Chapter 8

 

Joe sensed something was wrong even before Savannah had a meltdown at their table. He wasn’t sure exactly what happened, but he was glad Laura had been there to help her. They were driving back to Hideaway Lake. Laura had been quiet most of the way.

“A penny for your thoughts?” He reached across the seat and gently took Laura’s hand. She looked over and gave him a sad smile.

“I feel so bad for Savannah. She was trying so hard to make an impression and everything fell apart for her tonight. Can you imagine all the responsibility to have at her age?”

“Yes, I can.” Joe’s simple words caused Laura to let out a gasp.

“Oh, Joe! Of course you would know!”

Joe didn’t understand why she was so upset. Things happened. “That’s no reason to be so upset and quiet, darling. These things happen and we move on and keep going.”

Laura squeezed his hand. “It’s what I love about you, Joe. You are such a strong person. I’m falling more and more in love with you each day.”

He brought her hand to him and kissed the back of it. “I feel the same. You are making retirement look wonderful. I didn’t think slowing my life down would be all that great. Now that I have someone to share it with, I can’t wait until Christmas eve.”

“Same here.” It was dark out so he didn’t see how pink her cheeks were, but he imagined she was blushing from the way she put her head down and stared at her lap. She always did that. It was adorable and was one of the reasons he fell in love with her. Laura was the real deal.

Joe glanced over to find her watching him.

“What’s wrong? Do you want to talk about what’s on your mind?”

She laughed. “You are getting to know me so well. I though it was nice of Julia to jump in like that and help get Savannah home. To be honest, with all you’ve told me about her, I was quite surprised when she offered to help.”

“You and me both. Julia has me a bit concerned. She seemed a bit off her game tonight and I couldn’t tell you why. But, she is a take charge person and knew we had a long drive back.”

“It’s not that far, Joe. Forty minutes or so.”

“I don’t know. She’s getting older, maybe she wanted to do something nice for a change.”

“I like her, even though you say she has no personality.”

“I like her, too. Tonight was the first time she ever showed any emotion towards a stranger. Most times she just sends a check to a charity and that’s about the size of her compassion.” He shook his head. “Savannah does have the kind of personality that draws you to her, don’t you think?”

“You are very observant, Joe. I feel the same way. There is something about that girl that makes me want to hug her and hold her close and tell her that she’s not alone. I get the feeling she hasn’t had much happiness in her life.”

“You, darling, are a compassionate woman.” He kissed the back of her hand again. “I’m fortunate to have found you.”

She laughed. “How do you know I didn’t find you, Joe?”

He grinned. “We found each other, and that’s all that matters.”

“As always, you are right. I’m going to be busy helping Savannah with the wedding plans, but the Inn has slowed down dramatically this past week, so I’ve made a decision. My last guest will leave in another week and I’m closing the doors from Christmas eve through the end of January.”

“Why?” As a businessman, Joe wasn’t sure that was a smart move. Then again, it was her business, not his.

“I knew you’d ask. I thought it would give us time to really get to know each other without the Inn or mansion and I made some surprise plans for us. It is going to be a wedding gift so I don’t want to ruin it by telling you.”

Joe began to caress her hand with his thumb. She was incredible. No one had ever cared so deeply for him before or wanted to give him a present that was so personalized. “I won’t ruin your surprise. Is that why your Inn has been running at full capacity for the last few months? Were you planning this surprise all along?” He knew it had to be a trip, but didn’t know where she was taking him.

She nodded. “I had Madison run some promotions and it worked. We have been booked for the last three months and although it was exhausting I wanted the extra cash so I could give you this gift. You won’t be disappointed.”

“I love you, Laura. No one has ever given me a part of their soul like you have.”

“I can’t wait until you see what I have planned for us.” She giggled like a young woman would. It touched Joe’s heartstrings. She was an amazing woman.

“I can’t wait either. Thanks for making the next few weeks miserable for me,” he teased.

She laughed again. “Oh, Joe, you are never miserable. As a matter of fact, I think you are the most laid back, calm person I’ve ever met. Nothing gets the best of you.”

