Catering to Love (15 page)

Corey never looked up when she entered. He was removing the capons from the oven and set them down on the counter to cool.

“Good morning,” she said.

He released a grunt and made his way over to the walk-in. Feeling relieved, she practically skipped around the room. This was just what she needed from him to nip those ridiculous notions in the bud. At least now she wouldn’t have to deal with it. She quickly decided that Corey Edwards was a complication in her life. When he returned, she made her announcement.

“Okay, guys, today’s the day we decide on what we’re going to serve for our open house. Remember, I want each of you to come up with a dish that could be a possible contender for our new menu, but focus on simple so it doesn’t dry out in the chafing dishes. Other, more intricate types of dishes can be served as specials during the dinner hour.
But let’s focus on the buffet we’ll be serving for the time being, and we’ll wait and see what the locals think about it. I have a call into a printer to make up bulletins to be distributed throughout town and postcards that local shops have agreed to display for us.”

“When did you do that?” Corey asked.

“Oh, I called yesterday and didn’t think to mention it because… to tell you the truth, I forgot. Anyway, mark your calendars for the twentieth. That’s two weekends away, which means you have a week to come up with something and try it out on all of us.”

“That sounds fair,” Joey said.

“Now, don’t try to butter me up, Joseph,” she joked.

“I wasn’t,” Joey shot back with a toothy grin. Holding his hand up, he said, “Honest.”

Gabi laughed. “I knew you weren’t. I was just trying to bust you.” When she glanced over at Leslie, she could see her panicked expression. “Dig out the cookbooks, kiddo.”

“Okay,” she huffed, “I just panicked for nothing. I can do this.” Steven poked her with his elbow, and she grinned.

“Of course you can,” he said. It was obvious he’d taken on the role of a father figure. “We’ve got this covered, girl.”

“I’ll need to know by Wednesday what you’ve come up with. Once you decide, let’s discuss it and we’ll work on the ingredients. We’ll begin our trials on Thursday and keep doing it until we’re satisfied with the results.”

“And what happens if what we’ve chosen flops?” Leslie asked.

“Then you have a real challenge on your hands. I have no doubt you’ll make it work.”

Corey watched as Gabi inched her way over to her station and gave her an odd look.

“What?” she asked.

“That’s an interesting concept, but it’s slightly unfair for those who haven’t been in the business as long.”

“That’s a strange thing to hear from your mouth,” she said, cocking her head to the side.

“I told you, I’m trying to change.”

“So you said. I want to teach them to think outside the box instead of coming up with old standbys that lack creativity.” She scrunched her face. “C’mon, I’m sure you did the same thing in your restaurant.”

“Nope. I didn’t.” He smirked and put his head back down, focusing on what he was doing. “I think you taught cooking way too long.”

“Why? Do you think the learning process stops just because you’re a graduate of a good culinary school?”

“No. I’m just saying I think you’re still in that mode and not in the restaurant-owner mode. Some people resent being told to do things a different way.”

“Actually, Corey, I think you’re the only one who feels that way.” Gabi left her station and headed for the walk-in to get the cart filled with the leftover garnishes. She needed time alone to clear the frustration. But this was good. It appeared her thoughts had been delusional after all. Regardless, she did find being around him was even harder than she thought. Despite his disrespect, the one thing it did was to stop the conflicting thoughts—like when he opened his fool mouth and shoved his foot in, it helped to clear her mind. He wasn’t the fool. She was, for having such thoughts. Her fingers clenched into a fist when she entered
the walk-in and leaned against the shelving. Maybe the cool temperature in the walk-in would help to diffuse the burning anger she felt in her chest.

She thought about firing him on the spot—but he had impressive skills. Oh hell, why was she vacillating so much? Most bosses would have sent him packing at the first abusive comment he’d made. Had she already fallen for him and wouldn’t admit it?

Her fingers subconsciously touched her lips, and a rush of heat filled her cheeks. She told herself to stop the fantasy. Gabi knew she was acting like a desperate female and didn’t want to give him another opportunity to make a fool of her. If he came near her, she was going to tell him to beat it.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Lemon soufflé sounds sweet, but remember, people: It’s made of lemons! It’s bound to be sour! Oh, sorry, wrong lemon soufflé.

