Chapter Text
“Oh my god Richie, just do what you’re fucking told for once! Please!” Ana shouted from the kitchen.
The restaurant was not that busy or stressful that day and everything was going quite smoothly but that didn’t stop them from fighting.
“Ok, listen here Bubbly, I don’t know how you do it in Europe or whatever but here, we have systems, ok? And the one that Mike put in place is pretty damn good if you ask me!” Richard yelled back.
“Don’t call me that and you know full well that the system no longer works! If it ever has to be honest! Face it, this place was a fucking mess!”
For the rest of the kitchen staff, it was just another usual day, they just kept on with their work, not paying attention. Except for Carmen and Sydney who stared at them, bewildered.
“Wow! Unbelievable!" Richie said, slow clapping, "you’re here disrespecting his memory like it’s no big deal! After everything he did for you?! You’re ok with throwing his legacy under the bus! You’re so ungrateful, you know that?"
“Don't Richie! He was my best friend too, asshole!” Ana said, her voice slightly shaking.
"This is bullshit! I was doing fine before this fucking toddler got here!” he said, pointing at Carmen, “I’m not messing with the system! I’m not changing way I work here! I’m not letting this place go to shit and become another one of those fancy joints for fucking jabronistas!”
“Chefs! Please! Calm down, now!” Carmen said, standing between them two, “we have costumers, stop shouting! Chef, go and finish your prep! Cousin, do whatever you usually do, we’ll deal with this later!”
Richie and Ana stared at each other, fuming, before she turned back to her work. Richie walked backward to his counter, kicking the swinging door, middle fingers in the air, “Yeah Ana, listen to our new master!”
“Jesus! I remember you two arguing all the time but I thought that would have stopped by now! Does this still happen a lot?” Carmen asked, a little annoyed.
“All the time Jeff… we’re used to it though…” Tina shrugged.
“Sorry Carmy, he just makes my fucking blood boil!” Ana yelled loudly enough for the other guy to hear.
“Focus on your work and stop disrupting mine sweetheart, how does that sound?” he yelled back.
"Hey, not in my kitchen! Do whatever you want outside but not in here!" Carmen shouted.
“Damn, I miss him, he knew how to shut you two up,” Tina added under her breath.
Ana tightened her grip on the knife she was chopping carrots with and tried to breathe deep.
Six years ago, she had to leave her family in Portugal to come to Chicago. She came to take care of her aunt Tania, who got ill after her husband died and needed help. Ana spoke English quite well and her parents believed it was a good thing for her to go live and work in the US. She was 22 at the time.
She stayed with her aunt, keeping her company, helping her with her meals, her meds, her groceries... She then looked for a job in the area. She was a decent cook and The Beef wasn’t far from home so she tried her luck there. That was when she met Mike who hired her practically on the spot, even though money was tight and the business wasn't doing very well.
He was the first friend she made there. They just got along instantly. He helped her with her job, with her papers, with her aunt. He introduced her to his friends, his sister, his little bother. She quickly felt like she was part of the family, welcome and at ease. He made her feel confortable wherever she was, like she had always belonged there, that was the sort of superpower he had.
Between her and Richie though, it was another story. They couldn't stand each other when they first met at work, she thought he was too loud, too obnoxious and too stubborn, he believed she was too much of a control freak, too haughty and too impatient. Outside the kitchen, they kept bumping into each other at events or parties Mike invited them to but they didn't speak to each other for a long time until Mike forced them to. They were surprised to find some common interests and slowly, they understood and even enjoyed each other's presence. Sometimes.
In all the years she’s been working at The Beef though, she and Richie never really found the perfect recipe to get along.
Tina was right, Mike knew how to deal with her and Richie but without him to keep the balance, their relationship was tenser than ever.
At the end of the day, while everyone got out of the restaurant, she went to the bathroom to wash her face and put some make up on for her date that night. She was already pretty late and had to get ready right there. She got to her locker and put on a cute dress she brought with her just in case she couldn’t go to her apartment and change.
These past few days, Carmen usually closed the place up and she exited through the back door, closing it behind her. But not tonight.
“Nice dress, too bad it doesn’t look that good on you though…”
She jumped, hitting her shoulder on the locker door.
“Ow! Fuck Richie! You scared me! Why are you still here?”
“Carmen had to leave early so I’m on closing duty and I was about to leave too when I heard noises here so…”
He looked at her.
“Hey uh, I’m sorry for what I said earlier by the way. I didn’t mean it. I feel like a moron.” He tried to look cool but he was obviously nervous.
“I know and you definitely are..." she smirked at him, "I'm sorry I pushed you too, I know how you feel about these changes...” she was trying to put her high heels on without falling over while she continued, “I think we need to trust Carmen here, I really believe he’ll change this place for the better… I missed him, he needs all the help he could get…”
“M-yeah, maybe…” he shrugged and leaned on the wall, swinging the restaurant's keys around his finger, facing her, “what’s with the dress?”
“Date.” Ana answered, raising her eyebrows up and down suggestively.
“Aw poor guy… or girl?”
She flipped him off.
“Guy this time.”
“Another hipster who brews his own disgusting beer and has a weird ass relationship with his mother? You sure know how to pick them... What was his name again?” he laughed.
“Simon.” She smiled. They both grabbed their things and headed out the back door.
“New earrings?” he noticed.
“Yep.”
“Not bad…”
“Thanks. And he’s a dentist. Bernard.” Ana added.
“Bernard?! Who the fuck goes out with a guy named Bernard?” he said, his face crunching up as he uttered the name.
“This gal!” she said proudly, pointing at herself.
“Damn, a dentist uh? Shooting for the stars are we?” he locked the door behind them.
“Sky’s the limit, Wheels!”
“Don’t call me that. Does he know you’ll leave him after a few dates or does he still have hope?”
“I’ll give him a chance, I’ll try harder this time." Richie shook his head in disbelief, "I will, I swear!” Ana said.
“Ok, I call three dates until you freak out. Also, does he like his women smelling of giardiniera?” he said, sniffing her hair.
“What?! Do I still smell like food? I already put perfume on though!”
“Want my cologne?”
“Fuck no!” she scoffed.
He laughed, taking a cigarette out.
“Alright, alright, well, if the guy’s a creep, call me ok? I'll come over and pretend I'm a crazy ex like last time, or I can bring the gun. Your call!”
“Ugh, thank you again for that, that guy was scary! But don’t worry about me, I'm a big girl now!" she said, flexing her arms.
"G’night!” she said leaving him behind.
He lit up the cigarette and watched her walk away. Checking if his phone was in his pocket. Just in case.