Happy Friday-ish. So tonight at work was a shit show, so even though it's after 1am EST, I'm posting a little early. My plan is to sleep in until it's time to get ready for work tomorrow afternoon. Me saying that I'm exhausted is kind of an understatement at this point. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and have a good weekend.

Also, that Spring finale! WTF?! Let me know your thoughts on that! Don't forget to review! I love getting feedback :-)

Working Overtime

By Friday morning, Alec was able to get himself into a new routine. He would wake up at five, put the coffee on, then make everyone in the house breakfast and a packed lunch. He'd be in the shower by six, and out the door by six-thirty, leaving him at Mister Bane's house no later than six-fifty. That allowed Alec time to change clothes, then prep for breakfast, and have it ready for Mister Bane to eat before he left for work at exactly eight-thirty every morning. Throughout the day, Alec would then prep whatever he needed for dinner, make lists, and get new ideas for his menus. Then depending on the dish he was making for the day, or special requests given to him in the morning from Cat, he would start cooking to make sure Mister Bane's dinner was ready for him when he arrived home every evening.

Mister Bane - whom Alec still hadn't met - apparently loved Alec's cooking. Everyday so far, Helen had come into the kitchen after serving his meals, gushing about how much he liked Alec's food. She even told him that Mister Bane said that his talent was wasted on being a personal chef, and he needed to open his own restaurant. Every time this happened Alec stuttered out a resounding 'thanks' and blushed. Catarina told Alec that on Friday's, Mister Bane went into the office late, and would usually take his breakfast in the kitchen, so Alec was finally going to meet his boss.

After Alec changed into his uniform, he was getting everything he needed to start breakfast when Helen rushed into the the kitchen.

"Alec!" She said, slightly out of breath, "Thank god I caught you before you started cooking. Mister Bane has to get to the office early today and asked if you would be willing to make him a protein smoothie instead."

"Sure," Alec replied as he started thinking about what he needed in order to make the breakfast smoothie. Heading to the refrigerator, Alec pulled out the necessary items to make the requested smoothie. Once it was finished, Alec poured everything in a travel cup, and handed it to Helen who was waiting, bouncing on the balls of her feet. As soon as it was in her hand, she took off at a run towards the door. Alec couldn't help the laugh bubbling up inside, and shook his head. Alec was amused at his coworker, who had quickly become his friend throughout the week, while also being slightly disappointed that he wasn't able to meet his boss today.

Alec quickly washed the blender, knife and cutting board he used, then sat down at the island pulling out his tablet and cell phone. He sent a quick text to Cat asking if she could find out whether Mister Bane had any special requests for his meals next week, then set to work making a list of the things that he knew he would need.

He was about to start on next week's menu when Cat burst through the kitchen door.

"Miss Loss!" Alec exclaimed, startled by the noise, "What's wrong? What are you doing here?"

"Our lovely boss apparently wants to throw a huge dinner party tomorrow night." Her tone dripping in sarcasm, face twisted with an annoyed scowl.

"Okay, that shouldn't be too bad." He immediately pulled open a new folder in the notepad of his tablet, "How many people? Do you know if any of the guests have food allergies? Does he want fish, beef, or chicken for the main meat option? Maybe we could give the guests a choice of two? We should only need starters, a salad - or maybe a soup and salad combo - the main, and a desert. Nothing I can't handle."

Alec was typing away, but stopped when he noticed that Cat wasn't responding to him. Looking up, he noticed this look of astonishment on her face.

"What?" He asked, face turning crimson.

Shaking her head, as if clearing out her thoughts, "I didn't mention the worst part, did I?"

"What aren't you telling me, Cat… uh… I'm mean, Miss Loss?" Alec was starting to get worried now.

