Move With Me [Craig Owens] 20

It seemed that writing and deciding on the songs was the slowest part of creating an album. In a single week the boys had completed recoding, and had sent the songs off to be mixed and mastered.
"So don't forget, you have to come to the album launch party." Brad demanded down the phone line.
"You make it sound like I wasn't planning on coming anyway!" Lacey objected.
"I just want to make sure you're coming."
"Well, I will be so stop harassing me. Oh, and its okay if I take Kaylan isn't it?"
"Sure. Okay well, I'll let you get ready for work. When are you going to quit already?"
"Ugh, soon, let me assure you. See ya then."
Tossing the phone onto the sofa, Lacey organised herself getting ready for a busy Friday night at the restaurant. She could feel a headache coming on, she had worked three dinner shifts in a row, and it was taking its toll on her body. Grabbing her keys off the kitchen bench and pulling the door closed behind her Lacey stepped out into the chilly winter air. The sun was just falling below the skyline of suburban houses, the city visible in the distance. For the first time in a long time, she missed the days of being a teenager, when that meant either the end of a jam packed day or the beginning of an awesome night out.
As soon as Lacey entered the kitchen she was under pressure to get started. Sarah, one of the kitchen hands, hadn't shown up yet and the head chef had her chopping up onions and other vegetables, a bitch of a job. There was a reason Lacey had chosen to specalise as a pastry chef, and this was living proof why desserts were better than main meals.
When Sarah finally arrived twenty minutes late, Lacey was relieved to move over to her own area of the kitchen and start cooking things that she was familiar with. As was usual for a Friday night orders were coming in think and fast, there was no time to stop for a break because as soon as something was finished, there was something else that needed starting. But the headache that had been threatening to kick in all day finally arrived. Signaling to her apprentice chef to take over for the minute Lacey fished a bottle of water and box of paracetamol out of her bag.
"Hey, what are you doing? Aiden can't man the desserts all on his own!" The manager had spotted her from his post at the front desk.
"I was just taking some paracetamol, I have a headache." Lacey explained, frustration rising inside her.
"Well, next time you have a headache don't come in at all. Aiden needs constant watching, who knows what inexperienced kids could be doing in the kitchen.
"Why do you hire apprentices if you're not even willing to give them a real experience? When he's a fully qualified chef in two years or so he isn't going to have people looking over his shoulder telling him what to do and making sure everything he's doing it correct!" Lacey exploded.
"And you know what? Don't count on me coming in ever again. I quit! I don't know how you can expect to keep employees when you treat them like shit, and can't even get their pay checks right on a weekly basis! This place is going to the dogs under your management!"
"Please keep it down, customers can hear!" the manager snapped.
"Oh, the customers can hear? Good! Let them hear how you treat your senior employees and your attitude regarding apprentices! I'm sure they'd take their business to a restaurant that treated people better!"
"If you quit, then leave now, and stop causing a scene."
"Gladly." Lacey spat, turning on her heal and stomping back into the kitchen, where amazed kitchen staff looked up at her is shock. Lacey wasn't one for bursts of anger at the best of times. Snatching up her bag and aggressively hanging her apron up on the hook, she looked around at the people who had been her workmates for the past two years.
"See you guys. If you didn't hear, I quit on this jackass. You guys probably should too." As she made to leave out the back door, the head chef Alexander stated clapping, and soon the entire kitchen were applauding and cheering.
"Thanks everyone. Guess I won't be seeing you tomorrow though." Lacey said as she walked out into the parking lot. As she sat in the driver's seat, it hit her.
She had quit her job!
A thousand things ran though her head, like 'how are you going to pay the bills? and 'there goes affording an apartment of your own'
But then again, it felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off her shoulders. No more trying to read her pay slip in the dingy light of her car in the middle of the parking lot at twelve thirty in the morning, adding things up and making sure she was paid the right amount. No more being called into shifts at the last minute. No more being yelled at for taking a break when she actually was entitled to one. No more of that stupid SHIT anymore! She was FREE
As she turned the key in the ignition, Lacey was just glad that it was all over, and she could look for a better job, with more regular shifts and in the mean time enjoy spending time with all her favourite people, who all coincidentally also had a chunk of time off too.
The moment that she got home she stripped off her stupid restaurant work clothes and had a long relaxing shower. Straightening her hair and putting on some makeup felt great, as it was something she hadn't done in a long time. Lacey had every intension of going out tonight, it was only nine o'clock, the night was still young. Even if Kaylan was doing something surely one of the boys would be free to hang out. She chose out a black dress and stockings from her wardrobe and dialed Kaylan's number.
"Hey babe, aren't you working?"
"I quit."
"Are you for real?"
"Yes, I quit, the manager was a complete ass and I just walked out on him!"
"Good one Lacey!" she grinned.
"So, what are you doing now?" Lacey asked.
"Now? Oh. . .I'm just out with a bunch of mates."
"Really? It doesn't sound loud enough." lacey commented, knowing Kaylan's friends were some of the loudest people on the planet.
"Yeah, well, you caught me at a good time I was just heading for the toilets."
"Well, I don't suppose you wanna meet up tonight then?" Lacey asked.
"Well, I don't really wanna bail on the guys. I'll still see you tomorrow, yeah?"
"Yeah okay. Bye then"
Disappointed Lacey ended the call, hovering over Brad's number, wondering if she should hang out with him. For some reason she really wasn't in the mood any more, but seeing as she was already all dressed up she called anyway.
"I CAN'T HEAR YOU WAIT A MINUTE!" Brad yelled over the sound of excessively loud music. A few minutes later he called her back minus the noise.
"What's up?"
"I quit!" lacey announced.
"ARE YOU FOR REAL!"
"Brad, I kinda need my hearing."
"Oh, sorry."
"yeah, the manager was a total ass so I just quit and walked out on him.""
"You go girl!"
"yeah, I called Kaylan but he's out with his mates, what are you doing?"
"I'm out with my mates too!" Brad joked.
"Me, Craig, Matt and Alice are all out clubbing, come join us? You're presence will fix the male female ratio."
"Okay, I think I will, God I haven't been clubbing in ages."
"Mad! Well, we'll see you in a bit yeah? Give us a text and we'll meet you out front."
"See ya later then!"
Lacey couldn't remember the last time she had just gone out with friends and not had to worry about her job. But her night was not thought free. Although it was all jokes and laughs and drinks, a few times she swore she caught Craig looking away from her. Far from bothering her, it just made her a little mad that she wasn't out with Kaylan right now, or rather in with him.
He has got a secret, But you won't believe it

God damn, they had better come out to Australia soon. LIKE NAOW!