then I’ll have an excuse to go back and talk to him?”
She laughed. “Nice try.” She was silent for a bit. “We should have gone to the lawyer.”
“If we had, I wouldn’t have talked to Zach.”
“Maybe we can still see the lawyer. Why don’t you call and see if he’ll see us tonight.”
“I’m a little busy.”
“And I’m a little old with not a lot of time to wait.”
“Some sweet little old lady you turned out to be.”
“Sorry to shatter your illusions.”
“And there were so few left. We’ll have a full day tomorrow, promise. I think you should rest.”
Her noise of complete disgust wiped out all thoughts I had about Aunt Kay being a lady. “Let me worry about my health, about the weather, about everything that distracts you, and just pay attention to what needs doing. I expect a lot more than I’m getting for my money.”
Yet one more disappointed customer in my life.
CHAPTER 22
At the Sunset I stood at the window and watched the bright green birds that never seemed to settle. They moved from branch to branch, flying up with harsh complaint and then settling down again.
I turned away. I still had to deal with losing Isaak. A restaurant can run without birds for entertainment but not without a chef.
I went into my office and called Miguel in from the kitchen. Miguel was almost as devoted to the Sunset as I was. We’d bothworked at the Sunset when Miss Emma had owned it and now we worked side by side, through long grueling hours, to do whatever it took to keep the Sunset alive.
Miguel had started working in a kitchen at fourteen, so although he had no formal training he had lots of experience. When he came into the office he was dressed in a white chef’s coat and the blackand-white houndstooth-checked pants of a chef. Looking like a professional upped my confidence in him.
With skin like polished leather, an eagle beak of a nose and straight black hair, Miguel had the profile of a face carved on an Aztec ruin, but behind his severe exterior was an exuberant and joyous being.
I told him about Isaak leaving. He just nodded and waited for what came next. Miguel wasn’t surprised at the news.
“You knew?” I was hurt that he hadn’t warned me. He shrugged. “He is a restless kind of guy.”
That was all I was going to get out of him, so I let it drop. “So, will you take over?”
His face lit up and his white teeth flashed. “I’ve been watching. I know everything Isaak makes, can do everything he does.” He rubbed his palms together. “I even know the new recipes he’s been trying out. Those fancy dishes he’ll be serving up north?” He jabbed a finger at the floor. “We’ll be having them right here.”
“You memorized all his recipes by watching him?”
He waggled his hand back and forth and then pulled something out of his breast pocket. “Every recipe he ever prepared is right here on this cute little memory stick.”
“That’s probably illegal.”
“Then you likely don’t want to know about it.” He grinned and put his forefinger to his lips. “You wouldn’t look good in orange and I’m too pretty to go to jail so let’s say no more about it.”
He slipped the memory stick back into the pocket of his jacket, grinning like a fool. “Nobody needs to know.”
I raised my hand as if I were swearing an oath. “One more guilty secret I’ll take to my grave.”
But Miguel wasn’t interested in our shared culpability. “I know I’m not trained like Isaak but I’ve watched every step. I can create every single one of his recipes. He’s been practicing all kinds of new ones for the new restaurant.”
“Serves him right then.” Seems my morals are just like my workout clothes, nice and elastic. “If he’s been creating menus for someone else while he was working for me, he deserves to have his recipes stolen. I probably have some right to them if they were created on my time.” I was beginning to like this more and more. Truth was, if I was
She laughed. “Nice try.” She was silent for a bit. “We should have gone to the lawyer.”
“If we had, I wouldn’t have talked to Zach.”
“Maybe we can still see the lawyer. Why don’t you call and see if he’ll see us tonight.”
“I’m a little busy.”
“And I’m a little old with not a lot of time to wait.”
“Some sweet little old lady you turned out to be.”
“Sorry to shatter your illusions.”
“And there were so few left. We’ll have a full day tomorrow, promise. I think you should rest.”
Her noise of complete disgust wiped out all thoughts I had about Aunt Kay being a lady. “Let me worry about my health, about the weather, about everything that distracts you, and just pay attention to what needs doing. I expect a lot more than I’m getting for my money.”
Yet one more disappointed customer in my life.
CHAPTER 22
At the Sunset I stood at the window and watched the bright green birds that never seemed to settle. They moved from branch to branch, flying up with harsh complaint and then settling down again.
I turned away. I still had to deal with losing Isaak. A restaurant can run without birds for entertainment but not without a chef.
I went into my office and called Miguel in from the kitchen. Miguel was almost as devoted to the Sunset as I was. We’d bothworked at the Sunset when Miss Emma had owned it and now we worked side by side, through long grueling hours, to do whatever it took to keep the Sunset alive.
Miguel had started working in a kitchen at fourteen, so although he had no formal training he had lots of experience. When he came into the office he was dressed in a white chef’s coat and the blackand-white houndstooth-checked pants of a chef. Looking like a professional upped my confidence in him.
With skin like polished leather, an eagle beak of a nose and straight black hair, Miguel had the profile of a face carved on an Aztec ruin, but behind his severe exterior was an exuberant and joyous being.
I told him about Isaak leaving. He just nodded and waited for what came next. Miguel wasn’t surprised at the news.
“You knew?” I was hurt that he hadn’t warned me. He shrugged. “He is a restless kind of guy.”
That was all I was going to get out of him, so I let it drop. “So, will you take over?”
His face lit up and his white teeth flashed. “I’ve been watching. I know everything Isaak makes, can do everything he does.” He rubbed his palms together. “I even know the new recipes he’s been trying out. Those fancy dishes he’ll be serving up north?” He jabbed a finger at the floor. “We’ll be having them right here.”
“You memorized all his recipes by watching him?”
He waggled his hand back and forth and then pulled something out of his breast pocket. “Every recipe he ever prepared is right here on this cute little memory stick.”
“That’s probably illegal.”
“Then you likely don’t want to know about it.” He grinned and put his forefinger to his lips. “You wouldn’t look good in orange and I’m too pretty to go to jail so let’s say no more about it.”
He slipped the memory stick back into the pocket of his jacket, grinning like a fool. “Nobody needs to know.”
I raised my hand as if I were swearing an oath. “One more guilty secret I’ll take to my grave.”
But Miguel wasn’t interested in our shared culpability. “I know I’m not trained like Isaak but I’ve watched every step. I can create every single one of his recipes. He’s been practicing all kinds of new ones for the new restaurant.”
“Serves him right then.” Seems my morals are just like my workout clothes, nice and elastic. “If he’s been creating menus for someone else while he was working for me, he deserves to have his recipes stolen. I probably have some right to them if they were created on my time.” I was beginning to like this more and more. Truth was, if I was
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