Brynn
I had no idea how much work went into lunchtime around here. I suggested sandwiches, trying to keep the menu easy. Well, two ladies can’t have bread, we have a vegetarian, and someone who only eats Keto. I had to look that one up.
There’s a couple who don’t like sandwiches but wants burgers. Isn’t that just a hot sandwich? Then, there are sides, fries, and of course, we have to go and make our own chips. Whose idea was that?
After burning the second batch of fries, I toss them into the trash with a screech. When someone chuckles from the doorway, I look up ready to tear into them, only to find Jasper, leaning against the door frame.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” I ask him, as one of the kitchen guys takes the fry basket from me.
“Mom told me about your chef. I’m here to help, until you hire someone else. No strings attached.” He says.
“Oh, there are always strings. I should have known your mom would do this, when I asked if she knew anyone.” I turn around and find Ken, my head waiter, watching us.
Ken knows all and sees all. His boyfriend works at the front desk, so he has all the gossip.
“That’s so sweet, and we need the help. We’ll be losing money on Brynn’s fries alone. Who let her in the kitchen?” He grabs his plates and heads back out to the dining room.
If he wasn’t great at his job and been with me for the last six years, I’d fire him. But he’d just show up for work the next day and laugh. I know, I’ve tried it.
“Listen, you need help. We have things covered on our end, so let me help you,” he says.
“You need a chef, Brynn. Just let him help,” Ken says, walking back in.
I glare at Jasper and grab Ken’s hand, pulling him back into the chef’s office and closing the door behind me. He may be taller than me, but he’s as skinny as me, and I’m easily able to drag him around.
“What are you doing? The last person we need in the kitchen is him!” I hiss.
“But he’s the best on The Island, and you know it. You need help. No one in there is prepared to take over a kitchen. George wouldn’t train them, because he liked keeping them down and unprepared. Good riddance to him, if you ask me. So, let Jasper train them and get the kitchen running. He knows what he’s doing.”
Ken says, while using the mirror on the back of the door to check his hair. Not a strand of his jet-black hair is out of place.
“Anyone but him.” I shake my head.
Ken pulls me into a hug. This might not be normal boss employee behavior, but Ken is also a friend outside of work, and we are a small-town, so boundaries cross a lot.
“Listen, I know you two have a history, and it won’t be easy. But with him in the kitchen, you don’t have to be. You can focus on helping Lin with Mr. Blue and leave Mr. Kiwi to me.”
I burst out laughing. Lin and I named the guys the other night. Mr. Blue is Kade, because the fancy car he drove in with is blue. Mr. Kiwi is Jasper, because he took those kiwis so well.
“Don’t do this for you. Do this for your parents. You know they liked Jasper, despite everything he’s done, so let him help you. I’m sure he has a need to make things up to them, too. He might need this more than you think.” Ken says.
I hug him tighter, before I pull away. Why does he always have to make sense?
“Fine. Now, what’s the gossip for today?” I ask, needing a distraction, before I go back up there.
“The couple in room four called to complain that the couple in room three were having sex too loud last night. Turns out, the wife wasn’t there, and the husband had picked up some girl no one knows. I think it was Jessica, but we can’t prove it, yet.”
Lin and I went to school with Jessica, and she was the typical mean girl. But in small-towns, karma works its magic. She was pregnant at graduation and ‘went to visit her grandma’ that summer, which was code for having the baby and adopting it out, before getting back in shape and coming home. She hasn’t changed one bit.
“Also, the couple in The Sunset Suite hasn’t been seen for two days. They just order room service. Housekeeping has disinfecting spray on hand, when they check out. Though, everyone has extended, because of the bridge.”
Oh yes, we had to discount our rates, because where were these people going to go?
“So far, no complaints, but if it goes on another week, I’m going to have to offer some even deeper discounts and some comped rooms. Okay, well, I’m getting back out there. Thanks.” I say.
I step back into the kitchen, and Jasper has already taken over and is plating a hamburger. The guys in the kitchen are all smiling and laughing. Great. In ten minutes, he’s already won them over. I glare at them.
“Traitors. All of you.” Then, I stomp out and down to my office. I slam the door, even though there’s no one around to hear it and try to get some work done.
