Yes, Chef

Instead of laying out their usual array of alcohol bottles in the corner booth, Ben directed Aki to wait for him there, then took his time doing his cleaning until more staff went home. She looked at him with confusion when he asked her what coffee she intended to order.

"Um, I'm still deciding between coffee and an ice cream," she said. "Why?"

"Be right back," he smiled.

Carefully placing a scoop of vanilla in a 7-ounce dessert dish and then drowning it with a shot of espresso, Ben then sprinkled some shaved dark chocolate overtop. Pondering for a moment whether he should fix his own drink, he decided it'd be better to hydrate ahead of going to Tyler's place.

The extra effort was worth it as Aki's face lit up when she saw the affogato Ben had crafted for her.

"This is so beautiful, I feel like I could eat it with my eyes first," she marveled, slowly rotating the dessert dish on the table. "You're not having any?"

"Oh, no, I can't have a stimulant like that this late at night," Ben lied. Geez, could you say anything else that would make you even more gorgeous than you already are? he wondered.

"Sometimes I see the way you plate your meals and I just melt, Ben. It's art," she uttered, her gaze still on the affogato.

Fuck, that was it. He tried to choose the words he would say out loud much more carefully.

"I'm curious... why did you want to see me tonight?" Finally, Aki stopped examining her ice cream dish and looked up.

"Did I need a reason?" she smiled. "Really, it was that I've been here over a month now and while everyone's been welcoming, I figured I wasn't going to spend forever looking at you from across the room." Ben's heartbeat spiked. "Or wondering why I remained the only waitress you haven't dated."

Oh JFC, no, he thought, covering his face with both hands. She must think I'm the biggest slut ev—

"Relax, I'm not judging you!" she laughed. "Especially not for being... popular. I just thought maybe I wasn't your type."

"First you slut-shame me, but at the same time you think I have a type? Which is it?" Aki met his grin with her own, holding his gaze the entire time she put a spoon of ice cream into her mouth.

Geez, I wish I were that spoon, Ben thought.

"Good point," Aki conceded. "I have a question for you, though. Has anyone ever said 'Yes, Chef' to you in bed?" Ben couldn't help but chuckle.

"No, but if that happened I would die laughing. I have gotten 'Yes, Sir" when I break out the chains and paddles, though." Enjoying the disbelief on Aki's face, he decided to pivot. "We're going to talk about you, now," he said, taking a swig from his water bottle. "Are you working here because you need to pay for school?" Aki nodded.

"Not all of it, but some. My parents did pretty well for themselves considering they grew up on the rez," she said, gingerly spooning a bit of espresso onto her ice cream before taking a bite. Ben willed himself to concentrate on what she was saying instead of simply watching her eat. "My mom passed away maybe a few years after we adopted Tyler.

"My dad did an incredible job raising us, but he'll give all the credit to his sisters if you ask him. I was maybe nine when Ty came to live with us so he's the only sibling I've ever known. I wish he'd come around more, though."

"He seems to really respect your dad, though," Ben offered.

"Oh, he does. He's just been really busy in the last couple of years. He might come home for dinner a couple times a year despite living right here in Ottawa." A pang of guilt shot through Ben as he pictured the two of them doing lines together at least twice a week. The sleep deprivation and compensatory drinking was a known problem in the industry, but he couldn't figure out a way to become a chef one day unless he somehow survived being a line cook.

"I'll be honest with you, I've never worked in a restaurant before now," Aki admitted, to Ben's surprise.

"You could have fooled me. Nell loves you."

"Maybe in more ways than one," Aki laughed. "But I... I think I'll keep pretending not to notice. I don't even know what the difference is between what you do and what she does except she gets to scream at everyone."

"The difference between a cook and a chef is supposed to be creativity," Ben explained. "But what no one wants to talk about is that it's also a shitload of capital. Whether that comes in the way of fame, money, or connections."

"Nell owns this place, doesn't she?" Aki asked, finishing her dessert. Ben nodded and stood up to go wash the dish. He found it cute that Aki trailed him into the kitchen, not allowing more than a foot of space between them. He'd never been anything other than the hunter, whether it was with a girlfriend, a one-night stand, or a fuckbuddy. Now, he was the game.

