When the homeless man revealed who he really was, her boss’ face twisted in horror. She watched the smug sneer slide right off his face as the realization dawned on him. He hadn’t just lost his reputation, he had lost everything.
And he knew it. She had never dreamed that a simple act of kindness would have so many consequences.
Traci Bamm from California had big dreams, but they would have to wait. Working long shifts as a waitress was just enough to pay the bills, and she barely had enough time to attend her nighttime classes. Still, today she was thankful for what she had.
After all, her situation could be a lot worse.
Traci noticed a homeless man who had been sitting outside the restaurant she worked at. He’d been there a few days now, and seeing him broke her heart. Maybe it was the way he shared his food with the stray cats and dogs in the alleyway… or the way he always smiled and greeted her when she walked past.
There was something about him that touched her deeply. She wanted to help, but her boss would try to put a stop to that.
Traci worked as a waitress at one of California’s most prestigious restaurants. The chef had two Michelin Stars under his belt and was determined to keep them. He was also the owner. Although his food was excellent, he had an inflated ego, refused to delegate, and micromanaged his staff with an iron fist.
He was the stuff of nightmares. As long as Traci stayed out of his way, it suited her just fine.
She was studying to be a chef.
Although she loved working around food, her job was a means to an end - the experience she was getting in the Michelin Star restaurant was invaluable. But, when she saw the homeless man who had taken up residence outside, working in such a high-end restaurant was also a major source of guilt for Traci.
The restaurant was booming. Rich diners would arrive dressed to the nines and had no qualms about dropping hundreds of dollars for the most lavish meals. Traci couldn’t bear the thought that, while the rich dined out and ordered Champagne, a homeless man slept just a few feet away on the street with an empty belly.
She had to do something.
At first glance, the homeless man looked like any other man who had fallen on hard times. But Traci noticed that he always greeted everyone who passed with a smile and tried to engage with them. The strange thing was, he didn’t ask anyone for money, a job, food, or clothes - he genuinely looked like he just wanted to speak to somebody.
One day, Traci couldn’t ignore her feelings anymore.
More than anything else, Traci wanted to help the homeless man. But she had no money to give him - all of it went to her studies and rent. Since she made and ate most of her meals at the restaurant (a perk of her job), she didn’t even have extra food to give him. But she knew what she wanted to do.
The only problem was her boss - who wouldn’t even permit her to give him food scraps. He could never find out.
Traci wanted her kind gesture to be a labor of love. She couldn’t give him money, but there was one thing that only she could do for him. Since she was an aspiring chef, it made sense to put her skills to use and show the homeless man that someone cared enough to make him a meal.
Getting the ingredients would be the risky part.
Traci planned on borrowing a few ingredients from the restaurant’s stores and replacing them when she got her paycheck. She wanted the homeless man to taste something luxurious… something he had never tasted before. If she was caught stealing before she could replace what she’d taken, she could be fired or arrested.
Her boss wouldn’t even think twice. But now that the idea was firmly in her head, there was no going back.
Traci made sure her boss was preoccupied with a busy lunch service before she enacted her plan. She could hear the frantic clattering of pots and pans as he barked orders and swore at his sous chef. It was now or never. She snuck into the pantry and selected two black truffles, a handful of fresh chanterelle mushrooms, eggs, and a bottle of Marcassin Chardonnay.
She’d probably have to pick up a few more shifts so she could afford to replace them, but it would be worth it. Then, she heard her boss’ voice.
Traci’s heart began to pound out of her chest. Her boss was right outside, and she couldn’t escape. If he saw what she had, it would all be over. She wasn’t even allowed to be in here.
She prepared for the worst - she’d be screamed at, fired on the spot, and possibly hauled to jail for stealing. She was trapped.
Traci’s first instinct was to tuck her ill-gotten goods into her pockets and apron, but the bottle wouldn’t fit. The neck hung out accusingly. Her eyes darted around, looking for somewhere to hide if her boss came in. She tried not to make a sound as she listened to his heavy footsteps.
When she heard him walk away, she almost cried with relief. When she was sure he was gone, she dashed out the door.
Traci hid the expensive ingredients in a bag in her locker for the duration of her shift. When it was finally over, she couldn’t get out of the restaurant fast enough. As she lovingly fried the chanterelle mushrooms and kneaded the pasta dough in her apartment, she couldn’t stop thinking about what the homeless man’s face would look like when she presented him with the meal.
Little did she know, the man hadn’t been entirely truthful to her.
Traci plated up the homemade pasta and shaved the black truffles on top. She got out a crystal wineglass and packed everything neatly in a basket.
