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“Yo, chef” Richie placed a cup down in front of her and leant against the door frame.
“Yo” Sydney took a sip of the coffee, peering over the top of the cup waiting to hear what Richie wanted. It was obvious that he was attempting to bribe her in exchange for a favour. The caffeine fix, the polite smile and the fact that for once he had his mouth shut…
“So…I gotta ask you, all this bullshit new menu every fucking day shit…we really on board for it?” His language was as aggressive and as foul as always but his voice was quiet enough that Syd wondered if she’d started to go deaf.
She let out a slow whistle, shrugging her shoulders as if there was nothing to be done about the state of chaos Carmy had thrown them all into. It would have been nice to agree with Richie that it was all bullshit. It would have felt good to down tools and revolt against the system but still for some reason Sydney gritted her teeth and bared it.
She hated herself for it every single day, but she did it nonetheless.
“Seriously?” Richie raised his eyebrows, clearly unimpressed by her lack of response.
“Seriously” Syd nodded with as much certainty as she could muster. She looked exhausted and she knew he saw it, that if he leant against her hard enough that she would crack. They were all on the edge of burn out.
Richie sunk his teeth into his bottom lip, eyes on the floor as he tucked his hands into the pockets of his suit trousers and stepped closer to her as if preparing to stand his ground. Sydney felt a shiver swim up the back of her spine, straightening up in her seat at the proximity. She could smell the sandalwood of his aftershave, count all the different shades of blue in his eyes and the freckles across his nose.
There was something sublime and captivating about him. Sydney felt stuck just watching as he inched closer and closer. There was no power position as she sat awkwardly, her face at crotch height as he towered over her. The confidence melted almost instantly when Richie finally glanced up.
“You know that this is your place too…not just his” He was almost whispering, scared to be overhead by the enemy.
She was caught off guard by the softness in his gaze, almost expecting Richie to reach out and touch her but he didn’t. His hand stayed squarely in his pockets, his belt buckle gleamed in the light inviting her to make the first move but even the thought made Sydney feel like she was on fire.
She’d thought about it…and there was no denying that.
----
“Hey” Richie's voice hit the back of her neck, her ears ringing almost instantly at the sound.
Sydney had been using everything she had to focus on getting through the orders for a six top but it all disappeared. It was as if she’d suddenly woken up from a dream in the middle of the freeway. The noise, the heat, the feeling of her heartbeat against her rib cage; it hit her all at once.
“I’m sort of in the middle of something here” Syd responded through gritted teeth not looking up to look at him.
“You have a minute?” He asked casually as if he couldn’t see the chaos that was all around them.
“No, I do not.” Sydney frowned, her eyes focused on plating the final entrees. The obvious edge in her voice did nothing to warn Richie off. He stayed steady behind her, the warmth radiating from his body driving her insane.
“Yes you do” His hand pressed against the small of her back, nudging her towards the door not letting Syd brush him off. “Yo Tina can you plate for a minute, I promise…just one minute”
“It better be, papi” Tina winked, pointing the knife at him threateningly.
It gave Sydney no choice but to unwillingly move her feet in the same direction Richie was dragging her body. Though, drag felt like the wrong word. It was far more gentle than that. His fingers curled around her waist, squeezing softly as he kept her close against his body.
The dining room was an entirely different world to the kitchen. Instead of frantic motion there was stillness beneath the warm glow of the overhead lights. Soft piano music replaced the lyrical obscenities thrown around amongst the back of house staff.
“Gentleman, I'd like to introduce you to the chef” They stopped abruptly in front of a booth and it became clear that Richie had brought Sydney out to display her to an audience. It felt awkward and for a moment she thought she'd blacked out while he kept talking.
“The food is just exquisite, and we're so happy to be able to personally give our compliments to the chef” One of the diners stepped in to continue the conversation while Sydney stood sheepishly smiling at them all while her mind went blank on how to respond.
“That's…wonderful to hear…and I hope we see you again soon” She managed to choke back in response. “Thank you so much”
It was a blur.
