Chapter 36
Thirty-Six
ADDIE
Today, I was finally going to write actual words on a new document and officially declare my PhD restarted.
I had all my notes, both mine and some from my advisor, and a couple of books that I probably wouldn’t use, but it felt like they should be nearby.
There was an array of pens spread out on the table and three packs of multi-coloured Post-it notes that also felt good to have on hand, even though, historically, I had never used a Post-it note to write an essay. Ever.
My laptop was freshly charged, and my coffee was fresh.
I was ready to begin.
And then my phone lit up with a call.
“Kayla?” I answered. I couldn’t think of many reasons why she would be calling me half an hour before lunch service was due to start.
Briefly, I panicked that something might have happened to Dad, but then I remembered he wasn’t working today, and somehow, it seemed unlikely that Kayla would be the person to tell me if something had.
“Hi, Addie, sorry to call out of the blue, but I didn’t know who else to call. Ummmm, can you come and get Eli?”
“Eli?”
I had seen him briefly this morning, and he seemed tired, but I put that down to the hangover of the hangover. He told me he was fine when I asked. Twice. Looking back on it now, it had been a snappy ‘fine’ rather than his usual ‘fine’.
“Yeah. Um, he’s…I don’t know. Not okay, that’s for sure.
I mentioned it to Xander, and he checked in with him.
But in another life, Eli might be an award-winning actor because he convinced Xander that he was fine.
Fuck, I would have thought he was fine if I hadn’t witnessed him nearly fall to the ground the moment Xander disappeared.
I think he might be trying to work through a panic attack.
He’s not going to let Xander see him falter, so I think it might be best if someone, if you, force his hand and make him leave.
I’m worried he’s going to hurt himself with a knife or something. ”
Ice slid through my veins. “Oh, okay. Yeah, sure, I can come get him. Or at least try and get him to stop working.”
I was already up and trying to find a pair of shoes that didn’t require lacing.
“Thanks. Sorry again,” Kayla said.
“No, it’s not a problem,” I said, sliding my feet into a pair of boots that weren’t the most London summer-friendly, but met my requirement. “I’ll be there soon.”
I hung up, picked my keys up from the bowl by the door, and ran.
It was a fifteen-minute walk to Vivi’s, and I did it in eight.
Xander looked confused, but also happy to see me, when I burst through the door, leaning on the bureau where customers had to wait, to catch my breath.
“Hey, love, you okay? You seem frazzled.”
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’m fine. I power walked here.”
Xander smiled. “Why did you power walk here? Are you that in need of some French toast?”
I huffed out a laugh. “Actually, no, I’m here to collect your head chef.”
Xander’s eyebrows furrowed, and he spun his head around to look at the kitchen.
“Eli? I spoke to him earlier, and he seemed fine.”
I straightened up. “Yeah, Kayla called me to say she was worried he might be trying to work through something.” Xander’s brow furrowed even further. “She didn’t want to try you again because Eli would just mask it, what with you being his boss and this being his job.”
“I wouldn’t have suggested he power through. If he’s sick, then he shouldn’t try and work through it.”
“He’s not. Actually, I can’t say that for sure, but I don’t think he’s sick. Besides, you know what this industry can be like. Do you really think he hasn’t tried to work through everything under the sun? Anyway, if I pull him out of service, can the kitchen cope?”
Xander was already nodding. “Yes.”
I was pulling my scrunchie down from my arm and tying my hair up as I headed to the kitchen before he finished giving verbal confirmation.
Eli was easy to find when I walked in. He was leaning against the walk-in fridge with his eyes closed, his mouth moving quietly. As I slowly approached him, I realised he was mouthing numbers.
“Eli?” I asked tentatively.
“Adrienne,” he replied quietly. His breathing was shaky, his eyes still closed.
“Do you wanna come with me?” I held out my hand and waited. His eyes opened, and he looked at my hand warily before he slipped his palm into mine. His touch was cool. I led him to the staff room at the back of the kitchen and locked it behind us.
The sound of the lock clicking seemed to unleash something in Eli.
He fell to his knees and started crying.