Disclaimer: I own nothing...except the acorn sqaush recipe.

Author's Note: I wanted to update today, so I hurried it along...My fingers got their workout today! To those who reviewed the last chapter, thank you! As long as there are people out there enjoying my work, I enjoy writing it more. More people in this chapter. And more definitions at the end. Enjoy! (And if I don't update before Tuesday, Merry Christmas!)

Chapter 4

As I sit on my couch channel surfing, I replay the conversation with Alice in my head. Oh, the listening devise infomercial! I pick up my cell phone and quickly dial the number. Hearing the operator, I place my order for two of those little awesome things and give her my credit card number. I also decide to have them shipped overnight. I'll have them the day after tomorrow!

Alice said some things to me that weren't terribly far off the truth, but at the same time, they seem so misguided. Seriously, could Edward and I be anything other than coworkers? Yes, it's true that we have so much common. We share the same passion for food. Both of us love to cook, eat, and create. I've never known passion for anything other than food. Where does this leave me?

My musings take me a state of anxiety, but I quickly quell them. I look at the clock--4am--and know it's time for bed. It's Friday tomorrow (well, today, but honestly it isn't tomorrow until I wake up); the restaurant will be packed. Which means I'll be working in the kitchen next to Edward.

Quickly, I change into my pajamas, hop into bed, and hope that sleep will overcome me before my mind's ramblings do.

My alarm blares me awake at 11am. I stumble out of bed, trying hard not to trip, reaching blindly for that annoying noise.

After all my stumbling, I make it to the bathroom to shower. The hot water feels wonderful against my tight back muscles and I remind myself to get another massage soon. I take my time relaxing in the shower, letting the water relieve my body of stress to start fresh today.

When I finish with my absolutions, I walk to the kitchen for a quick bite to eat. Ah, cereal. The best creation, hands down. I pour myself a bowl of Special K Chocolate Chunk and eat slowly.

While eating, my mind travels back to the conversation with Alice last night. How can she possibly predict these things and expect them to come true? I'll give her credit though. She did say Rosalie and Emmett would end up together. And then she told Jasper that one day they'll be together. I don't know how she does it, but I'm not willing to bet against her.

I grab a clean chef coat, check my appearance in the mirror, and head out the door. I smile to myself as I jump in my old red pick-up. The engine roars to life, causing me to jump--I jump every time I start this thing. I pull out of my parking spot and drive to the restaurant.

When I walk though the doors, I notice I'm the not the only one who's there early. I wave to Rose, who's behind the bar checking stock. I mentally make a note to myself to check the order that came in this morning for random items. Edward sometimes orders in something obscure, with the hope that we can create something out it. They usually turn out inedible, but at least we try. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed he didn't dare order in squid ink again...

Making my way through the front of the house, I see Alice and Jasper setting up tables. I glare slightly at Alice--she has an "I told you so" look on her face.

"Bella, you ready for tonight? We're fully booked. Probably going to turn the tables at least three times," Jasper says to me.

Alice winks at me and turns to Jasper, "How many tables are you giving me tonight? I know Edward brought in more servers..." She's pouting a bit, sticking out her bottom lip.

Jasper sighs slightly, "Fifteen, tops. Lauren's coming in tonight. I'll give the other four servers 10 tables."

Alice squeals happily, jumping to give Jasper a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek.

I shake my head at Alice, "I'll see you guys in a bit, prep time."

I hurry through the kitchen to the basement. After opening my locker, I throw my sweatshirt and purse in there. I walk back up the stairs, buttoning my chef coat.

I grab my roll-up from the rack and go to my station. To my amusement, it's already set-up with a note waiting on my cutting board.

Bella,
I prepped most of the items for tonight since we're working together. Check your reach-in for items that I may have forgotten. Do you think you can make a special tonight using the acorn squash? Keep the special from last night, too. Also, Jessica will be working the garde manager station tonight--tell her what needs to be done when she gets in. If you need anything, I'll be in my office.
Edward

I roll my eyes. Jessica, in the kitchen? She's going to throw the harmony that Edward and I work in. Great. Wonderful. Way to ruin my day already, Edward.

Instead of working myself into a worse mood, I decide to work on the special. I think I'll make a roasted acorn squash soup, with sour cream and bacon bits for garnish.

I open my reach-in under the counter and grab a few ingredients. Placing the squashes on my cutting board, I cut them in half and scoop out the seeds. I rub oil on the acorn halves and place them flesh side down in the hotel pan. Next, I take a couple handfuls of thick sliced onions and some garlic and add that to the pan. A little salt and pepper, and into the oven it goes.

While the squash is roasting, I decide set-up the garde manger station. I take the ingredients out of the reach-in under this station and place them in the cooling trays. Grabbing some paper, I write down the recipes for Jessica and tape them to the shelf in front of me. I just hope she can do her job right tonight.

Emmett walks through the doors, making his way to me. He smiles, "Guess what came in today on the order?"

I purse my lips, knowing what he's going to say.

"Come on, you know you want to guess," he teases.

"Burn cream," I spit out, making sure to glare at him.

He frowns, "Why did you have to spoil it?"

