2024-12-10 17:13:42Laxus froze, his heart pounding. “What are you talking about, Drake?”
“Don’t play dumb,” Drake sneered. ""You’ve got everyone fooled, but not me. You’re a Kinkaid. You think you can hide that?""
Laxus swallowed hard, but before he could respond, Drake continued. ""You’re going to quit this job. Walk away, or I’ll make sure everyone knows the truth.""
Fear gripped Laxus. His mind flashed to the life he had built, the normalcy he had fought so hard to maintain. ""You don’t have to do this, Drake. We can talk—""
“There’s nothing to talk about,” Drake interrupted. “Either you quit, or your little secret becomes public knowledge.”
Laxus clenched his fists, anger mixing with fear. But he knew Drake wasn’t bluffing. He had no choice. ""Fine. I’ll quit.”
Drake smirked, satisfied. ""Good. I want your resignation on my dad’s desk by tomorrow morning.""
Laxus spent the night wrestling with the decision. "There's no other way..."
The next morning, Laxus woke up late. "It's almost 9 a.m.!" he panicked, rushing to get ready. Even though he planned to quit, he still wanted to be on time. He quickly dressed in a casual t-shirt and jeans, hoping to avoid drawing attention.
When he arrived at the restaurant, he was surprised to see it packed with customers. Henry approached him, looking serious.
""You're late, Laxus. Where have you been?"" Henry asked sharply.
"Mr. Henry, I need to talk to you. I don’t think I can keep this job—"" Laxus started.
""That can wait. The customers are here because they loved your burgers from yesterday. Get in the kitchen and make more,"" Henry ordered, handing him an apron.
Laxus hesitated but didn’t want to let Henry down. He entered the kitchen and saw Drake, who was clearly upset.
""What are you doing here? I told you not to come back,"" Drake snapped.
""This is my last day. I’ll be gone after today,"" Laxus replied.
Drake scoffed but didn’t say more. As the day went on, the rush finally eased. Then, Henry walked in with a young woman.
"Who’s she?" Drake asked.
""This is Nessy Faraway. She’s joining the kitchen staff. We needed more help,"" Henry explained.
Drake smiled, seeing an opportunity. "Finally, you listened," he said.
Henry looked at him sternly. "I expect everyone to work together."
Laxus noticed Drake’s pleased expression and realized that his last day wouldn’t be as simple as he thought.
Henry walked away, leaving the new girl, Nessy, standing there. She was pretty, that much was clear.
Nessy bowed her head with a smile. "I'll be in your care."
Laxus couldn't help but admire her looks. She had a small body and an innocent face.
'She's cute.'
Drake interrupted his thoughts with a crooked smile.
"Hi," he said, clearly enjoying the fact that Laxus’s time at the restaurant was running out.
Laxus considered telling Henry about his plans to quit after finishing the dishes. With Nessy around, maybe his absence wouldn’t be noticed much. She seemed confident enough to take over his duties.
"Hi!" Nessy greeted them, smiling warmly. Her dimples showed as she glanced between Laxus and Drake.
"Hi," Laxus replied.
"Welcome to our restaurant," Drake said, grinning wildly. He was clearly pleased to see a new face, someone who wouldn’t overshadow him like Laxus did. "Nice to meet you," he added, reaching out for a handshake. His eyes lingered on her, appreciating her presence.
She shook Drake’s hand and replied softly, "Thank you."
"Welcome, Nessy," Laxus added, unsure if he should shake her hand too. But before he could decide, she offered her hand to him. She seemed friendly, so he shook her hand as well. They exchanged brief smiles, and then the room fell silent for a moment.
"Okay, so all introductions are done," Henry said, breaking the silence.
"Do you know where the boss plans to have you work?" Laxus asked.
"I’ll probably just pick a spot that suits me," Nessy shrugged.
""Leave that to me. I’ll show you around,"" Drake quickly interjected, throwing an icy look at Laxus.
"Laxus!" Henry called out, cutting through the tension.
"Yes, sir?" Laxus replied, wondering why he was being singled out.
""The customers loved the burgers today. Some even said they were better than yesterday's. Good job, everyone,"" Henry said, though it was clear that Laxus had done most of the work. Henry’s praise was shared, but Laxus knew who really carried the kitchen.
"Laxus, I need to see you in my office," Henry added, his tone more serious.
Laxus’s mind raced. Had he done something wrong? He put down what he was doing. "Drake, show Nessy the ropes," Henry instructed.
"No problem, Dad. I’ll get right on it,"" Drake said, smiling as if he had just been given a prize.
"Laxus," Henry called again. Laxus nodded and followed his boss to the office.
Henry sat behind his large desk as Laxus walked in. “Have a seat, Laxus,” he said, pointing to the chair in front of him.
Laxus sat down, feeling nervous. Henry pulled out a sheet of paper and started writing on it. Laxus wondered if Henry had discovered his plan to leave.
“Alright,” Henry said, looking up from the paper. ""You were late this morning. That’s against our policy.""
“I’m really sorry,” Laxus said, apologizing for being late. He had overslept, and the fear of Drake revealing his secrets had been overwhelming. ""You said you wanted to talk about something. What’s that about?""
Laxus struggled to find the right words. He didn’t know how to explain that he wanted to quit so soon, especially after everyone had praised his cooking. He didn’t want to disappoint Henry, who had been supportive.
Drake’s angry words echoed in his mind: ""This restaurant is my birthright! You think you can just come in and take my place? Be careful or else…""
Having Drake as an enemy was troubling. Laxus didn’t want to make enemies, especially with someone who could ruin him if his secrets got out. He needed to handle this situation carefully.
Henry called Laxus again, his tone sharper. “Laxus!”
Laxus straightened up, his voice shaky. “Yes, sir?”
“You didn’t hear a word I said,” Henry observed, his eyes narrowing.
“I’m sorry,” Laxus said quickly, trying to sound more confident.
Henry leaned forward, curiosity piqued. “So what’s so urgent that you made my customers wait?”
Laxus took a deep breath, knowing he had to address the issue directly. He was determined to resign, but the reality of his situation made his resolve falter. The thought of losing his income and facing homelessness weighed heavily on him.
He hesitated before speaking. ""I... I need to talk to you about something important.""
Henry’s expression became more focused. “Go on.”
Laxus’s mind raced. He knew that if he quit, it would cause a lot of trouble for both him and Henry. The threat from Drake only complicated things further.
Summoning his courage, Laxus said, ""Actually, I wanted to ask if you could show me the latest recipes for those snacks you mentioned. If you don’t mind…""
Henry looked surprised but relieved. “That’s all?”
“Yes, sir,” Laxus admitted, feeling a mix of embarrassment and relief. “I was worried it might be something worse.”
Henry relaxed and smiled. ""No need to worry. I’m glad it’s just about learning new recipes.""
Laxus felt a sense of relief. He decided to stay at the restaurant for the time being, focusing on improving his skills and handling Drake’s threats as best he could.
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