down the board with a cloth and gave him some sort of look from behind the lenses of the goggles.
“What’s an orphillian?”
“Native animal and apparently delicious. Here, let me show you.” Cara reached into a chiller under her work area and retrieved a repulsive looking worm-like creature covered in lavender fur and sporting a multitude of pink, tube-shaped legs. She pulled out her knife, and with a few confident strokes of the blade, she’d disemboweled it and neatly peeled the skin back with a nauseating tearing noise. With some quick chops the creature was reduced to small cubes of glistening meat and the waste joined the rest in the trash. Her mouth quirked as she added her product to the container, wiped the board again, and pulled off her thin gloves to toss both them and the cloth in a hamper against the wall.
“Is it dangerous?” He gestured at the goggles as she twisted them off; they’d been on so tight there were red dents in the soft skin of her forehead and cheeks.
“Turns out I’m allergic, so I had to wear some extra gear.”
“Then you shouldn’t be doing this. Claude?” Ben turned to find the chef, determined to get the man to assign her to something less perilous. He was startled to feel her hand on his arm, and he glanced back at her.
“I’m fine. It’s fine. Please. I like this work.” She studied him with a frown as her fingers tightened against him.
Ben took in a breath and regrouped. Aside from the pink marks from the goggles on her skin, she appeared healthy. In fact, she was much improved from her state after the crash. Cara’s eyes were bright and her lips were pink, and if he wasn’t mistaken, she looked as if she’d added a much needed kilo or two. Working here in the kitchens might add a few more which was all for the better. Maybe she could work with pastries tomorrow.
“I need to show my work to the chef, and then I’ll be ready.” With a squeeze of his arm she let go and collected her container. With quick and efficient movements she made her way to Claude, and Ben watched as the man inspected the contents, gave a quick nod, and spoke to her for a few seconds. His arm tingled where she’d touched him. Cara stared at the chef, hanging on his words and then gave him a brief smile before turning away and unbuttoning her smock to toss into a hamper. Ben followed her to the swinging doors and held one open as they exited the kitchen and left behind all the activity. She trotted down the service hallway that ran behind the dining hall, dodging tray carts and stacks of clean dishes.
“Cara, you don’t have to rush.”
She slowed. “I’m just anxious to see Mat. This is a first for us.”
“Being separated?”
She nodded, her eyes trained on the door at the end of the hall. “He was eager to go to school, but I was so nervous after I left him that I ruined the first batch of lettuce I had to wash.”
“How do you ruin lettuce when you wash it?” Ben was perplexed. Even though he wasn’t much of a home cook, it seemed a pretty simple task. He’d managed it a time or two. Her candor pleased him. After their walk in the woods, she seemed to like him a bit more.
She nodded her thanks as he opened the door to the commons area. The school was directly across the small plaza in front of them, and she walked that way as she replied, “It’s easy to do when you turn the spigot to hot instead of cold.”
Lettuce soup. Ben was amused at the thought.
“Don’t laugh, I thought I was going to be tossed out, and I’d only been there for a half an hour. They were such pretty lettuces too.”
Her openness was refreshing, and Ben felt the cares of his morning start to dissipate. She quirked a smile at him as if to gauge his mood, and he decided to go for broke and smile right back at her. With a startled blink, she nearly stepped into the edge of the school door as he opened it for her. He reached out to steady her. “Careful there.”
“Sorry, I’m not
“What’s an orphillian?”
“Native animal and apparently delicious. Here, let me show you.” Cara reached into a chiller under her work area and retrieved a repulsive looking worm-like creature covered in lavender fur and sporting a multitude of pink, tube-shaped legs. She pulled out her knife, and with a few confident strokes of the blade, she’d disemboweled it and neatly peeled the skin back with a nauseating tearing noise. With some quick chops the creature was reduced to small cubes of glistening meat and the waste joined the rest in the trash. Her mouth quirked as she added her product to the container, wiped the board again, and pulled off her thin gloves to toss both them and the cloth in a hamper against the wall.
“Is it dangerous?” He gestured at the goggles as she twisted them off; they’d been on so tight there were red dents in the soft skin of her forehead and cheeks.
“Turns out I’m allergic, so I had to wear some extra gear.”
“Then you shouldn’t be doing this. Claude?” Ben turned to find the chef, determined to get the man to assign her to something less perilous. He was startled to feel her hand on his arm, and he glanced back at her.
“I’m fine. It’s fine. Please. I like this work.” She studied him with a frown as her fingers tightened against him.
Ben took in a breath and regrouped. Aside from the pink marks from the goggles on her skin, she appeared healthy. In fact, she was much improved from her state after the crash. Cara’s eyes were bright and her lips were pink, and if he wasn’t mistaken, she looked as if she’d added a much needed kilo or two. Working here in the kitchens might add a few more which was all for the better. Maybe she could work with pastries tomorrow.
“I need to show my work to the chef, and then I’ll be ready.” With a squeeze of his arm she let go and collected her container. With quick and efficient movements she made her way to Claude, and Ben watched as the man inspected the contents, gave a quick nod, and spoke to her for a few seconds. His arm tingled where she’d touched him. Cara stared at the chef, hanging on his words and then gave him a brief smile before turning away and unbuttoning her smock to toss into a hamper. Ben followed her to the swinging doors and held one open as they exited the kitchen and left behind all the activity. She trotted down the service hallway that ran behind the dining hall, dodging tray carts and stacks of clean dishes.
“Cara, you don’t have to rush.”
She slowed. “I’m just anxious to see Mat. This is a first for us.”
“Being separated?”
She nodded, her eyes trained on the door at the end of the hall. “He was eager to go to school, but I was so nervous after I left him that I ruined the first batch of lettuce I had to wash.”
“How do you ruin lettuce when you wash it?” Ben was perplexed. Even though he wasn’t much of a home cook, it seemed a pretty simple task. He’d managed it a time or two. Her candor pleased him. After their walk in the woods, she seemed to like him a bit more.
She nodded her thanks as he opened the door to the commons area. The school was directly across the small plaza in front of them, and she walked that way as she replied, “It’s easy to do when you turn the spigot to hot instead of cold.”
Lettuce soup. Ben was amused at the thought.
“Don’t laugh, I thought I was going to be tossed out, and I’d only been there for a half an hour. They were such pretty lettuces too.”
Her openness was refreshing, and Ben felt the cares of his morning start to dissipate. She quirked a smile at him as if to gauge his mood, and he decided to go for broke and smile right back at her. With a startled blink, she nearly stepped into the edge of the school door as he opened it for her. He reached out to steady her. “Careful there.”
“Sorry, I’m not
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