Henry looked up sharply as Josey’s tablet started to beep a notification. He swallowed hard when the man reached for it but both their attention was diverted when a bright eyed cute redhead entered the kitchen. Henry’s eyes widened slightly and he cast his eyes to the floor. She was curvy in all the right places with an adorable face and fine pale skin. She looked so soft and warm and he wondered what she smelled like. 

Josey grinned, “A pretty lady is never late, she’s always welcomed and right on time. Come on in, Miss Penny. Come on in. I’m Josey, I’m the head chef. This boy here who seems so interested in the floor is Henry. We got a line cook coming up from somewhere so you gotta be our baker.”

He took her hand gently and bowed his head over it like a knight in a shining apron. “You got a baker’s hands, I can tell, Cupcake.” 

He let her go and gave a deep chuckle of amusement, “Correct me if I’m wrong but I rarely am.” 

Henry shoved his hands in his jean pockets and tried to smile what he hoped was a winning smile at her. She offered her hand to him and he took it, gripping it lightly and tried to ignore the sensation of her smooth skin against his palm. 

“Nice to meet you, Penny,” he said, glancing at her from under the short fall of dark hair. 

The beeping of Josey’s tablet finally caught his attention again and he fished it out, tapping it to receive the message. He read it, his dark eyes growing narrow and he looked up at Henry and Penny standing together. He took a deep breath, his big hands tightening on the thin computer as he composed himself. 

“Henry,” he said, trying to keep his voice even so not to alarm either of them. “Can you come with me son, I gotta talk to you real quick. We’ll be right back, Cream Puff, just go on and settle yourself in. Anything in this kitchen is at your disposal. ‘secpt my knives, those are off limits to everyone. Don’t mess with a chef’s knives.” 

He put his heavy arm around Henry’s thin shoulders and pulled him into the freezer where they would not be overheard. Henry shivered, not only from the sudden freezing temperatures but from the ominous look in Josey’s eyes and he knew what was coming. 

“Care to tell me why you kept quiet about this?” he held up the tablet for Henry to see his file on the screen. 

The young man winced and looked away from his mugshot and the brief description of his conviction. Josey stared at him, waiting for an answer but as the seconds ticked by he grew impatient. 

“You knew after that briefing I’d find out about this. You should have come clean right away. I don’t like this kinda bullshit taking me by surprise.” 

Henry folded his arms defensively and to conserve body heat, “I don’t like talking about it.” 

Josey barked a laugh out, it echoed in the freezer, “I bet you don’t boy. Not a pretty thing is it, nothing glamorous about being a rapist.” 

The thin youth tucked his head in at the word, the sound of it ringing in his ears. “I...”

“‘I’ what? You gonna tell me you’re innocent, that it was all a misunderstanding?” Josey asked, tapping the screen. “Convicted for second degree rape, third degree sexual assault of a minor...goddamn. You was on parole when they scooped you up. I guess there wasn’t a chance to be choosy about criminal background checks when the world was ending.” 

Henry shivered again and looked down at his feet, “It’s true...there was this girl, I didn’t know she was only fifteen. I was nineteen and at the time I was dealing. Weed, meth, pills, whatever I could get to sell. She knows this and wants to hang out...always hoping to get some free weed.” 

He paused and shrugged, dropping his arms helplessly, “She was really cute and I thought she liked me. Not a lot of girls paid attention to me. I didn’t want to stop...she cried. She ended up telling her mom.”

Henry paused and rubbed his face, sighing deeply, “If I hadn’t been stoned I wouldn’t have done it, I swear. I got clean in prison, Josey. I found ways to keep from wanting to use, to forget all the shitty things that happened to me as a kid. I was going to these sessions you know? Before the Change hit...but it helped me. I’m not that same person.” 

He looked up earnestly, hoping he would believe him. The therapy had helped and he found out how to meditate and how to resolve things without giving into rage. All the anger and shame from his past that drove him to seek solace in drugs was now controlled with what his psychiatrist had taught him and the medication. Of course, now he did not have it, but he was aware of his issues. Impulse control disorder, ADHD, control issues...things that were not his fault and made him act the way he did. He knew about it now and it helped. 

Josey sighed and put away the tablet, looking at the skinny kid and then he rubbed the bridge of his nose. “First we got that freak from second shift killing people in their sleep and now I got you. And Miss Penny...I see you look sideways at her I will personally see that you put on the shittiest janitor detail this ship has. You got me? And if I hear about you grabbing any girl aboard this ship I’ll serve you up with onions.” 

“Yes, sir,” Henry said quietly. 

He looked up at Josey, “Are you going to tell her?” 

“What? Tell Penny she’s gotta work with a rapist? Nah...you gonna tell her that. If she wants you out, then you’re gonna get gone.” 

Henry’s face fell and he nodded, it was hard but fair. They exited the freezer and he felt the flush of warmth from the kitchen and from the sight of Penny. It was useless for him to feel anything for her, she would be repulsed by him anyway. He pushed aside the thoughts and stood in front of her, Josey just behind him. 

“Penny...I have to tell you something,” he started out, staring at her chest for a moment to avoid her eyes and realized where he was looking. His head snapped up so he could look her in the face and he took a deep breath. “I’m a sex offender. I was convicted of second degree rape. I served my time and I have been in therapy and am considered a person with a low chance of recidivism. I was granted parole earl-”

Josey cleared his throat, “Enough. All she needs to know is what you did. Miss Penny, it’s up to you. If you feel uncomfortable, I’ll kick his skinny ass down to janitorial duty.” 

Henry shoved his hands in his pockets, the fierce shame at having to admit his past flushed his face red and he could not meet her gaze. 

Before she could answer, the sound of someone approaching turned their heads. Henry blinked at the man’s words, it sounded like English but he would be hard pressed to understand just what he was talking about. He noted the man’s janitorial uniform and he glanced at Josey. Maybe telling Penny was just a punishment before he sent him to scrub toilets. 

Josey cocked his head and frowned at the man’s speech, “Hold up now, what ‘old sluts’ are you talking about, Mr. Pumphrey? Watch your mouth around Miss Penny here, she’s a good girl and I won’t have your foul talk in my kitchen!” 

The tension was relieved slightly at the man’s sudden appearance. Henry felt the spotlight shift off of him and Penny certainly was not on the spot to make her decision. He stepped back, letting Josey deal with the man with the funny accent.