"Another order!" Megan called out as she stormed into the kitchen and clipped the ticket to the spinning wheel hanging from the ceiling.
In a split second, Tiana was on the other side of the counter, grabbing the meal ticket and reading it aloud, "Table five, one steak dinner, one salmon dinner, two orders of cider and monkey bread, and a Caesar salad."
"One steak, salmon, two orders of cider, and bread with a Caesar salad," I repeated as I walked over with a Lobster Mille-Feuille that I placed on a serving platter already laden with several other dishes and sides, "Walking 13."
"Walking 13," Megan echoed as she picked up the tray and walked right back out the kitchen door, letting the soft muttering of the dining room sweep into the kitchen for a brief moment.
But when the door closed, the roar of the fire and the sizzling of meat on the grill took over, shattering the brief lull in the constant, ever-growing list of tasks that needed to be done with an almost unrealistic level of accuracy.
But I was happy to say that having Tiana working alongside me in the kitchen. It had taken a few orders for her to really get into the swing of things, but now she was in the zone, using every spare second to anticipate something before it could become an issue: cleaning off her workstation so she didn't have to sort through clutter, tossing another log into the hearth so the flames stayed hot, and a countless other tasks.
That was the true challenge of working in the kitchen: keeping track of countless little things that needed to be kept in proper order to maintain efficiency. If one piece of the puzzle falls out of place, it sets off a chain of events that can butterfly into a catastrophe.
So having a second set of eyes to keep track of things was invaluable and took some of the constant pressure off me.
"How are we feeling, Tiana?" I asked as I manned the hearth and grill, flipping steaks while I harshly charred some greens, "Is it everything you imagined it to be?"
"It's a bit different from cooking in my momma's kitchen, that's for sure," Tiana answered, slightly stressed as she quickly checked the oven that was at maximum capacity with bundt cake pans slowly inflating as the pieces of dough coated in sugar rose and clumped together, creating a caramelized toffee coating.
"You aren't regretting it, are you?" I asked somewhat teasingly.
"Not in the slightest," Tiana replied without hesitation, "This is where I was born to be, and I'm not about to give it up after spending my whole life working for it just because things are getting a little hectic."
I couldn't help but be a little bit inspired by Tiana's words and her determination, "Keep up that attitude, and you just might make it through the night. Oh, make sure that lobster is done poaching."
With another task jumping onto the docket, the brief moment of conversation passed, and soon there wasn't any more room for words as the demands of the kitchen took back over.
---
"And the house is closed," Meg announced, and she was met with a collective sigh of relief from Tiana and I as, for the first time that night, we were able to relax.
"I never thought anything could drain me more than waiting tables and dealing with hungry customers," Tiana muttered as she leaned against the counter, "But right now I feel like I'm about ready to pass out and sleep through the rest of the week."
"Well, you can do that, but I'm afraid that would mean I can't offer you the job," I replied, watching as Tiana's exhaustion vanished, replaced by shock and awe. "I got the job?!"
"Yes, you did. Though I suggested you sleep on it for a day and really think it over," I advised, only for Tiana to shake her head, "I don't need to think it over, this is what I want, it's basically my dream job!"
"Owning your own restaurant is your dream job, so you need to think about what you can get out of this job to help you work towards that goal. " We haven't even discussed pay or hours," I said, crossing my arms. "So take the night and really think this opportunity over."
After a second, Tiana seemed to find the wisdom in my advice and nodded, "Alright then, I'll think it through and come back tomorrow with my answer."
"Good, I look forward to seeing you then," I bid Tiana farewell and watched her leave the kitchen, though she paused by the door to look back at me, "Thank you for taking a chance on me, I won't ever forget this."
Then, without another word, Tiana was gone, and suddenly the kitchen felt a little lifeless. While there hadn't been many words spoken or jokes exchanged between the two of us, just having someone else to labour and cooperate with lessened the mental toll significantly.
'I probably could have saved myself a lot of short-term headaches if I had looked for help earlier on.'
I could only shake my head, dismissing the regretful thoughts that served me no good to dwell on. 'Later is better than never, and I don't think I could have asked for a better sous chef than Tiana. With a bit of technical training, she can easily become a professional chef. I should also give her a bit of room to make some new menu items.'
While it might have seemed a bit odd for me to be so invested in Tiana after having just met her, I honestly wanted her to succeed and give her the chance to do so.
'It doesn't just have to be my paradise, I should spread the love a little,' I gave myself a mental pat on the back as I got ready to start closing the kitchen. Though before I could, I heard the door slam open behind me.
I spun around, not knowing what to expect, only to find Patty standing in the doorway.
I opened my mouth, ready to ask her what the problem was, when I took note of what she was wearing.
'Dear god,' In an instant, all my weariness and fatigue vanished as my eyes roamed up and down Patty's figure.
Her long legs were clad in black fishnet stockings that bit into her pale flesh, which matched the black pencil skirt wrapped around her broad hips and heart-shaped ass.
Patty's shirt was a plain white button-down with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, but she had styled it in an eye-catching way, leaving the top half unbuttoned to reveal her full chest clad in a lacy black bra.
But that wasn't where Patty's eye for detail ended; she had put on a decent amount of makeup, with blush on her cheeks, dusky shadow under her green eyes, and glossy apple-red lipstick that glistened in the light.
"Well, this is unexpected," I muttered, still very much dazed as I drank in Patty's appearance, "But very much welcomed."
Instead of answering, Patty stormed over to me with her black dress heels clicking against the tile floor. For a second, I wondered if I should brace for impact, but instead of a punch, Patty threw her arms around my neck and pulled her body against mine.
My hands moved on instinct, coming down to grab Patty's ass as the smell of her infiltrated and took over my senses—a sweet, simple citrus made up of countless complex notes that I couldn't name, but would die to discover just one of them.
It was the perfect scent to represent Patty's personality: so simple on the surface, yet with hidden depths she hardly revealed.
Patty gazed up at me expectantly, searching my eyes for my reaction, and I didn't bother to hide that her blatant seduction was working like a charm, "Do you find me attractive?"
I blinked and wondered how Patty could ask such a question when her body was pressing against the growing bulge in my pants. "I think the answer is blatantly clear."
"Then why don't you pay attention to me?" Patty asked as her hands tightened around my neck, "Why aren't you constantly dragging me into your bed and putting your hands on my body. You treat Meg like she's irresistible, but I've never gotten a moment alone with you."
Patty's voice was heavy with pent-up emotions and need as she started to grind her body against mine, "I want you to treat me like you do her, I want you to love me, I want you to fuck me!"
Now that the cork had been unplugged there was no stopping the flood of wanton desire from pouring out of Patty. Each word caused her scent to grow in intensity until it was practically filling the entire kitchen quickly chipping away at my self control until there was nothing left.
"You want what I have with Megan," I stated and Patty nodded without hesitation, "More than anything! I'll do anything to have it!"
"That's all I need to hear," I leaned down and whisphered in Patty's ear as my body started to morph and transform.