Richie's hand settled against the small of her back again, guiding her between the tables back to the kitchen door. He leant down to whisper against her ear, his voice like a bass drum that resounded through her. “You're fucking killing it”
With each step forward Sydney could feel his body heat pressed against her and it was all consuming. She imagined his hands following the curve of her spine as she moved over him. His long fingers wrapped around her wrists as he pressed her into the mattress.
The images flickered in and out of her mind like a spark…like a moment of weakness.
-----
“Who's next, huh?” Richie's voice boomed over the chatter and the music from the jukebox as he turned to the group.
He had the swagger of a guy that thought he could win any fight that came his way. It was obnoxious or endearing depending on who you were.
He'd shed his suit jacket the moment he'd walked into the bar and the tie hadn't been too far behind. It was different to the well heeled, polite version that spoke to customers all day. This was the real Richie. The version of him that had to be left at home when The Beef turned into The Bear.
“Come on, don't leave me hanging” He demanded attention as he moved closer to the table the rest of the staff had huddled around to celebrate Marcus’ birthday.
“Richie, man, I gotta go but next time I'll beat your ass” Sweeps shrugged casually, patting Richie's shoulder as he stepped past.
“You're going to beat my ass…no way” He shook his head, aghast at the suggestion.
Syd rolled her eyes when Richie’s gaze reached her, her fingers tightened around the beer bottle in her hand as she lifted it to her lips. It was a pathetic attempt at pretending she hadn’t spent half her night watching him with morbid fascination.
Richie looked good and Sydney hated that she noticed it.
It shouldn’t have mattered that he bit his bottom lip when he studied the pool table before taking a shot. Or that there was an extra button of his shirt undone revealing the gold chain he always wore and the fine hairs on his chest.
There was absolutely nothing that she should have found appealing about the loud, overconfidence that he walked around with. It was the same personality that had made her almost quit working at The Beef the day after she’d started. It was the same wanna be tough guy routine that by now they all knew was a cover up for the sensitive man underneath.
It was an act and she shouldn’t have fallen for it…but when he flashed her the puppy dog eyes and begged her not to leave him hanging Sydney took the pool cue in his outstretched hand.
And when his fingers curled around her waist as he helped her move into position to take a shot she didn’t push him away. Despite every reason for why it was a bad idea, she wanted Richie to touch her.
She wanted more than that.
----
Sydney let out a groan that could have been heard ten blocks away. It was the perfect end to an entire day that had been nothing but a series of shitty events. The train doors closed as she got within arms reach of the platform. Leaving her with no option but to watch as it moved away and left her behind.
The screen hanging above her head was blank. It was too late.
“Fuck” Syd took her time saying the word, hoping the universe would acknowledge her and send a stretch hummer with a bottle of champagne to pick her up for the commute home. Or at least, a solution that didn’t involve calling her dad and begging him for a ride back to the apartment he told her not to get.
It inevitably would have come with a lecture about taking responsibility, her career choices and the dangers of wandering the city at night as a young woman. Sydney knew she was being stubborn by even debating calling him, she knew it was her worst personality trait as she dialled Carmy’s number and listened to it ring out.
He didn’t answer. The fucker.
Syd scrolled through all the names in her phone cursing herself for not developing a social life since moving back to Chicago. The uber app taunted her as a reminder of the negative content of her bank account. ‘Fuck this’ Syd muttered under her breath as her thumb hovered over Richie’s name.
The was the only person she could think of that had a car and was likely to be home with nothing better to do but pick her up. Syd knew he wasn’t seeing anyone because like the rest of their staff he had no time to do anything but sleep and pray that the restaurant didn’t go under.
He’d been different since The Bear had opened, focused on work and the personal growth that most people went through in their twenties and thirties. On opening night Richie had been the person that she had been able to lean on. He had been the one to stop the sinking ship and save them from calamity.
It was impossible not to notice him these days in a suit, charming everyone who walked through the door.
There had been the moments of insanity where she had found him attractive and it had been enough to scare her off. Sydney had put distance between them, worried what might accidentally fall out of her mouth in the heat of the moment.
“Yo, chef” Richie's voice crackled over the phone line. “Everything okay?”
“You won't believe the day I'm having…” Sydney groaned, tipping her head back in frustration. She could hear the TV in the background and imagined Richie sprawled out on the sofa in one of The Beer shirts he'd refused to part with. His stubbornness seemed endearing more than irritating in that moment.
