His Blue Moon Princess
Chapter 47

The next Friday, even while working, I can't help but think about my conversation with Elena again. A baby... She started crying after telling me about Nathaniel being the father. I was unable to say anything and just felt useless, listening to her. I just found out she is my cousin, and it turns out she is pregnant. She seemed really distressed about it. Eventually, that friend of hers, Daniel, took the phone and said they would call back. I haven't heard from them since then. Bobo just gave me news that they were all right. Daniel's leg is almost healed, and by his words, Elena is "fine".

I still felt bad for Elena, though. If she is not Nathaniel's girlfriend or anything, how will she handle this pregnancy? It explains why she was so distant with him yesterday... And even why Daniel and Bobo were so adamant about protecting her! A pregnant werewolf can't shape-shift, not without risking the baby's life- the shape-shifting is too much of a struggle on the body after the first few weeks. I wonder how far how along she is? "Nora? Are listening to me?"

I forgot about David. We are busy arranging the flowers in the restaurant, and he was telling me about his weekend. He is definitely a nice guy, but I wish he would concentrate on the work. He spends a lot of time talking and we are nowhere near done. And although Narcissa is in an exceptionally good mood today for some reason, I wouldn't push it.

"Yes, sorry David. It's just that Narcissa asked us to finish this quickly, and Chef Michel is waiting for me to go help in the kitchen after this..."

"Oh, okay. Well, you can go if you want, I'll just... finish this on my own."

He looks a bit disappointed, but I really have to go, and I did more than my share here. I thank him and head to the kitchen.

Earlier this week, a Commis took a last-minute sick-leave, and I had to replace him for the day. Turns out, Chef Michel was so happy with my performance in his kitchen that day, he actually fought with Narcissa to keep me there. So now, I have to switch all the time between the kitchen and the restaurant, even during the actual service. Not that I would complain, though. I like working in the kitchen so much!

Chef Michel and I are now on a first-name basis. It has become a habit now that I would come and help the kitchen staff in the morning. I am nowhere near the level of the cooks or aides here, but they are always teaching me things and even asking for my opinion sometimes. It's thrilling to keep up with the rhythm in the kitchen, but I'm doing my best. Once again, everyone was surprised that I handle the pressure well. Like any chef, Chef Michel yells and gets angry a lot, but this is really nothing compared to what I've handled before. All those who thought I would cry or panic discovered quite quickly that they were completely wrong about me. Truthfully, I'm a bit proud of it.

Once the service is done and we start cleaning up, Chef Michel suddenly calls me, sending another Commis to take over for me. He is smoking at the back of the restaurant, like always. I don't really like the smell, but I just stand a few steps away not to be impolite. "You called for me, chef?"

"Yes. You did a really good job today, Nora. Again. And what was that suggestion you made this morning? For the dessert?"

"Using rosemary to flavor the caramel?"

"Yeah, that one. How did you think of that?"

I blush a bit, overwhelmed by the compliments. How do I explain this? I feel a bit embarrassed about my background. Even though I seem to know a lot, I have very basic experience in cooking. You can't learn it all from books...

"I just really like using herbs and spices while cooking, so... I tried balancing with sweet flavors for a change, and found out some pairings work really well."

"Like what?"

I feel like this is some sort of test. I try to stay calm and think of an answer I would give anyone, not to an experienced chef. "Like basil and strawberries. Or honey and lavender."

I see him smile. "You're good, Nora. You really got a talent for that. Why did you apply to be a waitress instead of being a Commis?"

"I... I have no experience and no training to be in a kitchen."

He shakes his head. "You got the basics. And what it takes. Good sense of taste, multitasking, and reactive. You're hard-working, too, and you can handle the pressure. Starting tomorrow, you'll work as an apprentice in the kitchen." "What? But Narcissa..."

"I don't care what Narcissa says. I'll call the Boss, if necessary. You can start with Sam at the sauces for now. The old man could use an assistant."

I gasp. I don't even know what to say! Even if it's just a saucier's apprentice, this is already more than anything I could have asked for! I know very well the level of the restaurant; the best students of the nearby cooking school would call themselves lucky to get a chance like this!

"Chef, I..."

"No thanks. We'll see how you can handle the old man first; he's twice more stubborn than I am, so that should-"

He suddenly stops talking and turns his head towards the end of the alley. I do the same. My wolf is growling, sensing something's wrong, too. Who is that? There's a horrible smell coming from a block away. Chef Michel throws his cigarette on the ground, his eyes not leaving the end of the alley a single second. We both stare at the same spot, waiting to see if the intruder will come closer or not.

No one is supposed to be there. There is a wooden fence at the end of the street, and only the restaurant's employees should be able to come here. But this smell doesn't belong to anyone from the restaurant. It's such a disgusting smell! A mix of alcohol, rotten flesh, and cheap cologne. That reek of perfume is so strong I can't even distinguish its owner's smell. I feel nauseous, and I see Michel frowning too.

