Knight was sitting on a stool at O’Keefe’s, peeling potatoes, when the door to the kitchen opened. He stopped peeling to look up, seeing Paulie fill the doorframe. “Knight,” he said, and stepped aside.
A young woman with long blond hair that went past her shoulders stepped inside. She was young, looked like a teenager. Her eyes took in the kitchen and then settled on Knight. Her eyes went wide, hazel-brown, taking him in.
“This is my niece, Alyson.”
Knight nodded. “Alyson.”
“Hi.” She giggled. She bit her bottom lip and looked up at him from lidded eyes.
“Alyson, this is Knight. He’ll be teaching you how to cook.”
“I am?” Knight said, looking up at Paulie.
“Simple stuff. Her mom…” He looked at her and then at Knight. “I’ll tell you later.”
“My mom left us and my step mom didn’t like me,” she said.
“Yeah,” said Paulie, looking down, and then back at Knight. “Think you could teach her how to make simple things?”
“I c’n teach her, yeah,” said Knight. “In between th’ rushes.”
“Of course. You’ll stay out of the way, right, Alyson?”
“It’s your kitchen. When do we start?”
“Pull up a chair an’ start peelin’.”