A week later and Valkyrie just about managed to drag herself out of bed on Monday morning for another day at work. She swung one leg out from under the covers, moaned, got up and wrapped the blanket around her.
It was official; her boiler had packed up. She had the gas man coming in a few days and hopefully there wasn't a major problem, but if there was she was going to have to eat into her savings and that meant there was most certainly no hope as to buying a Christmas tree this year.
She put on her black skirt, tights and white shirt before standing in front of the mirror and tying her tie. She stood there for a minute or two, her hands on her tie knot, and she wondered who that tired little girl in the mirror looking back at her was. She seemed so far away.
Once she was at work though, she got into a rhythm. It was buzzing in the restaurant and she was taking a five minute break when Amber, a short, round cook caught her by the kitchen door.
"Val," she said just loud enough to catch her attention, "You're wanted in the chef's office."
Valkyrie's heart began to race in the way a student's would when they are asked by the teacher, "can I have a quick word?"
"Why?" She asked. Amber shrugged,her pointy features scrunching up in apathy.
"Search me." And she turned away, the kitchen door swishing shut behind her. Valkyrie took a deep, shuddering breath and followed Amber into the sweltering hot kitchen.
The kitchen was big and bright. Waitors and waitresses bustled about like robots on tracks, delivering empty plates and carrying out full ones, pinning up orders and, in between, taking a moment to mop one's brow and run a hand through one's hair. The kitchen staff, too, were on their toes. Orders were coming in thick and fast and, not content with being excessively hungry today, the Jamie Oliver populous had decided to each have a different dish.
Valkyrie made her way round the cooks, trying desperately not to get in the way, and saw the brown door with the frosted glass. A gold plate read Head Chef.
She knocked three times and a light, male voice came from within.
"Come in," it said. She frowned. She was expecting to hear the rough, husky voice belonging to Briony Baintree, who ran the restaurant. She opened the door, stepped into the office and immediately straightened up.
"Valkyrie," Jamie Oliver said with a grin. "Nice to see you."
"And you, Sir." She was still reeling. What could she have done so wrong that Jamie Oliver himself had to come and straighten her out?
What if he was sacking her?
"Don't look so worried Valkyrie," he said, "you aren't in trouble."
"Forgive me, sir, but...why am I here then?"
Oliver held up a brown envelope, waved it at her a couple of times and then took the very formal looking letter from inside.
"Dear Jamie Oliver," he read, "By the time you read this, if you find time in what I'm sure is a very busy schedule to do so, it will have been just over a week since we visited your restaurant, Jamie Oliver's, near Dublin (on the east side of the city). I am writing to inform you that our evening was delightful; the food was high quality and the overall atmosphere of the restaurant was very pleasant. But what made your restaurant exceptional as apposed to excellent was the service we received.
Ours was a reasonably large party; three adults and two adolescents, although one of the adults has only just turned twenty and I'm sure is a four year old at heart. I am an ice skating coach and I have been in plenty of restaurants with my skaters and I assure you they are not an easy bunch. However, we were treated as guests rather than customers and my skaters left at the end of the evening in a way I have never seen them do so from a restaurant before. At this point I must mention one waitress in particular; Valkyrie Cain."
Valkyrie couldn't help but smile. She didn't think that woman would actually write a letter.
"I have never before been to any eatery and had such attentive and informed staff serve me. One of my skaters, who is on a calorie controlled diet, asked for every meal the number of calories. Not only did Miss Cain tell her without a moment's hesitation the calorie count, but it was in a non-patronising tone, with understanding even."
Oliver put the letter down on the table and smiled at her. "I could go on and bore you with more adoring fanmail, but I hardly need to. It seems to me you've been doing an excellent job here."
Valkyrie shrugged and grinned shyly. "I don't know. I guess I'm just trying really hard. I'm practically living..."
"On tips? I thought so. I've been there. So what if I could make your life a little easier?"
Valkyrie tilted her head. "Sir?"
"I mean a raise, dear. From what I've read and what I've heard from the other staff, you certainly deserve it."
Valkyrie blinked twice and struggled to surpress the euphoric feeling in her stomach. "And when would it be effective by?"
"Immediately. Consider it a personal Christmas present from me."
Valkyrie felt like hugging Oliver, but decided against and instead thanked him profusely, as any normal person would. On her lunchbreak, she called Skulduggery. He didn't answer, so she called him again. Still no answer. She called him a third time and he picked up.
"Is everything ok? What's wrong?"
"Nothing!" she said quickly, and realised that she hadn't actually called Skulduggery in quite a while, and her excessive ringing must have worried him. "Sorry. I didn't mean to worry you."
"That's ok. So what's up?"
"I thought you and me and the others could go out for a meal tonight? I finish early."
"Oh." There was a hesitation on the other end. "Right. Actually, we aren't available tonight. Yeah. There's a bunch of paperwork come through at the sanctuary and we'll be working late."
"Oh." she said, feeling slightly downhearted. "Ok. Never mind. It's nothing important. I was just wondering."
" Sorry Val. Maybe some other time this week?"
"Yeah. Sure. Absolutely. I have to go, my lunch break is nearly over."
"Ok. See you."
"Bye." she said, and hung up. "Love you."
She froze. Her eyes widened. Her eyebrows pointed down. She stared at the black screen of her phone for what seemed like the longest time.
What just happened?
Did she just say...what she thought she'd said?
*******
Bye the end of the day, she'd managed to put those words in the little ice box in her mind, dismissing it as a gesture of mutual likingness. She took a taxi to the end of her street and walked to her house. As she made her way up the path, she felt like something was wrong. The curtains of the living room were drawn, and she was sure she'd left them open when she left for work. She stepped in. It was dark and the wrong kind of quiet, so she conjured a flame and held it out in front of her as she walked into the living room. She suddenly heard a shuffling behond her and she spun and punched her assailant in the stomach. There was a familiar wheezing and she stopped short of kicking him in between the legs and fumbled for the light.
"Dexter?"
She hit the lights, blinked once and then -
"Surprise!" Skulduggery and Saracen shouted. Dexter groaned.
Valkyrie turned around and looked at what should have been the empty alcove, but no; it now housed a Christmas tree.
The tree had thick green firs and was almost as tall as the ceiling. It was draped in silver, red and gold tinsle and had baubles of every colour hanging on it. On top, a golden, glittering star. Yes, the top wasn't completely perpendicular. Yes, gren needles covered the carpet, but there was a Goddamned CHRISTMAS TREE in her house!
"What...did you do this? This is your late night work at the sanctuary?" She whispered, her mouth hanging open. They nodded, grinning smugly. Her face broke out into the biggest smile.
"Oh my FREAKING GOD!" And she threw herself at them. They laughed and all of a sudden, she felt like this house, this casket, had somehow become more full, more loving, and even though the boiler had decided to die she felt much warmer.
She felt warmest when she hugged Skulduggery, even though he was cold and hard and bony. She felt like this was where she was meant to be.
They lit some candles as the sun dipped below the edge of the Earth. Valkyrie told them all about her raise and they bought some champagne and Saracen and Dexter drank themselves half blind. Valkyrie stuck with her diet coke and Skulduggery, of course, drank nothing. They ordered pizza and cheesy triangles and white chocolate and raspberry cookie dough and Valkyrie, for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime, felt happy.
*******************************
Yeah...I know I said I wouldn't feature Valduggery but hey, people change ;-)
Seriously though, no ridiculously soppy Valduggery stuff. Just some mild feelings thrown about.
Probably.
As always, vote and comment below, my lovelies!
MoreThanWhatYouSee77 xxx