Sweet and Spicy [COMPLETED]

Tobin's Favor

"Ms. Parker?" Tobin poked his head into the kitchens and looked around like a squirrel. 

Kaya looked up from the dough she had been kneading. She hadn't seen Tobin in the kitchens since she started working at Conditus, so the sudden appearance startled her. 

Tobin lifted a hand and motioned Kaya to come closer. 

Kaya grabbed a damp towel to wipe her hands, then jogged to his side. "What is it?" 

"I have to step out for a bit this afternoon. Would you be able to step in for me?"

"You want me to be his secretary for the afternoon?" 

"I wouldn't ask such a thing, but..." Tobin smiled wryly, "he has a meeting and someone will need to take minutes."

"It has to be me?" Kaya swiped a loose hair out of her face with the back of her hand. 

Tobin nodded. "The CEO is a very distrusting person. He'll want someone he can rely on." 

"And that's me?" 

"Yes. That is you, Ms. Parker." 

Kaya thought it through. To be absolutely honest, Ransom Lee had stepped in to help her more than once. She probably owed him one afternoon of secretarial work. 

"Okay, I'll do it." Kaya smiled back at Tobin, just to reassure him. 

Tobin took her hand in both of his. "Thank you. You don't realize what this means." 

Kaya wished she did realize what it meant. Purely because she might feel less hesitant to do it. Did everyone think she had that much free time?

Okay, so she did, but Kaya didn't want to have to deal with the fact that Ransom seemed to care for her as more than a chef. 

"I'll let him know, then." Tobin dropped Kaya's hand and turned for the door. 

Kaya closed her eyes and inhaled. She could do this. She could handle everything like an adult. No worries. Everything would be fine. 

"Big Sis, did something happen?" Jacob called from his corner of the kitchen. 

Marcy swung a hand at Jacob's arm. "Don't harass her."

Kaya spun to face him and shook her head. "Not much. I'll be out for the afternoon."

"You're leaving us alone again?" Jacob pouted. "I was going to invite you to go to lunch with us and everything." 

"Maybe next time, okay?" Kaya would admit to a certain fondness for the young intern.

Jacob grinned and nodded. "Next time for sure. I'll treat!" 

As much as Kaya didn't want to bother with friends, she found she liked friendship anyway. She trusted the kitchen staff to stand behind her if something were to happen. She could confide in them, somewhat. They were decent people. Something Kaya hadn't had many of in her life. 

Ten minutes after Tobin left, Betty poked her head out of the office. "Kaya, Tobin phoned. CEO Grumpygus is looking for you."

The strange nickname immediately made Kaya want to laugh, but she held it back. Just for the sake of plausible deniability. 

"I'll get going, then." Kaya ditched her apron by her station and grabbed her dough so she could put it in the refrigerator. "I probably won't be back until evening." 

"We'll miss you!" Marcy called. 

Kaya exited the kitchen with a skip in her step. Finally, for once in her life, things seemed to be going eerily right.