#Chapter 21: Reprimanding the Alpha
Karl

I cross my arms and take a glance around the kitchen. The tiles sparkle like they’re brand new, and the

entire place smells like lemon cleaning solution; I’ve just finished mopping the floor, and although I

would never admit it to anyone, it’s… the first time I’ve ever used a mop.

“Maybe I’m a bit out of my depth here,” I think to myself as I look around. “But I want to do a good job.

For Abby.”

I might not know a great deal about mopping floors, but I do know a lot about running a business. I just

hope that Abby will let me help more in the future. She said she doesn’t need another leader, but that

doesn’t mean that I can’t give her ideas, right?

“Karl,” Abby shouts from across the kitchen, her voice commanding over the din of kitchen noises. “Put

the mop away. We need you over here cleaning dishes.”

She points to the growing pile of dishes on the far counter, then the dishwasher beside it. Ethan had

given me a long-winded tutorial on how the machine worked earlier, but I was really hoping to avoid

that particular job. The idea of touching soggy food and getting hot water all over myself isn’t the most

appealing of ideas, but I know that it needs to be done.

I nod and return the mop to the place I found it. The current dishwasher meets me at the back sink,

where the dirty plates are overflowing.

“Excess food goes in there,” he says, pointing to a nearby garbage bin. “You scrape that off and I’ll

rinse.” Until now, he’s been doing all three jobs himself. It’s clear he’s struggling to keep up with the

never-ending piles of dirty plates that the busboys keep bringing in.

“Geez,” I think to myself. If Abby was worried about losing business and having to close down, she

needn’t have bothered. Now that the place is up and running again, the dinner rush has been nonstop.

Without a word, the dishwasher hands me one of the plates. There’s a half-eaten steak on top, gravy

everywhere, what looks like mashed potatoes that someone swirled around with their fork before

deciding that they didn’t want them. I can’t help but scrunch up my nose at the mess; who orders a

steak and then only eats half of it? It feels like a waste.

name again?” I ask the dishwasher, wanting to fill the silence as we

said it. It’s

I’ve always been good with names, and I’ve already got

in the kitchen down. “Here, Jack,”

at me and points at the garbage

plate. I’ve already

huff, Jack shoots me an annoyed look. “There’s still mashed potatoes on

up my dishwasher or

dishwasher’s attitude, but I decide not to argue. “Erm, sorry,” I say, before

good scrape over the trash can. When I’m satisfied, I

another face, snat ches it out of my

can’t help but let out a small sigh of annoyance at Jack’s attitude. But I’m

a bet in my life, and there’s too much on the line for me to screw up now.

that party

less time rinsing off each plate,” I say,

don’t start moving faster, the dirty plates are going to start to

over us.

me a look that makes me bristle. “You have

crusted to the plates.”

saying. I’m getting the plates ready for you a lot faster than you’re able to rinse them. Maybe

should rinse them.”

“That wouldn’t make sense.”

scrape off another plate and stack it next to the sink. “It makes a lot of

and I say we do it this way.” Jack shoots me

filled with annoyance.

before I can, Abby’s voice cuts

back to his work, and I brace myself for

the sweat from

starting arguments with Jack,” she says. “He’s

just trying to

at the dishwasher. “It’s your job to shut up and follow orders.

haven’t. Just do what he tells you.

bet.”

my teeth, but nod. If that’s what she wants,

Even if it’s stupid.

Abby

focused on his work, scraping food scraps into the

pulling together. He’s saying something to Jack that I can’t hear, but judging

look on Jack’s

something he has no business having an opinion on. For some reason, he

not the one

it’s just who he is. He’s used to being in

this up, it’s going to cause problems. The

a little bit of humility

not always the top dog everywhere he

part of the

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