Chapter 13
Molly
I smile softly as I look around the stainless steel kitchen while I wipe down the side, and peace, something I haven’t felt in a very long time, overrides me.
I was supposed to clock out three hours ago, but instead, after Ace ensured I wasn’t going to burn the diner down and left to do paperwork.
He unfortunately didn’t get covered in slime because Shaun removed the balloon at Ace’s request which I didn’t care because I was finally in my element, finally cooking and enjoying it, I have stayed until closing knowing I was off at the bar tonight and I know I have coursework to do but I just, I couldn’t turn down cooking for the day.
It centers me, brings me peace of mind, and honestly, I really don’t know when I’ll be able to cook again because I’m always too busy or I just can’t afford the ingredients because bitch one and two have a thing of breaking shit, so I’d replace it.
Last week, Abby conveniently smashed the kitchen window, tried to claim it was an accident, but by the smirk on her face, it wasn’t.
She’s doing everything she can to try and make me snap but it won’t work, instead, I took a picture and sent it to Mr. Chimes who has added it to the bill both her and her mother will get when they get kicked out and I called a guy to come replace the window which ended up costing me $200 that I didn’t have spare, I mean, I haven’t even replaced the stove yet for Christ sake.
I put the cloth in the sink before I go to the dishwasher and begin putting the stuff away before I put the ingredients away on the island, the smile never leaving my face as I hum a gentle tune, knowing I’m alone.
Nine hours of constant cooking, absolute bliss and honestly, it made me feel a little closer to my parents.
Just as I put the last dish away, a bark gains my attention, and I smile as I turn to find the cute dog, Coco, as Shaun called him, running my way, and I kneel so I can show him some affection.
I swear he’s an absolute cutie.
“Hey boy,” I whisper as I run my fingers through his fur, and he licks my cheek, making me giggle but I freeze as his voice enters my calming space.
“You’re in the wrong profession,” Ace says softly, and I swallow hard as I look at his dog.
I know I’m in the wrong profession but, unfortunately for me, trying to be a chef somewhere isn’t an option, not when I have responsibilities, not when I’d have to start from the ground up earning peanuts to what I’d earn if I became a social worker and coming from someone who became the sole provider because her step-monster is lazy, I didn’t really have a choice career wise.
Maybe in a few years I can look into culinary school, maybe when I have some savings behind me but right now, it’s just a pipe dream, one I am not discussing with him about.
“Pidge,” Ace says, and I swallow hard before looking up at him, and my heart flutters at the sight.
The man is gorgeous, like truly breathtaking, and I hate how my heart races for him, I hate how I look forward to my pranks, to get a reaction out of him.
I really hate how I have undoubtably fallen in love with him especially when I always said I’d never fall for someone, when he hates me, when he slept with Abby.
That last one is definitely the biggest red flag.
“I like what I’m studying,” I reluctantly admit because it’s the truth, I do like it, I do like that I’ll be able to help kids that were in my position but it isn’t my passion, that has always been cooking but it is what it is.
The pipe dream of a kid dreaming of cooking from home with a bunch of kids and a husband who adores her is gone, I’m an adult now, I understand how hard the world is.
I need to be responsible and stop daydreaming.
Since Dad married Ruth, I realized I don’t want a husband who could easily move onto someone else, even if I’m dead, and I certainly don’t want kids that I’ll most likely mess up, or worse, die for a step-monster to raise them.
Ace hums as he eyes the spotless kitchen and I stand, patting the dog one more time with a small smile, and I walk over to the island and grab the ingredients to put them away.
“You may like what you are studying, Pidge, but it isn’t what you should be doing with your life, everyone inside that diner raved about your cooking, you should be in culinary school,” he says fiercely and I try to hide my flinch as I bend and put away the oil before I go back to the counter and he groans when I don’t reply, seeing I won’t speak to him about this.
He rounds the island and places the eggs that I’ve just picked up down and I blink at him in shock.
His smell, apple spice, and a hint of air hits me straight in my chest, and the urge to kiss him hits me hard.
Oh crap.
My body compels me to move closer, but I try to remind it that he’s a prick and would probably laugh at me, but my body doesn’t seem to care as I sway slightly towards him, his scent completely intoxicating.
Double crap.
“Why are you not doing what you clearly love? Why are you hiding all of this passion and creativity that you have with cooking?” he demands softly as he bends at the knees, forcing me to lock eyes with his deep blue ones that mesmerize me.
He’s a prick, I try to remind myself, but again, tell my body, heck, tell my heart, which feels like it’s about to tear from my chest that.
