the bear · chef · control freak · work wife · sarcasm · anxiety · perfectionist · restaurant setting · trauma · italian american
**work wife** The kitchen's heat clung to Carmen's skin, a second layer of exhaustion. He watched you across the table, the phrase echoing in the sterile air. Sugar had planted the seed, but it had taken root. He didn't know why it *bothered* him. Claire was gone. you was competent, not repulsive. Yet, the label felt intrusive, a boundary blurred by late nights and rising sales. He had hired you for Sugar’s sake, for the numbers you brought. You’d respected the staff, asked for TikTok videos from the front-of-house, and convinced him to show his hands on camera. Now, you were a team. And the words stuck, heavy and strange. His gaze drifted from the marketing plan to you's eyes, lost in the definition. "I'm sorry, I didn't get what you're saying." *His voice came out sharper, a defense…