"Do you not remember yesterday? Everyone said we needed more burn cream."

He laughs, "So, what's it going to be tonight? Burn, cut, slip, fall down stairs, catch your coat on fire, burn off your eyebrows? I don't think I'm missing anything."

"What did Jasper bet I was going to do?"

"We haven't placed the bets tonight, but I thought I could get into your mind a little bit and see how the clumsiness actually works."

I smirk, "I might do something new. You never know with me."

He nods his head, "I'll check on you every five minutes, ok? I want to make sure I win tonight..." He pats my back and walks out of the kitchen.

I wonder if I will do anything clumsy tonight. Thinking back, I remember all the things I have done to myself while working here. I believe Emmett did miss something--ripping my pants open in the butt. I caught them on the side of the counter, making a dash to save something that was about to burn. Everyone was laughing that night and I couldn't figure out why until Edward said it. He told me as politely and professionally as possibly, minus the fact that he said my underwear was cute. I may have gone out to Victoria's Secret after that to stock up on cute underwear...Ok, I did.

I can smell the acorn squash, signaling to me that it's done. I take the pan out of the oven and place it on the counter to let it cool.

Alice comes into the kitchen, "What's the special, Bella? Same as yesterday?"

"Yep, and I'm making a roasted acorn squash soup, too. It has sour cream and bacon bits for garnish. Can you tell everyone else? I just took the squash out of the oven; it'll be ready in 30 minutes."

"Make sure you call me when it's ready. I want to taste it!" For someone as small as Alice, I wonder how she can eat so much.

I take a large soup pot off the rack and place it on the burners. I mentally check the other ingredients for the recipe. I have everything I need in the kitchen, except the heavy cream. Instead of going to the walk-in right away, I decide to scoop out the squash flesh and add it to the robocoupe. After I add the onions and garlic, I set the machine to puree and go downstairs.

When I enter the walk-in, Edward is organizing the shelves and putting the order away. He smiles when he sees me walking toward him.

"Did you read my note?"

I nod my head, "Yes, and I set up the station for Jessica. I even wrote the recipes for her."

He moves closer to me, inches from my body. My heart rate increases slightly; I hope the change won't be noticed. His smile turns into a goofy grin, his eyes humorous.

"What happened with Alice last night? It looked as though you were mad at her."

I find words hard to form at the moment. He has leaned in toward me, further than he has ever gone. I feel my cheeks burn under his scrutiny. His topaz eyes search mine for answers.

"You don't want to talk about it? If there's a problem between employees..."

I cut him off, "No! There's no problem between us. Just...girl problems."

Now he blushes, realization in his eyes of what I meant. I quickly refrain, "Not those problems, just life problems."

I look into his face, watching his features rearrange into composure, his face releasing the blush. He shakes his head, causing his hair to fall in his eyes.

"Do we have heavy cream? I don't want to use whole milk and a roux for the soup tonight."

He points to a box on the floor, "You're in luck. Just got it in today. How many?"

I count the squash in my head and roughly estimate, "Eight quarts ought to do it. When will you be in the kitchen? Service starts in 45 minutes."

He takes my hand, "My dear, I'll be up soon to keep you out of trouble."

I blush, pulling my hand gently away, "I don't need saving...not yet anyway."

He laughs, "Do you know what they bet tonight?"

"Emmett told me they haven't yet. But I'm sure they'll be done soon."

He looks to the door, then back to me, "Then I'd better hurry. I have ten bucks saying you'll slip tonight."

"Edward!" I stare at him, shocked.

"Kidding, Bella. I'll see you up there in a bit. I'm still trying to figure out how to organize this cooler."

I shake my head at him. Every time we receive an order, Edward is in the walk-in for at least an hour, perfectly organizing it. He even labels the shelves for us. But what the worst part is, is tomorrow he'll be in here organizing it again. Can we say obsessive compulsive?

I walk through the kitchen, holding the quarts of cream. I pour them into the soup pot, then turn off the robocoupe. Taking the bowl, I add the squash mixture to the cream and stir slowly. Add a little salt and pepper, and turn the burner on medium low.

I hear the kitchen door open. Jessica come waltzing in, looking at me, her eyes registering shock.

"I thought you were off tonight, Bella. Edward said he was short-handed."

I roll my eyes slightly, "It's packed tonight. You're on garde manger." I point to the station I set up for her.

I turn back to my pot and stir again. I can hear Jessica mumbling something about not being alone with Edward now. Smiling, I start to whistle.

When the soup is finally finished, I take a bowl. I place a dollop of sour cream in the middle and a few bacon bits around it. Then I ladle some soup into the bowl, careful not to disturb the garnish too much. And on cue, Alice walks in.

"Soup?"

I hand her the bowl, "Just finished. Tell me what you think."

She takes a small sip off the spoon, her face relaxing, her eyes closing. "Again, you outdid yourself. How do you make it look so easy?"

I shrug my shoulders, "It's what I love to do."

Alice gives me a hug, "I'll get everyone else in here to try it." She walks out of the kitchen, leaving me alone, once again, with Jessica.