“I’ve learned to control my emotions quite well. Except when it comes to you.” Joe turned his signals on and turned onto a narrow windy road with twists and turns as it climbed higher up a hill. There were a few street lights every mile or so.

“Where are we going, Joe?”

“You will see in about thirty seconds.” They came around a turn and the sky lit up. Joe pulled into a parking space that overlooked the city. There was a huge wooden fence in front of them.

“Wow, look at the lights!” Laura got out of the car and went to the fence. She looked down to find they were on top of a small mountain. The whole valley before them lit up in spectacular colors. Clusters of stars in the sky shone through the clouds like little dots of light. It was amazing.

Joe came up beside her. “You haven’t seen everything yet. Come here.” He took her hand and they went to a tower viewer. He dished out a quarter from his pocket and placed it in the slot. “This viewer magnifies everything. Take a look.”

He watched as Laura looked through the telescope. “Oh! This is delightful. Come take a look, Joe.”

Even though Joe had seen the view many times while he was growing up, it was always a treat to view the city with brilliant lights up close. They took turns until the meter ran out then walked the fence line enjoying the view.

Joe tuned to her. “I brought you here tonight because this place means the world to me. When our parents were alive, they’d take us for a drive every now and again and we’d always wind up here. When we were young, the building over there was a gift shop and they had the best soft pretzels and ice cream cones ever. We thought we were in heaven when our parents treated us to this.”

“It’s quite the view. I feel like I’m on top of the world.”

“My parents worked hard. They didn’t spend a lot of time with us, but when they had a weekend free, this is where we came. They knew we liked to come here and run around the big wrap around porch. It went up four stories and you could view the city from the top deck. The building has been renovated to accommodate apartments.”

The odd Japanese structure was dark except for a dim light from a few of the windows. There were no longer stairs reaching to the top like Joe remembered.

“Thank you for bringing me here and sharing your story, Joe.”

Man, he was in love with Laura. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and smiled. His parents would be so proud of his accomplishments. And, now, at his age, he was preparing for a life with this amazing person. God, he was blessed. Joe looked up to the dark heavens and wondered if his maker was looking down.

Either way, Joe gave him a nod. Life was good.

 

*****

 

Olivia spun around the kitchen in full circles, her hands out in the air like a ballerina. She sighed and flung her head back before twirling across the room. It was cold and dark in the giant room, the LED light under one of the counters giving off just enough brightness to cast shadows everywhere. It was only four in the morning, but she wanted to bask in the glory of having her own commercial kitchen back before her staff arrived.

The feeling was overwhelming. This is where she belonged. Not in a small café, although the experience had been fun. That kind of atmosphere was perfect for Chef Missy, who was happy in a small setting with a relatively regular crowd.

This right here was what she needed to grow and create.

“Hey.”

She spun around. “James? Did I wake you up?”

She didn’t see him shake his head, but knew he had. He leaned against the counter in bare feet and crossed his arms over his chest. “No, babe. I felt you leave. Thought you went to the bathroom but when I didn’t see you in the suite, I knew you were here.”

She giggled and spun around again, dancing towards him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him in for a kiss. He was all sleepy-eyed and with his hair all mused up, James looked adorable. She nibbled on his lower lip. “Thank you. I’m home.”

He nodded, giving her a sleepy grin. “I know. You are an incredible chef. The mansion is lucky to have you.”

“I have an idea.”

James pulled her against him and nuzzled her neck. He leaned his head on her shoulder, letting out a huge sigh. “You’ve been so wired these past few days. I think you need a day off.”

“That’s impossible,” she told him. “We have so much to do getting ready for the grand opening.”

James pushed her away, then took her hand and twirled her around as if there was music blasting from the speakers. “Everything is going smoothly. I’m ordering you to take this evening off. You’ve been working non-stop and I want you to spend the night with me again. Last night was a rare evening for us. I want more.”

Olivia was surprised and pleased at the same time. “I thought you were pretty busy yourself, James. You’ve been in meetings with staff, on the phone most of the day that I am surprised you are right here in my kitchen, dancing me around like a star-crossed lover.”