Emails and social media take my mind off the man in my kitchen for only a short time, before it’s all I can think about again.
I know the kitchen is getting ready for their dinner rush right now, so I head in and find Jasper in the kitchen office.
“These books are a mess. Did you ever look at them, or did you trust him blindly?” Jasper says without even looking up.
“He imported everything to the computer, which I monitor. I don’t know what he keeps written down, and I never cared how he did his system. It’s the stuff that’s entered into the computer that we monitor. I watched the inventory, and also the money in and money out that way.” I tell him.
“Log me in?” He asks, nodding towards the computer. When I hesitate, he finally looks over at me.
“Brynn, I’m just trying to help. I want to make sure this guy wasn’t screwing you over, because I can’t make sense of all this. I also need to see what our inventory is, and then make some menus to use up what we have,” he says in a soft tone.
I know he’s right, so I get him logged in, and he starts poking around.
All I can do is watch him, as he clicks around the screen and takes in the data. I won’t admit to him that I’m glad to have another set of eyes on the books, especially, after how George left.
“Okay, your food waste is a bit high. I think we should run some reports, and then cut the lowest selling items from the menu.” He says.
“Which items would that be?” I ask him, as I step into the office, leaning on the side of the desk, and then cross my arms and watch him.
“The tuna, the lasagna, and the supreme pizza. I’d also cut the catfish from the kid’s menu.” He says, and finally, his eyes look up at me.
Damn him. Because moments like this, are the ones we were supposed to have in our future. Running The Inn together, exactly like this.
“Fine, make it happen. Redo the menu, and I can print them in my office, until the mail opens back up,” I say and turn to leave.
Being so close to him, is fogging my brain and not letting me think clearly.
“Brynn…” He says, stopping me in my tracks.
“What?” I ask over my shoulder.
“Is this how it’s always going to be?” He asks.
“Well, considering it’s five years later, and I’ve yet to hear an apology out of your mouth, I’d say yes, exactly like this.” I leave the office, as my heart starts to race.
I march into the kitchen, grabbing my dinner plate, and then heading to my room. I lock the door, as I plan on being in for the night. I turn on some reality TV show and try to get lost in someone else’s problems for a change. I finish my burger, which I have to admit, is one of the best I’ve ever eaten, and that irritates me even more.
I turn off the TV, grab my tablet, and decide to take a nice hot bubble bath and read, until my skin is all pruny. I get a few chapters in, when someone starts pounding on my door.
I don’t move. If it’s Lin, she has a key, and if it’s not, then I have no intentions of getting out of this water and opening the door.
“I know you’re in there, Brynn,” Jasper yells. I check the time, and sure enough, the kitchen should be closed by now.
“Fine, don’t answer, but we need to talk at some point. I’m sorry about what happened. I was young, stupid, and just didn’t understand it all. You were always more mature than me, you know that, and how you put up with me all those years, I will never know, but I’m grateful you did. When you’re ready to talk, I’ll be right here, but I’m just warning you, we will talk.” He says.
“Not on your life,” I whisper, knowing he can’t hear me.
“I’m not going anywhere, and you’re just going to make this harder on you and your employees the longer you fight this.” He tries again.
I still don’t answer, waiting to see what he says next.
“Fine, Brynn, but this isn’t over.” He growls.
I know that growl, and my body knows that growl, so I gasp. He would growl like that in bed. My body betrays me, as my nipples stiffen, and my core starts to throb.
No, I refuse to give in, as I force myself to think about walking into the supply closet and finding that eighty-year-old couple, going at it two summers ago. All the saggy skin and wrinkles is exactly the picture that stops my body in its tracks.
I lean my head back on the edge of the tub. He’s right. I know we need to talk, but I don’t know what to say. I want to forgive him, and I thought I had a long time ago. But seeing him here in person, I’m not so sure I actually did. Maybe, I convinced myself I did just to make me feel better. I also know that a small part of me knows, if I forgive him, then that leads to me opening up to him, and I can’t trust him with my heart again.
I finally get out of the tub and go to bed. This is going to be a long few weeks. I’m going to put out an ad for a new chef tomorrow. I can do interviews over video and have someone lined up the moment the bridge opens.
That’s the only way I’m going to survive this.