"This dinner party is for a new pop artist that was signed this morning, her name is Tessa Gray. She's the daughter of an English Aristocrat. She mentioned all of the fine dining she was used to in London, and how the restaurants here in New York just didn't compare. Mister Bane spoke very highly of you, then offered her and her companions, along with a few other executives - and I'm quoting here - 'a wonderful ten course meal, prepared by my fabulous new chef.'" She took a deep breath, "It's all your fault, Alec! Why do you have to be so damn good at your job?"

"I-I-I'm sorry?" Alec stuttered, in the form of a question, taken aback by her use of profanity.

"No," She groaned out, "I'm sorry. This just stresses me out. We have less than twenty-four hours to plan this."

"What the hell even is a ten course meal?" Alec asked, exasperated, "The most I've ever prepared for is five courses."

"Let's look it up, shall we?" Cat motioned to his tablet.

After an extensive google search, Alec put the tablet down gently on the countertop, and turned to face Cat.

"Holy shit," They whispered in unison.

"How in the hell am I supposed to pull this off by tomorrow night? What time are the guests arriving? I need to make sure the hors d'oeuvres are ready to be served when they get here… or at least very soon after! I need a fish, poultry, and a beef dish? How the hell are they going to eat all that food? And sorbet! How in the hell am I supposed to make that? I need more than twenty-four hours in order to make it! " Alec asked, pressing his left hand on his chest, feeling it tighten.

"Shit!" He heard Cat exclaim. "Okay Alec, relax. Look at me okay."

Alec made eye contact with her, "Good. Now follow my breathing… in… out… good! Now keep it steady."

Cat coached him on his breathing for a few minutes, calming him down. As his heart rate finally slowed to a normal pace, Alec felt like he could breathe evenly again.

"Now that you've calmed down, is there anyone you know and trust enough that can come and help you in the kitchen tomorrow?" Cat asked, her voice laced with concern.

Alec thought about it for a moment. His network of culinary friends were mostly in Europe, but there was Lydia and Aline. They do have their own jobs and may be busy, but it wouldn't hurt to ask. "I could ask my cousin, Aline, or my friend, Lydia. They both work in upscale restaurants, but at least one of them may be able to help me prep in the morning."

"Go give them a call. I'm going to be in the butler's pantry to see if we have enough place settings for a ten course meal. I'll be back soon to help with any questions about the menu." With that, Cat left Alec to make his calls.

Alec tried calling both girls, but neither answered their phone. Knowing they were busy, Alec decided to send them each a text letting them know the situation and asking if they were available at any point during the day tomorrow.

Alec decided to start planning the menu while waiting on responses. Due to the time constraint, Alec found a place that sold gourmet sorbet so he called to see what flavors they had available on such short notice. Because the sorbet was supposed to act as a palate cleanser, he was happy with the choice of lime flavoring.

"Hey Allie-bear!" Helen said as she waltzed in the kitchen.

"No." Was Alec's simple answer.

"You don't even know what I was going to say!" She said indignantly.

"And I don't care. I've told you all week, I will not respond kindly to 'Allie-bear'!" He continued typing away.

"I was just going to let you know that I'm going to be your dishwasher tomorrow night. This party's gonna be so awesome! I can't wait to see what you come up with." She nudged him, smiling while doing so.

"It's going to be a fucking nightmare! I've never cooked this much food for one party before." Alec growled out, but softened his face at the compliment. "I appreciate the vote of confidence though."

"Anytime my friend! Well, I'll let you get back to work. Let me know if I can help with anything. I'm just finishing the extra duties that Cat gave me." She said, squeezing his shoulder on her way out.

Alec got back to work planning the menu. After getting the sorbet figured out, getting the rest of the menu together was a piece of cake. He had just finished making his shopping list when Cat returned.

"How's the planning coming along?" She asked.

"I'm done!" He excitedly handed her his tablet, "Take a look and let me know if there's anything that needs revising."

"It looks great! Did you hear back from your friends?" She inquired after a few minutes, slightly tilting her head to the side.

"Not yet. Like I said, they both have jobs so I'm not sure if they are available to help. I have come up with a plan, but I need your approval first." He said, slightly nervous. She gestured for him to continue.

