Prince: Love Always Wins

Lesha

Today was the day, and I was nervous beyond belief. I knew that I had everything, but I still found myself checking everything repeatedly. For the first time, I was standing alone. Prince was finalizing the details of his next project. After revamping the first hotel, he landed another deal for the next chain of them. It was nothing like a man with vision and execution to match. I gave him immense credit for teaching me so much. I walked with confidence now that I only dreamed of before. Now that I was alone and walking past my catering table, I was second guessing myself. Having to prepare to serve the 1500-plus people who were due to be here in less than an hour gave me more questions than answers. Did I make enough? Would they like the cuisine I pick out? This could take my brand to another level, and I wanted to make a good impression. No, I needed to make a good impression.

You got this. Don’t doubt yourself.

I chanted the words internally. The decorators were buzzing around putting their last finishing touches on the tables. Black-lined silk was laid on top of each table with beautiful red sashes to secure them. Each table was surrounded by eight chairs, and the ballroom was deep and long as the eyes could see. With such an exclusive event, I would have thought they would have chosen the table service option. It seemed to be the more regal choice not to have the patrons have to come through a buffet-style line. Don’t get me wrong, the options matched the beautiful ball gowns and tuxedos that they would be wearing, but I wasn’t so sure they would want to get up and come through a line.

Stop it!

This is what they paid for, and this beautiful spread was what I was going to deliver. I rubbed my hands down my dress as I went to the line to check all the food warmers for the twentieth time. There were ten covered pans that sat on top of the warmers on low heat. The seafood combos that the hotel ordered steamed when I opened the lids. I checked the bottoms once again to ensure nothing was burning, and just like I’d seen five minutes ago, everything was still as it should be. I was freaking the hell out. I wanted nothing more than to hear my man’s voice. That simple reassurance was something I craved, but I was trying to push myself past the need for outside validation. I would always have that from Prince but I needed to find that on my own as well. Today, of all days, I was struggling mightily.

“Ms. , come look at this.” When I heard my name from one of the serving staff I hired, I flew into the kitchen.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s the sauce. It’s burned. I don’t know what happened because Alicia was supposed to be manning the station, but she was nowhere to be found. So what we have out there is all we have.”

“That won’t be nearly enough. Where did Alicia go?” I asked the ten-person crew that strolled around the kitchen. I was met with shrugged shoulders. Of course, it didn’t mean to them what it meant to me. At this point I wished I’d listened to Prince because an assistant would have been so helpful in this moment. They could have been monitoring my kitchen staff while I checked everything up front. My crew today should have been twelve, but two backed out at the last-minute. I was already prepared to jump behind the table and man a station. Two, if I had to, but we were going to be spread thin if we were down another person.

“Look, someone go to my car. I left some things there to help me make a new batch.

“You are going to make a new batch in less than an hour?” Melissa’s eyes went wide.

“What other option do I have? We can’t serve that. We will not serve that,” I affirmed.

She nodded, grabbed my keys, which I extended in her direction, and trotted out of the back door. I looked around, and at least all the other stations were flowing as they should.

“, I’m sorry,” I heard Alicia’s voice over my back. I closed my eyes as I turned to greet her because I could hear the sickness in her voice. Her pale skin was flushed when my eyes found her. This couldn’t be happening.

“How long have you been sick?”

“It just happened. I promise you I felt good on the way in.”

“You know what I’ve told all of you when you signed on for this contract. If you are sick, you can't come in. You can’t handle food and pass viruses to other people. What did you touch?” I snapped, feeling my heart start to race. The last thing I needed was to get over 1500 people sick.

“I only was on the sauce station and I am not sick. It’s morning sickness.” She snapped and I saw the tears come to her eyes. I waved my hand for her to follow me out, calming myself while I walked.

“Alicia. I’m sorry. I am under a lot of pressure with this project. I shouldn’t have snapped, especially in front of others. Take the day off and take care of yourself.”

“I’m okay. I can’t not work. I can’t afford to,” she spoke honestly.

“I’ll take care of today. Just go home and feel better. If there is anything you left in the kitchen, I will grab it for you.

“No, I have my wallet here. Thanks.” My eyes followed her until she walked out of the building. I knew what she said, and I wanted to believe her, but I couldn’t risk it. Being an entrepreneur was a lifestyle a lot harder than I could have imagined. You had to worry about every facet of a business. I pulled out my phone again, just wanting to hear his voice. What if he wasn’t done with his meeting?

Right as I stood there, thoughts warring, his name flashed across my screen, and I blew out a breath of release as I swiped up.

“You okay?” He spoke before I said hello.

“It’s hectic.”

“But you got this right? You prepared because you prepared yourself.”

“Yeah… yes.” I stumbled as I leaned back against the wall. A rest was probably the last thing I should’ve been taking, but I just needed a moment.

“What’s going on?”

“I’m good. I got this. How was your meeting? Did things go well?” It sounded like he was in his car.

“I know you good because I know who you are. I asked what was going on, baby. Tell me.”

“One of my girls got sick now I’m freaking out thinking she may have contaminated something. She said it was just morning sickness, but now I’m nervous. This has to go right. I swear I didn’t want to bother you with this today. I know your day is just as big as mine. I have to learn how to stand on my own. It’s just my first big event. I mean this is nothing like baking treats for your crew. I’m down three servers. I know I prepared the food but maybe I should’ve worked harder to ensure I got the right people in place.”

