Page 2 of Alpha's Hidden Gem

I see a muscle in his jaw twitch, and for a second, I think I've gotten under his skin. But when he speaks, his voice is as controlled as ever. "I take my job seriously. Perhaps if you did the same, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

The words sting more than I care to admit. I've poured my heart and soul into this pizza truck, and here he is, implying I don't care about my business or my customers.

As I watch Axel scrutinize every inch of my truck, I can't help but think of my ultimate dream - to own my own restaurant. This truck is just the first step. If I can make it a success, prove that my pizzas are the best in town, maybe one day I'll have a real brick-and-mortar place. But if Axel shuts me down, that dream goes up in smoke.

After what feels like an eternity, he finally finishes his inspection. "I'll be issuing you a list of violations," he says, tearing a sheet from his clipboard. "You have one week to address these issues before I return for a follow-up inspection."

I take the paper, my hand trembling slightly with suppressed anger. "Fine. Is that all?"

He nods curtly. "For now. Good day, Ms. Taylor."

The moment the door closes behind him, I grab a pizza peel and slam it down on the counter with a frustrated cry.

"Uptight, by-the-book, fun-sucking bureaucrat!" I mutter, slumping against the oven. "Who does he think he is, swooping in here and threatening everything I've worked for?"

But as my anger fades, fear takes its place. What if I can't fix everything in time? What if he shuts me down? I glance at the photo of Nonna and me that I keep pinned above the prep station. I can't let her down. I won't.

With a deep breath, I straighten up. Axel Anderson might think he's won this round, but he has no idea who he's dealing with. I'm Lila Taylor, and I don't give up without a fight. My pizzas are the best in town, and no uptight inspector is going to change that.

After Axel leaves, I'm still fuming when Sophie arrives for her shift. She takes one look at my face and raises an eyebrow, her lips curving into a knowing smirk. "Uh oh. What happened? Wait, let me guess..."

I thrust the violation list at her, the paper crinkling under my tight grip. "Axel Anderson happened. Surprise health inspection. Can you believe it? He just waltzed in here like he owned the place and started nitpicking every little thing!"

Sophie's eyes widen as she scans the paper. "Jeez, he really went to town, didn't he? Unlabeled sauces? That's Nonna's recipe!"

"I know!" I exclaim, throwing my hands up. "He acted like I was trying to poison people or something. As if I haven't spent every waking moment making sure this place is up to code."

Sophie lets out a low whistle. "Wow, he really went all out, didn't he? Looks like Mr. Tall, Dark, and Brooding decided to make your life a living --"

"Hell?" I finish her sentence, huffing out a frustrated breath. "Yeah, that about sums it up. I swear, it's like he has some personal vendetta against me and my food truck. I mean, who does he think he is, coming in here and telling me how to run my business?"

Sophie hands the list back to me, her expression sympathetic yet amused. "Well, technically, he's the health inspector, so it’s kind of his job to --"

"I know, I know," I cut her off, waving my hand dismissively. "But still, it feels like he's singling me out, you know? Like he's just waiting for me to slip up so he can shut me down."

Sophie's expression softens. "Hey, you've worked too hard to let this get you down. Remember all those double shifts? The nights spent perfecting recipes?"

I nod, feeling a lump form in my throat. "It's just... this truck is everything to me, Soph. It's all I have left of Nonna, you know?"

"I know," Sophie says gently. "And that uptight inspector doesn't change that. We'll fix whatever needs fixing, and your pizzas will keep being the best in town."

I manage a small smile. "Thanks, Soph. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Probably burn the truck down," she teases, nudging my shoulder. "Now, what do you say we tackle this list? I bet we can knock out half these violations before the dinner rush."

I nod, feeling my determination return. "You're right. Axel Anderson might think he's won, but he has no idea who he's dealing with."

Sophie grins. "That's the Lila I know. Now, where do we start?"

As Sophie and I work on addressing the violations, she pauses, her head tilting as if listening to something I can't hear. 'You know,' she says, her voice taking on that dreamy quality it sometimes gets, 'I have a feeling things are about to get... interesting around here.’

While we tackle the violations, Axel's presence keeps popping into my head. His stern face, his cold demeanor... and yet, there was something about him. Something that made my heart race in a way that wasn't entirely due to anger.

I shake my head, pushing the thought away. I have a business to save. I can't afford to be distracted by annoyingly handsome health inspector, no matter how much he makes my pulse quicken.

"Alright, boss. Let’s get to work. We’ve got a lunch rush coming in about an hour, and people are going to want their pizza. First things first, I’ll label those jars. You focus on prepping the food. We’ll handle the fridge situation later."

Sophie knew exactly what I was thinking. I take a deep breath, nodding as I rise to my feet.