Chapter 227: Luncheon
*Yeh want me to feed how many people? On Thursday? Yeh should know we can do that with no issue. – Nessie*
Zee from Nessie’s Kitchen was overseeing lunch for the daycare employees. When Karan went to Nessie about the luncheon, she was sure that the other woman could do it. Probably with a hand tied behind her back. Possibly both hands.
She left the menu up to Nessie and the Scottish beauty did not disappoint.
There was a salad of mixed greens, with fresh strawberries, feta cheese, sliced almonds, and balsamic dressing. The main course was chicken penne pasta with spinach and bacon in alfredo sauce, parmesan cheese was placed on the tables. Yeast rolls were in the daycare ovens and the fruit was being sliced by the girls who came to help.
Karan had worked for Nessie for a year and her organization skills still scared her. They were still looking for a full-time kitchen manager for the daycare. But for now, it was being split between Nessie, Karan, and Winona. Winona could only work part-time, otherwise she would be the full-time manager.
The menu for the daycare was set for the first two weeks of operation. They all knew that it would need to be adjusted depending on what the kids would and would not eat. But that was not what Karan was focusing on right now.
Right now, Karan looked at the quote on the screen and tried to decide who had submitted it. She looked over at Chance who sat at the table across from her. He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head slightly.
They knew most of the employees. Either through the club or because Chance had lived here most of his life. Karan had lived here for the past ten years and knew quite a few from when she was in high school and her older sister. There were a few that they weren’t sure about. This was one of them.
Chance glanced around at the other tables that were separated out into groups of four. The other tables were also just as stumped. Then he saw the black hair with the gray streak.
“Rye.” Chance whispered.
“Really?” Winona asked.
“Her dad was a Marine. She would know a Chesty Puller quote.” He grinned and raised their green card in the air.
“Okay.” Charlotte said. “Team Single Ladies thinks that they know.”
Chance and his table looked over at the table that Rye was sitting at. They also had their card held up.
“Jordan.” Kelly said and the whole room turned to see the woman in question blushing.
Grinning, Jordan nodded. “My granddaddy always said it. My grandma was never sure if he was talking about being surrounded by the enemy or kids.”
“Either way,” Charlotte laughed, “being surrounded simplifies things.”
“How many more?” Someone asked loudly.
“Someone is getting hangry.” Charlotte laughed and clicked the key on the computer. The program that Camille and Trevor had written for this, shuffled the quotes and pulled up another one. “Last one. Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before. Mae West.”
Rye’s hand shot up with the green card before Charlotte had even finished the quote. “Chance.”
Charlotte turned towards Chance who nodded. He looked towards Rye who gave her a look that he would soon dub the Three Step Look.
Step One – Die
Step Two – Go to hell.
Step Three – Die again.
“She really does not like you.” Winona whispered.
“She doesn’t even know me.” He countered quietly.
“Smart woman.” Karan muttered over her drink causing the other two women at the table to laugh.
“I want to thank Karan for letting me come play with you guys today.” Charlotte said. “Zee is telling me that lunch is ready, and they will be serving. Karan, I saw lunch, I’m sticking around for that.”
“You’re good!” Karan told her as she walked up to the front of the cafeteria. “We’re going to have lunch now. I don’t have anymore games.” There was a mix of cheers and jeers in the room. “Yeah, I know. If you did have fun with this, and with picking on our four male employees, let me know and we may do this again.”
“And if we didn’t?” Law asked with a giant grin.
“Keep that to yourself.” Karan laughed. “Please, feel free to hang out and get to know each other.”
Zee and her girls started carrying trays out to serve lunch. The ten women moved easily among the tables that were set up.
“Keep in mind, they are expecting a nasty storm next week. If you don’t feel safe driving in the storm, let me know and we’ll make arrangements. We do have another first aid and CPR class on Saturday. Chance, you will be at this one.”
“What about Law?” Chance countered.
“I’m exempt.” Law smiled.
“How?” Chance demanded.
“Because I tested for my national paramedic license.”
“Okay, that’s a good reason.” Chance admitted with a shrug.
There was a light rumble of laughter that filled the room at his expense. Chance laughed with them and winked at a couple of the women. He looked over at Rye and received the Three Step Look again.
He brushed this off also and enjoyed the rest of the luncheon. By the time that he made it over to the table where Rye had sat, she was already gone. The other three women that were sitting at the table also worked with the pre-K4 classes. Cora, a woman in her mid-twenties, would be Rye’s assistant and was singing her praises.
“And that tiny baby.” Cora said as Chance sat down.
“I know.” Kelly gushed. “Hey, Chance. Have you met Rye yet?”
“Just in passing.” He admitted with a smile.
“She’s great.” Amanda said. “I love her ideas for the classroom.”
“I thought the classrooms were all done.” Chance said confused.
“The way she’s going to set it up.” Cora explained.
They rambled on about both classrooms and plans. Chance did not want to seem rude and just leave the table when he was the one that came and joined them. He was thrilled to see Karan approach them. Silently, he pleaded with her.
“Ladies, I know you all enjoy Mr. Chance and his company, but I need to steal him away.”
“Sorry, ladies. Duty calls.” He stood up and walked with Karan towards the common room before heading towards their offices.
“See, it wasn’t as bad as you thought it would be.” Karan smirked.
“Nope. And I got a date.”
“A real date?” she asked entering her office. She moved behind her desk as he sat in the pink paisley print chair.
“About as real as I ever have.” He admitted.
It had become normal for him to play with her little fairy figurine. She came in one morning to find GI Joe behind the bent over fairy. This morning she had been on her hands and knees between GI Joe and Ken.
“You know that you can’t do that once we actually open.”
“I know. Wait.” His eyes went wide. “This isn’t one of Camille’s fairies, is it?”
“Camille has fairies?”
“Can I borrow this? I’ll bring her back in the morning.”
“She will come back?”
“Yes. If not, I will get you two new ones.”
“Make it three and it’s a deal.”
The following morning, Karan walked into a fairy lesbian orgy on her desk. Ken and GI Joe sat with their friends in a circle around the fairies. Each one had a beer in one hand and the other hand in their pants. Among all the dolls and figurines, her original fairy was not to be found.
Karan debated asking about it, and decided it was probably better not to know.
