One in the Same

Ch. 2: Blake/Arkyn Aires

It was hard these days. More harder than I thought would be possible to comprehend. Everything was swarming me in the last year. I had started over. Mainied a better lifestyle, a better mentality and even started going to the gym to keep myself occupied when the hard times rolled through.

    Interestingly enough, those have not happened in the last couple of weeks, which of course I had to give myself props for. The last ten years were hard. It almost felt like a century had passed since I departed from my old self. But it was only a decade.

    My shift had ended over an hour ago, but I had a final online order come in right before everything was going to get shut down. Normally enough, I would have declined, but since the order was so close to where I was headed I didn't mind. I had sent the staff home a while ago, so it was just me locking the place up.

    Which I had enjoyed. Everyone is scheduled to be here until midnight, but I always leave about 1 or 1:30 AM just to be certain that everything was done correctly. And for the first year of my restaurant, Uno nella stessa cosa being open, the business really didn't stop. Even when the ribbon was cut. We never stopped being at almost or full capacity.

    "Chef?" A voice called.

My body tensed immediately, fists balled in case someone wanted to try me. Spinning, my body relaxed as did my breathing. Standing in front of me was my Sue Chef, Zachary. He had some inches on me, but he was like a toothpick. Dirty blonde hair, piercing green eyes, like emeralds, and can chat your ear off if you're not careful. Scrawny kid, but he knew his way around the kitchen. He was with me in Paris when we were studying abroad to be where we are. Zach was alright, for work and work alone.

    "Ahh, it is you! Tomorrow, we'll do it all over again, aye?" Zach, my Sue chef called out.

    "I thought you departed an hour ago?" I raised my brow. "What are you still doing around here?"

    Holding his keys, Zach jingled them, pointing to the sky.

    "I live in this condominium. What are you doing stalking me, Chef?"

    "Last delivery of the night. And, no, I'm off for the next ten days."

A whistle came from his mouth, "Enjoy it, Chef. You deserve it."

"Have a good one." I nodded my head and made my way back to my car, vertung home.

    The radio was on, occupying hence, but my fingers moved to turn it off, filling the car with complete silence. Inhaling through my nose, I exhaled rolling my neck side to side hearing the tension pop itself away.

    Within no time, I was home, and the key was unlocking me from my townhome. Tossing my keys and jacket on the hook near the door. I made my way to my room discarding my clothes. Passing my spare room, I peaked in it to see my awaiting girl, Faygo. Flicking on the room light, I made my way over to her enclosure, reaching in to gently pet her.

"How's my girl, Fay?" I murmured. Faygo's head peaked out of her rock mold, tongue flicking every so often. She was a rare  Turning the shower on, as hot as I could take it, I stepped in, letting the beads of hot streams of water travel their way into my pores, washing away the night.

    My hands plastered themselves on the shower wall, my head bowed down, eyes closed. Feeling the water drum against the base of my neck, rolling down the drain near my feet. Breathing has slowed, even out as steam began filling the bathroom. My eyes were still closed, the thoughts were distant and deep. Decompressing from a solid month straight of errors, I didn't have to worry. Starting now, ten days off are in rotation.