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Chapter 2

It was Saturday afternoon, and Kaoru was concerned since it'd been nearly two days and she hadn't received any instructions from anyone at Les Alles about when she was expected to arrive on Sunday to start her first day.

She didn't think asking Shishio-san was the correct course, and she had no intention on asking Saitou about it. She decided to call the brasserie and see if the manager could let her know if she was put on the staff schedule. Surely, that would be the quickest and safest answer, no?

Kaoru shook her head lightly, making her ponytail swing softly side-to-side. She hated talking to herself even if only in thought because it felt like she was second-guessing her own mind.

She picked up her receiver and started to dial the phone number. It rang once and was immediately picked up during the second ring. A soft feminine voice answered, "Good afternoon, Les Alles."

"Hi, this is Kamiya Kaoru."

"Oh, hello Kamiya-san! This is Tsubame. How may I help you?"

"Ah, Tsubame-chan! I'm so glad you remembered me." Kaoru was touched that she was at least getting some friendliness from the staff. "I was calling to see if you could tell me what time I am scheduled to be on tomorrow?"

Tsubame paused and said, "Oh, I am not sure but please wait a moment while I grab our staff schedule."

Kaoru heard the phone being placed on a hard surface and bit her bottom lip while waiting for Tsubame to return on the line. She that as the hostess, Tsubame should be fully aware of the weekend schedule, unless she wasn't on top of her job. Hmm, maybe she is still young in that sense?

"Ano... Kamiya-san, I do not see you listed on tomorrow's schedule." Tsubame didn't continue because she wasn't sure how there could be a mix up.

Kaoru sighed lightly but put on her brave voice and spoke up, "Well, Chef Saitou said I would be starting on Sunday. Perhaps I will come in tonight and have some dinner and check in with him." While she wasn't pleased with the current situation, she did think it'd be wise to get familiar with the menu as it would help her come up with some dessert ideas that could complement the daily specials.

"Well, if Chef Saitou told you to start on Sunday, that is surely what he meant." Tsubamen's voice noticeable brightened as she continued, "It will be very nice to see Kamiya-san tonight! I will save you a table for 8:00pm?"

"That sounds perfect. Thank you, Tsubame-chan. I definitely look forward to seeing you tonight." Kaoru meant it in her heart as well. She was already feeling a fondness for the petite hostess. They exchanged quick goodbyes and Kaoru hung up the phone.

Well, I might as well run some errands before heading out for dinner.

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Saitou walked into the kitchen promptly at 5:00pm to check on his mise en place and to hoard his beloved towels. He'd learned early in his career that one could never have too many dry towels. For anyone who has grabbed a burning hot pan handle with a damp towel knew in a split second to never do it again. As he walked to the service window to observe the early crowd of Saturday dinners to get a sense of what the night might hold, he noticed Tsubame rush over.

At seeing this action, Yahiko dropped the vegetables he was rinsing to find an excuse to near the front window. Saitou saw this deliberate action and merely raised his eyebrow. Normally, he'd give the young boy sh*t just to mess with his head, but considering the young hostess rarely sought Saitou out for anything other than business, he let Yahiko's boyish behavior slide for now.

"Chef Saitou, Kamiya-san called to inquire about what time she starts tomorrow, but I didn't see her on the schedule. Was she mistaken?" Tsubame looked up quizzically into the amber eyes of her boss and tried not to feel intimated. She realized even after five years, she still felt intimated.

"Oh yes, the new pastry chef." He grimaced slightly before he replied, "Yes, she does start tomorrow. Please call her and tell her she can come in at 5:00pm." He started to turn around but then abruptly turned back to face Tsubame who was trying to reply by stating that Kaoru would be dining at Les Alles this evening.

However, Saitou had turned around only to add to his message to her, "And tell Kamiya she'll have to stick to the menu's current list of desserts for now as I have no intention of running new menus at the last minute."

Tsubame realized he didn't hear her last sentence and decided not to press the matter since Kaoru-san was merely a diner this evening and she herself could let her know that tomorrow's start time would be five o'clock.

"Yes, Chef." She turned around and returned to her podium at the front entrance.

Saitou grabbed a cup of coffee and decided to take a smoke outside. He wasn't thrilled about having Kamiya in his way tomorrow, but he figured he'd let her fail on her own. Saitou felt he could endure the inconvenience for a while, especially since it meant he'd finally gain part-ownership of Les Alles. It was the final step towards a lifelong career of hard work to which he could finally make some real money. It was also money he didn't have to pay to Tokio for alimony since they divorced before he started at Les Alles. As he sat on the stoop in the back alley, this thought made him smile with a slightly wicked gleam.

He'd done nothing but work long hours, but Tokio's jealous nature did nothing but have her badgering him during his few hours at home about his supposed flirtations with all the female patrons. Saitou worked so hard, all he wanted at home was some sleep and some time with his wife, but her nagging finally left him with only the desire to sleep. Eventually she got tired of being alone too long, and he got tired of her - period.

The thought of Tokio reminded him that Kamiya will be in the next day. He knew he shouldn't judge the girl before she even started, but no female staff member ever worked out in the kitchen. They never picked up the rhythm of the kitchen staff and felt overwhelmed by the incredible pace at which the food would go flying out. Saitou wanted nothing short of the best for every plate that would go past his inspection. Practically every single French fry would garner his scruntiny so that each piece was never considered a throwaway.

Saitou continued to drag on his cigarette as he finished his coffee. He ran his hand over his hair and then rested both arms over his knees as he looked down towards the ground. He took a breath and stood up to return to the kitchen. He figured it wasn't worth bothering about Kamiya since he'll let her flounder and leave and that'd be the end of it. He threw the remants of his cigarette away and walked back through the doorway with a cleared mind.

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