"Think she'll stay here for long?" Aki followed up. Ben looked at her quizzically as she stood beside him at the sink.

"What are you talking about? Business is booming," he told her. "This place has been packed nearly every night since it opened."

"What I meant was, if she got a better opportunity elsewhere, do you think she'd close up shop here and take it?"

"What do you know that I don't know, Senebah?" he gave her a half-cocked smile that made her forget herself for a second. "Look, I do know that Nell is an American but her ex-wife is Canadian and that's how she ended up here. Could things change because they split up? Maybe, but why would anyone give up all this when they're at the top of their game?"

"She doesn't have any Michelin stars yet, does she? I'm sure she'd be more easily noticed in a big US city than a sleepy-ass town like Ottawa," Aki pinpointed.

"Sleepy-ass? It's the capital of Canada!"

"And it's still not a place a chef will get noticed, at least not for a whilie," Aki countered. "Not like they would in LA or New York. Plus, if she's in the States, she'd also be eligible for the James Beard awards."

Drying his hands, Ben realised this young woman was much shrewder than probably anyone gave her credit for, and it turned him on in a way he didn't expect. Ottawa was a decent-sized city but it wasn't exactly the goal if you wanted to be a renowned chef.

"I have a question for you," Aki continued. "What is a chiffonade and why is Chef Nell always yelling at you about it?" Ben grinned.

"She likes how thin I do it, I think. A chiffonade is a method of cutting where you—here, I'll show you." He got out some basil, a cutting board, and his chef's knife. "You stack the basil like this, then you roll it up nice and tight." Aki stood in front of him, her hip bones against the counter. His arms slinked around her and guided her hands on how to hold the knife.

"No, not like that," he said, his breath buzzing against her ear. "Put your forefinger and thumb on either side of the blade near the hilt, then let your other fingers wrap around the handle." Aki was getting giddy at the feel of his warm, solid body against her back, not to mention his right hand on her forearm.

"Keep your left hand like a claw to hold the basil and protect your fingers," Ben instructed, his voice low and his left hand holding hers. "That's it. Then balance the blade against your knuckles and roll it back and forth like a wave. You'll get these long ribbons, which is a chiffonade cut."

By now, there was no longer a gap between them, and Aki's mouth was inches away from Ben's. Her heart-shaped face floated upwards and back, meeting his in a kiss that left him exhaling even before it was over.

"I thought chefs don't let anyone else touch their knives," she murmured, forgetting the basil and turning right around to brush her nose against his chin.

"You can touch anything of mine you want," Ben said with a devilish smile. To his relief, she laughed, even as she wrapped her arms around his back and simply held him for a minute.

"Do you like to skate?" she broke the silence, loosening her grip on the sleeves of his t-shirt.

"I don't know how," he admitted.

"What?" she said incredulously. "You grew up in Ottawa of all places and you never learned how to skate?"

"I didn't know it was a life skill," he retorted. "You, on the other hand, don't know how to cook, do you?"

"Oh wow, I was going to ask if you wanted to join me at the Rideau Canal Skateway on your day off, but now I won't."

"Aki, no," he protested. "Even if you try to teach me, my ass is going to see more ice time than Connor McDavid."

"What if I massaged it afterward?" she drawled. Ben closed his eyes, trying to avoid the mental picture from intruding his brain. "It's already February and the Skateway will only be open for another month. Think about it," she added. "Now, where do you live? It's frigid out there and it's probably too late for a bus."

Ten-fifty, he glanced at the kitchen's wall clock, knowing he wouldn't be able to make it to Tyler's place tonight.

"It's alright, I'm all the way out in Tanglewood," he said. But she insisted and he soon found himself in the passenger seat of her black sedan, watching her singing along with the radio and wishing the car ride would never end. As he peeled off his clothes and fell into bed completely sober for the first time in a year, he somehow found he'd never felt higher in his life.

***********

"Aki, don't, baby, I'm not gonna be able to stay quiet," Ben begged his girlfriend in mid-April. It was 10 a.m. and she'd wanted to go down on him in a booth, but he feared Chef Nell walking into the restaurant at any moment. Hence, how they ended up in a supply closet near the back office.

