Kael awoke early the next day. This time he had remembered to close the curtains to avoid getting blinded by the bright summer sun when he opened his eyes. Getting up, he grabbed his one remaining set of clean set clothes and got ready to leave his room. Sean had mentioned during their dinner that there was a communal bathroom at the end of the corridor that he could use to shower. The free availability of a clean and private shower was still somewhat foreign to him. It had, in fact, been one of the hardest things to live without.
Before he left, his eyes spotted his phone on the small table in the corner of the room. He shuddered a little as memories of last night and his many failed attempts at writing a message to Martin. Finding the right words to express the convoluted mess that were his feelings turned out to be difficult. In the end, he had given up and simply asked him to meet. Talking face to face would be easier.
Stepping out of his room, he turned left. The soft rug dampened his steps as he walked past three closed doors. Not that he had to be conscious of the noise. While there were 6 other rooms on the third floor, Kael knew from his introduction that only he and Sean were living in the inn. While the rest of the employees had rooms at the inn, they also owned a home outside, making them only occasionally sleep at the inn. While Kael was quite happy to have most of the shower to himself, it made the place feel a little empty.
The shower helped him shake off what remained of his sleep inertia, and after a long twenty minutes of hot water, Kael was ready to face the day. His mind drifted to the question of his responsibilities for today while he dressed in the clean clothes he had brought. Today would be his first day in the kitchen, and he was both excited and anxious about it. Nonetheless, when he was looking for work in the past, he would have never dreamed of working under such good conditions.
After a quick trip to dump his dirty clothes in the washing machine, Kael took the stairs down towards the kitchen. He had not seen Sean, Barbara, or anyone for that matter yet and hoped one of them would be there. Standing in front of the last door, he halted for a second, wondering if the inn was already open to the public. He pushed his ear to the wood and listened. No sound reached his ears. The door might just be too thick to make anything out, but without any alternatives, Kael could only open the door and check. A sigh of relief later, he looked into the empty dining room. "Um, hello? Sean? Eduard?" He called out.
"In the kitchen!" Following the voice he thought was Seans, he walked through the swinging doors into the kitchen. The room was as impressive as when he had first walked in yesterday. A long chrome-colored cooking aisle split the cooking area in the middle, making the otherwise too large room feel a little cramped. Ovens and workbenches hosting other machinery lined the wall closest to the kitchen counter, extending halfway into the room. Over the extended part of the counter hung a pair of lamps meant to keep food hot. The far side of the room was empty, but for the big door leading into a giant refrigerator. Crammed into a corner out of the way, Kael saw a table and a few chairs, currently sitting both Sean and Eduard. "Come and sit down, the bread and eggs are still warm." Sean said while motioning him to sit down.
Eduard kept to himself during breakfast, allowing Kael to talk with Sean. The man was so different in private that it made Kael curious why. "Well, there is a particular image that goes along with working the front of house. That is especially so for this restaurant, as you will find out later, I am sure. It also keeps the guests more polite. Oh and there is another reason." Kael waited a moment for Sean to elaborate. Seeing that the smirking bartender had obviously no intention of doing so, he could only move on.
"Uh, does it really? I don't know. You're the first one I talked to, but the ones working on Markroff-Rainer are usually a lot more, hmm, active?" He was certainly not a regular there, but he had explored the street a lot when he felt lost in the past. "Oh, please! Those guys are not bartenders, not really at least. They are serving sweet drinks full of cheap alcohol on insane margins. There is no need for a professional there. If one of them can make more than a whiskey sour, I would be impressed. Nothing against them, of course, but please, don't call them bartenders." Shocked by the intensity of Sean's response, Kael proceeded to ask more questions about his coworker's profession.
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The breakfast continued with pleasant conversation. Kael had tried to involve Eduard multiple times but only received one-word grunts in response. It worried Kael about his future in the kitchen. How would he be able to teach anything without talking?
"Has Barbara spoken to you about your pay yet?" Sean asked after they had finished eating. "Pay? No, she has not. I was under the impression that room and board, in addition to school and training would be the pay?" - "What? No! I mean, sure it is part of it. But what are you going to do about stuff you want to buy? Don't take this as a critique of your past actions, you did what you had to to survive, but now that you work here, there is more at stake than your life. You represent the restaurant, and through it, Barbara to some extent. So stay out of trouble, yea."
When Sean mentioned his past actions and how they might reflect on Barbara, a cold shower ran down Kael's back. He had to swallow a few times, trying to get rid of the lump that had formed at the back of his throat. "Yea, I, I'll be careful. Do you, perchance, know where she is right now?" That got him a nod from both Sean and Eduard, who had apparently been following their conversation. "I haven't seen her yet, no. But why don't you look for her in her office on the second floor? You know the room, right?" - "Sure. Is she in already?" - "Should be." Before Kael left the kitchen to find his new employer, he helped Eduard and Sean wash the dishes. In the process of cleaning up, Eduard made sure he learned a little more about the kitchen.
The door to Barbara's office was closed, but he heard her respond to his knock. The office was as impressive as it had been the first time he had seen it, and when Barbara motioned for him to sit while she finished her phone call, he took the time to look around some more. It did not take long for Barbara to end her call, and after writing something down, she turned to Kael.
"Good morning Kael. I hope you have had a restful night?" - "Yes, very much so, thank you." - "Good, good. So, what can I do for you? Is everything alright?" Her undisguised concern about his well being reinforced Sean's warning even more. "No! Uhm, I mean: No. I am very well. I am just here because Sean mentioned something about unfinished formalities? Something about me being payed?"
"Ah, right. Sorry, with everything you told me last night, I have been a little distracted. Generally, students that live here work between fifteen and twenty hours every week, depending on their circumstances, of course. I think for the rest of the week, you should get your things in order. Learning the basics from Eduard will take a while, though you might have to help out in the front of house if either Sean or Marcia are sick. You need new clothes, toiletries, and some other items I am sure, so do that first. Let me give you an advance for your first two weeks to get you started."
She had already pulled out a metal box from below her desk and was now counting bills. "While we are on the topic of money. We need to get you set up with an account at the bank as soon as possible. Using cash is fine for many things, but managing wages is not one of them. One of my friends in the city administration has already pulled some strings and dealt with the childrens services. In just a few days, you will be legally an adult and can enter into contracts. Then we can make your employment here official and get you set up with all your papers."
A cold shower ran down Kael's neck when she mentioned setting up a bank account. In his excitement about magic, work, and schooling, he had forgotten all of the legal problems he had left behind when he ran from the orphanage. Emotions spiraling out of control, he only managed to listen quietly, scared to show the turmoil brewing in his heart. "There we go. Ah right. There is a back door that leads directly into the private areas of the inn. Here is the key. When you come back and don't want to go through the public room, just come in from the back."
With the stack of bills that she had taken from the box, Barbara handed him a key as she spoke. Hands shaking, he took the key and the money, hoping Barbara would not notice. "Most of the shops around here sell crafts, art, or are in the service industry, so you might want to visit a different district to get your shopping done." With everything done, Kael stood to exit the office. Just as he was about to close the door behind him, he heard Barbara's voice once again. "Kael. If there ever is anything that you want to talk about. My door is always open. Just remember that. Alright?" The warmth and care in her voice steeped the flames broiling in his heart and brought Kael close to tears. Voice trembling, he fought to keep himself under control.
"Th, Thank you. I will." With the few remaining strands of his will, he closed the door behind him.