“Hmm,” he moaned into her neck. “There is always time for you, Olivia.”

She loved how he said her name. He twirled her again and then pulled her close, swaying back and forth until they were in front of one of the long windows. A full moon was burning bright, shining down over the land. Soon the day would begin and her staff would be here. She was excited to start and yet being in his arms was the best feeling in the world.

James had been so surprised when she showed up last night, knocking on the door to his suite at ten in the evening. The café had karaoke again and she offered to help the girls close up so Missy could go home. Helping the café out was still a priority for her and until she got too busy here to give them a hand, she would do whatever she could. But the thought of going to her apartment alone didn’t appeal and the truth was she missed James. So, she drove to the mansion to give him a kiss goodnight.

When he had opened the door, he stood there surprised holding a bottle of beer in his hand. His shirt was off and he wore a pair of relaxed fit lounge pants that hung low on his hip. After that, there was no kiss good-bye, only hello and she woke up in his arms.

She thought he was sleeping good when she slipped away, but he must sleep with one eye open. She’d only been down here less than ten minutes before he arrived. They stood watching the moon as it began to fade behind a cloud, darkening the sky again.

“Come back to bed,” he ordered. “It’s going to be three hours until your staff arrives.

“What if I say no.”

“Okay.” He let her go, backing away from her, then turned around as if he were going without her.

“Okay? James? You come back here!”

He turned around. “Okay,” he told her, marched back to her, picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. She screamed, then laughed out loud. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going back to bed and this is what happens when you say no.”

“Oh, James! Put me down! You never did hear what my idea was.”

He shook his head and she hung on as he marched her to the elevator and up to his suite. “Tonight you can tell me.”

“Are you bribing me now?” She was trying hard not to laugh. The elevator jerked and she latched onto his waist. “James, let me down. This is making me dizzy!”

“Nope.” James stood still, letting her struggle and marched out of the elevator towards his suite.

“I hope no one is working yet. I’m going to be embarrassed, James!”

“The only staff here is maintenance and they are in the lower level working on a project.”

They stopped at his door. He reached in his pocket, waved his card and she heard the lock click. He pushed it open, kicked it closed and dumped her on the bed. Then, he did the most adorable thing ever. James fluffed her pillow, covered her up, and laid down beside her taking her in his arms. She snuggled against him. “Sleep,” he commanded.

“I have this idea in my head, James. It’s -”

He pulled her closer. “No. No ideas. Hush now, no work in my bed. Sleep.”

He was right. She needed to learn to relax. Her head had been churning all day long. It felt good to close her eyes and relax.

“I love you.” His soft words were like a wisp of air cutting through the dark night.

She tightened her hold on him as her eyes fluttered shut.

 

*****

 

When the alarm went off, Olivia jumped from the bed and ran across the floor to hop in the shower. James was already gone, and she had about twenty minutes to get downstairs to the kitchen before her staff arrived.

Within fifteen minutes, she was dressed and ready to go. Slamming the door behind her, she realized there were people in the hallway, but she didn’t look back to see if anyone was watching her. That would be weird and she wasn’t going to apologize for being with James. Most of the staff knew she was his love.

Angel flew by her, balancing two cups of coffee. “Hey, Olivia.”

“Hey,” Olivia mumbled and kept going. She was probably better off taking the stairs and pushed her way into the staircase. The loud clanging of metal steps echoed as she made it to the kitchen before anyone showed up. She wanted to be poised and professional.

Then she giggled. Olivia was ready for this without a doubt. She had to stop being nervous and worrying about what kind of impression she’d make. After all, she had been in kitchens all over the world. This kitchen was refined and modern and had everything a cook needed and more, but she’d been in far fancier than this.

She had to keep her priorities in line. Olivia was nervous and she didn’t know why. Taking a deep breath, she made herself a cup of coffee, pulling out a stool at the far counter to wait on her staff. By eight in the morning, everyone was there, quietly greeting each other warmly. Olivia noticed everyone there was nervous except for one person who leaned against the wall, his face solemn. He did not acknowledge anyone else. She wondered if he was going to be trouble.

