[ Author's Note: I am not sure why I hated the episode The Declaration of Independence so much. Maybe because I watched it whenever it aired, or maybe it was the events that unfolded.]
Daphne threw her washcloth over her shoulder. Emmett was the only customer in the dining room because it was still early. He sat at a table working on some history homework. Daphne sighed as she took the seat across from him. Their conversation via sign language was nothing special. Daphne making a brief complaint about her overload of school work and balancing that with work. Emmett promised not to spill that tiny detail to either of Daphne's mother. The conversation moved onto her job, her boss particularity. Emmett gave the third degree, but Daphne did not seem to care since it was her newest favorite subject. As if on cue, Chef Jeff entered the dining area with a repairman who was giving an estimate on what needed to be fixed. Daphne gestured towards Jeff as she waved shyly. Emmett smiled as waved as well. The man seemed decent enough. Suddenly, another man entered the dining room. Daphne greeted him too, but she did not have the enthusiasm as she did with Jeff. The boy walked over to the Daphne and Emmett, and he pulled a third chair over to the table.
"Hey. Who is the friend?" Scuba asked as he pointed as Emmett. Daphne glanced at Emmett before answering Scuba. "This is my best friend Emmett. He is also deaf." she offered before returning her attention back to Emmett who was signing. Scuba raised his eyebrow as he was felt left out and confused. Daphne and her friend were having a conversation without making a peep. It was something Scuba had never done. He knew one or two signs, but not enough to help him decode excerpts of their messages. Scuba was so immersed in Daphne's and Emmett's signing that he did not hear Chef Jeff screaming for him until it was too late. Jeff was standing over his shoulder with a furious look on his face. "Scuba, why are you not in the kitchen prepping food?" Jeff angrily asked. Scuba apologized before running back into the kitchen. "Remember your working tonight" Chef reminded Daphne before heading back into the kitchen.
Later that night, Daphne sat on a bench in the back of the kitchen. She had been working non stop for four hours, and she had forgotten to take her ten minute break earlier. She punched away at the keyboard on her phone before Chef rounded the corner. His face filled with curiosity as he stopped to question her motives. "Texting your boyfriend while you are working. That might be the best attempt I have seen to get back to dish duty" he joked. Daphne shook her head. "I am on my break, and I do not have a boyfriend." she said as she hit more buttons on the keyboard. "Girlfriend?" Jeff piped up as he grabbed some parsley from the pantry. "No. I am trying to find out the name of the pastry chef at the Backstreet Bistro." she explained as her friend had finally replied with the name and number. "Do you really miss dish duty that much that you're looking for a new job? Because I be glad to place you back on it if you were to leave me shorthanded. I will also leave you a very bad reference" Jeff said sarcastically.
"Come on. You did not want me to begin with." Daphne responded as she tucked her cell phone back into her apron pocket. "Truth, but I have grown to enjoy your company. No one else always looks me in the face when I talk to them." he added. Daphne chuckled before replying. "No. I was seeing if their desserts could top mine. Care to join me tomorrow?" she offered as she stood up to get back to work. Jeff agreed which delighted Daphne.
It could not have turned out to be a better "date". Daphne was thrilled with how the night had gone so far. She met Chef Jeff in the parking lot of the bistro. She led him to the small building where they were seated right away. Daphne ordered an array of desserts for them to indulge in. After a variety of cakes and pies, the meal was finished out with a plate of mini doughnuts. It had nine of them to begin with, but Chef Jeff ate seven of them. On their way to the car, Jeff made the argument that doughnuts were a fat and not food. To which Daphne made the point that he ate a majority of them. This caused them to begin one of their mini banters about ridiculous things. They argued back and forth until a man trying to get into his car asked if Jeff could move out of his way. Being polite, Jeff moved over and was now hovering over Daphne. He stared at her delicate face and apologized when the car pulled away for being so close. That is when Jeff started in for a kiss, but Daphne was not sure if either was ready to go that far. Of course, she felt the connection between the two of them, but there was still the issue of him being her boss. "I should go home." she excused herself and climbed into her car.
The following day is Carlton's Meet the Teacher night. Maize has been asked to cater the large event. This is where Chef Jeff discovers that Daphne is not all she appears to be. There was truth in that statement from their banter the night before. Daphne tries to flirt with Jeff by pulling her classmate, Travis, into the mix. After she is rejected, Daphne agrees to go bowling with Travis despite her feelings getting crushed.
Jeff shut the door of the walk in freezer and headed towards the dining room when something appeared in the corner of his eye. He turned to see Daphne standing there. She look so innocent in her fragile state. He approached with caution uttering her name as he moved closer. It was a surprise to see her at Maize when it was her day off. Their conversation started off slow, but it got to the point. She was a mere high school student, and he was her boss. Chef Jeff turned away as he murmur something that Daphne did not catch. She grabbed his arm and pulled him to face her to see what he was saying, but his lips had stopped moving. Instead the look from the night before was back on his face, and this time she went for it. No regrets.
[ Author's Note: So there you go, my least favorite episode. The next chapter will not involve Scuba being fired. He is staying even though they get rid of him in "We are the Kraken of Our Own Sinking Ships". I have other plans for Scuba. Anyway, leave reviews to help me figure out where to take this story after we reach the season finale chapter. ]