The Business of Revenge

A Proposition

"FIRE! ANDREA THERE'S A FIRE!" Tobias' shrill voice sounded from the kitchen, and I almost dropped the plates I was precariously balancing on my arms. With a wild look in his eyes, he ran into the front room not caring that he was scaring the living daylights out of the customers, who had increasingly concerned looks on their faces.

It just had to be the day I was left in charge that Tobias would set the place ablaze.

I rushed into the kitchen, quickly slipping the plates I was holding onto the counter and as I felt the heat of the room blast from the stove that was indeed going up into flames, I wondered how Tobias was still employed.

Roaring flames, that tried their best to lick the highly flammable ceiling, burst from the pan. In a display of orange and red, a distinct difference to the burning blue of the hob's flame.

I didn't have time to think, I couldn't remember if a wet cloth was the best for these sorts of fires, so I just did the most rational thing and reached for the fire extinguisher, heaving it up with a little difficulty due to my slightly shorter than average frame and spraying the heck of the flames.

They thankfully died down pretty quickly and I let out a sigh of relief, wiping the perspiration from my brow and trying not to think about the ruined and incredibly burnt and wet food that was charred at the bottom of one of our newest woks.

"Tobias, you're going to get us killed one day you know that?" I deadpanned, tightening my apron and preparing myself for damage control.

He smiled sheepishly, accentuating his freckles and causing his thick-rimmed glasses to lift slightly, "Sorry?" he offered and with that adorable face, I couldn't stay mad at him. I was sure that was why Mrs Wilfer kept him around and I couldn't fault him for that.

"Now I need to calm everyone down, tell them that no one's hurt apart from the food I guess," he laughed at that which was a contagious sort of sound before I laughed too.

Ok, damage control time.

I thought as I walked into the main restaurant, a sea of surprised faces with different levels of shock painted across the multitude of people, "Hi everyone sorry about the panic, everything is under control and no one is hurt, so please feel free to enjoy your meals, and as an apology, I will be providing everyone with extra sides," I had already planned to pay out of my own pocket for this so Mrs. Wilfer wasn't losing any money. I knew in my business heart that I should make Tobias pay for it, as it was his fault, but I couldn't bring myself to.

I did hear a few cheers from the younger patrons, school kids who liked our middle-of-the-road restaurant. Fancy enough to impress their friends, but not too expensive that they would have to sell a kidney to get a reservation.

There was one more steely patron who was giving me a once over, his brown skin illuminated in the low lighting and analysing eyes that were a deep grey, a halfway point between green and a murky blue and he couldn't take his eyes off of me.

I felt a shiver run down my spine when he stood from his seat, and I realised that he was the only one whose food had gone up in flames.

And from the looks of it, he wasn't the most forgiving type.

I was glued to the ground unable to get my legs to move and by the time I had regained the smallest amount of sensation in my legs, he was already at the counter, with a surly countenance, with a displeased frown.

"Are you the owner of this establishment?" His voice was a smooth deep timbre that rumbled through the room drawing many eyes as I gulped down the sudden fear that bolted through me.

"Uh, no," I sounded terrified, pathetic even, and as though I would collapse right then and there.

He was incredibly intimidating with that sort of stone-cold face you knew not to mess with and just looking at him brought back a thousand memories I would rather keep buried, "But I have been left in charge for today."