“Good morning, everyone. I’m Chef Olivia. Each one of you were hired by the vice president of the company, James Logan. I’ve come aboard in the last few weeks so I did not get to interview or be a part of your hiring process. My apologies for that and I’d like to take a small amount of time to speak with each one of you today privately to make sure we have the same goals.”

A few heads nodded and there were smiles from several others. The atmosphere in the kitchen was friendly and yet there was an air of seriousness surrounding them. Good. Olivia didn’t tolerate fooling around in her kitchen. If anyone disrupted the flow of things, they’d be booted out. She was easy to work with if the rules were followed. But she would explain that to each person when they had a private interview with her.

This would take longer but it was well worth it to get everyone on the same page. “When any food leaves this kitchen, I expect it to be a creation from your ability to get the job done. All of you here today have a job to do. You may be in charge of staff members and I’ll expect a weekly report on my desk. Does anyone have any questions for me?”

A hand shot up. Olivia nodded.

“Hello. I’m your chef de partie. I’d like to speak with you if I may about the rather tight area I’ll be working in.”

“What is your name?”

“Chef Marty.”

“Thank you, Chef Marty. After we get started, we will discuss your worries.” Except Olivia already knew Chef Marty was done before he got started. He wasn’t here five minutes and had a complaint about the size of his station. Nope. A good chef was able to make a masterpiece from any station assigned him.

A wobbly grin came from the man holding up the wall. “What is your name?” she asked, knowing he was probably her new Sous Chef.

“Chef Robert.”

“Welcome, Chef Robert. What do you find so amusing?”

He shrugged, a bit of arrogance exuding from his persona. She studied him closely, realizing he may give her some trouble. Even so, she’d put her money on his skills. For some reason, she always had good intuition about her staff. “My apologies Chef Olivia, but if the truth be told, Chef Marty won’t last here with that attitude.”

“That will be for me to decide,” she told him, staring hard at him. She had to make sure he understood she was in charge. For some reason, she had a feeling he thought he was. When she turned away, he grinned.

She decided to ignore him for now. Before he realized what happened, he’d be put in his place. She surveyed the rest of the staff, then called everyone over to a work station. She glanced at the Sous Chef to make sure he followed everyone else. He stood back from everyone, but at least he was close enough to pay attention.

She reached for the knives, picking out seven and laying them in the middle of the stainless steel table. Each knife was set down right beside the next one. She looked up at her staff. “Who can tell me how many knives you would need to work in this kitchen?”

Chef Marty pushed his way forward. He waved his hand in front of him. “I can answer that.”

“Please, do,” Olivia told him, stepping back and placing her arms behind her back.

Chef Marty began to pick up knives. “I’m not sure why this question has to be asked because we need every single knife here. One for chopping,” he said, picking up one after the other. “A slicing knife and yes, every one of these knives are important.”

Olivia glanced at each of her staff. Frowns appeared on a few faces, knowing he couldn’t possibly be right. The Chef de partie should know this. “Are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure.” He gave her a condescending look, which did not go over too well with Olivia. She ignored it for now and glanced at the others, and then lastly at Chef Robert. He stood there with watching, shaking his head back and forth. “Chef Robert, would you like to go next?”

Chef Robert glared at Olivia. She lifted her chin a notch. He stepped forward, picked up a chef’s knife, a paring knife and a serrated one and set them apart from the others. “A good chef knows there are only three knives you’ll ever need. I believe that was Chef Olivia’s question.”

The others mumbled and agreed, nodding their heads in unison.

“Very good. Thank you.” Olivia kept from grinning. She needed to have a staff that worked well with each other and were trainable. She was more sure than ever Chef Marty would not work well with others.

“Does anyone else want to demonstrate or do we all agree Chef Robert is correct?”

No one else disagreed with Chef Robert. She turned to Chef Marty. “May I see you in private, please? Follow me.”

She turned and headed towards her office, which was a small alcove in the back of the kitchen behind the pantry. “Please, have a seat.”

