The CEO's Moon

Chapter Twenty

Monday is not a starting off on a good note for Jin. The car he drove had been stuck in traffic while on his way to work and he arrived 15 minutes late.  After meeting Jaehyun on a weekend, he has not returned the car to Taehyung. The latter insisted that Jin keep the car amidst Jin's protest. As he rushed into the hotel, he could feel his heart racing with anxiety. He knew that being late was not acceptable, especially since he was the Executive Chef of the Kim Hotel Group. Although he is the "husband" of the CEO, not revealed in public ,  still Jin could not afford to be late.  

Without wasting any time, Jin quickly made his way to the employees' lounge and changed into his uniform. He could hear the sounds of pots and pans clanging from the kitchen, as he walked into the kitchen. He took a deep breath and opened the door. 

When he entered the kitchen, he was greeted by the sight of his co-workers bustling around, preparing for the day's menu and all of them greeting him as he entered. The atmosphere was chaotic, with everyone trying to finish their tasks before the first order came in. Jin quickly joined in, went to the storage room, and got some chunks of meat that he would use for a recipe. He boiled water and started chopping some vegetables while instructing some workers on what to do with the other recipe. As the water boiled, he dropped all the meat and stirred, adding some salt.  He was slicing some vegetables when he felt a small tug on his sleeves. He looked to his side, and saw Lisa, the night chef, holding a bowl of chocolate batter and smiling at him. 

 "You're late, oppa.  What's the problem?"

Jin looked at her and focused back on continuing the slicing of carrots. "Traffic. I wonder what's there on a Monday like this. The carpool I hired couldn't get through."

"Things like this happen, oppa." Lisa pouted.  She gazed at Jin with starry eyes. "How was the weekend?"

"It was good.  I had a date - OUCH!!!" Jin yelled, almost dropping the knife.  Lisa slapped his arm loudly which made him flinch and the workers looked at them.  "What was that for?" Jin rubbed the part Lisa slapped.

"You had a date??? Oppa, are you cheating on me????!!  You could have asked me so I could accompany you, Jin." The young woman chef fake cried and sniffled, wiping her imaginary tears with her hand.  

Jin groaned in Korean and tried to explain himself.  "I spent the weekend with my son," he said, hoping to clear the misunderstanding. "And don't tell me, I am cheating on you. We are not in a relationship. Our co-workers will hear you and might misinterpret you"

Lisa's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, so you were with your son? Did you find him? Did you have a great time?"  she asked, genuinely curious. "You know I have this big crush on you, oppa." Lisa pouted, fiddling her fingers in a circular motion. 

"One question at a time, Lisa", Jin chuckled amused with the woman in front of him. Jin checked the meat with the fork. "And yes, we had a great time together.  We made sure to catch up for the lost time." Jin told Lisa about what happened on that Saturday skipping the part where Taehyung, his ex-husband suddenly showed up and the encounter with Jungkook who was with her niece, who had a ballet practice that day.  

"Jin, can we go out this weekend?  You once promised me that you would accompany me to shopping.  I wanted to buy that beautiful dress I saw at the mall. Will you, pretty please, Jin oppa?" Lisa fluttered her eyes at Jin.  

Jin had to just shake his head in amusement.  Jin knew about Lisa's crush on him.  Lisa would often tell him that she couldn't help but admire his kindness, intelligence, and good looks. However, Jin only saw Lisa as a younger sister. He would often tease her and playfully call her his little sister to which Lisa would stick her tongue out and even flirt with him.  

Ever since Lisa became a part of the kitchen team, their friendship remained unbreakable, and they continued to support each other.  

Jin's thoughts were snapped back when Lisa called him. "Jin hyung?  Are you alright?", Lisa waved her hand in front of his face.  "Uhm, yeah.  I was just thinking about something. Of course, I will accompany you.  Let's spend the weekend together, hmm? And help you buy that dress."

"Really?", the young woman excitedly asked.  She jumped with joy and out of the blue, suddenly hugged the handsome chef.  "Thank you, thank you, oppa." 

"It's Jin Hyung to you, young lady. Someone might hear you and misinterpret." Jin glared at the lady chef. 

"Nahhh, I will call you oppa the way I like."

They were interrupted with a clearing of throat and both chefs suddenly diverted their attention.  Taehyung stood by the counter in the pastry area, glaring at the two chefs.  Lisa suddenly went behind Jin who was surprised by the unexpected visit of the CEO. 

'Chef Jin, I can't believe you would stoop so low as to flirt with one of our employees while the kitchen is in chaos!' Taehyung yelled, his face turning red with anger. 

Jin was taken aback by Taehyung's accusation. He had been simply having a friendly conversation with Lisa. "Mr. Kim, it's not--" He opened his mouth to explain, but Taehyung was not in the mood to listen.

"I don't want to hear your excuses, Chef Jin. This kind of behavior is unacceptable in my hotel," Taehyung continued, his voice dripping with disdain.

"Mr. Kim,  with all due respect, I was simply having a friendly conversation with Lisa. We were discussing our plans to go shopping this weekend. Besides I am also doing a lot of things here. We're not just flirting like you accuse us."  Jin explained calmly, trying to diffuse the situation. Other workers were holding their breath. Lisa fisted Jin's sleeve because of nervousness. 

But Taehyung was not having it. 'I don't care what your excuse is, Chef Jin. You should know better than to engage in such behavior while on the job. I expect better from you,' he said sternly. The CEO even glared at Lisa. "Chef Lisa, do you have to hide behind Mr. Park? Why not help him answer me." Lisa gulped, but Jin held his hand assuringly indicating that he could handle this.  He knew Taehyung was ranting because he could sense a hint of jealousy in the way Taehyung looked at Lisa. 

Jin was about to answer, but he knew it was no use. Taehyung was in a "rage" and he was not going to listen to reason. 

"Jin, hurry up with the menu. We have customers arriving soon," Taehyung barked, his voice echoing in the busy kitchen. "Don't make me lose my money." He sternly warned. 

As Taehyung turned to leave, he stopped and remembered something and called out to Jin,  "Chef Jin, wait! I have something to tell you. Jaehyun, MY son, is bringing some guests over for dinner on Saturday. I need you to be there to prepare their food."

Jin's eyes widened.  He had been looking forward to his day off for Saturday as he had made plans to go shopping with Lisa, his co-worker, and catch up on some much-needed relaxation. Both Jin and Lisa looked at each other.

"But, Sir...", he protested.  He would not allow it this time. 

"No ifs and buts, Jin.  and I'll make it worth your while. I'll even give you a bonus if you come in",  Taehyung countered. Jin could only sigh,  why can't he refuse this man? 

"See you there, Jin."  Taehyung strode to the door not after he glared at Lisa and smirked victoriously as if saying, "You can't win with me." Then he opened the door and left.

Jin couldn't help but feel a little resentful at the man who just left.  He just went back to work to prepare for the day ahead.

____

Finally, the update.  Took me months.  See you around. 

A flashback of what happened in McD follows.