"You're lucky I didn't demand you wear just your apron and nothing else," Aki giggled, her hot breath on her boyfriend's neck. As she went for the sensitive spot just behind his ear, her hands slid up his torso and lightly kneaded his nipples. After teasing his lips between her own, she unbuttoned his jeans and slid them south.

"Ungh," Ben fell back against the closet door as he tried to muffle his moans. Aki's mouth enveloped him, flicking his tip at a frantic pace before slowing all the way down with a hard suck. "Oh my god, Aki," Ben breathed, unready as she picked up enough speed to make his head spin.

When she pressed her lips tight around Ben's cock and repeatedly jammed the tip against the inside of her cheek, he knew he wouldn't last much longer. Her ability to read his mind was uncanny, he abstractedly thought as she stood up, lifted her skirt, and pushed down her tights and panties.

It was all he could do to not fumble the condom when she turned around and bent over, leaning her forearms against a pile of sturdy boxes. She yelped as he stuffed his cock into her deep, wet warmth, but it was followed by a breathy laugh.

"Mmmm," Aki sighed, thrilled when her boyfriend gripped her round hips and yanked her back toward him. "Yes, Ben, give it to me." He'd heard some variation of those words before from various women—many of whom he'd see when they'd show up for work in a few hours—but it was different when Aki groaned his name.

I love you so much, he inwardly confessed, slamming himself into her until she squealed, then smiled as she bit down on her forearm while looking back at him with widened eyes. Aki restricted herself to whimpering right up to the point where they were both spent and she was partially supporting Ben's weight against her back.

"I told you we could have done this at my place," he panted against the back of her neck. Her feather earrings brushed against his skin. "You could have been as loud as you wanted there."

"I wanted to cross off 'fucking at work' from my bucket list," she joked, taking his forearm in her hand and planting a kiss on his wrist.

"You're going to be a CEO one day," he brushed his nose in her impossibly soft hair. "You're going to be fucking at work all the time."

"Only if it's with you."

Ben held her close and gave her the tenderest kiss on her forehead, touched to his core. He was relieved to see the coast remained clear while they'd been in the closet, so it wasn't a problem to scamper a few steps toward the bathroom half-naked. He and Aki barely looked at each other while on the clock, and he deflected any questions from Tyler as to how their relationship was going.

It wasn't that difficult, considering he met up with Tyler less than half as much as he had before Aki entered his life. He knew he still needed cocaine and alcohol to get through the week, but that first heady stage of love was a more potent drug than anything he'd ever snorted or drank. Ben kissed his girlfriend goodbye when she left to spend a couple of hours on campus, counting down the minutes until she'd return for that night's dinner service.

When Chef Nell found out Aki was finishing her MBA, she'd gotten her to do more tasks in the office and have Tyler go over the books with her. Tyler teased her now and then about stealing his best friend away from him but he seemed content to hang out with Ben a couple of times a week rather than every night like they had before.

What did they even do all that time? Aki pondered later that evening while she ran dishes back and forth from the kitchen. It's not like guys bond over the same things girls do. It was something that casually crossed her mind but not something she lost sleep over, figuring they played sports or video games together to unwind from work.

"Aki, there's a six-top about be filled in your section," Chef Nell told her at about 8:30 p.m. "You know who."

"I actually don't know them except as the people in suits whose table you keep asking me to wax," Aki smiled at her boss. "Are they regulars?"

"They might be now," Nell dropped her voice and beckoned Aki over with a finger. "There's a chance I might be going back to New York."

I fucking knew it, Aki thought triumphantly despite keeping a neutral face. "Oh, that's wonderful," she said aloud. "That's amazing there's going to be... I'm guessing another branch of Nell's?" Her boss scrunched her nose as if she wasn't sure about that answer.

"We'll see," she responded after thinking about it.

Welp, that's always a no.

"You know how I need everything to be perfect, right?" Nell continued.

"I hadn't noticed," Aki grinned.

"You're lucky you're cute," Nell smiled. "I wouldn't feel right operating locations that I couldn't personally be at every night. I don't have anyone I trust enough to maintain the same quality I would keep. And the last thing I want to do is fly back and forth. My sister's in Brooklyn and I kind of feel like I want to be around family, you know?"

"Of course," Aki said. "I completely understand that. Hell, I haven't even left my family yet. My dad waits up for me every night."

