Top Chef: California
I don't own anything just the concept
CH. 2
"Hey, Ash?" I hear from behind me. Jason has his head poked out the back door. "It's been an hour, and dinner service is about to start,"
he continued.
"Ok, thanks Jay. I'll be right in." I take another puff of what seems to be my seventh cigarette and throw it down, then stomping it out. I
make my wake back into the kitchen with newly washed hands and wait for the chaos to begin.
XXXXXXX
At the end of the night I cleaned up the restaurant with the rest of my staff and then sent them home, along with Aiden. I walk over to the
bar where Jason is counting up the register.
"How much did we make tonight Jay?"
"Just a little over twelve thousand. Not too bad for a Thursday, eh?" He chuckled, "Dishwasher gone?"
"Yeah, everything is done. I sent my staff home."
Jason squeezes my shoulder and gives me a look I cannot quite make out. Maybe remorse? He knows everything that has happened and
how I have managed. He has been there through the good and bad, and I could never thank him enough.
"Go home Ash, I'll close up."
I nod my head and give him a weak smile.
"Thanks, Jay."
Stepping out the front door, I lock the doors and take a step back to stand in the middle of the now empty street. I stand there for a
minute or two, just looking at my restaurant as Jason turns out the lights. Finally the lights that light up the restaurant's name go out, and
the name Azure is suddenly engulfed in darkness. Looking at my surroundings and seeing nothing but darkness, I decide it is time for me
to go home. Driving home is always a lonely ride. It is on the rides home when I begin to truly realize how lonely I am. This is when I
realize that I really don't have anybody in my life besides my employees. Yes I have my parents and sister, but it has been years since I
have spoken to anyone of them. At this point a conversation with them would be pointless, no one can help. I ruined my life; it was no
one's fault but my own. I pull up to my apartment and as always the lights are off. As soon as I enter the foyer I unbutton my chef jacket
and drop it to the floor, no need to wash it. I'll just grab it when I head to work tomorrow. Turning the lights on in my kitchen, I see the
pile of dishes in the sink. This place was always clean when Spencer was here. Yanking open the fridge I see some leftover Chinese
takeout and a six pack of beer. I grab the leftover fried rice and three beers, then plop myself down on my couch. I always sit on the left
side, the right side is Spencer's. I flip on the television and begin to munch on my cold rice. Cracking open my first beer, I scan through
the channels until I come across the Food Network. Might as well watch it. As soon as I killed the first beer the second one was half gone,
and the show was changing from Iron Chef America to The Best Thing I Ever Ate. As the show began to play I quickly realized it was a
pastry addition, and my heart instantly sank. Alton Brown was on my television talking about these great pastries and when he said the
name of the business I felt a pit in my stomach.
"By far my favorite place to get any kind of pastry is at Spencer's Sweets in San Diego, California," Alton says.
He continues to do more talking and then Spencer is finally shown to talk about her business.
"My partner and I opened Spencer's Sweets three years ago, and I never thought it would be as successful as it has become. Here at the
bakery we like to do things naturally, and we love to use crazy flavors to bounce off of each other and just wake your mouth up and get
people excited about pastries," Spencer says with her bubbly personality.
I wipe at some stray tears that had fallen and turn the television off. I cannot handle this. It has been five years and I'm still not over
Spencer, yet she has a new girlfriend and she is happy. It hurts knowing that there is someone else holding my girl and making her smile.
I remember the first time I made her smile; it was on my nineteenth birthday.
Flashback
It was the end of our first week in college, and Aiden and I decided that we needed to loosen up a bit: therefore, we hit up a club. As soon
as we entered the packed club we headed to the bar, yeah I was only nineteen but my fake I.D. said twenty-one. We started with simply
drinks, Aiden had a beer and I had a vodka cranberry. We were sitting at a table enjoying our drinks when I see her dancing.
"Man, I would kill to get to know her," I say to Aiden over the music.
"I heard she was like the top pastry chef in Ohio, and that she won some type of competition and has a full ride to our college," he says as
he is finishing his beer.
"Pastry chef huh?"
"Yeah," he nods.
"Well, I'd love for her to pour some sugar on me."
"Really Ash, maybe she's not even gay?"
"Only one way to find out," I say as I down my drink, my liquid courage.
I hop out of my seat and make my way to the dance floor where she is, her back is still facing me, so I take this opportunity to place my
hands on her hips. At first she stiffens a little and glances over her shoulder, but then she smirks and begins to grind into me.
Definitely didn't expect that.
I continue to dance with her and things are starting to get a little hot, she started to grind into me harder and had an arm wrapped around
my neck, I was getting pretty horny.
She turned around and planted a kiss on me. It was kind of rough, and I really liked it. I slipped my tongue into her mouth, while pulling
her closer and she moaned into my mouth. I was definitely taking her home tonight. Once we pulled away I grabbed her hand and pulled
her out of the crowd to the bar.
"Let me buy you a drink?" I asked.
"I'm only eighteen," she said.
"I'm only nineteen, so what can I get you?"
"I don't know if I should."
"Come on loosen up a bit. Besides you have got to have a drink with the birthday girl, I'm Ashley by the way."
"Oh, I know who you are; I have had my eye on you all week. And I know you have been eyeing me; therefore you already know I'm
Spencer."
"Well then Spencer, how about that drink?"
"How about we skip the drink, and we head back to your place birthday girl?"
Raising and eyebrow at her I nod my head vigorously, and she gives me a big smile. A big smile that I would always remember.
End Flashback
My takeout is empty along with my beer bottles and the clock on top of the television reads 3:07 a.m., I grab my phone off the table and
look at the background. It is a picture of Spencer; she was wearing her favorite pink chef jacket and had a big smile on her face. I wipe a
few more tears away and go through my contacts. I come across her name and hesitate before I click on the dial button, place the phone
to my ear, and wait for her to pick up.
