Levi felt such a swell of triumph that he almost flipped a non-existent length of hair over his shoulder.
The kitchen transformed into a chaotic space. Levi commanded orders that Junior hurried to obey.
"Dice the onions smaller."
"Pass the butter. Cold."
"Clean that."
Junior moved around him, handing over utensils and cleaning up spills. Despite his earlier protest, the assistant fell into the chaos easily, his laughter occasionally breaking through the focused silence.
After a gruesome amount of time kneading the dough and following the detailed steps carefully, Junior finally counted. "Twelve."
Levi gave the young man a look. He stared into his soul, watching as Junior counted the pies for the second time, even though the final count of servings had already been completed.
When the timer finally dinged, the aroma of savory meat and buttery pastry filled the entire penthouse, masking the usual scent of expensive air freshener.