"Who is that...?" I whisper.

"Someone that's not supposed to be here," growls Chef Michel.

I feel him tensing up, ready to shapeshift at any moment. I tell my wolf to get ready, too.

But to our surprise, the smell suddenly disappears. Did the intruder run away? We wait for a few seconds, but whoever it was, he is gone. I turn to Chef Michel, who is still frowning. "A rogue?"

"... Looks like it. I have to tell the Boss. Let's go back in. And tell Bobo to come and get ya. I don't like this."

"Okay."

But to my surprise, it's not Bobo only who shows up, but Liam is there, too. And unlike other days, there is no car, but just a big, black motorbike.

I look at the engine with a worried look. "Please tell me I'm not supposed to get on that thing."

"What's wrong with my bike?"

"I've never even been on a bicycle, Liam!"

He laughs, but this is just plain scary! "Don't be a baby, Nora. You just need to hang on tight and I'll drive safely, I promise. Come on, we gotta get your dress and I need to change, too. I don't mind being late to the party, but you don't wanna miss it." Miss what, exactly? I get on the motorbike, still really scared about the engine. At least, Liam seems quite experienced with it. And he's right. We are finally the 14th, and I want to see what all this fuss was about. To think Damian came to dine with me last night, and now I'm going to go to his party behind his back...

But our relationship isn't evolving, and I need to know what he is hiding from me.

I know. I know half of it is my own doing, but I just can't bring myself to believe him, and so far, no one's been able to convince me otherwise. I want to think he is sincere with me, yet there is this invisible barrier between us that I need to take down. And I'll see what kind of barrier it is tonight.

Choosing a dress is definitely quicker with the guys than when Tonia is here. Mostly because they let me pick it myself. I go for a rather simple empire dress with a silver glitter top and a long white skirt. Simple yet elegant- it should be good enough. I did want to take one of the dresses from my wardrobe initially, but Liam insisted on getting a new one, saying they were not good enough. More than the dress, I'm pretty sure this has to do with the platinum credit card he took out to pay for it, judging from his sneaky smile while using it. Now that I think about it, I didn't even think of looking at the price of the dress, since Liam picked it first. But I'm pretty sure there wasn't any price tag on it...

Once we go home, I go straight to my room to shower and get ready. This time, I have to do it all myself, so I try to repeat everything I've learned so far. I've been practicing these last few days while getting reading for work, but I usually keep it really simple. For tonight, though, I have to make extra efforts. I look at a couple of online tutorials before getting started and proceed very slowly and carefully. The result is alright, I think... I put on a natural peach eyeshadow, a thin trail of eyeliner, some mascara, and a light pink blush. When Bobo comes into the room, I'm putting on the final touch, a brick red lipstick. I turn to him.

"How is it?"

"Very pretty. You look more natural than last time."

"Because I didn't put as much stuff... I can't remember half the names of the products the makeup artist gave me anyway, or how to use it, so I just used whatever I knew."

Bobo smiles and helps me brush my hair. "Are you going to be okay...?" He asks

"I don't even know what I'm supposed to see, so... Is it bad?"

He stays silent for a second while grabbing a couple of hairpins. "...You should get your heart ready."

I stay silent. The more I hear about it, the harder it is to think it's a good idea...

Turns out, he is really good at braiding my hair and helps me put it up into a Greek goddess-like hairstyle. it also matches my dress perfectly, so I'm more than happy with it. Once we return to the main room, Liam is desperately trying to do his necktie. He turns to us, but before he can even ask, we both shake our heads. I have no idea how to do this... He frowns, and takes it off, undoing his first button.

"Hell to that, I'm not going to impress anyone, anyway. You ready, my lady?"

Indeed, I am. I'm shaking so much, though... I take my white coat and put my necklace on as my sole jewelry. The little diamond moon is shining brightly and effortlessly matching my dress.

"I just hope I'm dressed enough..." I sigh, taking an overall view in the mirror again.

Liam rolls his eyes. "Yes, you are. You're wearing a $5,000 Dior dress and a diamond $2,000 necklace. What else do you...?"

"I'm wearing what?" I scream, shocked.

"Oh, get over it, you know my brother is like, crazy rich. And don't worry, I paid with his credit card earlier."

"You stole it, didn't you?" Says Bobo.

"Maybe?" "Liam!"

I can't believe him! Sometimes he's really adult-like, and sometimes he's just being a self-centered kid! And he's laughing at me, too.

"Oh, come on Nora, I've been pulling this kind of pranks at my brothers since I was a kid. They're used to it by now. I'm sure Damian won't even notice a few thousand dollars missing. So, if you are done being scandalized, can we go, please? Trust me, the price of your dress will be the last of your concerns after tonight."