Title: Ambrosia
Author: BeautiWind
Couple: Percy J. /Annabeth C.
Chapter Rate: T
Genre: Romance/Drama
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Percy Jackson & the Olympians/Heroes of Olympus. Some guys from Texas does. Name, name, name…? Oh yeah! Rick Riordan.
Summary: Annabeth is a newly graduate from a high standard culinary school and is admitted into a prestigious restaurant named Ambrosia. Now her biggest challenge isn't to keep a soufflé puffed up but to keep her feelings hidden from Chef Percy, who's the boss. Will she be capable of doing that or will she just have to bust tables?
Date: October 16, 2012
Dedicated to:
my "husband", Idk. yeah I really don't
Chapter 2
The Lunch Rush had finally ended and I sat in one of the tables of the now nearly empty restaurant. One of the advantages of working at one of New York's best restaurants is that you can get whatever is left from each rush. Today's theme was sea food, so savoring Baked Salmon with a hint of Lemon was all worth those heated rough years of culinary school.
I have been working at Ambrosia for two weeks now and I am getting the hang of it pretty well. I haven't had any accidents or burned rice at all. Says something, I guess. Maybe it just runs through my blood.
I have made some good acquaintances here. Thalia, for instance, has been in charge of me. She has been showing how things go around here and has made sure that I don't 'spill the beans'. Although I know she is genuinely impressed of what I can do, she doesn't show it.
Piper has been there too. At first, she was a bit uneasy about me that I had entered to work so quickly at Ambrosia but eventually she came around. And, well, also the fact that I caught her and her secret boyfriend, Chef Jason, 'snooping around' in the bathroom makes us very close friends doesn't it? I won't hold that as a hook against her, though. They like each other but I don't get why they don't expose themselves to the crew…
Silena, Clarisse, and Katie as well have been good friends. There has been another trainee here, named Luke. He is nice too. Although the scar on his cheek makes me uneasy. He has real deal in the kitchen. One evening during a dinner rush, a very important client, sort of a Steve Jobs guy, came and he ordered something I don't recall but it wasn't on the menu. Luke cooked it up in blink of an eye and left us mouth opened. He smiles at me from time to time.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Thalia approaching. I put a bite in my mouth as she stood in front of me, "May I sit with you?"
"Sure." I said and dipped my head.
She smiled and took a seat. I glanced at her plate and saw she had a salad on it. I raised an eyebrow.
"Salad? Out of all the good foods in this place, you get salad?" I ask incredulously.
"Well," she started, "I would be eating something like yours but Percy has my on my case lately. I haven't been eating 'healthy' and that chiz. According to him, of course. I feel fine!"
I smirked. "And you listen to him…"
"Only today. Tomorrow I'll head to my regular routine of Fillet Mignon." She said, lowering her voice.
Someone behind me said, "Heard that, Thals. You won't fool him."
Thalia rolled her eyes and the person came into view. It was Nico.
"May I sit with you guys?" he asked, setting his plate on the table.
"No." Thalia said, elongating the 'O'.
"Aw, come on, Thals. You can't diss your own family." Nico stated in fake seriousness.
"Yeah, Thals…" said yet again another person behind me. I didn't bother to turn around. It's Luke. Thalia straightened up a little and tucked a little piece of loose hair from her bun behind her ear. Was she blushing?
"May I sit with you guys?" Luke asked.
"Sure!" Thalia squeaked but Luke didn't notice. I just saw everything happening in an amused manner, like most of the time. Nico, did too.
I felt like I didn't belong here. Everyone treated everyone like family. Cute but uncomfortable…
He took a seat. It was all quiet until I broke the ice. "So this restaurant is sustained by a family?"
"Yeah," Nico said with a mouthful, "My dad, Thalia's and Jason's dad, and Percy's dad all inherited this place after our grandfather passed away. Of course with their busy company schedules they couldn't keep it up, so they passed it on to us. Percy became the Main Chef, Jason and I followed, and Thalia became, well… what's your title, Thals?"
Thalia rolled her eyes but she answered, "I don't have a title, idiot! Only Percy, Jason and you do. And stop rubbing it in! I'm a little behind in my culinary studies. But in my defense, I'm almost graduating…"
She pouted and stabbed her fork on her salad. Luke smirked.
Nico turned to me and pursed his lips, "Yeah…"
I raised my eyebrows, "Wow…"
"You also feel like a third wheel, huh?" Luke nudged me.
Thalia threw daggers but I managed, "Yeah, you too?"
Luke laughed, making his Adam's apple bounce. "Welcome to the club!"
I smiled but retreated when Thalia's eyes prepared to shoot. Yup! She likes him. I gathered up my courage to ask a question I been having ever since I saw Piper and Jason sneaking around the bathroom.
