Eater Albany Novels & Stories

"There's a place in Echo Park. Lebanese. You order at a window. There are no tables." "No tables?" "You stand at a counter along the wall or you take things outside and sit on the kerb." I looked at him. Alexander Frost, CEO of Frost Industries, merger partner of Robert Hartley, sitting on a kerb in Echo Park eating Lebanese food. "Perfect," I said. He almost smiled. "You're going to enjoy this more than it deserves." "I'm going to enjoy it exactly as much as it deserves," I said. "Which is a great deal."

Let it go, let him do whatever it is most important he needs to eat right now. "Why did you choose a cheap place like this?" Ignore him Alessia... Ignore... "Oh, it's because you're already poor, isn't it?" Alessia still ignored him. "Are you a human or a pig? How can a body as small as you eat all this food?" Alby sneered when he realized Alessia's lunch menu was excessive. Steak. Fruit salad. Spaghetti and still many others — almost filled the table. Alby shook his head slowly, he even just realized that Alessia has an appetite beyond the expectations of a woman. "Aren't you afraid to be like a rhino?" asked Alby, making Alessia glare at him. Alby's sharp mouth really huh....

Elizabeth was in a daze as she watched Jayden's back. Alondra had already finished ordering the dishes, and waved her hand in front of her, "Hey, what are you looking at? I ordered lamb chops, cod, vegetable salad and dessert for you. Are these enough?" "Enough, I can't eat too much." Elizabeth regained her senses, and then asked again, "Alondra, do you often come here?" "Often? The dishes here are too expensive, how could I come here often?" Alondra said as she reached out to cover her stomach, "Elizabeth, you sit for a while, I need to go to the bathroom."

“We haven’t all been out to eat in a while, and I haven’t had any leftover pastries from the bakery because things have been selling so fast.” “Yeah,” I say. “Let’s go. We could do Porter’s or somewhere else.” “There’s a cute diner in downtown Cartersville,” Autumn tells us. “It’s only like twenty minutes from here.” “Done,” Elijah declares. He gets up and goes to rummage through his clothes for something to wear. “Up, you lazy bums,” he says, snapping at us. “Breakfast waits for no one.” Autumn laughs and gets out of the cuddle pile. “Sir, yes sir,” she teases, giving him a salute.

I put a spoonful of omelette to a palm-sized toasted bread before taking a bite, when the Alpha finally lifted his gaze, from his chocolate-drizzled waffles with a cloud of cold whipped cream atop it. “What?” I continued to chew my food, ignoring the mess and my manners. “Where are your manners?” he asked. I swallowed, “Right where I left them.” My eyes shot right outside, to the western horizon where the towering mountain that contained the entrance to The City Under. The Alpha heaved a deep sigh. “You should call it back then. They are watching us.” And by ‘they’ he means the customers. The family of the more privileged Betas, Healers, Deltas, Warriors, and so on.

A few minutes later, he returned with a tray carrying two burgers, a pile of fries, and two milkshakes. “They have the best burgers in New York City,” he said, sliding one of the plates in front of me. “Too bad I won’t be eating it.” He blinked. “What?” “It’s late, and this,” I gestured to the burger, “is unhealthy. I’m not ruining my night for a food coma.” Nate leaned back, a teasing grin on his face. “Unhealthy? El, it’s one burger. One bite won’t kill you.” I crossed my arms. “Pass.”

Not when my lungs still felt like they’d been vacuum-sealed by the lawyer’s words. Instead, I turned sharply down St Gregory Drive, the city swallowing me up as I pulled into a narrow alley tucked between a nail spa and a boarded-up bookstore. There, crouched in the shadow of Manhattan’s glittering façade, Kathrine’s Eatry—the kind of restaurant only those in the know ever talked about.

Alpha Gabriel took her inside the AC room, whereas the chauffeur sat on a seat outside the restaurant. I have brought you here due to your stubbornness, but try to hurry up. Order whatever you want and eat quickly. While Ella took a menu card and was just thinking about what to order, Alpha Gabriel had already placed his order: Chicken fry, chicken sandwich, chicken kebabs, twenty boiled eggs, hamburgers, gyros, lamb tagine, and a few more to list. Ella’s head started spinning. “How much and what all do you eat?" She couldn’t help exclaiming.

Ford, he looked confused as I assumed. "I was just telling him that the other day. It is kind of you to remember that, Mr. Martinez." I said in a hurry, giving Noah a forced smile. "Oh, sorry for my negligence. I should've asked first." Mr. Ford said. "Nothing to be sorry about. Does Italian works for everyone? There is a place nearby, called 'Alberto'. There food is to die for and they have some amazing sea food options too." I suggested. "Let's go there then." Noah said and Mr. Ford politely agreed.

When the girls approached the counter, the clanging of utensils and dishes startled Lana. There were different menus scattered on each counter containing the list of what was available for the day. It was elaborate. From appetizers to main meals and even desserts. Each section of breakfast, lunch, or dinner was mouthwatering. “Can one eat anywhere else rather than here?” Lana asked as her legs itched to find privacy and quietness. “Yes. Your room. The garden. Anywhere is okay, but the Alpha doesn't like that sometimes. He likes everyone to stay and eat here,” a wavy brunette from the group of girls answered.