“I'm stranded and I…I know you probably have better things to do than give people rides-” She hated that she qualified everything she said.
“Text me where you are” Richie didn't hesitate.
Sydney felt her chest tighten slightly, the tension and butterflies radiating from her body. For just one moment the sound of Richie's voice made it all feel okay.
----
She was going to sleep with him.
It was a dumb, self destructive and insane but Sydney had decided.
A hasty decision made through a red wine induced haze as they sat at the bar together. They toasted how it had just been another night, another shit show in the kitchen. The aching misery and stress heavy against their shoulders.
Richie's blue eyes, his sad smile and bad advice as he squeezed her hand promising her it would get better.
Syd knew at that exact moment what she wanted.
The very thought made her cheeks flare, her skin warming before Richie had even thought about touching her. It had become a challenge and like always her competitive nature wouldn't let her lose.
They talked like they always did but these days her hand found its way to his arm. She laughed at his jokes even when they were forced because it felt like a way to connect.
It was slow and sweet. And if Richie noticed he didn't say a thing.
All of the consequences seemed inconsequential in comparison to the curiosity of what it would be like. Syd imagined the feeling of his stubble against her cheek as they kissed. His teeth against her neck. The weight of his body pressing her into the mattress.
It was all she could think about as she hid beneath the layers of blankets in her twin bed trying to forget that she was alone. Syd tried to rationalise it as a harmless diversion technique. Working with Carmy had started to feel like hell but there was always a distraction…
Any hope she had of focusing at work was lost when Richie walked in every morning with a smile they suggested he'd read her mind.
She wanted to know how he kissed. How his hands felt as they traced the curve of her hips.
She needed to know if he was all talk or if Richie was genuinely a good fuck.
----
“You…you look…nice” Richie averted his gaze and cleared his throat.
He had no idea where to look, his eyes moving between the floor and the ceiling in order to avoid Sydney. These days he knew better than to try and catch a glimpse of some skin or to say something crass.
All of the sexual harassment in the work place protocols had finally sunk in after twenty five years on the job. He was a new, respectable, modern man these days.
His relationship with Sydney had greatly improved as a consequence but it felt like they were always one misunderstanding away from falling back into old patterns.
It was impossible not to notice the way her dress clung to the curves and lines of her body. It would have been rude not to say anything, to pretend how she looked that night was the same as she always did.
It was a cliche that he felt like he was seeing her for the first time.
----
Sydney's hands shook as she fumbled with Richie’s belt buckle; her fingers felt numb in the cool air of the kitchen. Her knees ached against the tiled floor but all rationality had been thrown aside for a moment of insanity.
Everything had disappeared.
It was the first time in months since even the glimmering prospect of sex was on the table. One chaste kiss had turned into a dozen filled with the type of frenzy that suggested starvation.
They were touch starved, if that counted.
As Sydney dragged Richie's suit pants down his thighs the thoughts of the health codes they were violating flickered through her mind. Still her hands didn't stop, moving of their own accord over the bulge in his boxers.
A gasp escaped Richie's mouth and when she glanced up Syd realised he looked nervous.
His eyes were wide, switching between watching her and the door. They'd closed for the day and it was quiet enough to hear a pin drop apart from the buzz of the tube lights and refrigerator. Anyone could have walked in…
Marcus could have forgotten his keys…or Carmy could have come in to prep the new menu or…Natalie could have decided to make headway on the constant never ending cycle of paperwork they had to deal with…
Still he didn't say the word ‘stop’ and Sydney had no plan to pull the ripcord either.
She had never felt that way before. It was base and impulsive. She wanted to see Richie come undone, to drive him to the edge of insanity with nothing else on his mind but her.
The rise and falls of his breath grew louder as Syd's hand picked up pace, the bloodrush evident against her palm. Richie didn't move or push, savouring every second as it happened.
It was the first time since they'd met that he'd been truly speechless and it only encouraged her more.
A part of Richie didn't entirely believe Sydney had it in her to do it, to break all the rules she set herself and seek out self satisfaction. Even as she pushed the fabric of his boxers aside to coyly kitten lick the tip of his dick he didn't entirely believe it.
