Catering to Love (28 page)

“I do, Lucy. The only problem now is that I’m building a business, so it might not be the best time to get involved.”

“Yeah, it is. If you can find a chef to work in your kitchen who isn’t threatened by a female boss, you can do both. Build the relationship and the business at the same time. That’s a winning combination.”

“If only that were true. Corey had issues working for a woman.”

Lucy paused, as if in thought. “Who is this Corey guy? Where’s he from?” she fired one question after another.

“Maybe you know him. He had a restaurant in New York that went belly up: Le Petit Chateau. Why? You know him?” Gabi’s voice rose in pitch.

Lucy was nodding her head. “I not only know him, I know his mother very well. His last name is Edwards.”

“That’s it!”

“Yeah, his mother is a ‘sister’ member of the Sisters of Italy with me at St. Catherine’s. Hmm.” She glanced around the room. “So this is where he came after he closed his business. I haven’t seen her in a while, but I have to tell you, she said Corey was a mess. Do you know what happened? I mean, why he lost the business?”

“No. He never confided in me.”

“Well, I will, and after you hear what happened to him, you might understand a little better.”

The three women moved in closer to listen to Lucy.

“His business was doing fantastic when he took up with this woman, a Victoria something. She was a food critic for the
New York Times
. Well, they went together for quite a while. His business was booming, and she wanted to get married, but Corey didn’t. When he told her he wasn’t interested in getting married, at least not for a while, Miss Prissy broke it off. And just to get even with him, she started writing negative articles about his restaurant. Things like someone in the kitchen dropped a cleaning product into the soup, and they still used it. Food was dropped on the floor and not thrown away. Of course, none of it was true, but once it hit the papers, customers stopped coming. He sued her in court and won the case, but by that time it was too late,
and his business never recovered. And the mere pittance of money he won went to the attorneys and his creditors.

Gabi blew the air from her lungs and sat back. “Wow. How tragic. No wonder he is bitter. I guess that’s why he’s had this love-hate relationship with me.” She slapped the sofa cushion. “I wish I’d known this before. It might have helped me to understand Corey better.”

Everyone congregated in the kitchen after breakfast. “How is the weather on this beautiful Friday morning?” Gabi asked Cassie.

“It’s beautiful now, but The Weather Channel said we should expect rain.”

Gabi squeezed her eyes shut and released a sigh. “Oh crap!” she said, slapping her hand against her thigh. “What am I going to do if it rains?”

“Don’t you have a backup plan?”

“I did have one. Oh crap,” she gasped, splaying her hands over her forehead. She slapped the table. “I completely forgot when all hell broke loose.” She walked to the center of the kitchen just as Stephanie was walking in the door. She waved to her and reached for her cell phone. “I don’t suppose you know of anyone who rents tents for dining?”

“I was going to ask you if you’d rented a tent for the weekend—it’s just starting to sprinkle.”

“Oh no.” She looked skyward. “What else could possibly go wrong?”

“Stop worrying,” Stephanie said. “I’ll call around. You go do what you have to do. I’ll get someone here.”

“I don’t know what I’d do without you, Stephanie. You’re saving my life again.”

“Yeah, say that when you see the tent going up.”

“Thanks, Steph.” Making her way to the kitchen, Gabi suddenly wondered if Stephanie had met Lucy, but their acknowledgment of each other confirmed it.

“By the way,” she called after Gabi, “I’m officially free. Today was my last day at the motel.” She made a pouty face.

“So then it’s a good thing you have another job.”

“For sure. Can I use your office to make the calls?”

“Yes. By all means.” Gabi walked to the center of the room. “Can I have everyone’s attention? First, I really want to say a huge thank-you to all of you. If it wasn’t for you, I’d never be able to pull this off. I’ll never forget your loyalty.” She inhaled a deep breath and blew it out. “Okay, let’s go over today. We need to be fully prepared by four o’clock this afternoon. Make sure you have everything prepped to make the dishes. Jamie is going to be the sous-chef today, which means she’s in charge of the entrées. Cassie will be the expeditor and she can be tough. Just remember, focus on the task at hand, and no shortcuts. I’ll be working at my regular station and helping wherever I’m needed, so let me know if you need a quick assist. Lucy will be doing the same thing she did last night, which is charming the customers, and Stephanie will be our multitasker today and tomorrow.”

