#Chapter 51: Impressed
Abby

“Alright, paperwork’s done,” Karl declares with an air of finality, piling the last of the filed sheets into a

neat stack.

The office is a maze of papers, scatt ered across the desk and floor, but we’ve managed to conquer the

monster of bureaucracy.

I chuckle, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. “Who knew running a restaurant came with so

much… paper?”

Karl snorts. “Did no one warn you?”

I roll my eyes dramatically. “Alright, Mr. Know-It-All. Next is ordering. Let’s head to the kitchen and see

what we need.”

He nods, and we make our way to the heart of the restaurant. The stainless steel countertops gleam

under the dim overhead lights, and I breathe in the familiar mix of spices and cooked food. There’s

something soothing about being here, even when the bustle is gone.

I grab a clipboard and start jotting down a list. “We definitely need more garlic, basil, tomatoes…”

Karl starts peeking into various containers and cupboards, joining in on the inventory. “Don’t forget the

mushrooms and parmesan.”

There’s a moment of comfortable silence as we both get absorbed in our task.

Then, from a distance, the soft strumming of a guitar fills the space. It seems one of the staff has left a

radio on.

“Is that… Ed Sheeran?” Karl asks, looking up with a smile.

I nod, swaying slightly to the rhythm. “Perfect. I haven’t heard this song in a while.”

My head instinctively bobs to the music as I get back to work. But then, I feel a presence beside me. I

look up to see Karl standing beside me, his brown eyes sparkling with mischief.

“Dance with me?” he asks.

Shaking my head, I turn away slightly. “You’re ridiculous. We’ve got work to do.”

“C’mon, Abby. We haven’t danced in so long.” Before I can stop him, he reaches out, grabbing my

twirling

pull away as a heat creeps up into my cheeks.

Karl grabs me again,

to his Alpha aura and

feelings.

the cold, hard kitchen tiles are becoming our dance floor as

us.

chords of the song fill the kitchen, Karl’s hand finds my waist, pulling me in closer.

fingers dance against my

against the cold tiles, creating a

Every turn, every twirl is executed with a fluid grace

a rush of memories flooding

time and distance that has come between us, the weight of Karl’s body against mine

familiar, comforting.

it, but… I’ve missed

decide to

they promised. Karl had always been such a good dancer,

trait for someone of his stature

them that drew

the way he led our pack—with authority and

the music; it was an unspoken language of

being twirled under his arm, the

outside

rhythm that

my reverie, almost as though reading my

the night away? Every

nodding. “I remember. You’d spin me around till I was dizzy, and we’d laugh like

about anyone watching.”

tightening around my waist for a

mischievous glint in his eyes, “at that

feet ached and our clothes were soaked in

and I can’t help but giggle. “God, yes.

we left.”

his gaze becoming more intense. “Well, dancing

sweat, was it?”

I smack his chest, feigning indignation. “Karl!

and the flush that creeps up my

in my ears, warm and infectious, and I find myself laughing along, even as

up a glare.

replaced by the soft hum

We’re closer now, our faces inches apart, our breaths mingling. The intensity of his

for a split

reminding me of the boundaries, of the lines

that I’ve drawn.

deep breath, I gently pull away, breaking the

because I suddenly notice how hungry I feel, or maybe because I want to change the subject,

toward the fridge. “Are you hungry?” I ask

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