Chasing His Kickass Luna Back Chapter 192

Abby

Excitement courses through me as I fasten my pristine white chef’s coat in front of the full-length mirror in my bedroom. My hair is pulled back into a neat bun, still a tiny bit damp from my morning shower.

“Today is the day,” I say out loud, even though I’m completely alone in my apartment.

The sun has barely risen, but I’m already raring to go. Today is the day of the Alpha party, after all; I’ll need to get an early start.

Back at the restaurant, we’ve got a mountain of prep work to get through. But I’m more excited than anything. After everything, here I am. And I’m almost positive that everything will go perfectly.

As I finish getting ready, I find myself stealing a glance at the elegant dress hanging on the hook on the back of my door. The pearlescent white is shining in the golden glow of the morning sun, the delicate beads on the bodice casting tiny rainbows around the room. It’s stunning.

But for a moment, doubt creeps in. Is it too extravagant? Should I leave it behind?

No. I shake my head as if to dispel the thought. I deserve to look beautiful tonight. I deserve to wear the gown that caught my eye. I’m not going to let anxiety stop me from doing that.

With determination, I carefully place the dress into a garment bag and sling it over my shoulder. It’s time to head to the restaurant, where the final preparations for the Alpha party await.

…

As I step into the restaurant, the kitchen is already buzzing with activity.

“Hey, Abby!” John calls out from behind the line, waving his chef’s knife in the air excitedly. “Today’s the day!”

“Indeed it is,” I say with a chuckle, and nod my head toward his knife. “Be careful with that.”

John, realizing what he’s doing in his excitement, quickly lowers the knife and clears his throat. “Well, the vegetables are all prepped, so we’re ahead of schedule.”

“And the meat we left in the smoker overnight looks délicieux,” Anton chimes in with a grin.

I let out a soft sigh of relief. Everything seems to be going perfectly so far. No fires, no sabotaged ingredients, no burst pipes or cut wires.

With a smile, I make my way to my office, where I carefully hang my dress on the back of the door. I let my hand linger on it for a moment, picturing how it’ll look later. I’m so excited, I can barely contain myself.

And then my mind begins to wander. Karl will be here tonight… will he see my dress? Will he like it?

Once again, though, I shake my head to dispel the thought. Karl has a date, or so I’ve heard. I’m sure that, whoever she is, she’s stunning. The perfect picture of a future Luna. And I’m happy for him, really.

At least, that’s what I tell myself. I pretend not to notice the tears pricking behind the backs of my eyes, and wander out to the dining area where Mr. Thompson and his team are rushing around, making last-minute arrangements.

“Ah, good morning, Abby,” Mr. Thompson says as he notices me. “Are you ready to take on the day?”

I nod, smoothing down my chef’s coat. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

He flashes me a grin. “Good. I take it you had plenty of time to practice the menu yesterday? The ingredients were to your liking?”

Before I know it, Mr. Thompson and I are delving into a conversation about ingredient quality and recipe tweaks. It feels a bit strange, being so integral to an event like this. Mr. Thompson listens to all of my comments, and I feel like a true professional, like I’m being taken seriously.

Around lunchtime is when I finish up with the meetings and preparations out in the dining area. I join John and Anton in the kitchen after that, and together, we form a well-coordinated team.

John gets to work preparing the meat, and Anton starts on the desserts. I place my focus on the main courses, a wide variety of different meals that all need to be prepped, from luxurious seafood dishes to hearty steak and potatoes.

Daisy and Chloe, with their impeccable attention to detail, begin to float in and out of the kitchen as the hors d’oeuvres are prepared. They’re working as servers and bartenders tonight, and I couldn’t be more grateful. Meanwhile, Ethan is preparing the charcuterie boards, his face a mask of laserlike focus.

As we work seamlessly in our respective roles, I can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of pride and gratitude for my team. We’ve come such a long way, and yet here we are, catering the Alpha party like we’ve been doing it for years.

Before I know it, though, Mr. Thompson is announcing that the first guests will be arriving soon. The hour hand has almost reached seven o’clock, but the day flew by.

“Everyone, gather around,” I call out over the sounds of the kitchen.

My team gathers around me, their faces expectant and a little nervous. For a moment, I feel frozen—but only for a moment. I’m not on stage anymore. I’m not in front of a live studio audience or the flashing red light of a camera.

I’m here, in my kitchen, my home, with my family.

“I can’t thank all of you enough,” I begin with a smile, and pause to look around at the faces of my team.

There’s Anton, with his weathered but bright eyes.

There’s John, with a smile hiding behind his beard, his chef’s coat looking only a little out of place on his frame. There’s Ethan, leaning on the counter to support his bad leg, but there’s a light in his eyes that will never go out.

There’s Daisy, leaning against Ethan—as if I wouldn’t notice the chemistry between the two of them lately—with her hair piled up into a spunky bun on top of her head. There’s Chloe, her arms folded across her chest, her eyes fixed unwaveringly on me.

And then my eyes flicker over to the space by the doorway; the space where he used to stand. It’s empty now. Karl should be there, but he isn’t, and he won’t fill that space anymore.

Taking a shuddering breath, I quickly look back at my team and manage a smile. “You’ve all put in a lot of hard work lately,” I say. “You deserve a vacation after all of this.”

“Is Abby taking us to Paris?” Daisy exclaims, resulting in a chuckle from the rest of the team.

I shake my head with a laugh. “I wish I could, but no. All I can promise is an enormous thank-you, which I know isn’t enough.” I pause, licking my lips. “Really, I love you guys. I don’t deserve you.”

My voice trails off, and for a moment, I think I might cry. I quickly look away, blinking back the tears that threaten to spill.

There’s a brief silence, but not for long. Chloe quickly steps forward, draping her arm around my shoulders. “You deserve the world, Abbs,” she says, rubbing my arm. “And we’re happy to be a part of this. Working with you, seeing you grow…”

“It’s the best we could ever ask for,” John chimes in.

Slowly, I lift my gaze to meet Chloe’s. Her eyes are soft and encouraging, and it gives me strength. I lean my head on her shoulder for a moment, basking in the comfort of my friend’s embrace, before I finally pull away and wipe the tears from my eyes.

“Alright, everyone,” I say, my eyes scanning my team one last time. “Let’s make this the best Alpha party in history!”