Book 3 - Chapter 37 : After Hours

= Sarah POV =

A few days passed, and I recovered from my flu/fever. I found it more challenging to see Chris in person with how she now works most nights and then does day shifts at the hotel. With a Gala around the corner, Chris was thoroughly occupied with work. Even at home, she was often on her computer, working on recipes or tabulating orders to ensure that everything arrived on time and as fresh as possible for her first ever Gala as Assistant Head Chef. 

When I finally went back to work at the cafe, I often ended up just missing her as she would have already clocked out and gone home, or I'd arrive home just as she was getting ready to leave for afternoon meetings with her hotel staff or late-night sessions at the cafe, which would bleed into the midnight shift. It started to get lonely, with all these new hours and barely any time to sit down and address all the things left up in the air from the night her mom came over, was nagging at me. There was all this new information that had come rushing out at the time and I didn't know how to deal with it.

Heather was very understanding about the time I had to take off to recover and brought me copious amounts of honey lemon tea and sliced fruit from the kitchen to ensure I was fully supplied with vitamins, which I appreciated. 

On Friday, when I came in for my last day of work for the week, we all ended up working much later than usual, and I ended up doing overtime, finally completing my work at about 6 pm with the full-time shift staff.

As I was packing up, Heather came to my office and asked if I wanted to join them for dinner.

"We usually eat together on Fridays as the cafe closes at 6 pm to allow everyone to enjoy TGIF. Ruby says there are roast beef cuts and turkey cold cuts for us today; it goes so well on ramen or rice," Heather said, gathering up my used dishes as I snapped my briefcase shut. 

"Oh wow, that sounds lovely! Though I'm not sure I'm feeling like ramen or rice," I said, feeling shy about joining in on what the full-time staff did when I was only part-time. 

"Oh, don't worry, there is more than enough bread to choose from, or you can ask someone to whip you up some pasta. Come join, I'm hungry, and I wanna join the rest; everyone is waiting," Heather said, beaming. 

I groaned internally; I couldn't say no to that face. Heather was my boss; if I tried to refuse it further, she was bound to take it as an insult.

"Alright, I'll join," I said, forcing a smile and swallowing my desire to rush home and crawl into bed.

I tucked my briefcase away in the lower drawer compartment of my desk, picked up my handbag, and followed Heather out of the office, turning off the lights as we left it.