>>>> 7 years ago

I rinse the plates with the scorching hot water, trying to think of cold things. Snow, ice cream, ice cubes... Anything to keep me sane. Because this kitchen is hell.

I chuckle. What did I expect? Taking a job as the kitchen hand in a restaurant in Hell's Kitchen? It feels like it's literally in hell. And the food they serve? Spicy as fuck. But it was the only place that wanted to hire me and I needed the money. So I took it.

They pay me well. Better than I expected actually and the chef lets me help out with cutting vegetables sometimes. He's extremely strict and always mean but at the same time a good teacher. My mind drifts off, imagining myself in his position, running a kitchen, and yelling at people to hurry up.

For a second I believe I'm getting a grip on the pile of dishes but before I know it, Javier, one of the servants, has stacked a bunch of plates on top of the 'last' few. I sigh and just keep going, humming songs about ice and snow.

And that's when an unfamiliar sound reaches my ear. It makes me hold my breath and my heart skips a beat. A soft, girly voice asks to see the fridge and the stockroom. I slowly turn around and get struck by lightning.

A princess just walked in here. Long, blonde hair, framing a cute face with deep-brown eyes and pouty lips. She's wearing a blue, flowy dress and ballerina shoes. After taking in her look, my eyes move back up to her face and I realize she's waiting for me to answer.

She's biting her lip and rubbing her hands together but I seem to have forgotten how to speak. What's wrong with me? It's just a young girl. Not even close to my type. And yet I can't seem to take my eyes off her and my heart has found a rhythm that seems to beat just for her.

She nervously clears her throat and takes a step towards me. "I-I was sent here to check things. C-could you show me around?"

"Huh?" I'm pretty sure I look like a complete idiot and try to discipline my brain into connecting the wires so I can answer this vision of beauty.

"Oh. Do you speak English?"

I chuckle and thank her in silence for that question cause it snaps me out of my stunned state. "Yes, I speak English. I'm sorry. You caught me by surprise. I'm used to grumpy men in this kitchen."

The smile of relief that appears on her face has me grabbing onto the counter behind me for support. Frack! My knees are weak from just her smile. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, avoiding eye contact as I pass her on my way to the fridge.

"Here you go. The fridge."

She pulls a notebook and pen from her purse and looks at everything up close, writing a few things down as she goes along. When she bends down to check out the bottom shelf, the fabric of her dress tightens around her ass and I have to close my eyes again. I don't know what forces are at play here but I need to get a hold of myself. I'm about to jump this cute girl like an ape.

She stands up straight and hums, turning around to face me. A tiny gasp escapes her when our noses almost touch. I must have moved closer to her somehow. Her cheeks turn red and her eyes widen. Staring into each other's eyes, we can't seem to move. Or want to.

I lick my lips and she slightly opens her mouth in response, letting out a soft sigh. That's it. I can't hold back any longer. My hands cup her cheeks and my lips softly brush across hers. Again. She moves closer and I catch her bottom lip between mine, sticking the tip of my tongue out to rub it gently against the soft flesh.

We both moan and just as I'm about to deepen the kiss...

shattering glass breaks the spell.

We both look at the direction the sound came from and find a jar of pickles on the floor. I rush out of the fridge to get a mop and find her kneeling down to pick up the shards of glass.

"Don't! You'll cut yourself. And the vinegar..."

The look on her face shows me that she did exactly what I was afraid of. I grab her wrist and pull her with me into the kitchen, towards the tap, turning it on to rinse the cut in her finger. I grab a paper towel and press it to the wound, that has decided to bleed harder now that it's clean.

She is turning extremely pale and I kiss her cheek to distract her before running off to grab a band aid from the first aid kit. Her cheeks are still red when I rush back to her. I quickly pull the paper towel away and wrap the blue band aid around her fingertip, placing a gentle kiss on it.

"There. All better. And it matches your dress."

I fill a glass with water and hand it to her with a smile. "Stay put. I'll go clean it up."

When I come back, she's leaning against the counter, sipping her water deep in thought. My eyes roam over her body, wondering what it is that makes me drawn to her like a moth to a flame.

She must have felt the heat of my stare because when she looks up at me her entire face holds a nervous expression. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make a mess. And then stupidly-"

I rush over to her and press my index finger to her lips. Her moist, plump lips... I shake my head and clear my throat. "Don't worry about it. It's all cleaned up now. I'm Lili."

I have no clue why I felt the need to introduce myself. And in such an awkward way too. But I did. I can't change things now.

"I'm Lucy. My dad owns this place. Yesterday was my birthday. Eighteen. I need to learn how to do things in the business. So that's why I'm here. But I'm not sure I can do this."

"Lucy. Luce. LuLu..." I can't help but play around with her name in my mouth and this time I am the one blushing. She must think I'm such a weirdo. Hell, I think I'm a weirdo. I rub my forehead, let out a sigh and move back to my station without another word.

I angrily rinse the dishes and stack them into the rack, sliding it into the dishwasher and turning it on with a growl. I'm seriously not on top of my game today and I wish a sinkhole in the ground would appear and swallow me whole.

The manager, Angela, walks into the kitchen and sweeps Lucy away to show her the books. Angela's the kind of woman that loves hearing herself speak, the kind that gets on my nerves every single time.

I sigh and continue the war on dirty dishes, licking my lips as I think about the kiss. She never wants to do that again, I bet. The first time she comes here and I throw myself at her. The daughter of the boss! And she's eighteen!

"What happened to being into older, curvy women?", I grumble to myself.

At the end of the night, when I walk home covered in grime and sweat, my mind wanders to the angel in the blue dress. I sure blew it. I might even lose my job.

A second chapter. Maybe?

Thoughts? Comments? Ideas?