New Girl in Town

Chapter 46

"The couple at grill two is waiting for water," Taeyang tells me as I finish up the drinks for grill 4.

"On it," I say, adding two water glasses to my tray and balancing it on my palm. My first few days working at Sra Bua's, I was afraid of dropping the drinks all the time. But one week in I feel like a pro.

"You're the best," Taeyang calls behind him as he prints out a check.

I move through the restaurant, dropping the drinks off at the grill farthest from the kitchen first, and then delivering the waters. I pick up empty plates as I go, enjoying the sounds of the chefs cooking and that perfect burn of chili-scent that tells me someone ordered a dish extra spicy.

I like the rhythm of it, the restaurant, I mean. Ever since my first day. There's always something to do—and, yeah, most of the time that something is cleaning. But sometimes it's watching the food prep in the back or listening to Chef—I don't think he has another name, it's just Chef—talk about his time traveling. That guy's been everywhere.

"That six-top should be coming in soon," Jackie tells me as I come up to the hostess stand to check on her. "How are you holding up?"

"Much better ever since you recommended me these clogs," I say, wiggling my foot at her.

"You need the best you can afford in food service," she says sincerely.

"I never thought about my feet hurting until doing this job," I admit.

"What are you two talking about up here?" Taeyang asks.

"Shoes," Jackie says.

"Always a good subject." Taeyang grins. "Are you staying for family meal tonight, Lisa? Chef wanted a head count."

"Family meal?" I ask, confused.

"I forgot, you've been doing the lunch shift," Taeyang says. "At dinner shift Chef serves a staff meal after we close."

"It's really fun," Jackie adds. "You should stay."

"Yeah," I say. "That sounds great."

"Yay!" Jackie claps her hands together.

"Incoming," Taeyang says, and the six-top Jackie mentioned come walking in, and just like that, we're back to work.

At the end of the night, Taeyang and Jackie dim the lanterns that light the restaurant and flick off the neon sign that says OPEN. Ten of us gather around one of the tables where Chef's set out bowls of miso soup and rice and a vegetable curry full of potatoes and carrots.

As ten hungry restaurant workers fall on the food, I suddenly understand why it's called a family meal. It's like having eight brothers and sisters and you're all ravenous and Chef's looking on like some sort of benign grandpa.

"Make sure Lisa gets some curry!" Taeyang protests, pushing a bowl toward me.

"Thanks," I say, spooning some over my bowl of rice.

"Gotta look out for my trainee," he says solemnly and then winks like he's in an old movie to make me laugh. Out of all my coworkers, Taeyang is the funniest.

"Is Tye coming tonight?" Jackie asks Taeyang from across the table.

"Yep! He should be here soon."

"Lisa, do you like it?" Jin, one of the prep cooks, asks me.

"It's delicious."

"Best thing about night shift," Jin says.

The bells on the front door jangle, and a tall man around Taeyang's age comes strolling in, a box in his arms.

"Tye!" Several people call his name when they see him.

"Hey guys," he says. "Chef, here are your mushrooms." He hands the box over to Chef.

"Perfect," Chef says. "I have your payment in the back when you're ready. Now go eat!"

"Yes, Chef," Tye says, walking over to Taeyang, sitting down in the empty seat next to him, slinging his arm over Taeyang's shoulders. "You miss me?" he asks Taeyang.

"Always," Taeyang answers, his hand coming up to grab Tye's, their fingers interlacing.

I look away, and then back, to make sure I'm seeing what I'm seeing. No one else seems to be even looking at them holding hands. Everyone else is just eating and talking, and Chef's examining the box of mushrooms like Tye's handed him a box of gold.

"I see we have a new face." Tye smiles at me. "You must be Lisa."

"This is my boyfriend, Tye," Taeyang says. "He grows the mushrooms for the restaurant."

"It's nice to meet you," I say. "How do you even grow mushrooms?" I ask, wincing as it comes out, because it sounds so silly, but it's better than me staring at their hands, so casual and easy wrapped up in each other. It's just so normal.

Taeyang makes a face. "Don't get him started!" he warns, and Tye nudges his shoulder against his boyfriend, laughing.

"Oh you, shush," Tye says. "So the first thing you need to know about mushroom growing is—"

His words are drowned out by a chorus of "rule number four!" from the rest of the table.

"What's rule number four?" I ask Tye, leaning forward as they keep chanting it.

"Thou Shalt Not Talk Mushroom Growing Anywhere but the Kitchen," Tye says.

"The mushroom talk got that intense, huh?" I ask. "Were people taking sides? I hope no one was rooting for the icky button ones. But I guess some people will always go for the underdog."

Tye's eyes glint with humor. "Taeyang said you were funny."

"I try. Sometimes I succeed."

"Lisa is Marco's daughter," Taeyang adds.

"Really?" Tye smiles. "Your dad's cool. He made us these." He holds out his arm, showing me a simple bracelet with strips of redwood inlaid in the silver band. Taeyang wears a similar one on his left wrist.

"Those are gorgeous," I tell them. "He's really good, isn't he? I never knew he made jewelry until I moved here."

"Someday I'm going to ask him to make us matching rings," Tye says, with a kind of beautiful promise in his eyes.

Taeyang's face softens at Tye's words. "You're so sentimental."

"Someone in this relationship has to be," Tye teases back, and then he steals Taeyang's bowl of curry and launches into a talk about the fine art of mushroom growing, despite rule number four.