~A Dish Served Cold.~
It didn’t take us much time to get to my job by car. I smiled to Alex, everything he had told me had made me so happy. I still I was worrying about my baby but now that I knew I wasn’t the only one it made me like Alex even more.
”What time will you come home? Maybe I can come and pick you up.” Alex told me.
”They didn’t tell us... but I missed walking. Don’t worry I‘m a big girl!” I teased him. He smiled and I closed the car’s door behind me.
When I walked into the shop I saw many pastry chefs talking to each other, some of them turned and welcomed me. I walked into the “changing” room, left my things and took my apron.
When I walked back to the laboratory I smelled those wonderful smells of strawberry and orange jam. I smiled, found my bench and sat behind. I made my hair a quick ponytail and placed the apron around my waist. I looked around, it was about time to start but I could find Annabel in the crowd of chefs.
And that was when my stress and panic hit me… that was when I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
All the chefs walk behind their benches when a figure walked into the laboratory.
”Miss Annabel couldn’t come today.” The figure said. “So I will be your leader for today. You will do whatever I tell you, you will make the foods in the way I say it and if you have anything to add… please ask me first.”
I felt my knees weak and ready to vomit. Annabel had left us alone… and her place had taken…
”Timothy?” I whispered.
”So!” Timothy clapped his hands and their sound rang into the entire laboratory that sank into deathly silence. “Lets start.”
On my bench I had a huge jar of strawberry marmalade, flour, sugar, water, butter, eggs, oranges and spices.
”Today each one of you is going to make 100 pieces. Every pastry chef has on his bench all the ingredients you need to make these.”
Timothy looked around in the room.
”I’m not expecting the least of perfect from you today. You are going to make your own pastry for the marmalade rolls. I don’t want to hear small talks or any complaining, if I do, I’ll make sure that your names will go straight to Helen. Am I clear?” Timothy yelled.
We answered to him and start working.
With shaky hands I start mixing the ingredients to make the dough. “Please God, help me…” I thought while I was working. Slowly I looked at to him. He was passing between the benches, with hands behind his back, looking what we where doing, criticizing our jobs. I couldn’t help it but to think him as a tyrant. Why was he acting like this? Why he was so mean with us, with all of us? What had happened to him…?
It had been at least two hours, but I’m not quit sure… I had lost the track of time... Timothy wasn’t letting us take any breaks, no if we didn’t have finished with those marmalade rolls. Our feet had started hurting and the only thing you could hear in the laboratory wasn’t anymore music or small talks. No, now you could hear only the sounds of our hands on the benches while we were kneading the dough, the sound of spoons into the jars of marmalade, the mixers, the knives…
”NO! YOU ARE NOT DOING IT RIGHT! AGAIN!” Timothy yelled to the pastry chef behind me and made me hold still for a second.
”Sorry chef…” The guy murmured.
Footsteps…
”What are you making?” Timothy asked me.
”Rolls with strawberry marmalade…” I answered.
”And you think you are doing it right?”
”…Yes…” I replied.
Timothy chuckled for a second. Slowly he pushed some hair behind my ear and come closer to me. I shuddered when I felt his breath so close to me.
”Guess again…” He whispered and automatically I stopped what I was doing. I turned and looked at him scared. I know I shouldn’t have been afraid of him… he couldn’t do me anything and I still didn’t know the reason why he was acting so weird. But… I was scared of him, petrified…
”Why don’t you ever listen to me?” He asked. “Why do you always think that what you think and do is right?”
I didn’t answer.
”Well, your Tom is not here to save you this time…”
And just like that I realised what had made his acting so weird. Revenge. Timothy was finally taking his revenge. From when he and Tom had fought. For when I didn’t listened to him. Now I was just a toy in his battle field, I was in his mercy; at least for now.
”So, I suggest you you do these God damn rolls the way I want them. Was I clear?”
”Why are you doing this?” I whispered.
”Revenge my dearest Alice… is a dish served cold.” He answered and gave me an evil smile as he walked away.
