a spooky tooka & a cursed gourd
New fic for @karabastard! A modern restaurant AU that was a joy to write!
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“Be nice,” Hera warned as soon as Zeb walked in the door.
“What?” he asked, holding his arms out in a wide shrug. “I’m always nice.”
The look that Hera gave him clearly said he wasn’t. “I hired a new manager and he’s here.”
Zeb slumped. He knew Hera needed to be home more lately; there was the baby coming in a few months and Kanan was still recovering from that nasty fall he took in the kitchen. Still, anyone other than the two of them running the place just seemed wrong.
Fántasma had belonged to Hera’s parents, a staple of Mediterranean comfort food in Lothal for years until they retired and transferred ownership over to Hera. They’d hired Zeb, who brought in some new flavors to the restaurant while still keeping the same staples that kept customers coming back year after year. And, Zeb thought, he’d been doing a good job.
“Tell me he’s just front-of-house,” Zeb said.
“He’s front-of-house,” Hera confirmed. “Your iron grip on the kitchen remains.”
Zeb grinned, feeling cheerful again. “He stays out here, we’ll get along.”
Before Zeb could head on back to the kitchen, Hera grabbed his arm. “Zeb, I mean it when I say be nice.”
“Okay, now I’m worried.” Zeb looked around the restaurant. No one he could see but the lunch wait staff. But Hera had said the new manager was there, which meant…
He was in the kitchen.
Zeb stopped in the doorway and stared in dismay.
Standing at his expediting station, examining the line setup, was his worst nightmare.
