window into the restaurant. Nobody was coming in, nobody was going out…if he gunned it he could make it.
“Be right back.” He sped through the kitchen, down the back steps and out into the street.
Linguini loved these nights. They gave him enough work to keep him from hanging out in the kitchen bugging Remy and Colette, but not so much work that his skates felt like they would burst into flames. He glided to and fro through the restaurant, handing out menus, serving food, and in one particularly epic instance speeding over to a table and catching a full wine glass as it fell over and nearly hit the floor.
Now, he was serving his latest arrivals, a pair of American tourists and their daughter.
“And what will you be having, sir?”
“I’d like the Carpaccio de Boeuf, please.”
“And you, ma’am?”
“Are the scallops fresh?”
“Everything here is fresh, ma’am.”
“Then I’ll have those gratinéed, if you please”
Linguini noted this, then turned and bent down to the girl.
“And what would you like, miss?”
She was as cute as a button, with short brown hair and big brown eyes. She had been dressed up for the restaurant in a pretty black velvet dress, white stockings and black shoes. But what interested Linguini the most was what the girl had in her lap.
Sitting there, its own lap covered by the little girl’s napkin, was a smiling cowboy doll. He was somewhat faded in color, and his arm had been torn and repaired, but the little girl obviously loved him despite the wear and tear. Linguini smiled when he realized she had dressed up the doll for the big night out, pinning a plastic bow-shaped barrette onto his bandana as a makeshift bowtie.
She was now studying the menu with a very serious look, before delivering her pronouncement
“I would like some weinerschnitzel please.”
Linguini blinked.
“It’s a little quirk she’s picked up,” her mother said hastily. “She just knows the word and that it’s a food, and she likes the sound so much she tries to order it whenever she can.”
“Oh.” He now crouched down, eye to eye with her. “We don’t have weinerschnitzel, but we have diots. They’re a little like weinerschnitzel and they’re very tasty. Would you like to try those instead?”
The girl thought for a moment, then nodded her head. Linguini wrote down her order and began to get up.
“Wait!” The girl suddenly said. “Woody has to order too!”
“Bonnie-”
“No, no, it’s all right.” Linguini said to the increasingly exasperated mother. He took out his paper and pencil again, and prepared to write. “What would Woody like to order?”
Bonnie held the doll up to her ear and listened intently. “He would like diots too. With jelly beans.”
“All right. I’ll tell the chef to make them, special order.”
Bonnie smiled, and held the doll close.
“Bonnie, what do you say?” Her mother said next to her.
“Thank you.” She held the doll to her ear again. “Woody says thank you too. And that he likes your skates.”
“You’re very welcome, and tell Woody that I like his hat.” Bonnie giggled.
Linguini skated away from the table and through the kitchen doors, where Colette and Remy were bustling here and there. Remy was on a shelf over a large pot with a clear lid, watching the progress of some boiling lobsters, while Colette sautéed onions.
“I’ve got a Carpaccio de Boeuf, scallops au gratinee, and a small order of diots and potatos.” Linguini pinned up the paper, then paused.
“Do you think you could put together a little dish of diots and jellybeans?”
Remy looked up at Linguini, “What the fuck?” written all over his face. Colette turned too, one eyebrow raised.
“I suppose we could, if you have time to run down to the corner store to get jelly beans.”
Linguini gave a quick look to the window into the restaurant. Nobody was coming in, nobody was going out…if he gunned it he could make it.
“Be right back.” He sped through the kitchen, down the back steps and out into the street.
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I love this even without the shippyness. Very very cute! Love that Linguini actually put an order in for Jellybeans!
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