Mario’s Cucina
Mario, a young, struggling, aspiring chef, wants to open his own Italian restaurant, but steep student loan debt has left him in serious financial trouble. To make ends meet, he would work at a restaurant and take on any other part-time gigs. His fiancée, Ivanna, a recent grad nurse, was becoming desperate. Eventually, her friends and family convinced her to dump him and find herself “a man of status” that she deserved.
Naturally, Mario was distraught and heartbroken. Ivanna was the love of his life. They had been dating for six years. To cope with the loss, Mario turned to vices, which quickly drained his modest bank account. Eventually, after failing to pay three months’ rent, Mario was evicted from his apartment.
To add insult to injury, Mario lost his job at the restaurant and had no choice but to move back in with his parents. The vices continued to plague Mario, and his parents gave him an ultimatum: get rid of your vices, get your life right, or get out of this house.
That was the wake-up call Mario so desperately needed. He joined a rehab community and found another job at a local mom-and-pop restaurant. The pay wasn’t great, but it was a start. To make up for the low wages, he worked as a food delivery driver.
Meanwhile, he would obsessively watch endless YouTube vids on Italian cuisine in his spare time. After months of hard work and a bit of help from his parents, Mario began catering Italian food. He started with small family gatherings of about 15 to 25 people. With time, a little social media magic, and word-of-mouth recommendations, Mario’s business became popular and began catering to celebrities and athletes across the country.
As destiny would have it, Mario would meet Ivanna again, but this time his circumstances had changed. He was no longer the struggling aspiring chef but a prominent figure in the food industry. In fact, many people considered him a celebrity.
A famous athlete and loyal customer had undergone a successful surgery to repair a potentially career-ending injury at the hospital where Ivanna worked. He wanted to show his appreciation by having Mario cater food to the hospital staff.
“Wow, look at you, you’re living your dream!” she exclaimed as Mario and his staff were setting up in the break room. “Yes, I am Ivanna,” he replied confidently. “I can see that you are too,” he added. “Yeah, but I’m no celebrity like you,” she teased. “True,” he replied blankly. “Hey, can we talk?” Ivanna asked. “Not at the moment, I’m serving,” Mario responded. “Yeah, okay. Maybe after?” she asked hopefully. “Sure,” Mario replied drily before returning to work.
The spread was spectacular. Mario and his team brought carpaccio, their signature Seafood Tagliolini, Bistecca alla Fiorentina, and Rigatoni Carbonara. Meanwhile, dessert consisted of Tiramisu and Cannolis. Naturally, the staff was fascinated by the food and asked to take pictures with Mario, to which he happily obliged.
Afterward, Mario and his crew packed up, but before leaving, they headed out to the small balcony that overlooks the city to enjoy the views with a glass of wine. Ivanna joined Mario on the balcony. “Beautiful view, isn’t it?” she says in an effort to break the ice. “I could look out at the city all night.” Mario wasn’t in the mood for small talk. After all, Ivanna broke his heart and left abruptly. So, he made sure Ivanna got the message. He turned his body towards her, leaving Ivanna feeling small by comparison to his vast, imposing frame. He spoke in a firm tone, “Ivanna, for years I dreamed about this moment. How you would come back into my arms and apologize, and I would forgive you. As time passed, however, I realized your decision was final, and my love for you turned into rage,” he continued. “I spiraled, and you didn’t care how it affected me, and now that I am successful, you want to walk back into my life as if nothing happened?”
“I messed up, Mario. I made an impulsive decision,” she cried. “Look, I’ve been thinking about the past and all the great memories, and now seeing you living out your dream, it made me fall in love with you again. I want to start over, as friends,” she added as she gently took his hand. “What do you say?”
“You had your chance, Ivanna, and I’m not interested in giving you a second chance. I’m not in the charity business,” he responded sternly. “Because since you left, I was able to invest in myself and my business. Had you stayed, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.”
“Well, you’re welcome!” Ivanna said, trying to lighten the mood. Mario scoffed. “You know what the sad part is, Ivanna? I loved you wholeheartedly, even though I didn’t have much. I would have given everything for you. But clearly that wasn’t enough. Now look at you! Crawling back pathetically after your little fantasy didn’t work out. You don’t love me, and you sure as shit don’t respect me. All you want is to leech off of me. Please do me a favor and never talk to me again!” he yelled. He gathered his crew and belongings and headed out towards the parking lot.
Ivanna was startled, but she wasn’t about to give up that easily. She followed Mario to the parking lot. “Mario, give me 5 min. I didn’t come to beg and don’t expect you to forgive me; all I wanted to say was that I feel horrible and empty for having left you,” she cried. “Sure, you do,” Mario replied while rolling his eyes. Ivanna proceeded, “I know that I abandoned you and I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I just wanted you to know that I’m proud of you.” “
“Thank you, I’m proud of myself too,” Mario replied coldly. “Now, get out of my way, you’ve done it before, so you already know how.” And he sped off.