CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Claire
When I arrive at work the next day, Laurence is already there with Kate, Clarke, and a few other of the remaining staff. He has a newspaper in his hands opened to the food and culture section. Clarke is on her phone, scrolling through her InstaFeed. They seem captivated, but I can’t tell if they’re reading up on bad news or good. Their faces are blank, which leaves me unable to decipher the atmosphere of the room. My stomach has been one giant knot since the kitchen closed last night and I pray desperately to hear some good news.
“Hey,” I greet.
Laurence turns to me and smiles. It’s not a huge smile like he has something excellent to inform me about, which definitely doesn’t help my nerves. “Hey, you,” he says.
I join the tiny group around the kitchen counter. Everyone is silent when I park my spot next to Laurence. I chew at the inside of my cheek. The silence is killing me.
“Well?” I urge, voice betraying just how anxious I am.
I look over at Laurence, but he gives me nothing. I look at Kate, whose face is blank. I turn to Clarke last, who seems to be struggling to keep a straight face. I concentrate my attention on her, knowing that she’ll probably be the first to crack. I fold my arms in front of my chest, preparing for the worst but hoping for the best. “Clarke?” I say with a raised eyebrow.
She bursts out laughing, bright and bubbly. The smile reaches her eyes, crinkling the corners. “I’m sorry,” she howls. “I couldn’t keep it in.”
“Dammit, Clarke,” sighs Laurence. “We had her going.”
“That lasted for a good thirty seconds,” comments Kate with a grin.
“What?” I snap. “What happened? What did they say?”
Clarke turns her phone towards me so that I can see the screen. Her entire feed is filled with pictures of my dishes, colorful and gorgeous. The one image that my eyes land on has over a hundred thousand likes. My mind doesn’t register the number right away. In fact, my brain shuts down for a second, forgetting the exact significance of the number. There are thousands of comments on every post.
That looks delicious! Where can I get it?
Give me all the food! #nomnom
Wowwww! I’m so jealous!
Click this link to meet with sexy locals in your area! #follow4follow
Get in mah bellyyyyyy! #finedining
“They loved it,” she squeals. “Your food is the talk of the town!”
“We’re booked solid for the next two weeks,” informs Kate. “I haven’t been able to get off the phone all day.”
I’m dumfounded. Shocked. No words come to mind. My heart is racing at the excitement that threatens to drown me. “Are you for real?” is all I’m able to manage.
Laurence clears his throat, reading off of the page. “‘I went in with relatively high expectations, but found myself completely blown away by the truly impressive and delectable menu. I would highly recommend the Royale to any one looking for a fabulous night out.’”
“Who wrote that?” I inquire.
Laurence smirks. “Vincent Arden.”
A laugh erupts from the pits of my stomach. I can’t contain my giddy confusion. This is good news. Such good news that I don’t really know what to make of it.
Kate claps her hands. “Let’s get to work quickly. We’re going to be slammed all night.”
“Yes,” agrees Laurence. “We’ll stick with Claire’s special event menu for now. I don’t want us to get overwhelmed with cooking the full menu.”
“I’m already in the process of hiring new staff,” says Kate with a nod. “We should be up and running like we were before in no time.”
The kitchen roars to life with an electric excitement that I haven’t seen in over a year. We get busy with the evening’s mise. I can hear the sharpening of steel knives on whetstones, the gentle hum of hood fans, the clinking of plates and glassware. I pull on my apron, tying it firmly behind me in a bow. It’s time to get to work.
***
Laurence
We don’t end up closing the restaurant until almost two in the morning. We’re all thoroughly exhausted by the time the last chit is printed. It was nonstop the entire night, not that I’m complaining. This has been the busiest the Royale has been in a long time. A wonderful sense of pride blooms from my chest whenever I looked over to see Claire, working hard and utterly dedicated to her craft. My feet are sore from standing so long, running back and forth between stations to make sure that all my chefs have what they need.
