The Winemaker's Dinner: No Reservations, page 1
title page
The Winemaker’s Dinner:
No Reservations
...
Everly Drummond
...
Omnific Publishing
Dallas
Copyright Information
The Winemaker’s Dinner: No Reservations, Copyright © 2012 by Everly Drummond
All Rights Reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the publisher.
...
Omnific Publishing
P.O. Box 793871, Dallas, TX 75379
www.omnificpublishing.com
...
First Omnific eBook edition, July 2012
...
The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
...
Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
...
Drummond, Everly.
The Winemaker’s Dinner: No Reservations / Everly Drummond – 1st ed.
ISBN: 978-1-62342-900-3
...
Cover Design by Micha Stone and Amy Brokaw
Interior Book Design by Coreen Montagna
No Reservations
“DAMN IT!” JADEN CURSED under her breath as she jumped back from the stove, spilling creamy sauce over the stovetop and her already smeared kitchen whites. A stray lock of ebony hair fell in front of her eyes, and she hastily tucked it behind her ear. “Where the hell is Geoff?” she asked no one in particular. Tossing the spent pan aside, she immediately prepared to create another batch.
Why did Geoff have to choose tonight, of all nights, to hide? Fridays at Bianca were always slammed, and this particular evening there was a party of twenty waiting to be seated. Jaden had also been at work since eleven in the morning, interviewing more than thirty candidates for the sous chef position before starting her prep for the night ahead. Tired, cranky, and a little resentful that Geoff had disappeared, she slammed down the sauce pan, visibly startling a few of the kitchen staff. Maybe she was in over her head. Maybe taking an executive chef position after having only worked in one other kitchen was too much. Maybe her family was right and she should’ve just stayed in Colorado where she belonged.
Jaden gritted her teeth and took a deep breath. She couldn’t fail. Not now. She had to prove to them, and to herself, that she’d made the right choice by going to culinary school instead of following in her father’s footsteps—even though it meant that after four generations, there wouldn’t be a Thorne park ranger at Rocky Mountain National Park. Jaden knew her brother Justin would never become a park ranger. Hell, he was incapable of holding a job for more than two weeks. And Magan, her younger sister, had dreams of her own to chase. She wanted to be a big time New York talent agent, not some backwoods bear whisperer who spent her days tagging wildlife and chasing poachers. Jaden cringed as she remembered the look of disappointment on her father’s face when she’d told him she’d chosen cooking over camping.
That can’t have been for nothing, she told herself. With a renewed sense of purpose, yet still laced with a tinge of guilt, she picked up the sauce pan and began adding ingredients. After a few minutes of whisking, the aroma of cream layered with fresh garlic and parmesan cheese began to waft through the air, and Jaden smiled. Creating in the kitchen always soothed her. With the sauce all but finished, she was ready to move on to her next task when she suddenly felt the presence of one of the male servers at her side.
“Try adding a teaspoon of anchovy paste,” Bert whispered before disappearing just as quickly as he’d appeared.
Jaden looked over her shoulder and watched as the large, redheaded Puerto Rican picked up two large trays with ease and carried them out to the dining room. Though usually quiet, Bert had a hidden agenda. Several times Jaden had caught him watching her from the other side of the room, observing the way she prepared meals and paying particular attention to her technique. Finally putting it all together, Jaden smiled. Bert was a chef trapped in a waiter’s uniform. Hmmm…
She set the pot of finished sauce aside and wiped the remaining traces of cream from the front of her coat. The kitchen at Bianca was a flurry of activity as everyone rushed to complete the rapidly arriving orders. Jaden made her way to the other side of the kitchen and stood on tiptoes to sneak a peek of the dining room through the small port window in the door. An audible sigh escaped as she saw a crowd filling the main entrance of the restaurant.
“Where the hell is Geoff?” She cursed again and turned on her heel, almost running into Bert as he returned to the kitchen. “Sorry,” Jaden mumbled and stepped out of the way.
