Matt: Are you a virgin?
Mia: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Matt: I’ll take that as a no.
Mia: Wait, I’m not done. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Mia: You’re adorable. No, I’m not.
Matt: Can you keep a secret?
Mia: My lips are sealed.
Matt: Apparently Rosie and I both are, but I’ve done some more … stuff. And if our next date goes that way, which I’m really hoping it does, I need some advice.
Mia: I see… Wouldn’t you rather talk to a guy about this?
Matt: I can’t talk to Jake because he’ll tell Olivia. And I can’t talk to anyone from work because they’re all friends with the guy that was hitting on Rosie. I don’t think our experience level is anyone else’s business, but I know the first time can hurt for women and I don’t want to hurt her. Is there any way to avoid it?
Mia: Ah, gotcha. I can give you some tips for how to lessen it considerably. Get your notebook and let’s start class.
A loud string of French words flew from the kitchen for the fifth time that day. And the dinner hour had only barely begun. Matt sighed and Bruce laid his head on the desk.
“I swear, working with that chef was both my best and worst move. He’s amazing at what he does, but he holds everyone else to such high standards. It’s a recipe for drama. But I can’t fire him.”
“Why not? He’s creating a hostile work environment.” That term had been beaten into his head in his ethics class. Employers could no longer get away with mistreating employees like they used to, which was a good thing in Matt’s mind. It just made sense to him that happy employees made for a smooth-running business, no matter the industry. And he was out of patience for the bully known as Chef Alphonse.
“He’s part owner of the restaurant. I’d have to buy him out. This has been his baby ever since …” Bruce’s voice trailed off.
“Ever since what?”
“Don’t ask. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
Matt furrowed his brows. Whatever it was, it was personal. But he couldn’t stand here and let Alphonse berate another member of the staff. When he managed a restaurant, he’d have to get between coworkers arguing as a manager. At least here he was an intern and could intervene without consequence.
Squaring his shoulders, Matt moved into the hallway.
“I wouldn’t get in the middle of that, if I were you.”
Matt looked back over his shoulder. “If we can hear him back here, so can the customers. We need to dosomething.”
Just then the phone rang. “Alright, good luck. I gotta take this.”
Matt left Bruce and made his way down the hall to the kitchen. Taking a deep breath, he burst through the double doors as Chef was in the middle of another tirade. It had the effect he wanted, stopping Alphonse mid-sentence.
“Bruce and I can hear you all the way in the office. What is the problem?”
Alphonse drew himself up to his full height of five foot six and puffed out his chest. “Thiscornichonovercooked another steak! This is the second steak this week we have had sent back to the kitchen.”
“Well, maybe you could keep it down, so you don’tdrive all the business away?”
Alphonse’s face turned red. “How dare you, little boy! You don’t even really work here! You’re just a student.”
“It doesn’t take a degree in hospitality to understand the meaning of the word. Those Michelin stars won’t mean a thing if the atmosphere reminds people of an episode ofHell’s Kitchen.” Matt crossed his arms over his chest. He didn’t know where this assertiveness had come from, but he liked it. “And I learned in myclassesthat employees who feel comfortable in theirwork environmentstatistically do betterwork. So maybe knock off the attitude and you won’t have so many steaks to re-cook, huh?” The sous chef next to him breathed a sigh of relief. Matt got a good look at him for the first time, since he wasn’t hiding behind the counter. The kid didn’t look any older than he was.
Alphonse sputtered, then deflated. “I am cooking this steak myself,” he declared, then stomped off back to the kitchen.
“I’m gonna go take a smoke break,” the young sous chef responded. “Do you smoke?”
