Hell's Smitten (Gordon Ramsay x Reader)

Chapter 61- Laser Tag Part 1/2

Thursday, July 11th, 2013

My legs ache as we climb the stairs to the dorms. The mere thought of running around and trying to shoot people with a bulky laser gun makes me want to shrivel up into a ball. Any other time I'd be excited, but with everything that has happened, I feel more trepidation than anything else.

Those of us who had been drenched in caramel break from the group and head to the showers, leaving behind Gina, Dave, and I to sit on the couch.

"I don't think I deserved to miss out on having caramel dropped on my head." Gina frowns. "I fucked up and didn't get a single food right. Ramsay should have the person tasting the food sit in the chair, not their teammate."

Dave shrugs. "Nah, it feels more intense when someone else is depending on you. It also makes you feel shittier when you fail."

Gina picks up a pillow from the couch and squeezes it to her chest.

"Ugh, I know... I feel awful for failing Red," she laments. "Plus, Taylor and Abel got perfect scores but both got drenched by their teammates. Life is so unfair!" She finishes with a dramatic flail of her arms.

I keep waiting for someone to mention Pietro storming out of the building, but it never comes up. Maybe Dave and Gina are waiting until we all can discuss it. Or maybe they're trying their best to forget it like I am.

Once the showered chefs rejoin us, the blue team members get dressed into something comfortable for our laser tag reward. I pull on a pair of blue jeans and a dark blue tank top with some black high top shoes.

I rejoin the chefs in the dorm and look around. Kalyani looks lovely wearing a red top with jean shorts and white flats while Dave has on a blue t-shirt with white stripes, cargo shorts, and white sneakers. My eyes come to rest on Abel, who's wearing a simple dark green shirt and black pants with what appear to be black combat boots. I do a double-take. Since when did Abel seem the type to own combat-anything?

When everyone is ready, we head downstairs as a group and exit Hell's Kitchen.

The sickeningly sweet smell of caramel hits my nose. The hot July sun has melted the caramel to where it's pooling up in sticky puddles all over the front steps. Sous Chefs Christina and Scott wait outside with buckets, mops, and towels.

"Come on ladies, you have lots of work to do and not a lot of time to do it. The blue team will be expecting their lunch when they get back!" Christina reminds the red team cheerfully as she shoves a mop into Gina's hands.

I mouth 'sorry' at the girls and Gina waves her hand dismissively.

"Go have fun!" she cheerfully says as she wiggles the mop in my direction. I smile and wave bye to the women.

Our limo driver from the first day we'd arrived waits for us with the door to the limo held open. I smile at him as I slide into the seats.

"Hey, Paul!" I greet him. He lights up.

"Hey, good to see you again. There are a lot fewer of you now, huh? Startin' to get tough!"

I nod in agreement and he closes the door before heading to the front and starting the limo.

The ride is ten minutes long before we pull up outside of a warehouse. Kalyani looks confusedly out the window.

"These are what laser tag buildings look like?" She examines the plain-looking exterior. A large sign sporting 'Laser Adventure' hangs above the entrance.

"Must be," Abel says as he opens the door to the limo and holds it open for us to exit before Paul can do so.

Once we're all out of the limo, Paul drives off and leaves us standing in front of the building. A teenager with a 'Laser Adventure' shirt steps out from the main entrance.