“You okay, boss?” Bert asked as he put his two empty trays on the counter.
“Have you seen Geoff?” Jaden asked. “He’s been MIA all night.”
“I saw him taking inventory in the freezer, but that was a few hours ago,” Bert replied. He turned to pick up two more trays overflowing with entrées ready to be served, but Jaden stopped him.
“Hey, Bert…” she began.
“Yeah, boss?” He paused to look at her.
“Have you ever worked in a kitchen before?” Bert was one of only three on the current wait staff at Bianca who hadn’t applied for the sous chef position, but deep down she suspected he wanted the job more than anyone else.
A crooked smile played across his face. “I did my culinary internship at Haute Cuisine.”
“Why didn’t you apply for the sous chef position when Geoff posted it?” Jaden asked. “You’re obviously qualified for it.”
“Unless you have a few years’ experience to back you up, full-time kitchen jobs are impossible to land in this town, especially at a place like this.” Bert glanced over at the multimillion-dollar kitchen behind them.
Jaden, suddenly feeling even more fortunate to have been offered the job as executive chef at one of Miami Beach’s most prestigious restaurants, nodded in agreement. She’d spent the past five years working her ass off at one of Estes Park’s finest establishments and was all too familiar with how difficult it was to get a break in the restaurant world.
“Bert, I was wondering if you’d be interested in the sous chef position. I know you didn’t apply, but I think you’d make an excellent addition to the kitchen, and—”
Just then a streak of white flew across the kitchen and came to a stop directly in front of her. “Chef Thorne,” Susan said, a bit breathless. “Sorry to interrupt, but Geoff needs to see you right away.”
“Where is he?” Jaden asked. “Did he say what it was about?”
“No, but he said it was important. He’s in his office.”
“I’m sorry,” Jaden said to Bert, who was now practically bouncing up and down. She was certain she knew what his answer would be. The man grinned from ear to ear, his face a brighter red than the hair he’d tied neatly in a ponytail at the back of his neck. “Can we finish discussing this later?”
“Sure thing, boss!” Without skipping a beat he picked up the two full trays from the counter and disappeared once again into the dining room.
Jaden watched him through the window for a moment, chuckling as his mass of ginger hair weaved through the sea of patrons. No doubt the head waiter would be disappointed to lose one of his best, but Bert would be a huge asset to creating the dishes, not just serving them.
Happy to have finally filled the sous chef position, Jaden wove her way back through the kitchen and past the freezers. She slowed as she approached Geoff’s office. The feeling in her stomach was eerily reminiscent of being summoned to the principal’s office in high school. She didn’t know her boss well enough yet to have any idea what might be coming. Hesitantly, Jaden knocked, half hoping he wasn’t there or wouldn’t hear her light rapping.
“Come in,” Geoff grumbled from behind the closed door.
Jaden opened the door and entered. Much to her surprise, the room was devoid of light, and she spotted Geoff not behind his desk, but on the opposite side of the room where a brown microfiber sofa sat against the wall.
“Geoff, is everything okay?” Jaden asked as she stepped into the darkness. She flipped the light switch, only to be met with Geoff’s thunderous voice.
“Turn the damn lights off!” he barked, pulling the blanket over his head.
Jaden turned off the light and shut the door behind her, plunging them into complete darkness. “Is everything okay?” she asked again.
“Turn on the lamp,” Geoff said with a sigh.
Jaden felt her way across the room to the antique lamp that sat on the corner of his desk. She turned the knob and muted light reflected softly off the polished mahogany. Jaden turned to the couch and found a pale-looking man who somewhat resembled her boss. Geoff sat, wrapped head to toe in a blue fleece blanket, with a box of tissues in one hand and a wastepaper basket in the other. Looking more closely, she could see his complexion was a washed-out gray highlighted with unhealthy hues of green.