"Well… I-I could stay late tonight doing some of the prep work, a-a-and come early in the morning to get some of the dishes started that I know will take longer to cook." Alec ducked his head and blushed.

"Alec!" Cat exclaimed, smiling brightly. "That's a great idea! Then you won't be so overwhelmed trying to execute this crazy party."

"You're okay with the overtime?" He couldn't help asking.

"It's not a problem at all. I knew this would be difficult." Cat just waved off his worry.

"Thank you!" Alec sighed in relief, "I'm going to start my shopping. I'll have to make multiple trips because not only do I have to shop for this party, but I still need to shop for my meals for next week. I also need to start making Mister Bane's dinner."

Alec started to worry whether or not he'd have enough time to get everything done, but then he remembered that he's back in New York, not in France where everything doesn't close at nine o'clock.

"I'll leave you to it, then. Just text me if and when you hear back from your friends about the extra hands in here tomorrow. I'll need to bring more NDA's for them to sign if they come. I also need to get the wait staff taken care of as well." Her expression changed to one of stress and concern. Alec set about dividing his list in accordance to where he would be purchasing the items, then changed back into his street clothes, and made his way to the subway. It was times like these where he wished he had his own vehicle, it would make transporting the groceries much easier.

~oOo~

Alec made two trips before he had to start on dinner, then once dinner was served he left to make his third round of groceries. He'd just finished putting the last of the groceries away when the kitchen door opened up. Thinking it was Helen, Alec didn't look up from what he was doing.

"Well, aren't you the most attractive intruder." A velvety voice said.

Alec looked up, and froze. It was Magnus Bane. The same man who'd made Alec's sophomore year in high school a living hell. Anger instantly boiled up within him, he had wondered when he was going to see his bosses son. Unfortunately, it seemed that he was running into him sooner rather than later.

"Magnus Bane." Alec spat his name as if were poison, scowl firmly in place.

"Well, you seem to know my name, but I don't know who you are. Did darling Cat put you up to this?" Magnus asked.

"Put me up to what, exactly?" Anger continued to rise in Alec's chest as he crossed his arms.

"Hm, I thought you were a stripper or something, you certainly have the body for it." Magnus was blatantly checking Alec out.

"Un-fucking-believable! You're exactly the same as you were in high school, you know that!" Alec heaved an irritated sigh. "Absolutely no regard for anyone but yourself."

"I'm sorry, darling. What exactly are you talking about?" Even though Magnus' voice sounded genuinely confused, there was a mischievous glint in his eye. "Also, why are you here? Are you planning on robbing the place?"

"I work here!" Alec exclaimed, still angry at seeing his bosses son. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to work. I have too much to do and no time to deal with your narcissistic ass!"

Alec turned back to go into the washroom to change back into his uniform when Magnus spoke up. "Now hold on a minute. I would like to know what I possibly did to deserve such anger."

Alec quickly turned to face Magnus and marched right up to him, pointing a finger right in his face. "You outed me to the entire school! After that, the rest of high school sucked!"

"How… how did I do that?" Magnus looked astonished, his voice sounded weak.

"Do you really not remember?" Alec asked stunned. "Though I suppose it was but a moment for you. All you did was get knocked over by some kid in the hallway. You're friends helped you up, but I was still sitting on the ground, internally freaking out that I'd knocked over one of the most popular seniors in the school. Little did I know that it was your little flavor of the week that would cause the problem. Your boyfriend at the time, looked right at me and said, 'Aw Magnus look. The little twink has a crush on you!' Oh but it gets worse, because then you decided to yell out to the crowd, 'Look everyone, it seems that our community is growing!' before you walked away like nothing had happened. So yes, I guess you probably don't remember the day you outed me. There wasn't a day that went by after that when someone at school didn't call me names." Alec could hear his voice rising with each word, but he couldn't bother to care. It was a traumatising experience for him. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get to work so your father doesn't fire me for not having a ten course meal ready on time for tomorrow night."