He chose to stand, his face pale. He was no longer so sure of himself. “I’m fine, right where I stand. Look, Chef Olivia. I may come off a bit cocky, but I can do the job.”

Olivia wanted to feel bad for him, but she could not afford to. “Chef Marty, I’m sure you are a good, hard worker. However, this is not the right place for you. I’m sorry but I hope you can find your place elsewhere.”

“Just like that?” He snapped his finger, his voice wobbly as he raised it. She didn’t think he’d give her a hard time, but it appeared as if he may. She needed to get him out of here, especially in such a small space. Her office was not big enough for more than two people. Just the same, she was feeling stifled.

“I have to make these kinds of decisions every day. I’m terribly sorry that I wasn’t here when you were first interviewed. I’m sure that we’d have known then it was not going to work out.”

“I’m a great chef. Won’t you reconsider?”

The man didn’t want to accept the fact he wasn’t going to work here. This was the type of person she did not want in her kitchen. He was growing angry and she had to take charge. “No, Chef Marty. I will not reconsider. I think it’s time for you to leave.”

“I need you to give me a good reference. I’m running out of options.”

“How can I give you a good reference when I have not worked with you.”

He frowned. “That’s not my fault. I need a good reference so I can get hired somewhere. I want to work!”

“It won’t be here,” a deep voice chimed in. “Chef Olivia asked you to leave.”

Chef Robert was standing in the doorway, his tall frame blocking the door.

She was about to tell Chef Robert it was not necessary for him to get involved when Chef Marty, whose face was bright red now, pounced like a cougar jumping off a large boulder in the middle of a jungle. It happened so fast, Olivia barely had time to step back. She stumbled back while Chef Robert stopped the man from doing any harm to himself or Olivia.

“Ouch! Let me go!”

“Chef Olivia said it is time to leave. I’ll help you to the door.” Chef Robert had the man’s arm twisted behind his back, forcing him to move. It was quite disheartening. Olivia’s heart was pounding but she knew she had to compose herself in front of the staff which rushed back to see what happened.

“It’s fine,” she told them, straightening her spine and following Chef Robert. He deposited the man outside the door and slammed it loudly.

Then, he leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms as if he did these things on a daily basis. “What did I just witness?” She shook her head.

“Looks like you needed help taking out the trash, Chef Olivia.”

“The man is obviously disturbed. I’ll need to report it to our security. I don’t ever want to see him back here.”

Chef Robert nodded. Olivia had been caught off-guard with Chef Marty’s behavior but she knew how to compose herself and get back to business.

James came through the kitchen right at that moment. “What happened?” He didn’t seem to care that he was interrupting her meeting.

“It’s taken care of. One member of our staff was not a good fit.”

“Taken care of? He called the police and said someone here attacked him.”

The other staff members spoke up, letting James know it wasn’t true.

“No one hurt him. He was a danger to all of us here. I can’t have someone like that on my staff. When I told him he isn’t a good fit, he got angry. When he wouldn’t leave, Chef Robert escorted him out the door.”

James stared at Chef Robert, giving him a narrow look. He looked back at Olivia, then back to her Sous Chef.

The door to the kitchen opened as Joe came through. “Everything all right?”

Olivia nodded. “It’s fine, Joe. How did you find out so fast?”

“We have excellent security measures here, I made sure of it,” Joe told everyone in the room. “If anyone sees that man here again, don’t hesitate to let us know.”

“Let’s get back to our meeting,” Olivia ordered. The staff gathered around the table they had been at before all the chaos.

James and Joe spoke quietly at the far end of the kitchen while Olivia went over her expectations for the next few weeks. When Joe left, James stayed in the kitchen. She was glad he didn’t leave, it gave her some comfort. She didn’t allow herself to show any weakness in front of her staff, when all she wanted to do was run to him and hold her.

She was pretty disturbed from the awful look in Chef Marty’s eyes. He was angry and there was hate in his soul. She hoped she did the right thing by firing him. No, she knew she did the right thing. Except, now she wanted to make sure she hadn’t put anyone in danger. The man was a creep and she hoped the police would escort him off the property.

That’s all they needed, a scandal before the mansion was open for business.