Page 64 of The Marriage Agreement
“You look like you could use some? I don’t think it’s that far-fetched to ask your husband to work for a minute, especially when he’s part of the reason we’re in this situation?”
I cock an eyebrow at Sonya. “How am I the cause?”
Ivy replies. “The influencer came here because she heard about our wedding and wanted to check out ‘if I was for real or not.’ Her words.”
“And she swallowed those words on her first bite of the croiclair.” Sonya cackles.
“So you definitely need my help,” I say.
Ivy sighs. “Damien.”
“You can work in the kitchen,” Sonya cuts in. “Our busboy has gone to buy some extra ingredients and we could use a couple of capable hands.”
Chapter 25
Ivy
It takes about two hours for the line to dwindle. I was working like a madwoman the entire time, not thinking of anything else but taking orders. After we went viral, we stocked up on ingredients, practiced dry runs, told anyone who came in that the Sunday special is only on Sundays, and waited for the big day. Sonya thought turning away people during the week would kill the buzz, but it only increased it. Some people even came from out of state to try the croiclair. All the preparedness we did all week was not enough for the traffic we got today.
I was ready to turn some people away until Damien arrived. Whatever he was doing in that kitchen, it was making orders arrive five minutes faster than before. Not only is the line moving faster than before, but orders are coming out in high quality. When the queue shortens down in half and is more manageable for the three front-facing employees, I venture to the backroom to see what is going on. Everyone is working hard at their stations processing the orders. Damien is at the clearing station next to Sonya, putting the food according to the order. He glances up at me and smiles.
“Are you sure you can trust him?” I say to Sonya. “Is he not messing orders?”
“Did you see any messed up orders?” she says and jabs at Damien. He bellows with laughter as he completes the order he was arranging and passes it to Sonya.
“You have to forgive my wife. She doesn’t know that I used to do this job to pay for myself through college.” My heart skips a beat at the word wife.Calm the fuck down, Ivy. It’s just a word.If I am going to flutter every time, he mentions me in some way that suggests that our union is like any other, I might end up with a heart attack.
“Ah. I would have guessed you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth,” she replies as she takes the order he has made and rings the bell. “Your husband is a wonder in the kitchen. You should have seen how fast he was working.”
“And this is not fast enough,” Damien says, sliding another finished order. They both chuckle. One would think they were siblings sharing a joke. Is this the same Sonya who hated Damien with a passion and was offering to get her cousins to fuck him up? Now they’re all cozy and buddy buddy.
“Looks like I did this one in less than ten seconds.” Everyone in the kitchen laughs, including Lake, who’s sitting on a chair next to Damien. His childish chuckle rings around the room as he giggles, like he’s heard the funniest joke in the world. I look around. Everyone is laughing too. Whatever shared joke they’ve had, it’s endeared Damien to them, and everyone is having fun along with him.
I return to the front and leave them to it. Whatever magic Damien used to charm them, at least everyone is working hard and working together. I’ve already promised them a bonus, so they all know that there’s going to be a reward after this.
The customer rush ends after two more hours of service. A few more people trickle in for another hour and once I am satisfied that there aren’t any more people coming, I return to the kitchen. Damien is in the middle of regaling some story andeveryone is captivated, including Sonya. I stare at her pointedly. She shrugs and makes a thumbs-up sign. I roll my eyes. If I had known that all it took for Damien to change her opinion of him was a few funny stories, I might have barred him from coming here.
“I think that’s enough pressure for today. It doesn’t look like we will get more than a couple of people here and there,” I say to Sonya. “You can close the store an hour earlier.”
“And miss the food critic? Hell no.”
Ever since the viral video, there have been rumors that a food critic may come here after that critic posted a positive comment on the video. Sonya, especially, is looking for a review from the critic. She thinks it will elevate our bakery, but I am not sure I want that. What we have is more than good enough.
After Damien finishes telling his story, I nudge his t-shirt. He’s leaning against the counter facing the kitchen as he speaks. “Thanks for the help,” I say. “You can leave if you want. Take Lake with you.”
“Do you want to leave?” Damien asks Lake, who is playing a game on Damien’s tablet. He shakes his head without looking up.
“I’m staying,” Damien says to me. “Your attempts to push me away will not work.” That earns him another chuckle around the room.
“Fine,” I say. “I’m in the office if anyone needs me.” I might as well run some numbers to see how much we’re on track to make or if this was more expensive than it was worth.
After an hour of crunching numbers, I hear a knock on the door and before I can answer, Damien enters and throws himself into a chair. “Your people are fun. No wonder you like spending time here.”
“I’m sure they think the same of you, what with all the tales you were telling them.”
He flutters his eyes and shrugs. “What can I say? I am a natural-born charmer.”
“Bribing your way into the heart of my employees will not make me change my opinion of you. Now you see, it’s not just some hobby and an actual job?”