Tonight, the homeless man would eat like a king. Her heart fluttered as she rounded the corner, but she was relieved to see that the man was still there.
"I'm Traci," a nervous Traci smiled at the man. This close, she could see that he was of Middle Eastern descent. She thought stealing the ingredients from the restaurant was hard enough. Approaching and talking to him was more challenging.
Still, she'd pressed on. She was too far in to give up now. Little did she know the kind of trouble she was brewing for herself.
The man returned Traci's greeting. But he was more pleasant than she could ever imagine.
He asked her how her night and commute to work that morning were. He even complimented her on her dress, saying she looked like she was about to own whatever the day would throw her way. But behind his smile and compliments was a secret that would shatter Traci's world.
Traci told the man about her experience at the restaurant, stating that she'd seen the man outside for weeks. She couldn't handle the thought of him being alone here, so she wanted to help. She presented her basket and showed the man its contents.
The disbelief in his eyes told her everything she needed to know.
The man couldn't believe what was going on. He asked over and over again if the food was his. When Traci said yes, he dug in, savoring everything she had cooked for him. He started with the wine, taking a whiff from the glass before swirling it around and sipping.
He swooshed it inside his mouth for a few seconds and swallowed. But then he did the unexpected.
The man ate the food in the most refined manner Traci had ever seen. He even wiped his mouth before talking to her, and each word he spoke showed that he was a different man from what he was letting on. The man ate each bite with closed eyes, smiling and grinning.
He complimented Traci's cooking, telling her it had been a while since he tasted such good food. But there was more.
He commented on Traci's ingredients, telling her what she could have used more or less. He even had something to say about her wine pairing, terming it a perfect choice for such a meal. When he was done, Traci packed up everything and hurried into the restaurant.
But as she finished up the rest of her shift, she couldn’t help but think about how different the man was. Her need to help was quickly replaced by a burning curiosity.
Traci finished her shift and got ready to head home. But before doing that, she spent a few minutes asking her colleagues if they knew anything about the homeless man outside. None of her workmates had ever interacted with the man.
Some of them didn’t even know that a homeless man sat across from their place of work. This was disheartening.
With no information forthcoming, Traci counted her losses and let the topic go. Still, she made sure to do another run in the restaurant’s store, grabbing a few supplies for her next masterpiece. Walking out of the restaurant, she found the man sitting in his spot.
With a quick goodbye, she hurried home, ready to start the night.
The night was busy for Traci, who, after reaching her house, took a quick shower and started preparing her meals.
For her dinner, she went with a simple ramen bowl, throwing in her favorite condiments to create the explosive flavor she was going for. After dinner, she cleaned up the kitchen and laid out the ingredients she’d brought from the restaurant.
For Traci’s next project, she wanted to make the ultimate beef wellington with red wine gravy. Laid before her were slices of prosciutto, chestnut mushrooms, beef fillet, floor, eggs, red wine, and olive oil, all of which she’d taken from the restaurant. She grabbed the rest of the needed ingredients, a roasting tray, and a food processor.
She was about to have some fun in her kitchen. If the man ate like a king during the day, she’d ensure he ate like an emperor the following day.
After toiling in the kitchen for hours, Traci finally went to bed. Her apartment was blanketed by the most savory and sweet aroma she’d ever experienced.
She couldn’t wait for the man to taste her food. As before, she packed the food neatly in her basket, including broccolini she’d spent the morning roasting, some parsnip puree, and asparagus.
She spent thirty minutes at her post before going for lunch. With a lovely smile, she carried her basket to the homeless man.
He waved at her as she approached, clearly happy to see her again. He couldn’t believe that she’d brought food for him again. He received it with his smile holding fast and even asked if she could join him this time.
Traci had never thought about eating the meals she made for the man with him. Yet she knew the only thing more heartwarming than cooking for someone was sharing the meal with them. She nodded eagerly, and the man unwrapped the hot food.
He gasped as the sweet aroma hit his nose, eternally thankful for all Traci did for him. But like before, his whole demeanor would change as soon as the food touched his mouth.
The man before Traci was no longer homeless. His mannerisms were completely different, from how he held his cutlery to how he drank from his glass. But although he seemed different, the kindness in his eyes never wavered.
As he had the previous day, he held conversations with Traci that made him question everything she thought she knew about him.
Today, the man asked about Traci’s dreams and aspirations. She told him that she wanted to make food that people would eat and smile. She wanted to bring joy into the world with her cooking. The man said he expected her to say she wanted to become a celebrated chef or something across those lines.
