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.

dishwasher,

it.

to memory. I’ve always been good with names, and I’ve already got most

the kitchen down. “Here, Jack,” I say, handing him the

and points at the garbage again. “What’s wrong with it?”

plate. I’ve already scraped

annoyed look. “There’s still mashed

gum up my dishwasher or something? Scrape stuff

thrilled by the dishwasher’s attitude, but I decide not to argue. “Erm, sorry,”

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

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

sigh of

bet in my life, and there’s too much on the line for

to that

be faster if you spent less time rinsing off each plate,” I say,

If we don’t start moving faster, the dirty plates are going to start

over us.

that makes me bristle. “You have to rinse

crusted to the plates.”

the plates ready for you a lot faster than you’re able to rinse

should rinse them.”

“That wouldn’t make sense.”

off another plate and stack it next to the sink. “It makes a lot of

and I say we do it

filled with annoyance.

open my mouth again to say more, but before

smirks and turns back to his work, and I brace

from my

says. “He’s busy and

but frown. “I was just trying to make the

points back at the dishwasher. “It’s your job to shut

you haven’t. Just do what he tells you. Unless you’re trying to lose

bet.”

grit my teeth, but nod. If that’s what she wants, then

Even if it’s stupid.

…

Abby

scraping food scraps into

saying something to Jack

on

something he has no business having an opinion on. For some reason,

one in

it’s just who he is. He’s used to being

to

bit of humility in his life. Maybe after tonight,

top dog everywhere he goes. Restaurant kitchens always teach people

like that, which is part of the reason