Chapter Twenty-Four
Robin
I’m not sure what I was expecting when I was told a fellow kitchen worker would come to fetch me and show me the ropes for tonight’s social event, but the petite blonde teenager with the endless confidence and ability to talk in run-on sentences without ever needing to stop and take a breath, definitely wasn’t it.
Katie showed up wearing a black shirt and black pants combo similar to the clothes I opted to wear, with her golden hair pulled back into an elaborate up-do, featuring a silver Alice band and some sparkly hairclips.
She quickly introduced herself and told me she came early to help me get started.
From that point on, I’ve been dashing around after her, just barely managing to keep up with her quick feet and even faster commentary on anything and everything.
I got a breather for a few seconds once we got into the kitchen, and she knelt down to fix one of her shoe buckles, but there’s barely been a second to ask a question, let alone request that she slow down a little.
“These shoes!” she complains as she straightens back up.
“They’re pretty,” I compliment.
She grins at me. “Thanks! They also make my short legs look longer, but the buckles are a major pain in the butt. I so need to get a new pair at the end of the month.”
“The end of the month?” I ask, not sure what she means.
“Pay day. The waiting drives me crazy. I always try to be good, but, somehow, I’m always broke like halfway through the month. Definitely helps that I don’t have rent to pay.”
“Ah.”
I guess I didn’t ask what the pay was.
It must be low if it’s hard to make it last.
Considering I’m covered for food and a place to stay I’m not going to worry about it.
“Okay, so, where were we?” Katie asks, tapping her foot lightly on the tiled kitchen floor.
“Um, honestly, I’m not sure,” I admit, making her face fall.
“Oh. Oh God, I’m doing it, aren’t I? Talking too fast, about too many things all at once?”
“Uh …” I start, not wanting to agree and make her feel bad. “You’re just a little more … enthusiastic than I’m used to.”
“The chefs’ are always giving me crap for talking too much,” she says, rolling her eyes.
“The French guy, Pierre, is the worst. He mutters all those fancy swear words under his breath, as if I can’t hear him.
Ugh. He’s so infuriating. Of course, he’s also handsome, but that’s beside the point.
Doing it again. Dang. Okay. I’m going to take a breath, and you can ask any questions you have. ”
She takes in a very theatrical breath, holds it for a few seconds and blows it back out slowly.
“I don’t think I have any questions. I mean, besides wondering if you have a crush on the French chef?”
She laughs. “What? No. No way.”
I’m not sure if that’s a flush of color in her cheeks or if I’m imagining it, but I’m certain she’s protesting a little too hard. She bites her lip for a fraction of a second and then lets it go.
“So, you don’t have any questions?”
“Nothing so far.”
She lets out a relaxed breath. “Okay. Good. We’re off to the right kind of start.”
“Seems like it.”
“I should show you the ballroom!”
And she’s off again, swift feet taking off in the direction of a set of double doors, while she starts talking again.
“If you remember nothing else tonight, just keep in mind that we have dedicated bar staff. So, if anyone asks for a drink, ask one of them to get it. We don’t deal with the alcohol, thankfully. ”
She stops at the doors as I catch up, smiling brightly. “These are the doors we’ll be coming in and out of all night, so get used to the sight of them. Come on, I’ll show you the bar.”
She pushes the left door with a tiny grunt of effort, and then steps forward, holding it open for me. I follow her into the ballroom, noting the door is heavier than it looks when she lets go and my hand is all that’s keeping it open.
I attempt to let it close gracefully, only stumbling slightly as I move out of the way.
“Oh, you get used to the doors,” Katie goes on, waving a hand at them. “They’re a pain in the behind, but once you get into a flow you won’t even notice.”
I kind of doubt that at the moment, but I don’t voice the concern.
If a heavy door is the worst part of my new job, I have nothing to worry about.
“First thing to note is the lighting will be different in a little while. That’s why I came to get you early.
It can feel a bit dingy because of the moody old décor in here so I thought it would be good for you to see where everything is before the lights are lower.
The layout is pretty simple, as you can see. ”
She gestures to the rows of tables to the right. “Obviously, this is where we’ll be bringing food to, and that’s the bar across the room. Like I said, it’s not our job to serve drinks. That includes soda, by the way. I think I forgot to mention that. Who drinks soda at a party, right?”