But when it’s over, I find myself in the dish pit. I don’t even remember my feet carrying me here. I guess I must be on autopilot. I’m halfway through filling the sink with soapy warm water when I catch the familiar whiff of raspberry shampoo next to me. Claire silently takes her place beside me, busy placing scrubbed dishes onto the rack to be put through the sanitizer. There’s a small, content smile on her face. She’s quietly humming to herself, her voice sweet and melodic. I could listen to her all day.
My fingers are pruned by the time we finish the dishes. I take it that once Kate hires some more staff, we won’t be relegated to dish duty anymore. Claire wipes at her brow with the back of her sleeve, standing an inch away. She’s close enough that I can feel her warmth radiating off of her body. I let the sink drain and turn to her, leaning down to whisper in her ear.
“How tired are you?” I ask her.
She grins at me, an eyebrow raised. “What did you have in mind?”
I take her hand and kiss her knuckles. I never want to be without her.
“I still haven’t taken you out on a proper date,” I say softly.
“Well, what’s stopping you?” she challenges playfully.
I smile as I kiss her, sucking gently on her bottom lip. God, I love the way she feels. I guide her towards the exit, making sure to switch off the kitchen lights and locking the door to the restaurant behind me. My car’s waiting outside in the parking lot. I fish around for my keys in my pants pocket and unlock the door. We both get in, shutting the car doors softly as we strap ourselves in.
“Where to?” she asks me.
“It’s a surprise,” I chuckle and give her a wink. I insert the keys into the ignition and twist, listening to the engine rumble to life. The night sky is clear, the faint twinkling of stars barely visible. It’s the perfect opportunity to take her on that picnic. Save for the fact that I don’t have any food with me, but I’m sure the view will more than make up for that.
We drive for a good thirty minutes in silence. It’s not an uncomfortable one. In fact, after the long and noisy day we’ve had, it’s almost a relief. A part of me is absolutely ecstatic to even be in her presence. We don’t have to fill the quiet with words. We’re just happy to be here, listening to the same rush of wind over the hood of the car, listening to the gentle tunes from the radio. It’s some pop song, but I’ve got the volume on low. Claire doesn’t seem to mind.
We arrive at the park, but I take a left instead of heading straight to the parking lot. Claire shoots me a confused look, but doesn’t say anything. I follow the gravel service path up a hill that overlooks the entirety of the park. I stop the car and turn off the engine, glancing at the glimmering lights of the surrounding city. When I turn to see Claire’s reaction, it’s everything I had hoped it would be.
Her eyes are wide, lips parted slightly in stunned silence. There’s a faint smile on her lips when she says, “It’s beautiful here.”
“Come on,” I tell her. “It’s even prettier outside.”
We get out of the car together. I quickly make my way around the vehicle to the trunk and pull out a few blankets. I return to Claire at the hood and place a few of the blankets down. I tap the hood of the car, signaling to her that it’s alright to hop on with me. The engine’s still warm, which is perfect against the chilly night air. Claire cuddles close to me, a palm pressed flat against my chest as I wrap an extra blanket around the both of us.
The stars are much clearer up here, away from the light pollution down below. I can’t hear the busy city nightlife. I can only hear the wind whistling through the surrounding trees, rustling loose leaves on their branches. There are crickets out, happily singing their songs. The moon isn’t anywhere to be seen, probably hiding behind one of the massive skyscrapers along the horizon, but the warm glow of the city more than makes up for it.
“I’m proud of you,” I whisper. And I am. I really, truly am.
“I couldn’t have done it with out you,” she tells me. She feels so warm and wonderful against me. My aching feet are completely forgotten. The only thing on my mind is her, and that’s the only way I want it to be from now on. We observe the city from up on the hill, enjoying the silence and each other’s company. Forget about the Royale, forget about the stresses of work. This is all I’ll ever need.
She’s all I’ll ever need.