Alice Epione starts a new job, one that should finally jumpstart her career. She soon finds out that her dream job comes with a catch, a tall, dark, and handsome one at that.
Will she face the challenge and turn Elijah Howell's world upside down? O...
My brother Jake always says I should stop doing what I need to do, and start doing what I want to. I usually just nod my head at that, although I know that it's easier said than done.
Life doesn't work that way, unfortunately.
But today, today is the day I decide to listen to his words. Because I've had it with my coworkers bothering me all day long, with ignoring the sexist comments from my boss, and I definitely had it with the inappropriate touches from the men in this goddamn place...
"I quit," I say with as much conviction as I can find, throwing my apron on the desk.
"What? Come on, Alice, you know we don't mean..."
"I don't care what you mean. I'm out of here. Go find another cook that will put up with your bullshit. I'm done."
My boss - well, former boss - looks like I just slapped him in the face. And honestly? I wish I did.
But instead, I flip him the bird before spinning around and heading toward the door. I rush out of that shithole, leaving my career, but most of all this mountain of pent up rage in the kitchen I called my workplace for three years now, behind.
For the first time in years, I feel liberated, confident, and so content with my decision that I enjoy every breath I take, the fresh oxygen triggering a sense of revival in my very being.
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"Okay, so let me get this right... You got fired and now you want to follow your dreams and passions and be a photographer? What did you go to culinary school for?"
My best friend Felix speaks as he takes a sip of his wine and studies me with wide eyes, obviously being as surprised as I am about my actions last week.
"First of all, I didn't get fired. I quit. And you know I only took that job because I had to bring money to the bank. Now that Jake got the scholarship and is able to take care of himself I don't need that anymore. My passion has always been photography, but it's a very unreliable and insecure business, so I did what I had to do so Jake could focus on school," I answer while refilling our glasses with the top-shelf Chardonnay he brought today.
"And now that he got that you decided to get your ass fired?!" he asks again, but I just roll my eyes before I answer, "Again, I didn't get fired. And it certainly isn't my fault that those people don't know that it's inappropriate to grope the twenty-seven-year-old cook when she doesn't want it."
Felix sighs and gives me a quick side hug before I turn around to take care of the dinner I prepare for us. "I know. I'm sorry for questioning you, it's just... That's not you, you know?"
I turn back around to look at him as the veggies sizzle in the pan, the scent of curry lingering in the air when I sigh. Felix has been my best friend since kindergarten, he basically raised Jake with me after my parents left us with nothing when I turned eighteen.
