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THE TICKET MACHINE KEPT WHIRRING. Timers went off in different parts of the kitchen as the air stilled when Sydney called them all to pause. Kitty bit her lip as she stood beside Richie, the two of them watching Sydney as her eyes darted around the place, clearly trying to figure out what the hell to do in this situation – where they had two people missing and another was now locked away in the fridge with seemingly no way out as the handle of the door was still grasped in Marcus' hand.
Sydney had worked in restaurants before – esteemed ones. And clearly this was something that never happened before, with her (and everyone else) completely unaware of what to do. Kitty couldn't tell if it was a good thing that they were getting issues out that night, able to overcome them before the proper opening the following day, or whether this all was just some big omen that was trying to warn them to stop before they started and landed back on their asses.
Finally, after what felt like hours, Sydney stuttered out.
"T-Tina, can, can you run expo for me?"
"I got two stations, Chef," Tina grimaced. Gesturing with her hands around herself and the utter chaos that had swarmed not just her up but the entire kitchen.
Kitty felt Richie shifting beside her and she looked over at him, spotting the saddened look in his eyes as he looked at Sydney before he looked towards his girl and the two shared a worried look.
"Yeah, right. Uh..."
"What the fuck is going on?" Carmy yelled from inside the walk-in. His fists banging against it.
"I can do it," Richie suddenly said, looking back at Sydney.
Sydney stared at him, clearly trying to process his words.
Kitty looked up at him and placed her hand on his arm, squeezing it.
More banging from the walk-in, "What the fuck is goin' on out there?"
Sydney kept staring without saying a word. Then her eyes briefly flickered over to Kitty before landing back onto Richie. Who hadn't said or done anything else since his offer to step in.
The silence felt like it was going on forever. Kitty could tell that Sydney was genuinely thinking about it – thinking about agreeing to it. Something she never would have done a mere few months ago. But the look in Richie's eyes said that he wasn't fucking about. That he was ready to step in and that he could step in.