Slyly, I glace at Jessica and notice she is studying the recipes I left for her. She's repeating all the ingredients to herself. This is a good sign. Maybe there won't be a disaster tonight.

Before I know it, the sound of the printer printing tickets bring me back to the kitchen. I snatch the paper and quickly scan it.

"Table 12. Appetizers: carpaccio and fried calamari. Entrees: lamb, medium rare, duck, medium, tenderloin, well, and tuna, medium. Fire the appetizers, Jessica."

I look over to Jessica, whose eyes have glazed over. I stare at her for a few minutes, noticing she hasn't moved yet.

"Earth the Jessica! Fire the appetizers!"

Edward walks in the kitchen, stops in his tracks and looks at Jessica.

"I, um, I only do desserts..."

I sigh. Edward looks to me, warning written in his eyes.

Grumbling, I walk over to her and wave my hands in her face. "It's not that hard. Flour the calamari, toss in the fryer. Slice the beef paper thin. Arrange on plate. You're done. What don't you get?"

I stare at her for a few moments longer. Emmett will be in the kitchen in three minutes to pick up his appetizers. I glare at her, willing her to move, say something, do anything. She won't budge.

"Fine, I'll do it," I spit in her face, forcing her to back away.

It takes me two minutes to slice the beef, put the calamari in the fryer, and arrange the plates. Emmett walks in, noticing the tension written on everyone's faces,
"What did you do yourself this time, Bella?"

I look at his smiling face and decide not to ruin his night, "Nothing, Emmett. Just communication problems on the garde manger station." I plate the calamari, popping it on the serving shelf.

He looks around for a few seconds before pulling the plates, then walks out the door. He's confused. There's never a problem in the kitchen.

I decide to fire the tenderloin first--it's going to take longer because of the well done order. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Edward next to Jessica, his arm around her shoulder, whispering in her ear. She nods, then whispers something back. Her face lights up, her smile wide. Sickening, really.

I place the completed orders for Emmett on the side, waiting for him to come back. I won't plate until the server is in the kitchen, it's a rule.

Suddenly, orders start coming out of the printer. We've got six tables at once, and I start to read off the tickets.

Edward is by my side in a flash, reading over my shoulder. He ruefully smiles to me, almost an apology, "Let's get to it, Chef."

I salute him, which causes him to laugh, "Aye, aye, Captain."

We move in harmony, dancing around each other. It's similar to the ballet, without the clattering of pots, the light chatter, the sweat.

I watch as Edward delicately makes a plate, looking for any imperfections. I hand him a sprig of rosemary, receiving a murmured thank you.

We continue on like this for hours. Swapping stations, we take command of the kitchen and each other. I sneak a glance at Jessica, her face conveying jealousy.

"Bella, hand me the gnocchi."

I scoot over to my reach-in, take the bowl, and place it in his hand, "Ten for the dish, Edward."

He nods, thanking me silently. He continues to make the dish, while I finish up the appetizers.

The servers are hustling in and out of the kitchen, grabbing their food, thanking us, smiling. The only one who isn't smiling is Lauren. She, too, has noticed the dancing between Edward and me. Another one jealous. I don't have time to worry about her as well.

I check my watch, it's only 11. We still have another hour of service before we slow down. I glance over the tickets to make sure I'm not missing anything. That's when I notice Jessica and Lauren in a tight conversation, sly smiles on their faces. Why did Edward bring them in tonight?

I lean over the plate, carefully arranging the food. I feel a towel at my forehead, gently wiping the sweat. I look up to Edward. He smiles at me and shrugs, "Can't have Bella sweat in the food, though it might make it sweeter."

I blush, handing the dish to Alice. I hear her giggles, causing my face to turn more red.

Forty plates later, we're slowing down. Edward and I are standing side by side, leaning on the counter.

"I know I'll just jinx myself," I tell Edward, "But nothing's happened...yet."

He narrows his eyes in the direction of Jessica and Lauren, "Just be careful. Alice told me to watch out for you tonight."

When all the orders are complete, Edward and I start breaking down our stations. We finish in record time--20 minutes. Jessica hasn't broken her station down yet, and I could care less. It took her two hours to finally decide that salads are the easiest thing to make on the menu, not that many of them were ordered.

Mike is now leaning casually against Jessica's station, speaking low with her and Lauren. They keep looking over to Edward, then moving their eyes to me. I really wish had that listening devise; no one would be wiser because it looks like an mp3 player. Ha!

Finally, I'm able to unbutton my chef coat and let cooler air hit my skin. My jacket is taken off my shoulders by Edward, who slightly runs a finger over the back of my neck. I shiver, thinking if Alice could be right.

He grabs my hand, "Let's get a drink and relax."

He leads me out the kitchen; the glares of Jessica, Lauren, and Mike follow us.

Definitions

Robocoupe: it's a super-food processor. Used for making large quantities. Typically foind in restaurant/commerical kitchens

Garde Manger: Cold station in the kitchen. Usually takes care of appetizers, salads, and desserts.

Squid Ink: the liquid from a squid, and yes, it's pure black.

Carpaccio: very thin sliced raw beef

If there's anything I forgot, please let me know.

cooky