Always Cas | ✔

CHAPTER THIRTEEN; part two

     When I'm finally in the kitchen, I let out a breath. Take another deep one. Take one more to ground myself. I love everything about Weston's After Hours. Being able to create a menu, curate it, cooking for others. But god, it's awful having to stand there afterwards and have people offer their opinions and their accolades.

     The first load of dishes have finished in the machines, so I empty those and then start loading up the plates and silverware from today. While the load runs, I clean down the counters and the sink. I like to use a Dyson in the kitchen to really get the floor clean. Once that's done, I put together a bleach solution and quickly mop the floor, focusing on the spots where there's been spills.

     Tasha comes in after some time. "Everyone's gone, I've closed up the front," she says. "And Deondra, you know Deondra, right? She comes in a lot on her lunch, always gets the Sunny with a side of Smoke cupcake?"

     I could never forget Deondra. She practically buys out the Sunny with a Side of Smoke cupcake. Pretty sure she'd invest stock in it. It's a vanilla cupcake infused with lemon curd and topped with a toasted meringue icing. I find people either love or hate it, the strong tang an acquired taste.

    I nod. "Yeah, I know Deondra. Her son's on the Little League team I coach in the spring."

     Tasha gapes at me. "Pause, you coach little league? You're such a fuckin' dilf. You'd actually be dangerous straight."

     I stare at her.

     "I mean not that you're not dangerous gay. I mean, you've clearly got the doctor all types of twisted."

     "What does that even mean?"

     "I mean, he's like always here? Always giving you"—she makes a squeaky sound—"eyes."

     "I'm sorry what kind of eyes?"

     She holds up her hands. "I'm just saying, it's honestly kind of wanton how he looks at you."

     I furrow my brows. "I think you've got it all wrong."

     She rolls her eyes. "Look, I know tension when it enters the room in a lab coat. You two are like one bated breath away from ripping each other's clothes off. Like all the time."

     "He definitely wants to rip something, but it's not my clothes off. More like my throat. Maybe my sternum if he's feeling particularly sadistic."

     "Yeah, if he's ripping out your sternum it's cause he's trying to get to your heart. What's the deal with you two?"

     "It's history," I say. "Which is where I'm going to keep it."

     "You two are history the same way this presidency is legitimate."

     "I mean, this presidency is legitimate." Despite literally all of the reasons it shouldn't be. Goes to show you actually don't need to be qualified or good at your job to have it.

     "Yeah, legitimately stupid," Tasha snaps. "Whatever. I digress. You get my point here."

     "I actually really don't. Weren't you trying to tell me something Deondra said?"

     Tasha smacks her forehead. "Oh yeah. Good thing you remembered. She said that while she respects you leaving the menu a mystery, you should put up an allergy warning on the site with the tickets."

     Shit. I hadn't even thought of that.

     "Does she have a nut allergy? It completely slipped my mind."