#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.

the dishwasher, wanting

said it.

been good

names in the kitchen down. “Here, Jack,”

his head at me and points at the

plate. I’ve already

look. “There’s still mashed potatoes on

gum up my dishwasher or something?

the dishwasher’s attitude, but I decide

the trash can. When I’m satisfied, I turn to

he just makes another face, snat ches it out

sigh of annoyance at Jack’s attitude. But I’m determined to get

lost a bet in my life, and there’s too much on the

go to that

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

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

over us.

makes me bristle. “You have to rinse them well, or there will be

crusted to the plates.”

a lot faster than you’re

should rinse them.”

“That wouldn’t make sense.”

another plate and stack it next to the sink. “It

do it this

filled with annoyance.

before I can, Abby’s voice cuts through the

and turns back to his work, and I brace myself for more orders

up?” I say, wiping the sweat from

she says. “He’s busy and

just

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

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

bet.”

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

Even if it’s stupid.

Abby

scraping

my brows pulling together. He’s saying something to Jack that I

on Jack’s

an opinion on.

one in

who he is. He’s used to being in charge, and dominance

if he keeps this up, it’s going to cause

could use a little bit of humility

dog everywhere he goes. Restaurant kitchens always teach

of the reason why I love

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