Trey
"You're in a good mood tonight, Chef," Alex teases. He dresses another dish and places it on the counter before ringing the bell for Sabrina to run it out to the servers. "Table fifteen is up!"
I can't help but grin from ear to ear. "I am. Kiara is currently at my place."

The thought of her probably sleeping in my bed right now fills me with unbridled happiness. Instead of coming home to an empty home after I get off in the early hours of the morning, I'll be returning to her. I've never looked forward to seeing a woman more than once, so the feeling is new but nice nonetheless.
He glances at me with worry. "Uh, Chef...kidnapping isn't legal here. Not sure what y'all did in Texas, but-"
I cut him off with a scowl. "She's not tied up anywhere. She came to me willingly. Candace abandoned her when she needed her the most, and I'm just... helping her out."
Dinner service was a bit hectic for a while, I've been running back and forth between the kitchen and front of house all night, but things are finally starting to slow down. After Alex ensures the perfection of the final dinner plate and has it sent out, he starts helping Nicole send out the desserts.
Jeremiah burst through the double doors and leans his elbows on the counter. He's wearing the black suit and white dress-shirt with a black bow tie that I damn near had to force him in. "James wanted me to let you know the dining room is almost cleared, Boss."
"Tone, J," I warn him. I understand he's upset with working here instead of being home playing video games, but I won't allow him to disrespect me in front of my staff. "Ask James what else he would like you to do before we close."

He nods and heads back into the dining area.
"Amazing job tonight, everyone! I'm off tomorrow, but I'll see y'all Monday!"
Fridays and Saturdays are all hands-on deck at the restaurant. Since we're open for dinner seven days a week, Alex and I alternate shifts. Tonight, Sharon and Brandon are the sous chefs. Gerard is the saucier, Trenton handles the grill, and Nicole is the pastry chef. We also have ten line cooks, two per station. Our kitchen runs like a well-oiled machine, and I'm so damn proud of our hard work!
Everyone's wiping down their stations when Jeremiah walks back in with a wide grin on his face. "Hey, did you invite Dad? He's sitting down out there," he asks, pointing behind him to the dining area.