Gabi grinned. “So, take a deep breath before the rush, and direct all your questions to me and Cassie. Make sure you have everything ready for the onslaught. Tonight will be
a sampling of how busy we’re going to be tomorrow night, so consider this like a dry run of sorts.”

Gabi meandered down the hall to the office to see how Stephanie was making out with the tent situation. She stopped at the open door and saw the troubled look on Stephanie’s face and gave herself an internal chastising, unable to believe she’d forgotten to order the tent. No excuses, she told herself. Although she’d said she wasn’t thinking about Corey, her subconscious mind must have been working harder than she thought, especially if she hadn’t been paying attention to the logistics of her business. She stood and listened as Stephanie begged and bargained with everyone she called. It wasn’t until Gabi finally saw a smile on Stephanie’s face that she knew it was good news. Relief bubbled inside.

“We’re good to go. They’ll be here in an hour.”

“How is it that you always come through when I’m having a crisis?” she said. “Thank you so much for always having my back.”

“It’s my pleasure. Seriously, I love doing stuff like this. So when and where do my chores begin?”

“We’ll have a lot of utensils and pots and pans soon enough. Just keep an eye on the sink. It’ll fill up pretty quick. But the real rush begins when the customers arrive. And I may need you to be a runner. The first gang comes in at six o’clock.”

“What do you have for me to do in the meantime?”

“I would like you to come with me when I inspect the rooms upstairs, and take a look at the reservation book and the chit for things needing attention.”

“Okay. Let’s do it.”

They walked down the hallway and up the stairs. Stephanie’s predecessor, Estelle, had left a note for Gabi with a “to do” list. Gabi handed the list to Stephanie.

“Want to go to the dining room or your office to discuss this list?”

Five o’clock, and Gabi’s nerves were beginning to send pinching sensations through her legs. Although last night had been busy, today would be the true test of whether or not she and the staff could get through the night without a major catastrophe. She’d checked earlier to make sure everyone was ready with the garnishes, and had the vegetables peeled, poached, and ready for the last-minute cooking cycle. Desserts and breads were ready and waiting for service. Jamie smiled when she noticed Gabi pacing back and forth.

“We’re fine. Stop pacing. You’re making us a wreck.”

“Sorry. I just want to be sure I haven’t forgotten anything.”

Lucy entered, with Cassie right behind her. “Our first customers are walk-ins.”

“How many?” she asked, her heart thudding in her chest.

“Party of six.”

“Oh, boy. Okay, people, we’re going to be pressed for time here with the next reservation.” She turned to Lucy. “Please check with Dan before you give another table away.”

“Did I do something wrong?”

“No. We’ll work it out. It’s okay.”

“Mom,” Cassie said in a low voice, “this isn’t family fest where it doesn’t matter who shows up.”

Lucy gave her daughter a look that had Cassie shaking her head. Lucy explained, “I just figured the more the merrier.”

“It’s all right,” Gabi said. “Seriously, don’t worry about a thing. You did good.”

“Want me to tell them I’m new and didn’t realize?”

“Absolutely not. It’s fine. You might want to go back out there for the new arrivals though.” Gabi leaned in and kissed Lucy. “I love you.” Lucy smiled and walked back out into the dining room.

“Okay, people, we’re ready to start the show,” Gabi announced. She watched them exhale simultaneously.

“Listen up,” Cassie said. “I’m ordering for Brian, who just got here. I need a crab roulade, a smoked trio, and a Napoleon, table eight.” She clipped the chit and pulled out a second. “Dan’s order, a six top, table four. I need two Brie, two napoleons, one escargot, and a smoked trio.” She turned to Trevor, who stood close by and listened. “We need nine amuse-bouche, six for table four, three for table eight.”

