Title: Ambrosia

Author: BeautiWind

Couple: Percy J. /Annabeth C.

Chapter Rate: T

Genre: Romance/Drama

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Percy Jackson & the Olympians/Heroes of Olympus. Some guys from Texas does. Name, name, name…? Oh yeah! Rick Riordan.

Summary: Annabeth is a newly graduate from a high standard culinary school and is admitted into a prestigious restaurant named Ambrosia. Now her biggest challenged isn't to keep a soufflé puffed up but to keep her feelings hidden from Chef Percy, who's the boss. Will she be capable of doing that will she just have to bust tables?

Date: October 14th, 2012

Chapter 1

"Oh, Annabeth, you did it! You have accomplished your biggest milestone yet. Your mother would have been so proud of you." said my father as I arrived to his—our—apartment in New York. I had been in France for the past three years and had recently graduated from a very good culinary school. Learning French was a hard task for me but it was manageable.

J'ai rèussi, mais j'ai eu mon cul brûle une couple de fois, cependant.

"Yeah Dad. Um, can you help me with these suitcases before we get all sappy?" I said playfully.

"Oh right!" he said as if he didn't see me struggling with those heavy suitcases. That is what happens when you bring extra fuzzy towels from your dorm's bathroom. I have come this low.

Once I settled, in my room my father gave me a big hug. I've missed him. I truly have. I missed his toy airplanes lying about. I missed the heavy leather jacket he always wears. I missed his advice most all. All through grade school, it was just him and me in this crowded New York apartment. Mom had died when I was seven. She was the Master Chef at one of New York's trendiest restaurants from the 80s. That is where my parents met. Her being a chef maybe triggered the sense that I wanted to be one too. Maybe to feel her closer…

He led me to the dining room. He had prepared two mats, plates, and utensils for a dinner.

"Look, I know you are jetlagged but can you please make dinner? I wanna see if they didn't make a mistake in giving you the diploma." He chuckled.

I smacked his arm playfully and nodded, "Sure, Dad."

He jumped like a little kid and sat down watching me in my kingdom, rule.

Soon I had prepared a delicious Italian dish. In that school I had learned to cook almost anything from around the world but Italian was my favorite.

"I present to you, Chicken Piccata." I set down my dad's plate and set my own. He didn't hesitate to take a bite.

"Mmm. This is so good!" He said in between bites.

I smiled. Half way through the meal, I told my dad that the next morning I would be out early looking for a good job. What he told me surprised me.

"You have one already." He said plainly.

"Huh?" I asked, in obvious shock.

"Since you are the daughter of Athena Chase, the best chef in New York, you got the job at Ambrosia. Remember that place." He asked me, between bites.

Of course, I know that place. My mom's friend used to work there and we used to eat there when ever we had the chance. With Mom.

"Oh my gods! Really!" I said, but then, "I can't take it, Dad."

"What?" he almost dropped his fork.

"I want to get a job on my own. Not 'cause of who my mom is."

"Oh Annabeth don't let your pride get to you. Think of this as a graduation present. Please for me." He began to flutter his eyes and pout. Ugh!

"Alright, fine." I said rendering, "You got me at the pout."

"Ha!" he continued his food. "You start tomorrow at nine."

"What!"

By eight-ten I was in my white Hyundai Elantra heading to work. I had no idea how much traffic there would be at this hour and how far Ambrosia was from home. Luckily, I am a New Yorker at heart and I managed to get there in thirty. Twenty minutes to spare.

I entered the place and I gasped. This place was amazingly redone. Every thing was even fancier than before. I started to walk around, passing a finger through everything. I so caught up into the detail of the place I didn't notice someone was calling me.

"Hey, we are not open yet! Can't you hear me!" said a feminine voice from behind me. I turned around and saw that the girl had electric blue eyes that caught your attention quickly. She was wearing dark jeans and an orange shirt under a black apron. She also had knee high combat boots and black choppy medium-long hair that hung a little farther down than her shoulders.

"I'm sorry. I'm Annabeth Chase. I am the new employee. Nice to meet you." I held out my hand for her to shake.

She shook it. "I'm Thalia. So, you're new?"

"Yeah, just came back from culinary school in France so I am ready to work." I said confidently.

"Well, great! I'll show you the ropes. Come on!" she said, gesturing me to the kitchen.

Once I entered, I gasped. This kitchen wasn't like the kitchens you see on Restaurant Stakeout or anything. This one was ten times better. It had marble countertops, mahogany-brown cabinets and drawers, and silver pots and pans hanging on the ceiling over a huge center island with six sinks—two at each side and one at each small counter side. There was a massive silver-colored door that was obviously the walk-in food storage.

