-- Ali’s POV --
“Sir, I think I can make a simple chickpea curry without your help.”
Dennis frowned but still didn’t move. His eyes stayed fixed upon the oil being heated in the large saucepan. He simply couldn’t forget the ‘unfortunate incident’, as I liked to call it.
“I am assistant chef, after all.”
I added the cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon and half the cumin seeds and waited for them to cook properly.
“Yes, I know that, but you’ve already proved you’re not capable of cooking unsupervised,” said Dennis in a clipped voice. Ever since the ‘unfortunate incident’ he had decided to take notes of my ‘progress.’
“I’m not a trainee,” I said boldly, eying the clipboard behind his back.
When I heard a cackling noise, I knew they had been cooked and turned back to the saucepan. Dennis watched silently as I added the green chillies and onions. I glanced at Lisa, who was finally allowed to make something other than soup. Bolognese sauce was hardly a step-up, though.
“Your onions have browned,” Dennis pointed out, and my eyes trailed back towards my own working station.
“A Head Chef is supposed to supervise the whole kitchen. You’re not supposed to linger on one person!” I growled, squeezing the tomato paste into the saucepan with a little more force than necessary. “Now I suggest you go check on Lisa, who was so intent on hearing us that she’s poured olive oil all over the floor.”
Lisa gasped when she realised that I was right. With a loud sigh, Dennis reluctantly left my side to help Lisa clean up the mess. The little tart tried to get close to him again, by ‘accidently’ slipping into his arms. This time, though, Dennis wasn’t impressed.
I hummed cheerily as I added the ground coriander, chilli powder and salt to the oil. By the time Dennis was back, I was already adding the chickpeas.
“Not bad, eh?” I chuckled, passing the dish to the waitress.
Dennis hurriedly made another note on his clipboard and it looked suspiciously like an insult. “Uh, yes, it was okay.”
“Let me see that,” I demanded, reaching out and snatching the clipboard.
“No!” he shouted, grabbing it back quickly, looking flustered. “That’s not for you to see, Ali!”
“If you were writing something nasty about me...” I narrowed my eyes into slits.
Just then another waitress came bustling in, holding up her notepad that had scribbles of orders all over it.
“Back to work!” he hissed.
**
“He doesn’t want to admit how good I am today,” I told Gina angrily while we washed our hands. “I’ve seen him scribbling down notes about me on his stupid clipboard all day. It’s driving me insane!”
“I don’t know why you care so much,” said Gina indifferently. “Sure, he’s a total idiot, but you shouldn’t let him get to you.”
“I’m being treated as if I’m some inexperienced new girl! What if I apply for a new job, eh? You think he’s going to give out a good word about me?”
“True –“
“Why do you hate Mr Clarke so much?” said a new, gleeful voice.
We whirled around and came face-to-face with Lisa. She had recently started wearing make-up.
“Because he’s a brat,” I said through gritted teeth. “Now go away.”
“He’s hot,” she said, placing her hands on her hips. “Like, really hot. You sure you don’t just have a crush on him?”
“He was my sister’s husband! Actually, he still is!” I screeched, clenching my fists. “So lay off him, honey, or you’ll have me to deal with.”
“He’s married to your sister, but he’s flirting with me?”
I nodded stiffly.
“Maybe he deserves better than your sister, then? After all, if she’s related to you, she’s got to be skank.” Anger boiled up inside me, ready to burst.
“You bitch!”
I pounced on her. She screamed as she fell, her head hitting the floor with a thud. I climbed on top of her so that I was straddling her. My arm was already raised, my hands already curled up into a fist.
“Don’t you dare –“
I punched her hard in the face, causing blood to spurt out from her nose. She struggled, bringing her perfectly manicured hands to my face, trying to scratch me.
“ – call my sister skank –“
Another punch to her pretty little face; this time at the mouth. Shrieking, she spat out the blood.
“ – you little tart –“
I felt hands wrap around my middle. Someone was trying to lift me off her. Shaking uncontrollably, I tried to slap their hands away. Distantly, I heard Gina shouting something at me.
“No!” I cried, sounding crazy. “Let me have her! Let me have her!”
Then I heard another voice, a deeper, manlier voice. Dennis.
I snapped back into reality. It was as if I had woken from a deep sleep, as if someone had poured freezing water over me. The hands around me pulled me to my feet. My eyes were fixed on Lisa, who was covered in blood and bawling like a baby.
The whole kitchen was silent, staring at me in awe. Gina released me and I stood there in shock, hardly believing what I had just done. Someone helped Lisa up and she disappeared from view. Then Dennis stepped in front of me, looking horrified and furious and disappointed, all at the same time.
In that brief moment, I had acted like an animal, and I had hurt somebody. Shame washed over me, and I couldn’t think of anything else.
Dennis was saying something. No, he was yelling. But his voice seemed so far away, as if he was talking down a tunnel.
And then I heard the word that I had dreaded, that I hoped he wouldn’t say but knew deep down that he would.
Fired.
YOU ARE READING
Behind My Sister's Back
RomanceWhen Summer's marriage ends in disaster, her sister, Ali, is there to pick up the pieces. What Summer didn't expect was for Ali to meet Dennis, Summer's ex-husband, and fall under his charm...
