Mountain Boss: Mountain Men Series Book One
Mountain Boss: Chapter 19

Steam whistles out of my kettle as the light on the base turns off.

I lift the pot carefully and add the hot water to a bowl already containing a square of hard ramen noodles covered in the powdered flavoring.

Once it’s full, I place my plate over the bowl, sealing in the steam. Then I pour the rest of the hot water into my coffee mug, the instant coffee already scooped into the bottom.

The one cup I had from Big Joe this morning is not going to be enough to get me through the day.

I blow on the surface of the hot coffee as I wait for my lunch and take in my new kitchen.

It didn’t take long to set up.

I put my food away in the small cabinet above the sink. And on the end of the counter next to the sink, over the first washer, I lined up my kettle, my toaster, and my stack of dishes for one, with my set of silverware sticking out of my old cracked mug that isn’t good for liquid but is good for storage.

It looks a tad meager, but it’s not like I need a second plate for my pretend friends.

My first sip reminds me that I still haven’t eaten today, and the next four minutes are going to feel like forever. So, I take the peanut butter out of the cupboard and use my spoon to scoop some out.

There’s no fridge in here, but maybe we’re allowed to use the fridges in the Food Hall? If we are, then after payday, I’ll get some sandwich stuff. It’ll be a splurge, but it will be nice to not eat the same thing for every meal.

When four minutes pass, I lift the plate off my bowl and daydream about sandwiches and sturdy chairs as I sit on my hard bunk, eating noodles and mumbling curses about my dark-haired, dark-eyed boss.