I'll be There for You

Chapter 13: Family Matters

The kitchen was a flurry of activity. Hayley had not felt this excited since she owned her own business. Back then she controlled the kitchen. It felt like coming home. Trays began to pile up on a table to her left with hors-d'oeuvres. Drinks would be made on-sight and to the specification of the guest. Tiny desserts were set on the table behind her. The last bit of business would be to dress for the occasion and to drive the food to the Mikaelson's.

The only problem was that Hayley had to perform double duty. She would be the face of the catering company as well as a guest, thanks to Rebekah's invite. Hayley would have preferred to just walk around the room, holding a tray and being ignored by the many guests of the engagement party. What if Klaus recognized her? What would she tell? What could she tell him? And what would happen if Kol started something? Plus Rebekah's trying to set her up with Elijah...this could go so very, very wrong for so many reasons.

"Do you guys have anything to wear? Like a uniform or something?" Hayley called to her co-workers.

Oliver answered first. "Nope. They don't provide us with fancy duds to go to these events in. We're more of a come-as-you-are kind of place."

"Shut up, Ollie," Jack called. He had disappeared after finishing the last tray and reappeared in a suit with a bow tie. "How do I look?"

"Sexy as hell," Cami teased him. "If I weren't already with someone, I'd marry you looking like that." She grinned at Hayley who flushed at her implication. Cami laughed before heading into the office and removing a set of clothes. "Jane Anne keeps the clothes in the office so Ollie won't ruin them."

"I did not ruin the last set," Oliver called after Cami who ignored him on her way into the ladies' room.

"So, what do you think of all of this?" Jack asked, leaning against the table next to Hayley. She didn't know to respond because she couldn't concentrate and didn't know what he was referring to exactly.

"Umm," Hayley said and gave Jack a black look.

Jack smiled and waved at the food. "Can you believe the kind of food these people expect us to serve? Don't they get that some people are lucky if they ever see anything like this spread in their entire lives, and here they are, eating like they're living with Marie Antoinette."

"Yeah," Hayley chewed on her bottom lip.

Jack shrugged. "It just bugs me because, Ollie and I, we grew up poor, like, really, really poor and we had to scrap together meals sometimes. Sometimes we went to bed hungry. And I just don't get these people. How they can act like this is nothing. Hell, they'll probably throw away half of this food when they could give it to people who don't where their next meal is coming from. I guess the world is a screwed up place." Pushing away from the table, Jack ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry. I'm probably bringing you down. I know this is your thing."

"My thing?" Hayley laughed.

"Yeah. The whole running a place like this. I can't imagine ever being my own boss. Or being anyone's boss," Jack grinned, shaking his head.

"I think you'd be fine. People like you and respect you. Just don't let the power get to your head and you'll be fine. If I had my old place, I would probably promote you." Hayley had no idea where that came from. She did like Jack and she could tell he had a good work ethic. He came in on time, he helped others, even when they didn't ask for help and he didn't have to be told to find something to do; he just did it.

Hayley glanced up when Cami came out of the bathroom. "Do I look cute or what?" she asked, posing in her outfit that looked similar to Jack's but she had a skirt on with an apron. She still wore a bow tie.