Chasing His Kickass Luna Back

Abby

The restaurant is closed for the evening, and it’s about time that I gather my team for an impromptu

meeting.

“Listen up, everyone. I know it’s been a long day, but we need to talk about something important.”

My eyes scan over the faces of my staff: Anton, the homeless chef who turns out to be a culinary genius;

Daisy, our beloved waitress who once worked the streets; Ethan, a war veteran with a limp who has

become my trusted restaurant manager; John, a single father with a past alcohol problem; and finally Karl,

my ex-husband turned line cook.

Anton sets down his ladle and wipes his hands on his apron. “Is everything okay, Abby?”

Enter title…

“It’s about that article,” I hesitantly begin, fully aware that I’m opening a can of worms. “People are talking,

and we need to be prepared for whatever comes next.”

Daisy looks up, her eyes narrowing. “So what are you saying? We should prepare for the worst?”

“Not exactly, but I think we should be cautious,” I say. “I mean, come on, let’s be real: Anton, you’re

homeless. Daisy, you have a past you’re trying to move away from. Ethan, you’ve got your own set of

scars, and—”

Ethan suddenly cuts me off, a fierce look in his eyes that I’ve never seen before. “Are you trying so say

that you’re ashamed of us, Abby?”

“No!” The word bursts out of me, and I feel my face flush. “I’m not ashamed. You all are the best team I

could’ve ever asked for. But I have to publish an article before the competition, and—”

Daisy leans against the counter, shooting me a sideways look. “What are you suggesting? That we put on

a show? Make the place seem more ‘normal’, like we’re not a bunch of weirdos?”

“I don’t know,” I admit. “Maybe it would be good to be proactive about it, control the narrative a bit.”

Ethan chuckles darkly. “What are we gonna do? Put out a press release saying, ‘Hey, come to our

restaurant; our staff is just as messed up as you are?’”

I laugh despite myself. “Well, when you put it that way, it does sound terrible, doesn’t it?”

Karl steps forward, locking his eyes on mine. “So what’s the real issue, Abby? Are you scared of losing

business, or are you scared of what people will think of you?”

His words hit me like a ton of bricks. Am I trying to protect my business, or my reputation?

“Both,” I finally confess. “But mostly, I’m scared that if people label us as haphazard or unconventional

right off the bat, they won’t give us a chance. People are judgmental. And all your talents—your gifts—will

be overlooked.”

Anton nods slowly, taking my words in. “Miss Abby has a point. A restaurant is still a business. But

perhaps there is a way to have the best of both worlds; to have our cake and eat it, too.”

John nods, adding, “We’ve all fought hard to be who we are, to get to where we are. Let’s not lose that

now. Not for anyone.”