“So what was the bet?”I now ask, my hands on my hips, wondering if we didn’t hide things as well as we thought.
“Just the over and under on when you two would become a couple.”
This is hilarious.I’ve never worked somewhere where they actively encourage their employees to hook up.I guess they’re not actively telling us to hook up, but there is certainly not a no fraternizing clause in any of our contracts.
“Who would win if we said it was today?”Leo asks, his eyes narrowed in a thoughtful way, as if he’s planning to skew the results of this little wager.
“It would be Jack, I think.He had this week,” Ellen says, and Leo and I both start laughing.
“We’re like a football pool or something.Shit,” he comments, still laughing as he runs a hand over his face.
“Well, Jack isn’t the winner, and we may never tell when we actually got together,” I say, shrugging and playing it coy.“Actually, I’m not even sure either of us could say when it happened.There were a few sneaky kisses here and there.”
“I’m not going to ask any more questions.Feel free to tell the kitchen staff or whoever you want, you don’t have to at all, but know that we all fully support this thing you have going on.When our staff is happy, we’re happy,” Ellen says, smiling at us.“Now, excuse me, I have to get back and make sure my kids aren’t being their usual nosy selves somewhere else.”
We tell Ellen goodbye and then we stand there for a second, neither of us talking, both of us wondering what we should do.Do we just come clean and tell everyone so we don’t have to keep acting like we aren’t together or do we just go on this way?
I have concerns about sharing this news because while Ellen and Lauren and Jack might be happy for us, there are people who work below us who might not be.There are kitchen staff who work their asses off and might see this as a problem.They might look at me differently and worry that because Leo and I are a couple that I’ll be getting preferential treatment.
Not to mention that I also work under Leo, he’s my boss and when the staff complain about their boss, they could struggle to report things to me.Not that anyone ever complains about Leo, but still.Fuck my life, this feels like a lot.
“You okay, babe?”Leo asks, slipping an arm around my waist and pulling me closer to him.
“Leo, is it really a good idea to tell people?”
“Is it really a good idea to keep it a secret?”he retorts, and I understand where he’s coming from.Keeping it a secret makes it feel like we’re doing something wrong, like we’re lying to all of them.
“Probably not, but what if they all think…”
“Hannah, they aren’t going to think that you’re getting preferential treatment or anything like that, and if they do, then they don’t know me at all.I’m impartial and fair and always have been.When the position opened up for a new sous chef, they all had the option to apply, but none of them did.You know why?”
I shake my head, not sure where he’s going with this.I know I’m good at my job, and I know I have the skills that most of the staff doesn’t, but I’m still wracked with this feeling of guilt.
“None of them are qualified.The only one who I might have even considered for the job is Tony, but he’s still wet behind the ears.He’s too new, and I went into it knowing I would need a head chef eventually, not just a sous chef.Hannah, you were the most qualified for the position, so you need to stop worrying and be the girl I first met, the badass who knows her place.”
I laugh now, feeling my cheeks grow hot at his compliment.He’s right.I am a badass and if the people who work here can’t see that I was great at my job before I started sleeping with Leo, then they can go fuck themselves.I mean that in the nicest possible way, because they’re all really great people.
“Okay, you’re right.Want to go tell everyone?”I ask, hyped up from Leo’s little speech.
“Yes, I want to.I’ve wanted to since the day I fucking kissed you.I want to tell everyone so no one tries to hit on you,” he teases, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward Apple Jacks.
We walk in and find the kitchen bustling with the noise of pots and pans clanging and music playing.It’s still about an hour before we open, but they’re all here working away like they always are.They don’t even need Leo or me telling them what to do.Leo has trained a staff of dedicated employees, but that’s what you get when you treat them with respect and pay them well.
“Staff meeting!”Leo yells, sweeping a hand in front of him, telling everyone to gather around.Looking over at me he smiles, a beaming, glowing smile, like he couldn’t be happier to make this announcement.His eyes are lighting up with excitement and I can’t help but feel the happiness radiating from him.I know how he feels because while I’m nervous, I have never been happier in my life to be working here at Somerville’s and to be doing it with someone I love.
“We have an announcement,” Leo says, when everyone has gathered and is standing in front of us.Leo reaches down and grabs my hand, lacing his fingers through mine.“Hannah and I are a couple,” he announces, his smile widening even more.
“Like we didn’t know,” Tony deadpans and the rest of the crew starts laughing.“I hope you didn’t think it was a secret.The number of times you caught yourself calling Hannah “babe” was out of control.We were keeping a tally, but we lost track after like thirty.”
The room is hooting with laughter, and Leo and I can’t help but be shocked by how badly we hid this whole thing.I guess we were not nearly as secretive as we thought.
“Can we get back to work now boss?”another staff member asks, and Leo shakes his head, making them wait.
“Not just yet, one more thing,” Leo says, giving my hand a squeeze, and now I’m nervous he’s going to propose or do something crazy in front of everyone.My heart begins to slam against my chest.He knows I’m not for huge public displays.It’s why I’m a chef.Put me in the background.“And when the restaurant reopens at Somerville’s, you’re looking at your new head chef.”
Leo waves his hand in front of me, and the room erupts with applause.I certainly did not see this coming, but it would’ve been nice if he had given me a heads up.I was just telling him how I was worried people would think I was getting a leg up.Isn’t this the definition of nepotism or do we have to be married for that to happen?
Holy shit.This is a dream come true.Having my own kitchen, being in charge of it all.I seriously could cry right now.