"You're still a kid," Nell told her. "It's normal nowadays to be in your 20s and still living at home. I'm 45 and I ran out of fucks to give a long time ago. I just want to go home." Aki nodded.

"I'm glad you're getting that chance. But what happens to this place?"

"I'll probably sell it lock, stock, and barrel, and hopefully to a buyer who will keep everyone who's already here. I know everyone thinks I'm the wicked bitch of the south, but even I'm not that cruel to suddenly put everyone out of work." Nell paused. "This is just between you and me, got it?"

"Oh, totally," Aki agreed.

Aki wasn't sure what she was going to do, actually, but she didn't want to betray Nell's confidence. Everyone would be keeping their jobs, she rationalised, so it wasn't actually imperative to tell anyone the future of the restaurant. Still, she felt odd hiding something this big from Ben and Tyler.

She caught Ben's eye at the end of the night while getting ready to go, giving him a smile and a wink. It was a little earlier than normal, but at least she would have time to spend with her dad. Paul Senebah could usually be found in his study poring over one fat law text or another, and that's usually where Aki went straight most evenings after work if she wasn't with Ben.

But as she entered the house tonight, he was sitting on the living room couch. The lights were dimmed and there was no TV or music device on. Just him, the dusky room, and silence. Aki didn't know why, but a sour taste pervaded her mouth.

"Dad?" she asked. "How did your day go?" Paul gave her a soft smile.

"Sit with me, Niinimoshehn," he avoided her question. Aki suddenly felt worse. He didn't call her 'sweetheart' in Ojibwe unless he had hard news to break.

"You lost a case?" she fished, hoping for the least of all evils.

"You know I've been working less, lately, right?" Paul went on. "And resting more when I got home?"

"That's normal at your age," Aki stated, desperately wanting to steer the conversation away from where her gut told her it would end up.

"Aki." With that one word, she could hear the fatigue in her father's voice. "I had some tests come back today, and it's not good." He clasped her hands in his. "I'm going to tell you right out, because there isn't a soft way to say this.

"It's stage four cancer, and I have maybe a 15 percent chance of beating it." He held her as she shook, wracked with sobs for the next several minutes, gently rocking her as he had when she was a baby.

"I will certainly try, though," he finally added when her breathing had become a bit more controlled, albeit jagged. "Since it's a bit of an emergency, they're scheduling me for my first chemo session at the end of the week."

"I'm going with you," Aki sat up straight and wiped her face with purpose. "I'm going with you for every doctor's visit, for every round of chemo."

"This is what I was afraid of," Paul said. "I want you to continue living your life."

"What life? I'm just waiting for my grades, and then the graduation ceremony is in a couple of months. There's no need to start a career right away. I want to be with you, dede." After a minute of holding each other in silence, a thought occurred to her. "Does Tyler know?"

"No, I wanted to tell you first," Paul said. Aki dialed her brother's number but it continued ringing. "He must have it on silent. But I want him to know about this tonight. Maybe he'll come home a lot more. I just left him back at the restaurant with Ben."

"When is Ben coming home?" Paul smiled. Aki had only mentioned her new boyfriend in passing now and then, but Paul wanted to meet him. A small comfort considering his predicament was that Aki had another man who could love and support her, especially when he may not be able to anymore.

"I should have already had him drop by, dede," Aki said. "Maybe we'll get both him and Tyler to come home this week."

She made sure her father was going to bed, then high-tailed it back to Nell's in record time, punching in the code to get in through the staff entrance in the back. At first there was silence, but as she walked through the kitchen, the talking and laughter became more clear.

I'm going to ruin both their nights, Aki thought with a twinge of regret. Walking around to the largest booth near the back that offered the most privacy, she then stopped and stared at her brother and her boyfriend. It took a moment for them to notice her, but the white powder on their faces was unmistakable.

"What... what is that?" she asked, knowing the answer perfectly well.

"Aki!" Tyler jumped. Ben simply stared at her, stunned.

"Baby, what are you doing back here?" he mumbled, his words devoid of any space between them.

"What. Is. That." Aki could feel her pulse starting to race. Although the powder was the first thing she noticed, the array of hard liquor bottles across the table was now coming into the foreground.

"Aki, hold on," Tyler started. "This is all me, the coke is from m—"