"You're late." Maxwell didn't even bother looking up from the new menu. He already knew exactly who it was that was showing up two minutes late to the staff meeting. Elise, the new girl. She had come well recommended and was the next of his financier so he couldn't exactly fire her. But that didn't mean he had to like her either.

"Miss Yi, will you please explain to the new girl" he said the words like he had just tasted a bad risotto. Not even bothering to acknowledge her by name. "Why we can't be showing up, fucking LATE, to the prep meeting before we open!"

He had raised his voice now. Karine Yi had worked under Maxwell as a server for six months now. Long enough to know that when the boss yelled, things were ok. It's when he got quiet that things got scary. "Because our menu is a grazing course created from what ingredients are at the peak of season and changes weekly, chef." The last word meant something to her. Maxwell was easily ten years her senior, but he was up and coming in the city's vibrant culinary world and she was determined to make him take her with him on the way up.

"And?" He asked, his icey blue eyes lighting up from the scratches and stained notepad he always carried in his pocket. His eyes looked tired, but focused. The calm in the eye of a hurricane. Rushing rapids under crystal clear ice. When their eyes met from across the small kitchen prep table, that ice seemed to thaw, just a little.

"Because we're going to get a star... chef." Yi replied.

"Fuckin-A we are." Maxwell replied with just the slightest curve of his lips and flash of white teeth beneath. That's what passed for a smile from the intense head chef of Mast.

The rest of the meeting went on without incident. Chef Maxwell went over what he expected of his crew, Chuck, the incredibly outgoing Head of staff went over front of house expectations for the night and the rest of the week. The restaurant was small and the crew was tight knit. They had to be. What they were trying to pull off was unheard of and they were staring to build a following.

That night, in-between the 7 PM service and the flip to the 8:30 PM reservations, Karine Yi found Maxwell out back, smoking a cheap, filter less cigarette in the alleyway behind the kitchen. "I thought you were going to stop smoking those." She said. "For me, right?"

Max looked up, clearly deep in thought. His eyes went from his hostess, to the lit ember burning away at the end of a tube of white paper and sour smelling tobacco. "Jesus." He swore with a quiet laugh. "You know, I didn't even realize I was smoking. Just came out here for some air and guess I was running on instinct."

She took a few steps closer and ran her hand down along his. Maxwell had big, strong hands compared to her slender, perfectly manicured fingers and nails. She lifted his hand up to her face, so that the end of the smoke faced her gorgeous face. She closed her eyes and took one, long drag from his cigarette, before letting the smoke curl out past rose colored lips. "That's probably enough thinking. You've got a star to earn and the ship needs it's captain." She gave him a wink, before turning around and walking back towards the front of Mast. The soft click click click of her expensive heels echoed in the alleyway.

"Hey!" Maxwell called, his eyes focused on the younger woman's ass as she walked away from him. "You know I'm gonna make you pay for that, right?" He laughed and tossed the cigarette to the pavement before stomping the cherry out with his thick shoe. He was not surprised by his slight erection, but did his best to hide it as he walked back into the controlled chaos of an upscale kitchen.

Thank you for reading! I am looking for a partner to join me in the kitchen! A fast-paced and extremely driven crew trying to reach the pinnacle of success, a Michelin Star, even if it drives them all to desperation in the process. (And yes, before you ask, I might be watching the Bear season 3 which is where I got the idea).

I will play Chef Maxwell, a handsome silver-fox in his mid to late thirties who is driven and determined to achieve his dream no matter the cost. He's going to be dominant, a bit of an ass, a flirt, a tease, and a hell of a lover in bed (or the walk-in, or the pastry cart, or the beat up delivery car out back, etc.)

Who you are is up to you. Feel free to pick an established character above or we can create someone brand new. I'm more than happy to adjust/rewrite the intro for a skilled and willing writer. Please drop me a chat and we can discuss kinks/limits, your character and any other little world-building elements. I prefer to RP through DMs or Discord.

Thank you for reading!