“Fuck” The word rolled off his tongue.
Sydney had heard Richie swear a million times. Obscenities peppered all of his conversation but it sounded almost poetic this time. It was sugar coated praise before she'd even started and it pushed her to keep going.
It was like a spark setting her on fire. She took him deeper, her hand picking up slack at the base of his cock. It was automatic. All of the nerves, embarrassment and awkwardness melted into noise as Syd picked up pace.
The whole situation was so ludicrous but how much they wanted each other cancelled out everything else.
Soft groans filled the air, filled with Richie's erratic breathing. Despite the frantic feeling between them, everything felt impossibly still, as if the world had stopped just for them.
“Baby” The praise was like an electric shock. All of the will Sydney had to resist, to tell him to fuck off with the petnames turned to static. It was a little difficult with his dick in her mouth anyway.
Her eyes watered as she took him deeper, her jaw ached, spital ran down her chin. It was overwhelming, crass, and utterly humiliating how many times she had imagined it.
Syd hummed, the vibrations ran up the length of his shaft. Richie could feel it in his fucking spine. The knot in the pit of his stomach tightening with each passing moment. It felt like a dream, as he realised he was light headed.
Richie restlessly shifted, his fingers scrambling for purchase against the counter top as he tried desperately to hold onto reality. He was close. His chest rising and falling as the rush flooded his system all at once.
Instead of pulling back, Sydney picked up the pace and it was enough to push him over the edge. She could feel the pulsing and throbbing beneath her tongue as she traced over him. A warm sensation settled in the pit of her stomach as she became aware of her own arousal.
The salty taste of Richie's release flooded her mouth and as she pulled back, Syd swallowed without thinking. He peered down, almost more shocked at himself than at her. He should have said something, given her a warning that he was about to cum but the ability to speak had completely evaded him.
Sydney pulled herself to her feet, smoothing down the front of her apron as she cleared her throat. “I guess you owe me one…”
---
The sound Richie made with the first thrust into her vibrated through Sydney’s entire body. A low groan that sounded almost primal as it filled her ears and bounced off the walls. It was as if being inside her had been the only thing he'd ever needed, the thing he had been waiting for.
A wave of relief rolled off his lips that finally they were exactly where they needed to be.
Sydney's hands shook as they clung to his back, her thighs tightening around his waist almost out of instinct. The way her body gave way to him was automatic. It felt as if every cell in her body had ignited under the weight of his touch.
She would never have admitted out loud how long she'd wanted to him; how many nights she'd spent fantasising about that very moment.
Syd felt full, warm and weightless. It was impossible to explain how much better it was than she'd ever imagined. Richie hadn't rushed to fuck her the minute he'd gotten her into his apartment. It'd been a slow journey from his couch all the way to his bed.
Each step he made her wait until she was practically begging to be fucked.
And boy, was it worth it.
She has never been one of those people who treated sex like a competition but with Richie it felt different. It felt like he was determined to watch her unravel. His hands mapped out every inch of her body figuring out how she liked to be touched. His tongue traced over the parts that made her tremble.
Syd tried to regain control, to stop the moans leaving her mouth because he didn't need to know that he could get to her so easily. All her attempts at resistance failed by epic proportions as she felt the knot in the pit of her stomach tighten.
With each thrust her legs shook, fingers almost numb from how tightly she was holding onto Richie. Everything melted into background noise as her heart beat resounded in her ears at fever pitch. Her body gave off every warning signal that she was on the edge but there was nothing she could have done to stop it.
Her muscles clenched around Richie, the waves of her orgasm washing over her as she helplessly rocked her hips against his not wanting the euphoria to end. It was awe inspiring. The lights dancing behind her eyes and for the first time in days her mind was completely void of thoughts of failure and career suicide.
Nothing mattered but the warmth of Richie’s skin pressed against hers, the feel of his heartbeat beneath her palm and the rush of affection that blinded her to everything she had ever thought about him before that moment.
---
Richie nudged her thighs apart, his stubble tickling the inside of Sydney’s leg as he got into position to drive her wild. It had been another rough night at The Bear, Carmy had screamed at them all at one point or another but Syd took it harder than anyone else. She always had cared too much what that jackass thought but it didn’t matter when they were alone together.
