Ours After All (All Ours, #2)

Chapter 25

I feel like I haven't seen you in forever.''

''Work has been crazy, guys. I told you.'' I sigh. They have been hounding me for the past hour. I know I haven't been as present as usual lately, but with everything at work and things with Joshua... It doesn't really leave me with much time to spend with the girls.

''How are things going at work, by the way?'' Isabella asks. ''Does L'Assiette have a new chef yet?''

''No.'' I shake my head, the reminder of Antonio torturing me with all these people with so much more experience coming in for interviews making me fill my wine glass again. ''Nando is long gone and people are still coming in to run dinner service on Friday-nights. I haven't heard anything after my applications other than Antonio telling me he was glad I took him up on his offer.''

Ivana's brow lifts curiously. ''Hasn't he asked you to do dinner service yet?''

I scoff. ''I've been running the kitchen about every night of the week except for Fridays since Nando left.''

Jenn's eyes bulge. ''And he hasn't given you the head position yet?''

''Seriously?'' Soyana spits. ''Fucking ridiculous.''

I don't answer with words, instead I gobble my entire glass of wine down all at once.

''It's going to be fine, hon.'' Isabella assures me. ''You've been at that restaurant for years and your boss knows how hard you work. He personally asked you to apply for the position.''

''Right,'' Jenn agrees. ''He would never do that if he didn't think you'd be able to handle the job.''

''I don't know if it's necessarily about being able to handle the job,'' I counter. ''It's mostly about who could do it the best. I can obviously cook and know the restaurant, staff, and menu by heart. I just don't have the experience. I don't know how to lead a team, let alone a joint as L'Assiette. I'm not sure if I could handle the responsibility. My boss has been building this place since he was a teenager, I could ruin it all with one bad review from a food critic.''

''Have you gotten any bad reviews in the past couple of weeks that you've been running the kitchen?'' Soyana asks.

I shake my head.

''Exactly.'' she nods. ''How are you so sure you're going to mess up? So, what if the other applicants have more experience. Everybody has to start somewhere, right?''

She's right. ''It's still terrifying.''

''Of course, it is,'' Isabella snickers. ''I ask myself what the hell I'm doing every time I step into a courthouse. That doesn't change. You just get used to it.''

''Okay, enough about me,'' I'm starting to get a headache. ''Where is your boyfriend because the turkey is almost done.''

Because we're spending Thanksgiving with our families, we decided to do a Friendsgiving together at Jenn's house before everyone flies home. I'm on cooking duties, but luckily all the girls brought over side dishes, so I only have to take care of the turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing.

''He said he'd pick up Cassie and before heading over.'' Isabella

My brows furrow. ''Wasn't Joshua going to pick up Cass?''

Isabella looks at me with a strange expression. ''We decided it wouldn't be a good idea to leave Joshua and Cassie unsupervised, but how did you know that?''

I swear a record scratch just went off in my head. Backtrack, Nara. Backtrack fast.

''I asked Josh if he could drive me here because I wanted to drink tonight, and he said he had to pick up Cassie first, so I just drove myself. It'd take too long with the turkey and all.''