Snapping the server book shut, I shove it back into her shaking hands.
“I’m done with your games. Either get your act together, or there will be consequences.”
She glances past me, desperate for backup. For someone to step in. But no one moves. No one even meets her gaze. The kitchen exhales all at once—knives resume chopping, plates clinking, orders being shouted.
She’s alone now.
Her lips flatten into a bitter line before she turns and scurries out the door, tail tucked, all wounded pride and retreat. The adrenaline in my veins starts to taper, heartbeat slowing, blood buzzing under my skin as if an engine's cooling after battle.
Old Candace would have slunk away, apologized for making a scene. New Candace stood her groundand won.
“Salad’s ready, Candace,” Louis calls.
I stride over, lifting the lid to double-check there aren’t more mistakes, then bag it carefully. Exhaustion clings to my limbs, heavy and stubborn. Two hours left on my shift. Two hours of carrying the weight of this fight on my back.
Leaning against the server station, I let myself breathe for a few precious seconds. Ruby bounces over, practically vibrating with chaotic glee, her smile splitting wide across her face.
“Damn, Candy. You handed Jackie her ass on a silver platter,” she crows. “Honestly, if I wasn’t already in love with you, I’d propose. You need a trophy, a tequila shot, or a damn parade.”
I snort, the corner of my mouth twitching despite the exhaustion bleeding through me. “You’re ridiculous.”
Ruby leans in, stage-whispering as if she’s passing along state secrets. “By the way, the table in the corner? They asked for you by name. Not in a creepy way. Just had that weird ‘we-know-you’ vibe.”
I arch a brow. “Who is it?”
She shrugs, smirking. “No clue. Looked fancy though. Said they knew you.”
I groan under my breath. “Please don’t be another ex.”
Ruby cackles, delight shining in her eyes. “Well, if he is, he aged like fine whiskey.”
A laugh snags in my throat as I push off the station, my bones aching but my spine tall. I weave through the tables, bracing for awkwardness, but the moment I spot them, I freeze.
Ansley and Lincoln. Warmth blooms unbidden in my chest. Real, rare. Ansley waves me over with enthusiasm reserved for long-lost friends. Lincoln flashes a grin.
“Hey, Candace!” Ansley beams.
“What are you two doing here?” I ask, surprised and more relieved than I’ll admit.
Ansley practically bounces in her seat. “We came to celebrate. I just got the keys to my boutique!”
Pride cuts through the lingering exhaustion, bright and clean. “That’s amazing, Ansley. I’m so happy for you.”
They were some of the first kind faces I met here. The first ones who didn’t look through me.
“We heard you got promoted,” Lincoln says.
I nod. “Team lead. Still figuring it out.”
Ansley leans forward, voice dropping conspiratorially. “We have a friend who just opened a pub. He’s looking for staff. We figured we’d mention it.”
Something twists hard and fast in my gut.
“What pub?” I ask, throat already tight.
“Valentine’s,” Lincoln says easily.
Ice needles down my spine.Malachi.