He knew exactly how to get her out of her head, to stop her overthinking about everything that was wrong when he had her like that.
Syd was sprawled out on his bed, completely naked from the waist down as Richie peppered kisses against her stomach before slowly lowering down to where she needed him most. She was already dripping wet, her fingers tangled in the sheets and breath heavy in the air.
A sigh escaped her as his tongue finally made contact with her clit, tracing patterns to build her up. The rhythm of some song stuck in his head played out to drive her to complete madness. Richie glanced up, the quiver in Syd’s lip was adorable as she fought against her better judgement and vocalised how much she liked it.
The first time he’d gone down on her she’d pushed him away out of instinct, nervous for some reason about how intimate it seemed. He’d coaxed her to relax and eventually having his head between her legs had become one of their favourite hobbies.
There was no embarrassment or holding back between them these days, they’d had sex enough times to know what each other liked. What they had both expected to be a one night stand had turned into a routine they couldn’t shake off. Not that there was anything routine about the way they fucked.
Syd had gone from being bashful about wanting it in the first place to being more than happy to tell him when to go faster or harder. There were no hang ups about asking for what she wanted and if she was honest with herself, it was Richie in every way she could possibly have him.
He probed even lower still, pushing his tongue between her folds as his thumb moved in lazy circles over her clit. It was slow and steady but from the whimpers Richie could hear he knew he was making all of the right moves.
“Don’t stop” Syd breathlessly gasped as she felt him slow the pace, her muscles tightening in anticipation for a release.
“Wouldn’t dream of it” Richie looked up at her, a grin spreading across his glistening lips sending a shiver down her spine.
He pushed two fingers into her, attaching his mouth to her clit as he found the sweet spot inside her. It was enough to make Syd buck her hips off the bed and against him as used every trick he had up his sleeve to make her cum harder than she had ever done before.
---
Syd felt heavy as she laid against Richie’s chest. Her arms and legs loosely tangled with his as she listened to the sound of his heartbeat. The street light bathed the room in an orange light that felt almost romantic as they laid in the comfortable silence of the afterglow.
The sweat cooled and dried on their skin and only made them hold onto each other tighter beneath the thin bedspread Richie still hadn’t switched for a quilt. He ran hot all the time that the seasons barely phased him.
Neither one of them had said anything about how many nights she had spent there or the spare toothbrush he’d set aside just for her. The thoughts had floated around the atmosphere but somehow never made it into conversation. Both of them were scared of what the other really thought.
It was easier not to know.
Or at least that had been the case before.
The evenings they had spent together had rolled into weeks. The question about what they were had turned over in Sydney’s brain non-stop, keeping her awake and it had finally become too much.
“What are we doing?” She propped herself up on her elbows to watch Richie’s face as he responded.
“I don’t have any biology textbooks laying around but I think-” His voice was raspy and low, testing her mood with a bad joke and from the way Syd cut him off he had his answer.
“Richie” Her tone made it clear she was not in the mood, her eyes wide as she prepared herself to face the truth that it all meant a hell of a lot more to her than it did to him. Instead his expression softened in a way she had never seen before, his gaze fixed on something else as he stroked her shoulder with one hand as if to soothe her.
“I…We’re doing whatever you want…” Richie met her gaze, an honesty in his gaze that made her heart hurt; he was scared that he would lose her if he asked for too much.
Commitment was a big word, they were two decades apart in age, she had so much going for her and he was just an old man that filled a space. That was how it felt when he rationalised what they were doing together in the first place.
“I want to have dinner…sometime” Sydney felt clumsy even as she spoke.
“Like a date?” Richie’s eyebrows shot up, his voice cracking slightly on the last word.
“Yeah…I guess…” She laid down again, burying her face in the crook of his neck out of sheer embarrassment at what she’d said. Asking Richie if she was his girlfriend sounded psychotic, so Syd had gone for the next best option. Asking him out in a way that was as vague and as confusing as their entire relationship had been up until that point.
“I can take you out on a date…” Richie smiled as he wrapped his arms tightly around her realising that he would never be the one to let her go.