Picking up the Pieces

4

Brrrrrr....... Ouch....I hate that alarm

I rubbed my eyes, 4.30 am; I have to get up... I hate getting up so early, but my job at the restaurant starts at 6, Cleaning, cooking, learning, all in one.

Chef Luke is one hell of a task master; you are 5 minutes late to the restaurant... two whole days of cleaning, which meant scrubbing the floors with a freaking toothbrush.

I hate him... I hate him... I hate him.....no I don't. He is an amazing mentor; I am just scared of him...

I went about cleaning my space... yes I call my one room apartment... My space; It's not much, a bed room, kitchen and a smaller one, I call living room. I just own a little rickety TV, a fridge, some mattresses. I don't have much, but at least I am not homeless.

It's been 2 years since I left him, 2 years since I have walked out of his house and his life. I have never looked back. I had left him after that incident, I was so mad at him...No, scrap that.... I was mad at myself... I burnt all the pictures we had together...except for one which I brought with myself...

I had written a note, left it on the kitchen island along with my mobile, my credit cards, my house keys and my ring. I left everything behind. Using my bank account or credit card meant Star would locate where I was, so I left my cash cards too.

I shook my head, to get out of my thoughts. The pain of losing Alistair... My star... never quite went away. It still felt like a hole in my heart.

I wiped the tears that had rolled down and looked at my watch...5.30... Oh my god I have half an hour to get to the restaurant... Shit... shit... shit... I am so dead.

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I ran into the restaurant...2 minutes to spare... I was breathing like a bloody bull which charged in. Hands on my knees, bent over and breathing hard...

"Made it just in time... huh Môn amour".... I heard Chef Luke smirk. Man!!! What did he have up his sleeves now....? Chef Luke can make even the devil shy when it comes to getting tasks done.

"Yes chef..."

"Get the ingredients ready for today's menu and start the soup station... chop ... chop" ... he added with his strong French accent.

"Yes chef..."

I had started working at this restaurant 6 months after I had run away from home.

I had not completed my high school; neither did I have a lot of money. I had left that fateful day with just 500$,

I rented a small place next to the diner I worked for, so that I don't spend on travel. I had used up most of the money in moving here and to lease the place, I still needed money to pay for the bills. So, I started with scrubbing floors, washing dishes.

**sign**

I went into the kitchen, the sous-chef and the rest of the crew had already arrived and started working on their part of the job. I was the only girl in the kitchen that too the youngest. The cooks doted on me, it felt like family.

"Hey peanut, did you get your instructions?" A smiling Adam asked me. He was the sous-chef. He was the chirpiest chef I have ever met. I guess he had to be, he was second in command and with the foul temper Chef Luke had, we all needed someone more caring. He balanced it out.

"Oui chef..." I smiled and got to work.

I had started with doing odd jobs in the kitchen when I first came here. With the meagre amount of money that I made, I never had enough for food.

So I had started to cook with the left over's in the kitchen. I knew I would be kicked out if I get busted. But hunger makes you do strange things.

I was cooking some pasta, when I heard Chef Luke behind me...

"What do you think you are doing?"

I froze... I did not know what to do....

"I-I-I am sorry c-c-chef... I was h-h-hungry... please don't kick me out chef, I don't have any p-p-place to go"

"That does not give you the right to use such expensive ingredients"

"I am not Chef; I am just using the left over veggies and the pasta I made"

"You made Pasta?"

"Yes chef"

He walked over to look, curiously took a fork and tasted the pasta. I mean I am in no way a chef, but I knew my way in the kitchen, I knew how to cook, the year I had to stay with Alistair, I learnt...Not because I was forced, but because I loved him.

"hmmmm......so you can cook?"

"............" I just nodded

"Want to learn more?"

My jaws dropped to the floor....did the devil just become an angel, did he just ask me to be an apprentice.

"Yes chef" I was crying. I just could not believe it.

"We will see what we can do... come at 6 am tomorrow, I will let Adam start you with the basics and no using ingredients unless you are trying a new dish and I am fed" and he left.

I had cried the entire night... I was going to become a chef... I had my new beginning.