His eyes whipped back to mine so fast I almost recoiled. “I see five people here who just quit their jobs to show solidarity for a coworker and friend,” he said. “I see one who only thinks about himself.”
“You’re still here,” I pointed out. “Aren’t you being a little bit hypocritical?”
“I’ve made it clear I’m only staying to the end of service,” he countered.
“Why?” I asked. I wasn’t even trying to concentrate on the food now. I stood with my arms folded over my chest, watching him. “Why not just leave already? You don’t owe him anything. If the last few tables don’t get their food, so what? It’s Grey’s fucking fault. Fuck him. Just leave.”
“I’m a professional, and things are done a certain way,” Rafael said, enunciating each word carefully like he was having to slow himself down to avoid steam coming out of his ears.
“Don’t give me that OCD bullshit,” I said, shaking my head. “You’re staying here because you know there’s still a chance you could get Head Chef. You’re here to find out whether you shouldreallyquit, or whether you’ll be running a kitchen full of new hires tomorrow.”
“That’s not true,” Rafael snapped. “I’m not you.”
“You’re not me?” I repeated incredulously.
“You’re the one who always sides with Grey, no matter how bad his behavior gets,” Rafael said. “I know you know Beau didn’tdeserve that. I know there’s no way you could possibly approve of what just happened. But getting the Head Chef job matters more to you than being a decent person, doesn’t it?”
I slammed a hand down on the counter – open-palmed this time, because I didn’t want to risk a repeat of my wrist injury. “Fuck you,” I said. “You don’t even know me. I’m just sticking around to find out whether I would have gotten the role or not before I throw my apron in Grey’s face, too.”
Rafael laughed bitterly. “Sure. And I’m sure there’s nothing at all to be inferred from the accusations you made against me just now, or the fact that you thought of that possibility. You’re not telling on yourself at all. I’mtotallysure.”
“You’re the one who said you were staying first!” I exploded. “Have you not even thought for a second that I decided to stay because I knew you would need help to finish the service without it turning into total chaos?”
Rafael looked at me coldly. “If that’s the only reason, then you can go. Quit now. I can handle all of this alone.”
I met his gaze. “I’m not leaving you.”
“Why not?”
“Raf -” I started.
“It’sRafael.”
Something between us was melting. I wasn’t angry anymore. As much as Rafael often made me want to shout, that wasn’t the only thing he made me feel. That wasn’t what I was feeling now.
Right now, I wanted to reach out and hold his hand and tell him I was going to stand by his side during this last confrontation with Grey.
“I –” I started, and then the door opened.
“Where’s the steak for table five?” Grey asked, interrupting us completely. We both spun back to our respective tasks as if we could deny we’d been talking at all.
“It’s going to take longer if you keep coming in and asking us,” I pointed out through gritted teeth. “Just let us do our jobs.”
For the last time, I added mentally.
No matter what Rafael thought of me, I wasn’t the villain he believed I was.
Now was my chance to show him.
Rafael
The last dish – a cheesecake with a kind of half-melted trail of compote across it, due to the fact that I no longer had the energy to make it precise – went out of the doors in Grey’s hand. I saw his lips tighten and flatten out when he took in the state of the dessert, but he took it anyway without a word.
And we were done.
I slumped against the bench, letting the cool stone wall support my back and reduce the heat of the rush at the same time. I scrubbed my hands over my face and blinked a few times, trying to bring myself back toward a feeling of humanity.
There were rushes, and then there wasthat. With just two of us working and no line chefs, it had been even worse than the big wrap party we’d hosted. I had barely stopped moving for the whole of the rest of service, always needing both hands doing different things in different directions just to keep up and avoid customer complaints.