He told her she had what it took to make that dream a reality. So why didn’t she want it?
Traci shared that although most chefs were passionate about food, the fame got to their heads, and they forgot what made them follow that path in the first place. Although she saw nothing wrong with being a celebrated chef, it had never been in her cards. “I’d rather own a food cart that serves everyone at an affordable price than a five-star restaurant that bars people from enjoying the food,” she smiled.
The man couldn’t believe it.
“You are rare, Traci,” he said mid-chew. His lips curled as he swallowed the food. “I have never met someone like you.” Their conversations always went down that path, with Traci surprising the man with her answers and the man smiling before saying she was rare.
As for Traci, she’d spend the rest of the week stealing ingredients and feeding him. But each time she did so, her mind would race with questions.
With each meal Traci offered, the homeless man would show expert prowess in fine dining. Something wasn't adding up. The man's knowledge was more than that of the ordinary Joe. Traci couldn't understand it.
She thanked the man for enjoying her cooking and quickly collected everything when he was done. She was sure he was hiding something from her.
Traci started spending her days wondering who the man was. She couldn't put her finger on it. She replayed everything she'd seen and heard.
Who was the man, and why was he masquerading as homeless? One day, Traci decided she'd question him after her shift. Maybe the man was under the employ of her boss, and she was stealing food to feed him.
Traci raced to the man as soon as her shift was over. "Who are you," she asked with her brows drawn close. She couldn't believe she'd been stealing ingredients for him without knowing who he was. The man smiled, asking her to take a deep breath.
The sun was already setting behind him, lighting the street a deep orange. The man would spill everything.
"I used to be someone important," the man began. "From overseas. I loved life's good things: money, big houses, good food, parties, and fast cars." His smile waned, "But I was sad and miserable.
When you have status, suddenly, you cease being human. Everybody treats you like an object. Everything slowly loses meaning." But that didn't explain why he was living on the street.
"I left everything behind," continued the man. "I donated what I could and moved to America to be this," he patted his rags as if to emphasize the point. "Without anything to my name, power, and status, I could finally feel human again.
Seen." His lips curled, and his glossy eyes shot past Traci as if he was looking back at his past. What he said next left her speechless.
"I have been out in the world for two years," the man shared. "In all that time, you are the only one who's approached me out of her own volition." "More than that, you went out of your way to cook me delicious meals.
And don't think I didn't notice the expensive ingredients you used," he smiled. "I have a proposition."
"Eating your food for the past few days has given me an idea," the man said. "How would you feel about running your own place? A restaurant dedicated to feeding the homeless and needy?" Traci stepped back.
She tilted her head to the side, wondering if any of this was genuinely happening. "I know how outrageous it sounds," the man chuckled. "Can I use your phone, please?"
Traci handed her phone over, and the man Googled something before handing it back. On her screen was a picture of some Middle Eastern oligarch and royalty- a man in his early thirties with the exact likeness of the homeless man before her. "I still have reach back home," he said.
"I could fund your project, help you build, and stand with you until you are strong enough to run independently."
Traci couldn't believe it. The man asked for her phone again and called someone.
Afterward, he bade her goodnight as if he hadn’t just turned her world upside down. Unlike most evenings where Traci would be the one to leave him on the street, the man got up, collected his effects and left a dumbfounded Traci there. What was happening?
Traci couldn’t sleep that night. She couldn’t even cook for the next day’s meal, although she had all her ingredients. As she lay on her bed, two things became clear. She needed to come clean about what she’d been doing to her boss.
She knew she’d be fired or possibly end up in police custody. But that was the consequence of her actions.
She woke up early the next day and hurried to work. But the homeless man was not in his usual spot on the street.
Traci hurried inside and asked if she could speak with her boss. She had already turned in her uniform, knowing being fired would be the least she’d receive for her activities. But something happened before her boss fired her.
Traci’s boss was fuming when he heard what she’d been doing. He was about to fire her when a convoy of expensive SUVs pulled into the restaurant’s driveway. A solemn quietness took over the restaurant, with everyone’s eyes glued to the vehicles.
Traci already knew what was happening, but she couldn’t believe it.
The homeless man walked out of one of the vehicles. He was clean and sharply dressed, surrounded by bodyguards and women dressed in suits. He asked for Traci by name, saying, “Come help me spread kindness to the world.” Traci’s boss’ mouth fell open as Traci walked away with the man.
She called a few of her close workmates, and each dropped what they were doing to join her. Disclaimer: To protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.