I frown. "What?"
I hope that I heard that incorrectly. Why the fuck would William be here?
James bursts into the room, his face twisted with anger and disgust. The vein on his forehead pulsates, sweat glistening on his shaved head. It's clear he's not happy about our unwanted guest either. "Chef, there's a homeless couple out there that reek of alcohol. I was going to kick them out, but the man claims he's your father."
My jaw clenches hard. "Like hell he is. How many tables are left?"
"The last two tables bolted out of here the second they showed up."
"Fuck me. Everyone, just stay put," I yell. I march out of the kitchen and head straight for William and his girlfriend at the table. They're wearing filthy, torn clothes that are completely unacceptable for my restaurant's dress code.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" I whisper in his ear, making sure no one else overhears. I don't want my staff witnessing this, especially with servers still around clearing tables. It's already bad enough that they're being exposed to them.
He smiles smugly. "Lookin' for a hot meal. I heard the food is decent here."
Decent. That's an insult and he knows it, but I won't let him get under my skin more than he has already.
"We're closed," I grit out.
He looks around. "Closed? The hostess let us sit down with no problem."
"That's because you told them you were my father. Don't ever refer to yourself as that again!"
He shrugs. "I mean, we could leave, but do you really want me to disappear from that boy's life like that? Seems pretty selfish, don't ya think?"
Am I really going to let this fucker blackmail me?
I catch Jeremiah peeking at us through the kitchen door and curse underneath my breath. Turning back to William, I grimace. "Fine. One meal."
The smirk seems to have settled on his face like a mask. "Good choice," he remarks, his voice dripping with arrogance.
I snarl and storm back into the kitchen. "Alex, get the stove fired up again. The rest of you, clear out. Now." Everyone scurries out of the kitchen within a matter of seconds. Turning to Jeremiah, I say, "Go take his order or whatever," trying to keep my anger in check. As soon as he's out of earshot, I hurl a plate at the wall, shattering it.
Alex leans on the counter, watching me warily. "What's going on, Trey?" he asks.
"J's dad is practically blackmailing me into doing shit for him or he'll vanish from his life," I growl, pacing angrily across the floor.
I never should've brought J to meet him. He's really starting to get on my fucking nerves.
"That's so fucked up. Why don't you just tell J what's going on?"
"I'm the one who brought him to see him. I figured if he uses me, he won't do that to J and they can have a relationship. He seems...happy."
He gives me a knowing look. "You gotta let go of this guilt, man. You saved your family. Who knows what would've happened if you didn't call the police that night."
"But they don't see it that way! To them, I'm the villain who made the father of the year run off!" I shout in frustration.
He keeps a calm demeanor, acting as my voice is reason. "Your siblings don't know any better, it's your mom who has drilled that idea into their heads. Have you talked to her about it?"
I take a deep breath and lean against the wall. "She's constantly drunk, especially since Candy left. If I bring him up, she'll just lash out at me."
And nobody has time for that bullshit.
Ever since I've been back, I thought I could be the glue that pulls our family together, but it seems we're only falling apart more. It's all my fucking fault, and I don't know what to do to fix it. To fix us.
Jeremiah comes back with the ticket, practically bubbling with excitement. "Dad and his girl ordered seared scallops, Beef Wellington, and Spaghetti Bolognese!" he exclaims.
Of course they fucking did.
William is a leech. Is he can find a way to use someone, he's going to bleed them dry. And I'm his current victim.
"I'm gonna go talk to Dad. Hit me up if you need anything!" he says before quickly heading out again.
I clench my fists tightly, feeling a surge of fury boiling inside me. I'm not sure how much longer I can take of this before I fucking burst and take J's father out of his life and this world permanently.
Alex chuckles behind me. "Here, I'll stay and help you before you end up killing him."
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The piece of shit ends up staying another hour while he shares stories of his "glory" days with Jeremiah. I thank Alex for staying late with me and walk with J to the car.
"Yoooo Trey, can I drive your Charger?" he asks, using those pleading puppy dog eyes.
I sigh, once again falling for his trick. "Do you even know how to drive?"
"My homeboy, Shawn, lets me drive his whip sometimes."
I hand him the keys and get into the passenger's seat. As he starts the engine, I grab the "oh shit" handle located on the top of the car and hold on for dear life.
He looks over and laughs. "Jesus, have a little more faith in me." He backs out of the parking spot, and swiftly speeds out of the lot and onto the street.
"You know, Dad said he's going to try to come to my game next Friday. Are you coming?" he asks quietly, "maybe you can even invite Kiara."
My body grows rigid at the mention of her name. "Why would I do that?" I ask carefully.
"C'mon man, I'm not blind or stupid. I saw the way you were looking at each other at the party. You wanna smash, huh? "He looks at me and wiggles his eyebrows.
"Watch the road," I mutter, ignoring his question.
He looks forward again. "I'm just saying I can give you her number. Maybe you can get to know her better at my game, and you know...close the deal."
I keep my face carefully blank and ask, "how do you think Candace would feel about that?"
He coughs out a laugh. "Oh, she'd spazz the fuck out. You know, she used to have a crush on Kiara, so since she can't have her, apparently none of us can."
Fuck. Does Kiara know that? Their relationship is a lot more complicated than I thought and now I'm right smack in the middle of it.
We're almost home now, and the ride has been smooth despite him almost hitting the curb and running a stop sign. "You're actually doing pretty good. Why don't you have your license yet?" I ask, breaking the silence in the car that I created.
I see him shrug in the darkness. "I got my permit, but Mom won't teach me, and Candy's always busy," he explains. I can hear the disappointment in his voice, and it tugs at my heart.
"My days off are Mondays, Wednesdays, and Sundays. I have something to do tomorrow, but any other day I'm free. Let me know when you're available, and I'll come pick you up for driving lessons."
His face lights up. "Really?"
"Yeah. I would be happy to," I reply with a small smile.
He has just met his father at 17 years old because of me. The least I can do is teach him how to drive, and help him get his license.
After dropping Jeremiah off, I head home. Anticipation sets in as I realize I'm going to see Kiara when I get there. I'm almost worried she left, but would she do that? She seemed slightly relieved about being able to sleep in a bed tonight.
I step into my house and see that everything is undisturbed. My heart starts racing painfully in my chest and worry consumes me as I look around. No dishes in the sink, nothing in the trash. It's too quiet, and when I checked my credit card on the app, it shows no charges.
I feel a wave of relief as I enter the room and see her peacefully sleeping in my bed, with her legs wrapped around a pillow. She looks so sweet and peaceful, like an angel.
My little Cupcake.
I cover her with the blanket and plant a soft kiss on her forehead. "Sleep tight, Cupcake," I murmur. Sneaking out of the room, I grab a spare pillow and blanket, strip off my uniform, and plop down on the couch.
I don't mind sleeping here. As long as she's here, we can work on us. I'll continue to wait patiently until she's ready for more. Until she realizes she can't continue fighting our connection. Until she realizes she's mine.
It's only a matter of time.