Alec turned again and stormed off to change his clothes. Once he was in the washroom he ripped his sweater off, not bothering to changing out of his jeans. Alec's nerves were so worked up he couldn't stop shaking enough to button his chefs jacket. It took him a few minutes to compose himself and finally managed to get himself dressed.

Alec walked back into the kitchen and stopped upon seeing Catarina sitting at the island, two wine glasses and a bottle of wine on the counter.

"I heard that you met Magnus." She stated, in which Alec just nodded. He then moved to the refrigerator to start getting out what he needed when Cat spoke again. "Alec, sit down. I want to speak with you."

Taking a deep breath, then letting it out slowly, Alec walked over to the island and sat down. Cat poured some wine in both glasses, then slid one over to him. Alec quirked an eyebrow in question. He was technically still working, and he didn't think that drinking on the job was a good idea, but he accepted the glass nonetheless, focusing his attention solely on the red liquid.

"Magnus told us what you said to him," Catarina began. "I thought I recognized you from somewhere, but I couldn't place where. I remember that day with perfect clarity. Ragnor, Raphael and myself gave Magnus the biggest scoulding of his life that day." Alec looked up at that. Cat's expression was that of kindness and compassion. Thankfully, he didn't see a trace of pity and was glad for that. He doesn't want pity.

"Miss Lo…" But Alec was cut off before he could finish his sentence.

"Please stop calling me Miss Loss, it makes me sound so old!" She whined. "Call me Cat or Catarina, but please stop calling me Miss Loss."

Alec smiled, unable to help the chuckle that escaped, "Sorry, just a habit I picked up living in Europe."

"Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that he really isn't a bad person. He uses sarcasm and snark as more of a defense mechanism."

"Cat, why does it matter if I get along with him? It's not like he lives here or anything." Alec was genuinely confused when Cat choked on her wine.

"Honey, you do know who you work for, right?" She asked, looking rather concerned.

"Yeah, Asmodeus Bane. He is the CEO of Bane Records… or at least that's what the website for Bane Records says." He'd made sure that he looked up everything he could find on Asmodeus when he accepted the position. Every google search Alec came across barely gave him any information on the man.

Cat looked quite uncomfortable, shifting in her seat, fiddling with her wine glass and biting her lower lip. "I'm going to have to talk to Magnus about that." She said, rubbing her temples and paused as if she was trying to choose her words carefully. "Asmodeus passed away a few years ago, Alec. Magnus is the CEO. He's the owner of this house. Magnus is our boss."

Alec felt all of the blood leave his head. Had it been only moments ago that he'd fussed out his boss?

"Fuck," Alec said, downing his wine in on gulp. He just knew he was going to get fired.

~oOo~

Sneak Peak

Alec stepped up to Magnus' home expecting either Magnus or Catarina to meet him at the door and tell him that he was no longer needed. It wouldn't surprise Alec after the way he spoke to Magnus last night. Even if they don't fire him, Alec still felt like he should resign. He doesn't like Magnus, and if he had known he was going to be working for that narcissistic ass in the first place, Alec would have never accepted the job. Taking a deep breath, he walked into the Brownstone. Alec gingerly moved through the mudroom, and into the kitchen. Noticing there was no one around, he decided to go back to the washroom and quickly changed his clothes.

Alec wasted no time at all getting to work. He decided to slice up the different cheeses for the the cheese dish, then placed them in zip lock bags and put them back in the refrigerator until they were needed. He then moved on to chopping the different vegetables that he would need for all of his recipes, and split them up into the different serving sizes he would need. Then he set to work making the mixtures for the stuffed mushrooms and the crust for the mini quiches.

"Ah, Alexander! I'm glad you're here." Magnus' voice caused Alec to stiffen his posture as he set the salmon down on the counter. "I know you're busy, but may I have a word?"