Gabi ran behind the station. “Where’s the liver pâté?”

“Oh crap,” Leslie screeched, “I forgot to take it out of the walk-in.” She rushed to the back.

Jamie rolled her eyes. “Use the Gorgonzola and slice the poached pears to serve on top of the toast points.”

“Phew, thanks. Great idea.” Gabi turned toward Trevor. “Get a plate and give me two poached pears.” She pointed, but he looked confused.

“They’re here,” Jamie said, placing two on a plate and handing them to him.

Gabi had already spread the toast points with cheese. As soon as Trevor brought the pears over, Gabi sliced them in quarters, then in thin slices. She placed the pears by fanning them over the top of the cheese. Leslie, who was now standing next to Gabi, plated them onto another plate. Trevor picked up the plates and left the kitchen. “Thanks, Les.”

“Dan,” Gabi asked after Trevor left the room, “is he going to be okay?”

“He’ll be fine,” he nodded. “He’s just a bit nervous.”

When the appetizers hit the steam table, Gabi panicked. “Where the heck is Brian?” she shouted.

“I’m here.”

“C’mon, get these dishes out there people,” Cassie demanded.

Dan walked back in, “Amuse-bouches to table six. Leslie, the bread.”

“Let me have that, Dan,” Cassie said, pulling the chit from his hands. She turned to Steven. “Three strips, two medium, one well done, lamb chops, medium rare, and a tuna.”

Gabi’s heart was racing as quickly as her mind. Could she get through this night?

Cassie’s voice echoed through the kitchen, “Table four’s up. Dan, let’s go.”

Gabi wiped the rim around the plates with lemon water and noticed the dish wasn’t plated the way it was intended to be. “Guys, this isn’t how we plate this one.”

“Well, then maybe you’d better get over here,” Jamie’s voice was filled with frustration. “Gabi, I don’t know what else to do. This is how they told me it was plated.”

“Okay. Joey, you go over to my station and let me stay here so I can check the plates as they’re being plated.”

“Okay, Chef,” he said sadly.

“It’s nothing personal; it’s just to save time.”

“I know.”

“C’mon, c’mon, people, we’re already behind. Table eight is hungry.”

A loud crash in the distance had Gabi shuddering. She rushed to the dining room only to see Trevor on his knees trying to clean up the mess he’d just made after trying to carry too many plates. The entire table’s offerings had landed on the floor. Dan rushed over and began to help.

Gabi’s eyes blinked shut. “I’m so sorry,” she announced to the table. “As you can imagine, things are pretty hectic in the kitchen right now. Please be patient with us.”

“We understand. But can we have a new basket of bread and butter? By the way, what is that butter you made? It’s out of this world.”

“Of course.” She held up the basket to Brian, who raced to the back. “The butter is a compound butter whipped together with honey. I’m glad you like it.”

“We have to thank you, Chef,” one of the customers said as she walked past. “We are so pleased with your new menu. It’s nice to be back to our favorite place in New Hope. Having a fresh new face and exquisite selections on the menu is just what we’d hoped for. We always have a house full of company. Janie, over here,” he said, pointing to the woman sitting next to him, “has been cooking while we were waiting
on your new menu. And you can be sure, she’s as thrilled as you are.” He laughed. “Aren’t you, Janie?” he asked, leaning toward her. “She hates to cook.”

“That’s for sure,” the wife groaned, “but I do it when I have to.”

“Thank you so much. It’s nice to have you back too.”

Lucy approached. “See, I told you she’s a gem,” she said, pulling Gabi closer to her with a side hug. “Just make sure you send that son of yours over here to meet Gabi.”

Gabi smiled on the outside, groaned on the inside, and walked to the next table. “How’s the food, folks?”

“Wonderful. I’ve been waiting for someone in the area to produce a good fish dish, and mine was exceptional tonight.”

“I’ll be sure to let the kitchen staff know about your comments. Excuse me,” she said, and turned to the two waiters who were cleaning the mess. “Did you put in another order?”

“Yes,” Dan said. “All taken care of.”