Chasing His Kickass Luna Back by Jane Above Story

#Chapter 21: Reprimanding the Alpha
Karl

I cross my arms and take a glance around the kitchen. The tiles sparkle like they’re brand new, and the

entire place smells like lemon cleaning solution; I’ve just finished mopping the floor, and although I

would never admit it to anyone, it’s… the first time I’ve ever used a mop.

“Maybe I’m a bit out of my depth here,” I think to myself as I look around. “But I want to do a good job.

For Abby.”

I might not know a great deal about mopping floors, but I do know a lot about running a business. I just

hope that Abby will let me help more in the future. She said she doesn’t need another leader, but that

doesn’t mean that I can’t give her ideas, right?

“Karl,” Abby shouts from across the kitchen, her voice commanding over the din of kitchen noises. “Put

the mop away. We need you over here cleaning dishes.”

She points to the growing pile of dishes on the far counter, then the dishwasher beside it. Ethan had

given me a long-winded tutorial on how the machine worked earlier, but I was really hoping to avoid

that particular job. The idea of touching soggy food and getting hot water all over myself isn’t the most

appealing of ideas, but I know that it needs to be done.

I nod and return the mop to the place I found it. The current dishwasher meets me at the back sink,

where the dirty plates are overflowing.

“Excess food goes in there,” he says, pointing to a nearby garbage bin. “You scrape that off and I’ll

rinse.” Until now, he’s been doing all three jobs himself. It’s clear he’s struggling to keep up with the

never-ending piles of dirty plates that the busboys keep bringing in.

“Geez,” I think to myself. If Abby was worried about losing business and having to close down, she

needn’t have bothered. Now that the place is up and running again, the dinner rush has been nonstop.

Without a word, the dishwasher hands me one of the plates. There’s a half-eaten steak on top, gravy

everywhere, what looks like mashed potatoes that someone swirled around with their fork before

deciding that they didn’t want them. I can’t help but scrunch up my nose at the mess; who orders a

steak and then only eats half of it? It feels like a waste.

ask the dishwasher, wanting

said it.

taking Jack’s name to memory. I’ve always been good with names, and

down. “Here, Jack,” I

shakes his head at me and points at the garbage again.

at the plate. I’ve

a huff, Jack shoots me an annoyed look. “There’s still mashed potatoes on the

dishwasher or something? Scrape stuff

but I decide not

can. When I’m satisfied, I turn to hand it back

face, snat ches it out of my hand, and scrapes it

small sigh of annoyance at Jack’s

too much

go to that

you spent less time rinsing off each plate,” I say, noticing

start moving faster, the dirty

over us.

gives me a look that makes me bristle. “You have to rinse them well, or there will be food

crusted to the plates.”

ready for you a

should rinse them.”

“That wouldn’t make sense.”

and stack it next to the sink. “It makes a lot

we do it this way.” Jack shoots me

filled with annoyance.

open my mouth again to say more, but before I can, Abby’s voice cuts through

and turns back to his work, and I brace myself

sweat from my brow with the back of

says.

just trying to make the process

“It’s your job to shut up and

a dishwasher before, and you haven’t. Just do what he tells you. Unless

bet.”

that’s what she wants,

Even if it’s stupid.

…

Abby

Karl. He’s focused on his work, scraping food scraps into the garbage. I watch

pulling together. He’s saying something to Jack that I can’t hear,

on

business having an opinion on. For some reason, he can’t

one in charge

used to being in charge, and dominance is not

going to cause problems. The last thing I need

bit of humility in his life. Maybe after tonight,

he’s not always the top dog everywhere he goes. Restaurant

part of the reason why