Once we're both dressed, though her hair is a mess and my beard probably smells like her pussy, we set about cleaning. We work in silence, sanitizing the counter, the floor, anywhere we might have left evidence of our activities.
It should be awkward. Instead, it feels natural, like we're just doing closing duties after service. Except instead of cooking, we just had the best sex of my life.
"Levi?" Maya's voice breaks the silence as she wipes down the counter for the third time.
"Yeah?"
"What happens now?" She's not looking at me, focused on a nonexistent spot on the steel. "I mean, with us. Do we... are we..."
I cross to her and gently take the sanitizing cloth from her hands, setting it aside. Then I tilt her chin up so she has to meet my eyes.
"I meant what I said earlier. I want more than a professional relationship with you." I take a breath. "I want to take you on dates. I want to know everything about you. I want to see where this goes."
"But I still work for you."
"You do. And we need to be smart about this." I'm still working through the logistics myself, but I know what matters. "We keep it professional in the kitchen during service. No one needs to know yet, not until we're sure this is something that's going to last. And your job is yours regardless of what happens between us personally. You've earned your place here."
She searches my face for a long moment. "You really mean that?"
"Every word." I brush my thumb across her cheek. "I'm not going to lie. This is complicated. People might have opinions when they find out. But I've spent too many years playing it safe, not taking risks. And you, Maya Sutton, are a risk I'm willing to take."
Her smile is bright enough to light up the entire kitchen. "I'm willing to take that risk too."
"Good." I kiss her once more. "Now let's finish cleaning up so I can take you home. And tomorrow, after service, I'm taking you to dinner. A real date."
"In Blackwater Falls? Everyone will see us."
"I know a secret spot."
She chuckles and goes back to cleaning, and I watch her move around my kitchen. Our kitchen now, maybe, and it feels right. Complicated, potentially messy, and definitely against every rule about workplace relationships, but right.
And for the first time in weeks, the anxiety that's been gnawing at me eases.
Juniper's is going to be fine. More than fine.
And so am I.
Chapter 8 - Maya
One month and two weeks later
I still can't believe this is my life.
I'm standing in Juniper's kitchen on a Sunday afternoon, our only day off, watching Levi plate roasted chicken with herb butter while his grandfather Jim argues good-naturedly with Owen about the proper way to make biscuits.
The dining room is filled with the people who matter most: Jenny and the servers, Tommy and Marcus from dish, Ivy curled up next to Owen with a glass of wine, and my mom sitting at the best table by the window, beaming with pride.
This was Levi's idea—a family meal to celebrate two months of successful service and to properly introduce me as his girlfriend to the people who matter.
Because apparently, we weren't fooling anyone.
It lasted exactly one week after that night in the kitchen before Jenny cornered us during prep and asked point-blank if we were going to share our news or if she should just start taking bets on when we'd finally come clean.
"You two aren't exactly subtle," she'd said, grinning at our matching expressions of horror. "Levi smiles now. Like, actually smiles. And Maya, you've been glowing for a week. So, either you're going to tell us you're together, or we're all going to keep pretending we don't notice the way you look at each other."
Levi had looked at me, and I'd looked at him, and we'd both started laughing because of course everyone knew. We worked in close quarters, spent hours together every day, and apparently our attempts at professional distance during service were completely transparent.
So, we'd told them. Gathered the staff after close that night and explained that yes, we were dating, and no, it wouldn't affect anyone's job or the restaurant's operations. We'd been prepared for judgment, for concern about the power dynamic, for someone to have an issue with it.