“Go into the top drawer of my desk and get the white envelope,” he instructed, ignoring her stare. “You can’t miss it. It’s sitting right on top of the stack of papers.”
“Maybe I should call for a doctor, or—”
“Never mind that. Please just do as I ask.” Geoff coughed,
Against her better judgment, Jaden retrieved an elegant white linen envelope from the drawer. Scrolled across the front in exquisite calligraphy was her boss’s name, Geoff Knight. On the back of the envelope a purple wax seal had been neatly snapped in half. Envelope in hand, Jaden started toward Geoff on the sofa, but he motioned for her to stop.
“Don’t come any closer,” he said, waving the tissue box frantically as if to ward her off. “I don’t need you getting sick too!”
“What’s this about?” Jaden asked. Her curiosity had been piqued the minute she’d seen the luxurious envelope. For the past two weeks Geoff had been carrying on about the Florida Wine Festival and some fancy dinner in Sarasota. This was the first year Bianca had been invited to take part. Jaden was pretty sure it was this weekend, and Geoff would be lucky to make it off the sofa without collapsing at this point.
A thought crossed her mind, and Jaden’s curiosity quickly transformed into a swirling mass of excitement mixed with a dash of apprehension. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Geoff answered as if she’d asked a question.
“Yes, Jaden, I need you to fill in for me.”
“Ohhhh,” she said. “Oh, wow…”
“That’s not exactly the response I expected,” he said with an air of authority. “Are you up for this?”
Jaden managed a nod and smile, her mind still scrambling to process what had just happened.
“You’ll be representing the restaurant. I know you can do this,” he told her. “Now, there are a few things we need to go over before you go running off to Sarasota.”
“Yes?” If Geoff thought she could do this, she’d be fine, right? It was bound to be a fabulous event…lots of hobnobbing with big wigs. Ooohhh, boy…
“Would you pass me my jacket, please?” Geoff slouched into the sofa for another coughing fit.
Jaden retrieved his suit jacket from the hook in the corner and cautiously handed it over, making sure to touch it as little as possible.
Geoff reached into inside pocket and pulled out his wallet. He thumbed through a stack of cards until he found the one he was looking for. “Take this,” he sighed, handing Jaden a credit card.
Jaden turned the platinum-colored card over in her hand. Bianca was embossed on the front in bold letters. “What’s this for?”
“You’ll need it to check into the hotel.”
Oh! Of course. Jaden nodded and slipped the card into her pocket.
“I also want you to use it to buy yourself something nice to wear,” he continued. “You only get one chance to make a first impression, so make it a good one. Make Bianca proud.”
“I won’t let you down. You have my word,” Jaden said as she tucked the envelope safely in her jacket pocket.
“Oh, and Jaden,” he said, summoning a grin.
“Yes, Geoff?”
“Happy birthday. You’re welcome to bring a date to the event. The tickets are for two.”
Jaden was stunned. How kind that he’d remembered her birthday—she’d only been working here for two months. She smiled broadly. “Thanks.” Despite the pressures of a new job and an understaffed kitchen, she now knew her efforts were not going unrecognized.
“Now get out of here. You have a dinnertime rush to manage.” Geoff lay back on the sofa, clinging to the box of tissues.
Jaden quietly retreated and returned to the busy kitchen, her mind buzzing with all that lay ahead. She couldn’t wait to tell Tasha the good news. With no man in her life, Jaden knew her roommate would make the perfect sidekick for this event: an all-expenses-paid weekend in one of the nicest hotels in Sarasota, tickets to an exclusive food and wine event, and a monumental networking task. Tasha would help keep her calm, help her shop for the right outfit—boss’s orders!—and make sure they had some fun in the process.
Jaden smiled to herself as she sidestepped a waitress. Then she spotted Bert heading toward the bank of staff lockers at the back of the kitchen, and she hurried to catch up.
“You’re not leaving, are you?” Jaden asked.