"Can people who work here date?" I asked, setting my fork down.
Thalia tilted her head. "Yes, but not within here. Like, a colleague with another no. But outside of here, yes. Why you ask?"
"Uh," I shifted in my seat, "No reason. Just asking."
Nico chewed loudly on his food, "Ha! Little Anniebeth knows something! Tell me!"
I have to admit, he does a very good baby voice impression. I narrowed my eyes at him but he didn't seem to care.
"Tell you what?" I asked and lied back on the back of my chair.
"Oh no you don't! You know something or you are interested in someone…Which one?" Luke said, amused.
I pursed my lips, "I'm not a gossip…" I got up and lifted my plate, "Gotta get back to work…"
And with that I headed to the kitchen. I set my plate in the dishwasher and got my apron. I quickly started peeling cucumbers for the fresh garden salads that are on today's dinner menu. I got so concentrated in peeling the vegetable that I didn't realize that Percy was watching me go.
"You're quick. That's good." He said.
I almost cut myself as I jumped.
"Whoa! Steady!" he said, taking the peeler from my hand, brushing his hand against mine in the process. A shiver ran through my spine.
I laughed nervously. "Sorry…"
"Are you okay?" I wouldn't meet his eyes but I managed to nod. "Good… Um I was meaning to talk to you."
"Uh," I put the cucumber down on the wooden board, "What about?"
"Well. You… I always do this with my new employees. I read their résumés and then I talk to them and try to figure out where to put them in my kitchen. So, uh, can we?" he asked, passing a hand through his messy raven black hair.
I looked around the kitchen. Most of the employees were working but some were looking this way. Mostly girls, I mean. Thy sent me snickers and smirks.
"Sure, Chef." I said.
He nodded and led me to the room next to the employee lounge. On the door, a bronze plaque read:
CHEF PERCY JACKSON
I entered the room only to see that this room was themed with a crossover between sea stuff and culinary arts. The walls were painted a light ocean blue. Picture frames of food and diplomas hung on them. There was a polished wooden cornered desk to the left with mahogany cabinets behind it. Two chairs for visitors and a blue carpet.
"Take a seat." Percy said closing the door behind me.
"Thanks," I said, taking a seat.
He walked over to his rolling chair and sat down. He produced a yellow manila folder from one of his drawers and set it in front of him. He looked at me straight in the eyes.
Those eyes… Gods! They were beautiful. Sea green… They made me a bit uncomfortable.
"So before we start, what is your favorite type of food to prepare?" he asked laced his fingers together.
"Italian." I said easily.
His eyes twinkled. "Me too!"
I smiled. He almost looked like a teenager finding out that your crush has the same interests as you. Wait bad analogy…
"Um, what do you enjoy in the kitchen?"
"Maybe when I dice vegetables and fruit and get to combine them to mix their natural colors. I find it… calming." I say, putting thought into my answer.
He looked at me intensely and smile planted on his face. "Your mom is Athena Chase, one of the best chefs in New York."
A tear almost escaped my eyes. Almost no one refers to mom as 'is' only 'was'.
He continued, "I remember once she came to this restaurant and there was like this type of duel between my father and her. I remember I was standing with you. Your hair was in two piggy tails and you were wearing a purple dress that went to your knees. You also had black boots. I never forgot those boots, you know."
I was stunned. I remembered that night. My mother had suggested a tip for the food she had and the chef got upset. The people around wanted a food challenge and she agreed. My mother won and I remember standing in the kitchen with a boy by my side. It never occurred to me that the little boy was Percy. I remember the moment after that, too. I had played Hide-and-Go-Seek with him and his cousins, I guess, andI accidently kicked him where I shouldn't have.
But I played it cool. "What do you mean?"
He chuckled, "Well let's just say you have a hard kick…"
I blushed in embarrassment. "I remember… Sorry…"
"It's alright… So back to busi—"
He was interrupted by someone barging in on us.
"I'm back, honey-boo! Did you miss me?" a red-headed girl asked loudly. She was wearing an art museum shirt over a very short, fancy-looking mini dress, high heels, and had a bunch of shopping bags in her hands.
I turned over to see Percy, who had his mouth wide open in shock. I suddenly felt out of place.
"Rachel? What are you doing here?" he asked.
I couldn't resist writing that last little part… Hehehe! LOL anyways, I hope you like it. I wasn;t supposed to update any of my stories. My mom doesn't want to write much because she think I spent too much time on FF… Words, I say!
Anyway, sorry for any grammar/spelling errors… I'm committing a 'crime' right now… LOL!
So please review this chappie and tell me what you think. Little childhood Percabeth, was nice touch, huh? Old memories, *sighs*.
~BeautiWind –heart-
PS - This chappie is 1,881 words long... not bad...