A mixture of fear and excitement had kept Kelsey up all night. Today was the first day of her cooking course.
The class wasn't starting until eight in the morning, but Kelsey pulled up in front of the red brick building at seven. She tried to pull herself together in the car. The beginning of anything was always nerve-wracking, but once she started, she usually discovered the other side wasn't so scary after all.
Fifteen minutes before eight, Kelsey told herself there was nothing to be afraid of. She was about to do something she should have done a long time ago. She reached for her backpack, which held her chef's knife, oven gloves, and the two cookbooks she had been asked to bring along.
Just as she was about to step out of the car, she spotted Clara, the waitress who had served her and Maeve at Conaire's Corner.
Kelsey's confidence dwindled. Bumping into someone who had seen her at her worst didn't do much to build her up.
Clara was getting closer now, so Kelsey ducked back into the car and closed the door. She dug into her handbag, pretending to be searching for something. Hopefully Clara would walk by without noticing her. Maybe she wouldn't even remember her.
When she was sure enough time had passed, she got out of the car—then froze. Clara was standing in front of the building Kelsey was about to enter, gazing in her direction. And she definitely recognized her, because she waved. Kelsey had no choice but to wave back and walk toward her, feeling like a child found with her hand in the cookie jar.
"I remember you," Clara said. "I saw you at Conaire's."
Kelsey smiled and nodded. "I'm sure you do. I think I got a bit drunk."
Clara laughed and nodded her head. "Yes, you did. You did a little dancing too."
"I did?" Kelsey's eyes widened. "I don't remember." Maybe that was a good thing. She was a horrible dancer.
"Don't worry. Already forgotten. If it makes you feel better, I've seen so much worse."
It turned out Clara was taking the same cooking course. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to attend the course with someone who'd already seen her make a fool of herself, Kelsey thought. Just in case she didn't get it right her first time in the kitchen.
Apart from a long table topped with two large boxes, a couple of chairs, a blackboard, and pictures of various dishes hanging from the walls, there wasn't much else in the classroom.
Kelsey and Clara were first to take their seats, and the others joined them in spurts.
A man with thin hair and a thick beard walked up to the front of the class. "Welcome, everyone. I'm Frank. It's great to see you all here today." He stroked his beard. "Let's start with introductions, for the faces I don't recognize."
After the short round of introductions, Frank pointed to the boxes on the table. "In there you'll find your chef's jacket, pants, and shoes, in the sizes you specified on the signup form. Please take what belongs to you and let's get started."
When everyone had found their clothes, Frank, who had been standing by the door as everyone rummaged through the boxes, sat down at the head of the table, facing them. "All right, everyone, let's begin. During this course, I'm going to pass on to you some of the most important things I learned while training to be a chef years ago. At some point during the course, some of you may find this is not for you, and decide to leave. That's fine. Those of you who are in this for the long haul, be prepared for an intensive six months."
After talking through the necessary utensils—chef's knife, bread knife, paring knife, pots, pans, hand mixer, peeler, measuring utensils, can opener, cutting board—Frank moved on.
"As with any profession, being a chef requires a number of imperative skills—timing, multitasking, taste, speed, and the will to learn. In the first few weeks we'll study these individually. I'll also teach you some cooking techniques—sautéing, stewing, and braising." Frank's animated eyes took in each student seated in front of him. "Once you learn these techniques, you will be able to handle most recipes. I know you'd prefer to go straight into the kitchen right now, but theory is just as important as practice. For that reason, today, you will not be doing any cooking."
***
When Kelsey arrived at her cottage, she found Shaun sitting on her doorstep. He stood up when she approached. "We need to talk," he said, pushing his hands into his pockets. He shook his head. "No, for some reason I don't think you want to talk to me, so I'll just say what I came to say and leave."
A knot formed inside Kelsey's stomach. "Okay. Do you want to come in?"
"No, I'm fine." Shaun leaned against the wall. "I guess my actions and our conversations have somehow rubbed you the wrong way. I didn't mean to be disrespectful to you or to other women. I'm an honest person by nature." He sucked in a breath. "So, I'm going to be honest. I like you. And I've wanted to make love to you from the first day I saw you."
Kelsey's eyes flew to his. "You—"
"Wanted to make love to you. I got the vibe you wanted it too, but you're all hot and cold. I can't quite read you. One thing I know for sure is that there's something here." He pulled a hand out of his pocket and waved it in the space between them. "I know it, and you know it."
Kelsey licked her lips and tried to say something, but the words stuck inside her throat. She leaned against the wall as well, so her knees wouldn't give way. She breathed in and out and then finally spoke, "what do you want me to do about that, Shaun? I don't understand."
"Nothing you don't want." Shaun pushed away from the wall and came to stand over her, hands on both sides of her body. He moved his mouth close to her ear. "I'm going away for a while. I have research to do in some other cities in Ireland. I'll be back by Christmas. Make your mind up by then. Decide whether you want me to be your Christmas present." He moved his lips from her ear to her lips and gave her a swift kiss that was just powerful enough to knock the strength from her knees. Then he moved away and walked out of the gate, whistling a tune.
Fifteen minutes later, Kelsey saw him load his truck with some bags, and then he drove off, leaving her with a big decision to make.
***
Natural light flooded The Academy kitchen, making the workstations glint. There were large sinks on either side of the room, one for fruits and vegetables and the other for meat products.
Racks held rows and rows of gleaming pots and pans that stood at the ready like soldiers awaiting battle. Kelsey smiled and breathed in the air of the kitchen—clean, fresh, and expectant, with a hint of lemon detergent. Frank never stopped telling them how important a clean kitchen was to a chef, and they were to clean as they worked.
He stood at the front and chopped, stirred, seasoned, and deglazed. In twenty minutes he had prepared sautéed chicken breasts with summer vegetables. He made it look so easy.
After the demonstration there was a short break, and then it was time for the practical class. Kelsey returned to the kitchen wrapped in a silken cloak of euphoria.
"It's time to set up!" Frank called out. "The ingredients are just enough for the dishes you're preparing today, so try not to waste anything. You may start."
The next two and a half hours were a flurry of activity. Frank roamed around the kitchen presiding over his pupils.
Kelsey felt like a surfer riding the waves, and nothing could slow down the adrenaline coursing through her as she chopped, sliced, strained, whisked, and deglazed, all at a furious pace.
When she drove home at the end of the day, every cell in her body screamed with exhaustion. But that was a good thing.
For the one month Shaun was away, Kelsey kept herself busy with her classes, but when she had nothing to do, she found herself sitting by the phone, willing it to ring. But it refused. Sometimes she went to bed panicking that he wouldn't return to Dreara.
She surprised herself with how much she missed talking to him and having him next door. If she hadn't been sure before, she was certain now that she wanted him, and she didn't care if she got hurt in the end. One night with him would be worth it. She promised herself that when he returned, she would give him a chance, and deal with the consequences later. Naturally, Delia was thrilled for her, as was Maeve.
Hopefully Shaun wouldn't change his mind during his time away.