Smitten: A Mafia Romance — Chapter 44

Korina looked at the batches of pastries she had to make that morning and groaned. She was just two seconds away from drafting a resignation letter or better still walking out of her work place and never returning.

Five hundred batches, freaking five hundred batches, that's what she had to make, seriously, She huffed as her eyes ran over the list again.

"Having trouble there?" She looked up and saw mark entering the kitchen, his sleeves rolled up and there was a huge brown stain on his white shirt, she didn't remember seeing it there earlier.

"What happened to you?" Korina asked referring to the stain.

"I was being clumsy as usual." He smiled walking towards her spot.

"I heard your groans from out there, what's up?"

"Jeez." She slapped a hand over her mouth, "Was I that loud?"

"Yes, you were." He nodded, "Now what the heck is going on?"

Korina sighed and handed the list over to him, "Look what she demanded of me."

"Jesus Christ!" Mark exclaimed, his eyes widening as he read the list, "What the hell does she take you for? A machine?"

Korina shrugged, "At first I thought she made a mistake and then I went to correct her but I ended up being screamed at."

"You definitely can't finish this up yourself, you need help."

"Who would lend a hand?" She asked feeling more stressed, "Everyone is occupied with one thing or the other."

"True that." Mark nodded, "You just have to start first."

Korina looked at the ingredients on the counter in front of her, more than a dozen piled up eggs, about three big bowls of flower, there was baking powder, baking sodas, vanilla essences and a whole lot of other stuff. Looking at them made her confused and frustrated all over again.

"I don't know where to start from." She whined.

"Just calm down, get yourself together and start." Mark told her, "I would finish up quickly and come join you." He patted her on the back and exited the kitchen.

Korina lifted a crate from the crates of eggs to set it aside but she didn't expect or know how the next thing happened. The crate fell from her hands and crashed to the floor, egg whites, yolks and shells in a messy puddle.

Fuck, She swore angrily, just superb.

She wasted no time in cleaning up the mess and while at that she groaned irritatingly knowing it's cost was gonna be deducted from her pay check at twice the rate.

She brought out a bowl and poured the necessary ingredients in it and started whisking, when she reached out for more eggs this time she was extra careful.

As she got deep and busy with the baking she implored to the heavens that nothing should go wrong.

"She's really quite busy ma'am." Mark was speaking with Aunt Grace, the woman frowned and he shook his head. He didn't want to inform Korina that her boyfriend's Aunt was around. It would disorganize her further and with the work load her boss had meted out, her hands would still be full.

"When would she be done?" The woman asked, "I don't mind waiting."

"I don't think it would be anytime soon." Mark said, "She might be in there the whole day, today is rather a very busy day and our boss is over demanding, she wouldn't have time to spare."

"Okay, fine." She rolled her eyes dipping her hand into her bag. She brought out a polythene bag, "Give this to her please, tell her I would come over some other time." She handed it over to him.

"Okay, ma'am." He said collecting it.

"Thank you." He took a huge sigh of relief as he watched her leave the restaurant.

Mark brought out the parcel and found a very hot tempting plate of lasagna. He dropped it with the intention of giving it to Korina.

Well, the lasagna never got to Korina, Mark gobbled it down even before lunch break.

Korina looked at the mess she made and nearly burst into tears. Mark never came to help as he said nor did any other person. She had to do it all by herself, was she trying to fire me? Korina questioned herself, Did she do all this on purpose?

Ninety percent of the pastries Korina made turned out terrible.

Okay, terrible would be an understatement.

Some of them got burnt, badly shaped, others didn't turn out so well, some got over baked and some didn't even get baked at all.

She was never one to work well under pressure and she just made a big mess, the biggest she ever made in her life time, she didn't even want to think about their tastes, she wanted all this to be a dream.

"Korina I...what the fuck happened here?" Mark rushed to the counter where Korina was, he was appalled by what he saw, "This Is not good, this is not good."

"And you think I don't know it ain't?" She croaked, "Oh God!"

"Korina, what did you do?" Mark asked, "What happened?"

"I worked under pressure, that's what happened."

"What?!"

"She came in here repeatedly, screaming at me to hasten up saying I was too slow. She threw insults and fits, I got so disorganized and made the worse pastries ever."

"Owww...ouch." Mark looked over the pastries, "Serve this to customers and they sure are out the window."

"Tell me about it." She sighed, her hand up on her head. She removed the chef's hat in one move and dumped it on the counter.

"Korina!!!" Her heart lept as she heard her boss scream, she and Mark stood aright forthwith, "Where the hell are you?! Korina!"

Oh dear, Korina breathed.

"I told you I needed those pastries before 12!" The woman screamed entering the kitchen, "But why ain't I see...WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO NOW BITCH?" She shrieked seeing the mess on Korina's clothes and the counter, "WHAT IN NEPTUNE HAVE YOU DONE?"

"You see..." Korina began but was shut down as usual.

"Shut the hell up." She screamed, "And you." She pointed at Mark, "Get out."

Mark wasted no time in running out and Korina cursed him under her breath.

"I can explain." Korina said again rubbing her palms together.

"You wasted my money, time and resources." She gestured at the counter.

"I do not know how to work under pressure." Korina scoffed.

"What the hell do you mean?" Her boss growled.

"You fucking gave me an unreasonable task and you pressurized me too." She slapped her hand over her mouth and gasped realizing she had just talked back at her boss and swore even.

Oh lord, what is wrong with you Korina?

"Now, you are talking back at me." Her boss growled picking up a raw egg, she aimed it at Korina who dogded it quickly, "You will pay for this." She picked up more eggs, aiming them at her, "How dare you do this to me?"

The raging Ms Susie was calm later when other workers interfered and pleaded with her.

She seized Korina's car keys as compensation for herself until whenever she liked and made it that she worked more hours and cleaned too.

Korina wanted to lunge at the woman and scratch her face but she kept her cool, she needed the job.

It was really late when she finished and locked up. She was the last person, she locked the final doors and stood outside the restaurant thinking of what to do next.

She actually walked to her car and then remembered that she had no keys before walking back and standing in front of the restaurant again.

She stood outside the restaurant and began thinking of how to get home.

Korina slid down the wall after standing for a long time. She sat there on the floor in frustration, legs stretched outwards, she didn't care if her outfit got dirty.

She couldn't even call anyone, her phone was low.

She was still thinking when she saw a black car pull up suddenly by the road side in front of her.

Armed men got down from the car walking briskly towards her. She got up and bolted immediately screaming as she ran hoping someone would hear her.

But her legs weren't fast enough, the men caught up with her quickly and captured her. She tried to struggle but they were too strong.

A white handkerchief was placed on her nose and she almost immediately slipped into darkness.