“No,” Bert replied. He dug in his locker for his cigarettes and lighter. “I’m just going on break.”
“You know those will be the death of you.” Jaden gestured for him to sit with her on the bench.
“You’re right. But in the meantime they’re the only thing that keeps me sane in a place like this,” he said.
Jaden smiled and shifted to face him.
“Did you want to talk to me about something, boss?” Bert tucked his cigarettes into his jacket pocket.
“Yeah, about earlier…” Jaden began. She looked up to see the color drain from his face. Did he really think she’d change her mind about the job offer? Placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder, she smiled and continued. “I know this is supposed to be your weekend off, but is there any way you could start as sous chef tomorrow? I’m going to be out of town for the weekend, and I could really use all hands on deck.”
“Of course I could!” Bert roared as he leaned over and swept her into an unexpected hug. “You won’t regret this,” he whispered before releasing her from his vice-like grip.
Jaden knew he was right. Little more than two short months ago, she’d been the one receiving the ultimate job offer from Bianca, and she hadn’t stopped working hard to please Geoff since. She remembered her euphoria at the opportunity, and was glad to do the same for Bert. Smiling, she stood and left him, grinning away as he stepped outside for his smoke break.
The night passed by in a blur of sizzling seafood and fragrant sauce, and Jaden pinched herself all over again. How could it be she was getting paid to do this? Not until the evening wound down and just a few lingered in the dining room over their drinks and desserts did Jaden have another moment to ponder her new plans for the weekend. She hadn’t even had a chance to tell Tasha yet! Once she was certain her staff could manage the closing—as well as the weekend—without her, Jaden rushed to her locker and dug through her purse for her cell phone. She began to type as she made her way through the parking lot to her car.
Tasha, are you awake?
Jaden waited a few minutes, and when Tasha didn’t respond, she composed a second text.
Call me as soon as you get this!
Tossing her phone on the empty seat beside her, Jaden started her SUV and sped toward home, barely pausing at the stop signs and almost sideswiping a black jeep when she took the corner too quickly. Mere minutes later her car came to a screeching halt in her underground parking spot.
Jaden tapped her foot impatiently as the elevator seemed to crawl up to the ninth floor. When the doors slid open, she sprinted down the hall, fumbling with her keys as she rushed to tell Tasha the good news.
A box lay open on the table, holding the remains of a half-eaten pizza, and the distinct sound of Tasha moaning echoed through the apartment. No wonder she hadn’t responded to the text messages. She was too busy getting laid.
Jaden sighed and tossed her purse into a vacant chair. Not wanting a front-row seat to this evening’s events, she opted to sleep on the sofa instead of in her bedroom where only a paper-thin wall would separate her from the sexfest in Tasha’s room. After stripping down to her bra and panties—it was too hot for anything else—Jaden pulled a light cotton blanket from the leather storage box that doubled as a coffee table, curled up on the sofa, and covered her head with a pillow…which put pretty much no damper on the noise. Good God. How long had it been since someone made her feel like that? Jaden smiled as for a moment she remembered…
Music had blasted from the speakers in the corner of the patio, and the aroma of BBQ and beer infused the air. Jaden had been astounded, and beyond flattered, by the turnout. When her father had suggested throwing her a going-away party, she’d assumed it would be a low-key affair with friends and family, not the entire community of Estes Park. Okay, maybe not the entire community, but one hundred thirty-six people had gathered to say their final farewells.
Jaden scanned the crowd but saw no sign of him. Maybe her father hadn’t invited him. Maybe he hadn’t gotten over their breakup five months ago, or maybe Jarred was just being a first-class douchebag like always. But they’d been lifelong friends and high school sweethearts, and Jaden didn’t want to leave Colorado without making peace. They’d always managed to find their way back together, but this time was different. This time Jaden was moving halfway across the country to begin a new life—a life that wouldn’t involve Jarred. There would be no more second chances.
