I blinked, surprised. "No. You're here to see me, not work. Plus, you look so beautiful in your dress." I shook my head. "I'll figure it out, no worries."
Her fingers tightened around mine and she turned to me. "It's no problem. For real. I don't mind. I've already memorized your menu at this point."
I searched her face. She was serious. “Have you ever served before?”
“No,” she said easily. “But I’m good at taking directions, and I know how to work a room.”
I stared at her for a second longer. My eyes shifted to Sheila who offered a smile and soft shrug.
I laughed. “Wow,” I shook my head. “You're serious?”
“Dead serious,” she nodded. “Put me in, Coach.”
I looked her up and down. Then I exhaled, already giving in. “Alright,” I said. “If you insist…"
She squeezed my hand again. "I got you," she smiled.
"Let's give it a go. I have some uniforms in the back." I turned back to Sheila. "See if you can find coverage. I don't want her to be stuck on the floor for long."
"Of course, Chef." Sheila turned to Gianna. "And thank you—?"
"Gianna." She smiled warmly. "No problem."
Sheila returned the smile. "Gianna. Thank you again."
I led Gianna to the storage room where I kept the uniforms then let her change in my bathroom. I had a couple of slip proof shoes in there as well; luckily, she was able to fit a pair. Once she was dressed with her apron tied at her waist, she was ready.
I leaned against my desk taking her in. Grabbing her hands I pulled her closer to me. "You don’t have to do this. Honestly."
"I want to. It's okay. I'm going to make you repay me in food anyway."
We laughed. This woman. I wasn’t expecting this unexpected and thoughtful gesture, but I was grateful. She consistently surprised me and I felt myself falling even harder in that moment. I pulled her closer until her chest pressed against mine.
Without a word, I kissed her tenderly. Her arms wrapped around my neck. The kiss deepened. My arms moving to circle around her waist. She let out a soft moan that made my dick respond instantly. She felt it. Slowly, our lips pulled apart.
She looked down, a small smile on her lips. Instead of stating the obvious, she just wiped her gloss off my lips. "Show me the ropes."
I let out a quiet breath, forcing myself to step back before I forgot we were in the middle of a lunch rush. “Damn,” I muttered under my breath.
She just smiled. “C’mon, Chef,” she teased, adjusting the apron around her waist. “Focus.”
I shook my head, grabbing a server book and a spare pen from my desk. “Aight. First things first.” I handed them to her. “You’re gonna start simple,” I continued, slipping into work mode. “Greet the table within thirty seconds. Smile, eye contact, introduce yourself. You don’t gotta say too much—just make them feel seen.”
She nodded, already locked in. “Okay. Easy.”
“Write everything down,” I added. “Even if you think you got it. Trust me, you don’t wanna guess in here.”
She laughed softly. “Noted.”
I walked her out onto the floor, staying close but letting her take the lead. A couple of my regulars glanced over, curious. “Table six is yours,” I said quietly, nodding in their direction. “Two. They’re easy.”
She glanced over, then back at me. “You watching?”
“Always,” I smirked.
She rolled her eyes, but a playful smile on her face. Then she turned and walked over like she belonged there. I stayed back, arms folded loosely across my chest, watching.
“Hi, welcome to Simmer & Soul,” she greeted them, her voice warm. “My name’s Gianna, I’ll be taking care of you today.”