I laugh because it feels like I’m supposed to.
I don’t tell her I wouldn’t know, because I’ve literally only ever been present at a party as a server. Beyond the single sip of champagne I stole from a full glass after a party was over, I don’t really know what alcohol tastes like, either.
She lives in such a different world.
It’s like we’re not even from the same planet.
“Anyway,” she goes on, shaking her head.
“Uh, where was I … Oh, yeah! We don’t serve drinks, but we do clear the tables, and that includes glass-catching.
Glasses go back to the bar area. Plates and silverware go back to the kitchen.
Only clear the table when it’s vacant, or when a couple or group ask you to.
We’re not supposed to interrupt since it can be a whole thing when Omegas and Alphas meet. ”
A whole thing? Oh …
“You’ve been around when an Omega has perfumed?”
I’m shocked enough to let the question out before I realize it’s probably kind of rude.
I don’t want her to think I’m interested in Omegas or something.
She just laughs. “Yeah. It’s rarer than you’d think, but I’ve been around when it happened once or twice, and let me tell you, it can get more than a little awkward.
The best thing to do is give them room. If it’s making you feel things, go take a break and drink some water.
Lana should be around, so she’ll make sure it’s all above board if it happens to anyone tonight.
If she’s not around, let me know and I’ll call her. ”
“Uh huh,” I murmur.
“You don’t sound sure,” she says. “I’m guessing it’s not something you’ve experienced before?”
“I’ve seen movies, but I’ve never met an Omega in real life.”
Thoughts of my mother flood back to me, but I only really have that one memory of her sweet voice singing me to sleep. I didn’t get to meet any other Omegas at Ivan Hamilton’s house.
“Okay, well, it’s kind of like this incredible scent just fills your senses all of a sudden, and it starts to heat up your body and well …
it really makes you wish you had a boyfriend to jump on.
Let’s put it that way. Or girlfriend, I guess,” she adds, giving me a curious look. “If that’s your thing?”
“I’m into men, but I’m definitely not looking for boyfriend.”
She nods slowly. “Me too, except I am. Looking for a boyfriend, I mean. If only men weren’t so annoying. Sometimes I think life would be easier if I was into girls.”
“Oh, for sure.”
“Anyway,” she starts. “Guests can order hot drinks from the kitchen, and we take care of those, so I’ll show you how the machine works once you think you’re familiar enough with the ballroom to move on.
The dance floor is a no-go area for food and drinks.
The bar staff monitor that, so we just make sure we don’t walk around on the dance floor with food trays.
The seating area all the way over there is food and drink free too, so we don’t go over there. ”
“Seems simple enough.”
The only area I’m supposed to be working in is small enough to feel manageable.
This side of the room is carpeted so it’s easy to tell where the dancefloor starts.
I walk over to the bar and look back at Katie.
“So, we leave any empty glasses here?”
I brush my fingers over the cold, smooth marble counter.
The color is almost black, shimmering with flecks of silver.
Pretty, but dark, like most of the décor in the room.
“Right. It doesn’t matter where you put them, you can leave them anywhere on the counter. Whoever’s working the bar will move them.”
I nod, taking that piece of information in for later.
“Well, I think that’s kind of it for the ballroom,” Katie says, on hand on her hip.
“It’s not too difficult, really. I mean, it used to be kind of different, but Lana had the private booths ripped out because of how they could be used, and there used to be thick curtains up separating the dance floor and the back seating area, but it’s all so much easier to navigate now. ”
“Private booths?” I ask, because I can’t picture what they would look like.
“I know, right?” She shakes her head. “It’s disgusting that they were even a thing.
The old heads of admin went along with anything the rich guys who used to keep this place running had to say.
I used to think Alphas were just like automatically hot.
Now, I automatically assume they’re creepy, at least until they show they’re not.
I’ve only been here for a couple of years, but the crap that used to go on in this room was wild.
It was practically impossible to keep the Omegas safe.
I felt so sorry for some of them. You have no idea how happy I was when Lana took over. ”
I still can’t really picture what a private booth would look like, but it sounds like they were a bad thing, so it’s probably better if I don’t have the mental image of what they were.