Allie's hand tightened around my own as I pushed open the door to the kitchens. Marge was already bellowing orders and the chefs scurried around, desperately carrying them out to spare themselves from her wrath.
Even with the chaos of the morning meal prep, Marge spotted us hovering by the door within a few seconds of entering.
"I'm scared," Allie whispered as Marge walked over.
"Marge is loud but she's nice when you get to know her. You'll do amazing." I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before Marge got to us.
The big head chef's eyes flicked between us and then she gave a sharp nod of approval. "Nick tells me you're a good cook?"
"Uh, I don't know," Allie said in a small voice. "I-I haven't had many people taste my meals, so I'm not sure."
Marge's eyes softened fractionally and she said, "Well, let's see, shall we? I've got a lot of work that needs doing and the more help, the better. We'll see how things go today and then set you up with payroll. Nick can pick you up once he's finished work - our shifts normally match up."
I gave Allie's hand another encouraging squeeze and then left for my shift. Bernie and I worked separately for the morning. He was cleaning one of the wards on fourth and I was assigned the staff room.
The nightshift staff were handing over to the dayshift as I entered with my head down. I made myself as small as possible and went about my work, avoiding eye contact. A few of the nurses were gossiping and I was drawn into their conversation when I heard Charlie's name mentioned.
"Charlie Dylan?" one of the older nurses said. "He's trouble if I ever saw it. Mummy and Daddy have money so he thinks he can get away with anything."
"But he's so charming," a younger nurse gushed.
"That's because you look good in scrubs. Trust me, you'd be better off avoiding the likes of him. I've already heard some unsavoury things about that whole group of interns. They'll try it on with any girl with a pair of tits and a pussy."
The younger nurses laughed. "But you have both of those!" the younger nurse said, still laughing.
"Honey, my boobs hang far too low and my pussy belongs to my husband. Snakes like Charlie take one look at me and know I'd chew them up if they tried it. Trust me, find yourself a man who looks at you like a diamond, not a cheap meal."
There it was, outlined in stark clarity: someone so easily taken in by his charm versus someone able to see past it. I had no doubt which camp Allie would fit into but I made a mental note to warn her. The thought of Charlie seeing her already gave me anxiety, not necessarily from jealousy but fear of how disgusting he could be.
My mind was distracted for most of the day after that. Half of it I spent reminiscing about my night with Allie. I'd never experienced that level of pleasure before and I was pretty sure she'd enjoyed it too. I tried not to think about it too much, I'm sure Bernie would be able to read the dreamy expressions on my face if I did.
The other half of the day I spent worrying about Charlie. He was everything that I wasn't and, although I didn't want to be like him in any way, shape, or form, I hated the fact that he was able to get inside my head about Allie without doing anything yet.
I had lunch with Bernie and visited Allie in the kitchens but she was too busy with Marge so I left her to it. Bernie and I spent the afternoon cleaning two of the wards on the top floor. As we mopped the floor, Bernie said, "Marge is impressed with your girl already."
A short burst of happiness shot through me when he called Allie 'my girl' and I resisted the urge to smile. "How do you know? We've been working all day."
Bernie tapped his nose. "Ah, Marge and I keep in contact for certain things around the hospital. She's almost been here as long as me and we enjoy gossiping, helps to pass the time."
"I'd never take you for a gossiper," I said, leaning on my mop and looking at him. "So, what did she say?"
He shrugged with a smile. "Quite a lot, not that I'm going to tell you. I've got a healthy fear of Marge and that rolling pin. I will tell you this: Allie definitely has a job and Marge has taken her under her wing already, which is a first."
"I knew she would smash it!" I said, unable to contain my enthusiasm. It was the nicest feeling, to feel happy for someone else's success. It wasn't something I'd ever had the opportunity to experience before. I went back to mopping with a big smile on my face. Mopping had never been more fun.
As the end of the day drew near, Bernie could see I was anxious to get to Allie. We were finishing up and he chuckled. "Nick, I'll finish up here. Go and meet your girl."
"Was I that obvious?" I asked guiltily. "I don't mind staying, we've only got a little more."
"Nick, you've been checking the clock every couple of minutes. You're right, we only have a little more to do. Go, I'll finish up."
I grinned. "Thanks, Bernie!"
I patted his shoulder and he responded with a chuckle and shake of his head.
It took a great deal of willpower not to run through the corridors. I settled on a powerwalk that took me to the Cleaner's Closet in record time. I grabbed my things, wrote a quick thank you note, stuck it to Bernie's locker, and then rushed to the kitchens. As I was nearing them, I heard a group of interns behind me, so I quickened my steps to distance myself.
Allie was just coming out when I got there. Her face lit up when she saw me and she jumped into me, giving me a big hug and kiss on the cheek. "It was amazing! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
"I want to hear all about it," I said, taking her hand and pulling her toward the exit. "But let's get out of here first."
She frowned slightly but let me guide her swiftly from the building. "Uh, is everything OK?" she asked as we turned from the entrance and entered the park.
"Yeah, sorry," I said, checking behind us. "Do you remember me telling you about Charlie?"
"The one I'm going to kick in the balls?"
I laughed. "Yeah, that one. I just didn't want him or the interns to see you and make your life difficult. I heard them in the corridor when I was coming down to see you, so I thought I'd make a quick escape."
Allie's smile faded. "Are you embarrassed about me?"
"What!? No!" I said a little louder than I expected. I lowered my voice. "No, I just overheard the nurses talking about him and the interns today and I wanted to warn you about them before you see them. Sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel like that."
