This choice: APARTMENT 199—April Swift, Aspiring Chef • Go Back... The alarm clock on April's phone rang, and the redhead slowly woke up and turned it off. She looked around in her small bedroom. May Swift, her cousin, was still sleeping in the bed next to her, as she probably went to sleep over midnight. April's head was still dozy, but she couldn't wait much time, so she forced herself out of bed and had a quick shower. April was a young woman who had just graduated out of college, with long red hair, a round freckled face with green eyes, a tiny nose, and meaty lips. Her body was curvaceous with a well-endowed butt and wide hips, the results of years of cooking practice, but she didn't mind it.
After she woke up with the help of the shower, she was ready to prepare a quick breakfast.
Today it was an important day for April: it was her first day on the job at the Italian restaurant "Mamma Mia!", and, therefore, she considered said breakfast the last exercise after an entire week dedicated to practice and improving herself.
April prepared some pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream. She made some extras so her cousin would have something to eat when she woke up. April's green eyes gazed at the door to the right, near the window. That was Marcie Smithers' bedroom's, and the redhead knew her friend has already gone to work. With a sigh, she thought of the few times the two had spent together since she and May had moved there.
Meanwhile, her own bedroom's door opened. It was a young woman with shoulder-length black hair, sleepy green eyes with dark circles and a round chin. She was still in her pajamas, which consisted of a tank top and underwear and was loose enough to hide her little potbelly. That woman was May, her cousin.
"Hi, April," greeted the black-haired girl with a yawn.
"Oh, good morning, May. Up so early?" asked the redhead with a note of sarcasm.
"Eh, I smelled your cooking and I couldn't sleep anymore," replied May while taking a seat in front of her cousin.
May licked her lips as she served herself some pancakes.
"You can have all of them, I can make more if necessary," said April before eating a strawberry.
"Thanks, cousin," said May greedily taking all of the pancakes. The wavy-haired girl suddenly got more energy and wasn't sleepy anymore.
"Hey, now that I think about it, isn't today..." asked May, but April anticipated her next question.
"Yes! I admit, I'm kinda nervous..." she said, twirling a lock of hair in her hand.
"Don't worry, if you cook like this, only a dork wouldn't hire you," said May with a smile full of whipped cream.
"Thanks. By the way, do you want something more? I still have a few minutes for practice"
"What can you make in a few minutes? Some eggs and bacon?"
"I can even make you an omelette," said April, going to the fridge.
"Deal!" exclaimed May.
------
"Mamma Mia!" was in a small square, which was a ten-minute walk from April's flat. "Very convenient," she thought while going there and feeling the fresh breeze on her face, a few minutes of relax before arriving.
Mamma Mia!'s colorful signboard was very visible in the plaza, as was the fancy aquamarine building of the restaurant, which stood out from the white of the neighboring shops.
April suddenly got nervous again. Ever since she was a teenager and made her first cooking attempt, she fell in love with cooking and wanted to do it as a job. She went to cooking class in college despite her father's disapproval (and even gained a good twenty pounds in these years), and now she was a step away from that dream's fulfillment.
She closed her fists and opened the door.
The restaurant wasn't particularly large, with only a dozen tables, and at that time of the morning, it was empty.
"Hello? Is anybody here?" asked April.
A chubby young man burst from the kitchen door. His black suit and bow tie made April think he was a waiter.
He gazed her for a bit before asking: "Are you the new cook?"
"Yes, I'm April Swift"
"Pleasure to meet you, my name is Albert. Vera is waiting for you in the kitchen"
April stepped in the kitchen trying to stay as calm as possible, as someone caught her by surprise screaming behind her:
"So, you're the new one!"
April turned around and saw a slim and tall woman in her early forties almost a head taller than her. She had short blonde hair falling on the left side of her sharp face and narrow brown eyes. Being so tall, April couldn't notice how well-endowed Vera was in the chest, despite the chef jacket she was wearing.
The redhead remained quiet, so the blonde got closer and examined her.
Mmmmh, you definitely seem to have the body of a chef," the woman commented while gazing at April's hips. "And, if I recall your curriculum, you graduated with good grades, didn't you?"
April nodded. "Exactly, I..."
"Well, it's a good start! But it means nothing to me if you can't keep up with the orders or if you don't keep the kitchen in order!" Vera said loudly, interrupting the redhead. The blonde cook crossed her arms and grinned. "But to know this, I have to seen it with my eyes"
April gulped but, noticing Vera's stern gaze, she pumped her fist and said: "I won't disappoint you!"
"I hope so," replied the chef. "By the way, my name is Vera Rossi, but just call me Vera".
----
April gleefully checked the mirror. She was wearing a white chef jacket, just like she had always dreamed, and it even fit her perfectly. She definitely wasn't going to lose it anytime soon, and would've proved Vera she was worth it!
While she changed, another cook arrived. She was a woman named Laura, around ten years younger than Vera and a full head shorter. She had olive skin and long brown hair. The woman greeted the new arrival with a big smile and some words of encouragement before Vera called them both to prepare the kitchen before clients arrived. And there was sure a lot of work to do.
Prepare the tools, washing the vegetables, bake the bread, clean the floor... these were some of the many little chores Vera and her two cooks had to do. The blonde was loud and was like a sergeant, but there was also a motherly side of her that let April be comfortable while Vera explained her work.
If the restaurant itself was kinda small, the pantry, instead, was huge: refrigerators loaded with vegetables, meat of all kinds and seafood, various desserts all made by Laura during the morning and, especially, lots of pasta. April knew Italy was well known for the pasta, and she studied it and learned how to make some sauces when she was hired by "Mamma Mia!", but she couldn't believe how many types of pasta there were: spaghetti, linguine, penne, farfalle, fusilli, etc... and each of them had different varieties! And that's not counting lasagna or tortellini which, according to Vera, is different from a dish than "spaghetti".
Vera explained that "pasta is everything in Italy", to the point Italians ate past in most of their lunches and dinners. That's because there were so many kinds of pasta and sauces that it provided complete and different meals. Thankfully April had practiced pasta's cooking a lot in the days before (and May approved every dish she made, to the point the redhead wondered if her cousin simply liked everything), and it was actually much easier than expected. The harder part was the sauce, and it was also what gave most of the flavor, so she gave special attention to learning how to make it. Unfortunately, during her speech, Vera named some kinds of sauce April had never heard before. The redhead thought she had to expand her cooking knowledge.
----
A few minutes before noon, arrived a young slim girl, probably just out of high school, with long black hair and a green lock. She was wearing the same uniform as Albert, only with a skirt instead of pants.
"A couple of guests have just arrived," said while making small energetic jumps "here's their order." She gave a paper to Vera.
"Thanks, Amber. I hope you were more composed with the guests," said Vera. The waitress nodded, her long hair waving behind her head.
"Ok, April, this is yours!" yelled Vera before loudly reading the order.
- - -
(Chapter originally written by regulus11   )  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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