I swallow hard and croak, “It has nothing to do with you.”
He’s too close, just like when he ran after me, covered in blue ink, I go completely mind-boggled.
“You think this is funny, huh?!” Ace growls against my ear as he lifts me up a little off the ground while the diner laughs.
My back pressed against his front, his hardness soaking into my softness, and a thousand electric sparks rush through me while my head spins having his arms around me to the point I don’t even care that I’m getting covered ink or that we’re giving the whole diner a show.
He does things to me, which is why I try to keep my distance, especially since I realized he isn’t going to fire me.
“Well, it is now,” Ace snaps, clearly not happy with my answer, “you belong in a kitchen, Pidge!”
Crap, his fierceness, his words, are making me want to climb him like a tree, and with him this close, I may just do that.
I need a distraction, I-I need, crap, I need to try and think.
I side eye the eggs, and a very, very, bad idea comes to me. I shouldn’t, I mean, I couldn’t, I mean…
“Pidge!” he demands forcefully, his tension building, and oh shit, I’m going to do it before I end up kissing him, giving him my first proper kiss because obviously the two boys that planted one on me in third and fourth grade against my permission do not count.
I don’t think, instead, I act before I do something even stupider, and I grab the egg before splatting it hard on top of Ace’s head. He freezes while my eyes widen.
I did it, I actually did it.
He blinks then blinks again before he looks at me with a raised brow, and I swallow hard at the look in his deep blue eyes I can’t decipher.
Uh oh.
“A-Ace…” I stutter as I slowly take a step back, and he takes another step forward, so I take another one back as he slowly grabs an egg.
Oh crap.
My eyes widen before I squeal and quickly run around the island, and Ace chuckles, “Oh, I don’t think so, Pidge,” and I pick up my pace as Coco barks and runs with us.
Okay, so I’m either going to trip over the dog, or I’m going to get an egg on my head.
I just round the island again and my eyes lock on the door, but before I can get two steps towards it, Ace’s strong arm wraps around my midriff, and he lifts me slightly as something hard smacks me on my head and egg spreads over my hair and down my back.
I squeal out a laugh, I can’t help it as I feel egg drip down my back, and without thinking too much of it, I grab the flour, and I somehow manage to spin in his tight grip before throwing the flour over his head, and his eyes darken as a laugh bubbles and releases at how ridiculous he looks.
He lets go of me and grabs another egg before throwing it at me, and I choke out another squeal and do the same to him, but this time smashing the egg against his chest, and before I know it, we’re in a full-blown food fight in the diner's kitchen that I’ve just spent an hour cleaning.
Happiness fills me, and a sense of home settles deep in my gut which is absolutely scary and I can’t help my reactions as he throws more flour at me.
It’s like my body has a mind of its own and I basically throw myself at Ace, doing something I just tried to not do and going on my tiptoes because the man is over six feet tall, I cup the back of his neck and I press my lips against his, his lip ring instantly soothing me and oh my god, home, safety, passion, it all rushes through me and I melt into him, not caring that we’re both covered in flour and eggs.
Ace freezes, most likely in shock, and I’m just about to pull away as embarrassment hits me that I gave in like this, but his arm wraps around my waist as his hand cups my cheek, and he pulls me close to him, and he kisses me back.
He kisses me back!
I can feel myself begin to tremble, I can feel my heart pounding, and I can feel myself being surrounded just by his orbit as he tilts my head and deepens the kiss as our tongues touch, a kiss that completely consumes me as I grip the back of his hair and press myself closer to his body.
Home.
Fear rushes through me at how right this feels, and I quickly pull back, my fingers going to my now swollen lips, and I breathe heavy.
Oh my god, oh my god!
Ace blinks then blinks again as he gently runs his thumb over his bottom lip, and I swallow hard before I clear my throat and, without another word to him, I grab my bag and run out of the kitchen and towards the front.
I kissed him, shit, I fricking kissed him.
As soon as I get to my car, I breathe heavily as I press my fingers against my lips, the need to go back to him consuming, and my eyes tear up as my phone vibrates.
I quickly grab, thinking, stupidly, maybe it’s Ace because he didn’t follow me out, but disappointment hits when I see it isn’t.
Step-Monster:
I’m hungry, and you still haven’t fixed the stove. Pick me up some takeout.
I put my phone back away as a few tears fall.
I should regret what I just did, that I gave a man who hates me my first proper kiss, but I don’t, because it was perfect. I just don’t know how I’m going to navigate this now.
He hates me, while I’m in love with him.