“It’s all a learning experience. You will get better with time.”

“You are right. I’m sorry I didn’t want to bother you.” I said again, knowing I had dumped a lot on him.

“For one, I called you, and two, never fucking say you are bothering me. Whenever you need to talk to me, I don’t care what I’m doing, you can call. I already told you that.”

“I know.” I smiled into the phone already feeling like I could take on the world. “How is it that something as simple as your voice can make me feel better? I thought my damn head was about to pop off my shoulders a few seconds ago.”

“You just needed your man, baby, and it ain’t shit wrong with that because your man here.” His voice echoed in my ears. I turned around and saw him standing beside me, coming from the kitchen door that was now propped open. I was pulled to him, and my phone hit the ground. It could have shattered for all I cared. The way his lips pressed mine, my body heated to its total capacity. I exhaled into his mouth, and he aggressively snatched my tongue into his and sucked. He was bringing me back to him. He wanted everything around me to melt away, and I gave in to that feeling. We stayed there locked together for I don’t know how long.

“What you need me to do.”

“I could use some help serving, but aren’t you working today?”

“Yes, we all are.”

As if on cue, I heard Cairo’s voice, and I opened the door and looked behind him. “You ain’t gotta act like that. I’m trying to change yo’ life with yo’ biscuit head ass,” Cairo spoke in Melissa’s direction, and she looked disgusted.

“Cairo why can’t you behave anywhere that you go? Seriously?” I said through a chuckle then I stopped my movement. All of Prince’s crew was there. “What are y’all doing here?” I asked looking around.

“We just making sure we solidify our daily lunches. Can’t have yo’ basketball head ass depressed and not cooking. Tell us where you need us.” Cairo, of course, spoke for everyone.

“Cairo, if I wasn’t so happy to see all of you, I would curse yo’ ass out, but I’ll let you live today. Melissa, you have permission to slap the hell out of him if he gets too mouthy with you. He is all talk, and he doesn’t hit women.”

“Shit, nah, not like that anyway.” He snuck the last part in, and everyone laughed. Even Melissa cracked a grin. Cairo was a lot of things, but ugly wasn’t one of them. After a long day, she may be in for a night of fun, and I wouldn’t judge her one bit.

“Okay, Melissa, start working on a new batch of sauce. We need to be ready to serve in another fifty minutes, so everyone gets on clean aprons and meets me out front in forty-five.”

There was a corporate mumble of understanding while Prince and I left the kitchen and went back to the front. I turned to him. He looped his arms around my waist, and I threw mine around his neck. The few people that were muttering around the dining hall faded away.

“How is it that you always know the right thing to do without me asking.”

“That’s my job. Is everything else taken care of?”

“Yes, I’m down a few servers, but I can step behind the line and manage that. I brought flat shoes just in case.” I answered, feeling confident that the job would get done exactly how I wanted.

“No, your place is in the front. The sun is going to shine on the most beautiful woman in the world today, and I’ll be damned if anything blocks it. I can man a station.”

“Prince, you know you don’t have to do that.”

“I do, though. It’s not even that you have done so much for me. I mean, I could count it all.” He smirked, and I knew he was getting ready to. “I mean, you cooked for these niggas and drove my productivity through the roof. When my assistant walked out, you took up the task, and you've been dealing with my tired ass for weeks. I owe you this and more, but we are going to stop counting favors because every win that we get belongs to us both. I love you. You know that?”

I nodded with a smile. “I love you, too.”

“Well, get ready to shine, baby. I’m going to go change. I know how you are about uniforms.”

I giggled a laugh as he disappeared. As the dinner service started, my nerves melted away. The patrons raved about the food. Many of them threw decorum out the window, doubling back and going through the line multiple times. It was so funny for me to see these uppity people falling into such a faux pas. Thanks to Prince, I’d been to many of these events, and there were so many unspoken rules. Good food made them lose their sense.

“Alesha, may I have a word?” I looked up and a balding white man was standing a few feet away from me. I noticed him as one of the owners from the meeting with Prince. When I didn’t answer right away, he rushed in. “I am the owner of the hotel. I apologize that we haven’t been officially introduced. Brandon Henry.” He stuck his hand in my direction. I looked over my back, and I saw Prince looking in my direction, but he didn’t move to come my way. He knew I had this.

“Sure. What can I help you with?”

“Your food was a hit! We have more events coming up, and one thing that a lot of the people who reach out to us ask if we have catering. I would love to schedule a time when we can sit down and establish a partnership. Of course this would have to be lucrative for us both. Can you give me a call this week?” He extended a card in my direction.

“Certainly.” I retrieved his card, and as soon as I turned, a smile burst through my lips. Prince met me halfway.

“My baby doing big business.”

“Did you know he was going to ask me about a partnership?” I asked.

“I didn’t but I figured. They are killing this shit. Remember, stick to your guns on they ass. They need you, not the other way around.”

“And I need you,” I whispered honestly.

“Good, because I don’t plan on going anywhere.”

He dipped me again and kissed my lips.