You're Mine

Chapter Thirteen

Riley

"You're what?" I cover my ear, crossing the road quickly. I can barely hear Hollie over the traffic noise.

"I'm being moved." She moans down the phone. "They're moving me to a hospital outside the city."

"How far?"

"Twenty minutes. It's where Ashley's mom lives. " She replies. I roll my eyes.

"Hollie, twenty minutes? You're complaining for a twenty minute commute?" I snort, pushing open the door of Mike's. James grins at me, waving from the back.

"Uh yes? Do you know how much traffic I'm going to have battle?" She laughs. "Ooh, by the way! We're going for our first scan soon."

"That's great." I mumble, a little distracted by the rota. I turn it over, frowning at the empty spaces. We never have those.

"I'll let you go- are you working today?"

"When am I not?" I drop the rota, heading into the back to clock in. "See you Hols."

She hangs up and I throw my phone in my locker, clocking my card in. James appears as I wriggle out my jumper.

"You see the rota?" He asks. I nod. "It's because Susie quit."

"You're kidding?" I pull my hair back, tying it up into a ponytail. "Where's Charlie?"

"Out sick." James looks a little sick himself, his hands tightening around his apron. "Dad is away for a meeting, Raphael is at school and Susie is gone."

"Shit..so it's just us and Harry?" I grimace. Charlie and Susie are the main chefs here, with Harry being more of a trainee. He's good, but he isn't as good as them or Mike himself. Mainly, it's just me, Raphael and James who serve and we only call in Tina (Mike's sister) if we really need help.

"It can't get that busy, right?" He looks out onto the currently empty restaurant as we step through into the front.

"Sure." I shrug.

We were wrong- it can get busy. Actually, right now, I think it'd be accurate to say we're drowning. I have no idea what caused this place to become so overrun so quickly, but I have six groups waiting for tables, every table full and one chef.

James' is desperately trying to move between Harry and serving, doing what he can. I haven't even had time to pull out my phone to call in extra help never mind look at the time.

The door bings open again and I resist groaning out loud, casting my eyes towards it. Two familiar faces smile at me, making their way to the counter and I smile back.

"Holy shit." Lucy raises her eyebrows. "We were gonna come in for lunch but you're swamped."

"You can say that again." I huff, throwing another order into the back. "One chef and two servers today."

"You're kidding." Luke grimaces.

"Not at all." I roll my eyes as James' hits the back bell, signalling food is ready. I grab it quickly and serve it, apologising to the customers for the wait. Lucy seems to watch me, her eyes squinting slightly.

"You want help?" She asks. I freeze a little- I do, but they technically aren't even employees and I wouldn't want to upset Mike.

"Yes!" Harry and James call from the back, both their faces red and hot. I chuckle.

"I'm a chef." Lucy shrugs and I hold my hand out, pointing towards the back doors. She slips through and James' guides her around.

"I can dish out food- that's about it." Luke smiles. I throw him an apron, explaining how to know where the food goes.