Just a Little Sugar

Cheesecake With An Oero Crust And Extra Layers of Frosting

Sugar braced herself in the walls as she pulled herself up from the bench in the break room.
Her break time was almost over. And she had to go back to grilling chicken and packing food in plates for deliveries and pick ups.

Sugar was working the kitchen again. And E was working the counter again.
Maamé was in her office feigning productivity. But Sugar was sure she was probably just playing candy crush on her phone.

Sugar felt tired. Her muscles were sore from standing all day. Her eyes were burning from all the smoke. Her fingers were clammy. She pulled down her jeans over her fake leg and walked out of the room. She passed by the font room and sees E and her friends laughing and eating from their lunches.

Sugar was suddenly annoyed. So annoyed.

Why was she the only one that had to work the kitchen every day for years.

"Amanam" She called. "Let's finish packing up the orders" sugar said to her

"Uhmmm...  Sugar please, can't you do it alone? I'm really tired" Amanam said feigning tiredness.
Sugar knew that she was lying. Amanam did this all the time

"Yes. You do it alone all the time anyways" Chichi said

"And can't she see that we're having a discussion" E seethed.

Sugar bit her tongue. Her body was coursing with anger. She really wanted to beat the shit out of E as she stood there. Normally sugar would ignore them and head to the kitchen and finish up her work.
"Not today" Sugar murmured under her breath.

She turned around and headed for Maamé's office. She knocked on the door and waited for the 'Come in ' that followed.

"Sugar." Maamé said lifting her head up from her phone to glance at Sugar.
"What do you want? Are the orders ready to go?"

"No ma'am" Sugar replied

"Then why are you here? Because I hope it's not for me to give you time off..."

"I want to resign."  she said.

"What?! Why? " Maamé asked finally dropping her phone on the table.

Why did she say that? Maybe she was just fed up. Maybe she had reached her threshold. Maybe it was Mark. Constantly telling her that she deserved better. That she'd make so much more on her own.
Maybe she actually believed Mark. Maybe it was all these reasons cooked into one.
She didn't care. She just wanted to leave.

"Nothing...  I just...  It's time for me to move on" Sugar

"Move on to what?" Maamé asked. Her voice was raising by the minute.

"Bigger things" Sugar shrugged

"Is it the money ? I'll give you a raise" Maamé said quickly, "20%"

Sugar chuckled, "Frankly I think I deserve more than double what you pay me. But I don't want it."

"I'll give you double, Sugar, what can I do to change your mind? "

"Why don't you ever put me at the counter?"

"Because none of the other stupid girls out there can cook. They like your food Sugar. The chefcooks is your food. If the taste changes... I doubt we'd have anymore customers left"

Sugar shook her head. Not Maamé. The woman who treated her like she was the lowest of the low.

"I'll put you at the counter if that's what you want... "

"I'll stop coming in to work by the end of the week, ma. That should give you enough time to find my replacement. I'm sorry you don't like my decision. But it's something I have to do. Thank you for letting me work with you, I learnt a lot. " Sugar said and she wasn't lying. Maamé managed to run a business  that wasn't exactly a restaurant but made food and made her millions.