AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 7
RILEY
God, I hate this. All night—all week—I’ve done nothing but chop vegetables and make mistakes according to my boss. Chef Taylor is a perfectionist. Which is fine. Her food is amazing because of it but at the expense of her team’s sanity.
“Yes, Chef,” I call out after she barks another order on top of the five she’s already given me.
I swear, even the water boils at her command.
And God forbid she give us any kind of encouragement. We’re filling the last orders of the night and she hasn’t even bothered to announce we’re on the home stretch to rally the troops.
Don’t get me wrong, I knew this would be a harsh, competitive career. I just never expected to hate it quite this much. The constant late hours don’t help either. If I could get a few lunch shifts and a decent night's sleep…
“Clean up.”
“Yes, Chef,” everyone calls out.
My station is spotless when I head to my locker. Every night, the walk to my car is a little bit longer. The stress from work weighing me down more and more.
Turning the corner, Daniel’s shop comes into view.
He’s so lucky. To be his own boss. It was nothing for him to just blow off work to go hiking the other day.
The other day.
I haven’t seen him or sent more than a couple of texts his way for days because work has taken up so much of my time and energy.
I stop standing across the street from his shop.
It’s late but there’s a soft light, probably from the television, glowing in the bank of windows of his apartment.
Is it too late to drop in? The right answer is yes but I know he injured his knee worse than he was willing to let me know and he’s been dealing with that on his own because Julia’s still freezing him out.
Another heavy weight takes residence in my stomach hating that I can’t be there for him.
“Screw it,” I say as I cross the street.
∞∞∞
DANIEL
Who the hell’s that?
I debate ignoring whoever’s knocking on my door after midnight, but mute the television and hobble to the door with the bag of ice still strapped to my knee. It could be Julia. And if so, at this hour, it could be bad.
“I knew it,” Riley says barging in with her finger trained on my knee the second I open the door.
“I’m fine, seriously.”
“Is that what the doctor said?”
I freeze. I haven’t gone to the doctor. There’s no point. They’ll just drug me up and tell me to alternate ice and heat. I hate the drugs and I already have the hot and cold thing covered.
“That’s what I thought. Get your shirt on. I’m taking you to the hospital.”
“Riley.”
She’s already halfway down the hall.
