"Tellwhoever is left to lock up and leave. No point working extra hours in this shit hole." That's the last thing I hear before I stumble into Paul in the kitchen. My breath is audible in the quiet room, and my heart beats wildly. Paul stares with apprehension.
"Everything alright, Smith? You look like you've seen a ghost." He gives me a coy smile. I close my eyes and try to calm my racing mind.Nothing is going to happen to the Cuisine. No way the universe would take away everything I have built at the snap of a finger.
I look up at Paul and force a smile. "I am fine. I had a lot to drink."
With a mischievous grin, Paul’s gaze roams my body. At this moment, I am pulled out of my frozen state. I glare at him, straighten my posture, and hurry out of the restaurant. This time, I don't pause to eavesdrop. I don't bother looking around the alley, I head straight to the staff house.
Chapter Three
Emily
"Has he broken your heart?"
"Who?"
"The boy with the freckles."
Maya and I are getting dressed to go to work in the kitchen. She stands before a broken mirror, turning to the left and then to the right to admire her body as she speaks to me. She’s spent half the time we’ve been awake before the mirror. She moves to the bed to pick up her uniform—typical chef wear colored in white—only to return once again to the broken mirror.
I watch her puzzled. "Why would you think Mike would ever break my heart? He is the sweetest man I have ever met."
"He is only 22. He is as inexperienced as you are, and I can't help but feel that two people of similar character won't survive a hailstorm together," Maya is saying absentmindedly. She pulls the dress over her head, tugs then wriggles so it can fall down her body, hitting just above midthigh. "Well, you look beat. You know you can always talk to me, Emily," Maya is looking my way now. She issearching my face, reading my eyes and analyzing my demeanor. Maya may seem impudent, but with the slightest hint of distress, she comes through for a friend.
I can't keep it hidden much longer; I have to talk to someone after the encounter I had in the alley a week ago. But it's not just about that, my anxiety has much to do with the voices I heard in the storeroom.
The threat to tear down the place.
"Emily?" she asks. I sigh and turn to face the window. It's only 6 o'clock. The clouds are still a dull shade of grey. The birds are beginning to announce their waking with musical tweets above the roof and in the chimneys.
It's beautiful scenery. It's peaceful and serene, just like my time spent with Mike.
"I just feel uneasy, Maya. Afraid," I state.
She is silent for a long time behind me. I almost feel stupid for revealing my emotions. I am tempted to look behind and assess her reaction, but I hear a sigh and then she draws close to wrap her arms around me. I let my head rest on her shoulder. I am taller than her, and most times when she tries to comfort me this way, I become overly sensitive about our height difference.
Maya is 5'2 feet with short legs. She has an hourglass figure, which makes up for her height.
"I think we might be shut down before summer, Maya. I overheard them talk about it," I begin.
"Heard who talk about it?" she asks.
"The owners of the Mano, Maya."
"You mean the ones we've never seen before." She laughs. "The owners of the restaurants are ghosts, Emily. Well, even if they wish to shut us down, I can understand that. This place has fucking gone down the drain these past months."
She was right. In the past, we had guests swarming into the restaurant. We had travel guides leading tourists to us. Then, suddenly, the bustling vibes of the Cuisine dried up, like a water drop on desert land. In the beginning, they blamed it on the incompetence of the staff.
People were fired in numbers, and in turn, promotions were made, but still…
"Come on, nothing is gonnahappen. I am pretty sure you are worrying over nothing, Emily," Maya says and pinches my cheek. I exhale and try to put on a cheerful look. I can't begin my day like this. I'll save the depressing thoughts for the night, after Maya goes to sleep.
Carl
I wake up and I feel strange. I have a bad feeling about today. I lift myself from the comfort of my bed and walk to the large mirror by the wall.
For such a long time, I have had constant nightmares. Nightmares that are actual experiences of the past.
Maybe that is why I feel strange.