Kitchen Boss

“I’m sorry,” she mumbles as she picks it up.

She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand, then the corners of her eyes with her fingertips. She starts to comb her hair with her fingers next. When she sees Ken, alarm fills her face.

“Shit. Am I late again? Did I oversleep?”

I fold my arms over my chest as I walk to the couch. “You didn’t go home, did you?”

“No,” Cathy admits. “It was already late when I finished work.”

“What time?” Ken asks curiously. “I thought you were only going to stay an hour.”

“I left past eight and she was still here,” I say.

“Ten.” Cathy scratches the back of her head. “I think.”

Ken lifts an eyebrow. “Ten?”

“I thought I might as well finish those spreadsheets you asked me to do,” Cathy says.

“All of them?”

Cathy gives a sheepish grin. “After a cup of coffee, I felt like I had enough energy to finish them, so…”

I frown. So it’s my fault.

“I guess I could still have gone home, but I was afraid I’d be late again, so I just decided to stay here. It’s not… forbidden, is it?”

Forbidden? No. Careless? Yes.

The security cameras haven’t been installed yet, and the workers sleep on site. All men. Stocky, brawny men with heavy tools, many of whom have already spent weeks away from their wives.

What on earth was Cathy thinking?

Ken looks at me and sighs. “What am I going to do with her? I don’t know whether I should be happy or I should get mad.”

I’m mad.

“You should have gone home when I did,” I tell Cathy.

“Right.” She puts a hand on her neck. “Sorry. It won’t happen again.”

“No, it won’t,” I assure her. “Because you’ll be staying with me from now on.”

Cathy’s eyes grow wide. “What?”

“You live more than an hour away. You said it yourself. The house I’m renting is just two blocks away and it has plenty of rooms. You can stay with me.”

She stands up and shakes her head. “No. I can’t. I…”

“It’s not a bad arrangement,” Ken speaks. “If you stay with Jackson, you’ll never be late. Even if you go home late, it’s fine. You think things are busy now? Wait until the restaurant opens.”

“But I have an apartment,” Cathy reasons.

“Which you didn’t go home to last night,” I point out. “What good is an apartment if you don’t sleep in it? If you’re not staying there, it’s better that you sleep at my house than here at the office. It’s safer.”

Ken nods. “Jackson does have a point.”

Still, Cathy shakes her head. “Then I’ll find another apartment. One that’s closer.”

“You mean you’d rather pay for an apartment when Jackson is offering you a room for free?” Ken asks her. “Tell me something. The paycheck you’re getting at the end of the week – it’s your first, isn’t it?”

Cathy looks down at her hands as she nods.

“Wouldn’t you rather spend that on food? Or new shoes? Or a gift for your mother?”

“Yes, but – ”

“Let me give you a word of advice, Cathy.” Ken places a hand on her shoulder. “When you’re just starting out, there’s no shame in accepting all the help you can get. In fact, you need all the help you can get.”

“She’s right,” I second.

Cathy meets my gaze. “I’m just an intern, though.”

“So?” I shrug. “You’re still on my payroll. Besides, you’re not just an intern.”

Cathy looks away.

I touch her arm. “Let me help you, Cathy.”

“Yes, let him.” Ken rests her elbow on Cathy’s shoulder and leans on her. “He’s got loads of money, so he can afford it.”

I say nothing because it’s true.

“And if you still feel guilty about not paying rent, you can just watch Maisie during your free time,” Ken adds. “I’m sure she’d love that.”

My eyebrows go up. A part-time nanny for Maisie and a place close to the restaurant for Cathy. Genius!

I should treat Ken to a beer later on.

Cathy lifts her head to meet my gaze. “Are you sure?”

I nod. “Absolutely. I think it’s best for everyone if you stay with me.”

Ken nods. “Mm-hmm. If it doesn’t work out, you can try something else, but I don’t see why you can’t give this a try.”

For a moment, Cathy falls silent. Then she lets out a deep breath.

“Fine,” she gives in. “I’ll stay with Jackson.”

I give her a smile. “Good answer. You can take half the day off so you can get your things, then later, you can come home with me.”

“Half the day off?” Ken’s eyebrows arch at me, but then she sighs as she turns to Cathy. “Fine. You heard the boss.”

“Thanks,” Cathy says.

I pat her shoulder and nod at Ken. “Now, let’s all go to work. The day has already started.”

And I have a feeling it’s going to be even better than I thought.

~

At the end of the day, just as we agreed, I bring Cathy home. Maisie falls asleep in the car as she usually does – if she isn’t asleep before she gets inside the car, she falls asleep in the car – so I deposit her in her bed first. Then I give Cathy a tour of the house.