"So this is where the food is stored. Each day, the Master Chef puts on a theme for the day, seafood, Italian, French, Mexican, Cuban, Central American, Mediterranean, etc. He likes to vary. He will assign each of us to a special task each day. To either poach shrimp, steam the veggies, watch the meat, mince garlic, etc. Pretty basic." Thalia shrugged.

I nodded, easy enough.

"But be warned, the Master Chef has a cousin, who happens to be my brother, and he likes to chang things up from time to time. Tip: Stay on the side you trust." She chuckled.

I smiled. She seemed pretty cool. Maybe we could become friends.

"Um where do we put our things?" I asked.

"Oh right, come." She said. She led me to the back of the kitchen and into a medium room with hooks all around the wall forming a line. The hooks were vacant but they had name tags on each of them.

Some read: Grover, Juniper, Thalia, Luke, Clarisse, Nico, Silena, Beckendorf, Jason, Piper, Leo, Hazel, Frank, Reyna, and Katie. There were more but I would get tired soon.

"How many work people work here?" I asked to no one in particular.

"I don't know but a bunch. Including waiters and cashiers." Thalia responded.

"Wow!" I said.

"Here is your hook." She pointed to a hook that was about ten hooks near the door. I hung my cross body bag and took the apron onto my hands. There were comfy couches in one corner with a flat screen TV hung on the ceiling. I walked over there.

"And this? I've never seen a restaurant with a lounge." I said.

"Oh that is for the boys. You know when there is a game and all the chiz." She waved her hand dismissively.

I pursed my lips, "Chiz?"

"Oh yeah… Instead of saying 'shit' I say 'chiz'." She told me, "A thing between a friend and I."

"Oh. Cool." I looked at my watch. "It's almost nine. Should we get on to opening the doors?"

"Yeah. I'll show where the key is so I don't have to do it anymore since you are an early bird." She chuckled. I joined.

It was now ten-twenty in the morning and every employee was prepping the dishes, meat, and vegetables. I haven't said 'hello' to anyone yet but I will soon. Everyone works so delicately, I don't I can pull this off. But I will try.

On the employee schedule it said that at ten-thirty is when the Master Chef arrives and gives out orders. Ten minutes to go.

Soon I felt a tap on my shoulder. I set my washcloth of the sink and turned around. In front of me was a pretty girl with ever-changing colored eyes and a small braid to the side of her hair brown hair, which was pulled back into a bun. Every girl had to wear a bun, according to Thalia, to prevent the 'hair in my food' scheme. No hair nets nut a bun. Wow.

She had the almost same outfit as Thalia, an orange shirt, light blue jeans, a black apron, and black Converse. Good thing Dad told me how to dress for this. Most people around here had either orange or purple shirts as uniform.

"Hi, I'm Piper. I heard you are new. Welcome." she said quietly. She was pretty. She seemed sweet. Possible friend? Check!

"Thanks, I'm Annabeth." I held out a hand and she shook it.

"So you know the chef?" she asked.

"Um, no… why do you ask?" I said skeptically.

"Well, I haven't seen any one get hired so quickly. It usually takes months to get in to this pla—" she said but was interrupted by someone.

"Hey guys. Mornin'!" said someone coming through the employee lounge.

"Chef's here. See ya 'round." Piper said tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"'Kay." I said. I stood leaning against the countertop, waiting for the 'chef'.

Then he appeared. His hair was a messy mess of jet black. His sea green made contrast with it. His Caucasian skin was mostly covered by his Chef's getup. He also had an orange bandana around his neck.

"Let's get cooking, shall we." Everyone cheered. Then he looked at me, sea green contrasting with startling gray. "Who are you?"

"Oh she is Annabeth Chase. The new employee you hired, remember?" said Thalia for me. All I did was give a small smile.

"Welcome to Ambrosia, then. I'm Master Chef Percy Jackson but just called me Percy or Chef, your choice." He said.

"Thank you Chef." I said.

He grinned. Then he turned to his crew, narrowing his eyes and faking an accent. "Come ci sentiamo un partito Italiano, oggi? How do we feel about an Italian party, today?"

The crew threw 'yeah's and 'spaghetti's around. Apparently, the chef knew Italian.

"Alrighty then. Now's let's get cooking!"

Hey guys, So as you can see, I am doing a new format. Now my author's notes are going to be at the bottom. All story info at the top. Better organized this way!

Since I have finished one of my stories I am staring a new one. My other stories are like historical/supernatural so I decided to create a modern story. I haven't seen this idea around FF but I got it from Switched at Birth. So I hope you like it and leave a review. They really make my day!

Yeah! If you like it tell so I know where to head from here: Focus on my other stories more or keep this ball (I mean story) rolling.

~BeautWind –heart-