Concentrate now, and melt the butter in a saucepan. Yeah, we know, you’re melting every time he gets close to you. No question about it, he radiates heat. Okay, use the medium-high heat and melt until foamy. Add the flour and whisk until blended for approximately 1 minute. Whisking not only gives you exercise, but it helps clear your mind of a certain hot-looking guy. Add the sugar and salt into the milk and stir. The sugar might sweeten him up a little. Now, lower the heat to medium-low and gradually pour the milk mixture into the flour, stirring constantly until thickened and smooth. This will give you time to take a deep breath while the mixture thickens. Remove the pan from the burner, add the lemon juice and zest, and stir. Allow the mixture to cool before folding in the stiffly beaten egg
whites. Using a spatula, scoop the egg whites into the pan. Do not be tempted to whip the egg whites into the mixture or you’ll have a flat soufflé. Fold them in. Folding means lifting the spatula up in a circular motion and back into the mixture until it’s incorporated. It’s all in the wrist action. Yeah, it’s just like the song, knowing when to hold them and knowing when to fold them—Corey, that is.

Grease and sugar 6 ramekins and fill each one equally. Bake in the oven until they’re browned and puffed up, approximately 25 minutes. Serves 6.

Corey was surprised Gabi hadn’t fired him after he’d just opened his mouth again. Was she waiting until the weekend was over? Remorse filled him. The fact was he couldn’t help himself. She was beautiful, and he was falling for her. But why?

Having her sit next to him in his car, she was so pretty, relaxed and smiling. He pictured her hair glistening under the overhead light, and when he watched her perfectly plump lips move as she spoke, she’d reeled him in like a magnet. He wanted to kiss her so badly, and he was sure she felt the same thing, from the expression on her face. And when she’d leaned in slightly, maybe she was going to kiss him instead? That was wishful thinking on his part. Nevertheless, he was grateful he had finally listened to the little maggot’s voice shouting inside his head, telling him it was a dumb idea. Gabi was too darned irresistible for her own good. But he was convinced if he moved forward with this urge, he’d receive the gold medal for stupidity and a quick boot out the door. He was glad she’d walked away when she did before he acted on it.

But what was it about her that made him so hostile? If he wasn’t saying something that stung like a bee, he was acting like a moron. He wished he had more control over himself, but he didn’t seem to have a firm grasp on what set him off. He really was a nice guy, but she didn’t know that. Damn that Victoria for turning him into a monster. But the memories of her came crashing through his mind and reminded him that getting involved with a woman was a bad thing. Women were like poison sumac that gave a blistery rash and itched and made you crazy. He wondered how Victoria was able to sleep at night.

These fruit bars may be bad for you, but like a new girl, you’ll want them anyway. They will haunt you in your sleep. They will haunt you when you are awake. Just like she does.

You better make these bars to see if you can handle temptation. Now, use a food processor and add all the ingredients to the bowl. Pulse until thoroughly mixed. Check to make sure the mixture is smooth like caramel. Okay, so your next step is to place a piece of plastic wrap on the counter and dump the mixture onto it. Add another piece of plastic wrap over the top. Using a rolling pin, roll the mixture to a half-inch thickness and shape into a long rectangle. When you’re done with the rolling pin, bop yourself over the head to knock some sense into that brain of yours.

Remove the top cover and cut into 4-by-2-inch rectangular bars. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap. These will remain fresh for a week. Addiction warning! Makes 8–10 bars.

Leslie rushed into the kitchen like a cheerleader full of gusto. Her smile exploded like a beacon. “I know what I’m going to make,” she squealed.

“Wonderful,” Gabi said. “Tell me about it!”

“Nope. I’m going to surprise you, and man, you’re gonna love it.”

Gabi laughed. “Okay. I’ll patiently wait until you’re ready.” She loved seeing Leslie’s excitement. It only validated that she had done the right thing by giving each of them an assignment. It made them feel like they were part of the business. “So when do I get to do a taste test?”

“That’s why I came in early. So as soon as I get my prep work done for today’s menu, I’ll be working on it.”

“Can’t wait to try it, Leslie. Now, get to work. My mouth is already salivating.”

Gabi walked to the ovens and turned them on, then lit the grill. According to the reservation book, today was going to be busy. “By the way, I was able to get the local wine store to agree to come to the event and pair wines with our food.”