The Chefs Cashier - The Bear

6

Carmen stared blankly at Maia's text from the morning he had his nightmare.

She asked him if he wanted to talk about his problem. He was afraid that even though Maia hadn't known him for long, he was afraid of her knowing him too well already. It scared him to think someone like Maia could care about his wellbeing.

That even though he treats her and his staff like shit, she still cared about him. He didn't know what he did to deserve someone like her, but he was greatful for it.

After opening up in his meeting for his brother... he finally decided to invite her over to talk.

Maia nervously knocked on Carmys door. Having second thoughts on being at Carmys house.

Before she could turn away, Carmy opens the door, and she smiles at him nervously and he returns the smile.

"Come on in Maia."

She nods her head and takes her shoes off at the door.

"Thanks for agreeing to this." Carmy stats as he takes a seat in his couch while Maia follows sitting opposite to him.

She nods her head, looking around his living room.

Carmy clears his throat and begins to talk.

"My brother was the opposite of me, you know. You would have loved him, and I bet he would have loved you."

He pauses for a second to look at her and she was nodding her head at him and smiling.

"Uh, you see... my brother and I we were pretty close. We were always in contact with each other, until he cut ties with me one day randomly. It made me so anxious and I felt so disconnected, I didn't know what I did wrong and-"

Carmy was looking at the ground being completely vulnerable to the girl now sitting right next to him. She was looking at him as sadness filled her eyes. Maia felt the pain that Carmy was sharing. She wanted to pull him into a hug, but she resisted the urge to.

She chewed on the outside of her lip, and decided to grab his hand to reassure him.

"Some days I, uh, you remind me of him. The way you can just light up a room, and act like everyone that walks in that restaurant is family. It was honestly the first day I met you, I knew I wanted you to be apart of this team. When I found out you actually did want to be with this group, I was so in shock... I almost didn't hire you. Because why would someone like you want to work at a place like original beef? Then I got mad at my brother for never allowing me to be apart of this restaurant I so desperately wanted to be a part of."

Carmy then goes on after taking another breath to speak.

"I didn't know my brother was using drugs... and time slipped away, I was mad at him. Before I knew it, he killed himself. He's gone. The end. Roll the credits. Not a day goes by that I don't miss him, and that I'm not mad at him. Because I'm furious, how could he just cut me off from everything and then end himself years later?"

Carmy caresses his thumb on Maia's hand as he thought about his brother and the betrayal he felt.

He takes one look at Maia, then looks back at the ground. He felt weak, he didn't feel worthy to look Maia in the eyes while he was hurting.

"When my brother rejected me, that's when I decided to move to New York and work at top notch restaurants and get a name for myself. And I got my ass handed to me..."

Maia finally decides to speak up, and tries to get him to look at her.

"Are those chefs the reason for your outburst, and part of your anxieties?" Maia asks nicely, and he finally looks up at her and nods his head.