didn’t smile or frown. He seemed impartial to her work, but later was told that he approved. He walked away quickly. He seemed to almost float above the ground and moved in swift, smooth motions. His hair was jet back and slicked back. He had an extremely thin mustache and dark, penetrating eyes. Ali thought he looked like a fiendish character from an old cartoon.
“Wow, I didn’t know what to make of him,” said Ali as she sat across the break table from Marcella. She sipped her water and picked at a salad.
Marcella gave her a half smile. “He doesn’t give praise, but you’ll know it if he’s unhappy.”
“All my direction comes from John or Jenny,” said Ali. “Will he be training me at all?”
Marcella laughed out loud. “That’s a hoot! John and Jenny are his protégés. They were each here a year before Adolphe actually worked with them.” She took a bite out of a sandwich.
Ali’s heart sank. She was hoping to learn from the Master himself, but took solace that she was learning from Smoke-Break John when he was around or Jenny, a quiet Asian woman who rarely spoke and was fond of showing vs. telling. Whenever Ali asked a question, she usually got a head nod instead of actual words.
“So how long has John been here?” Ali asked. He was never around and didn’t appear to actually be doing much. He had showed her a few things, but most of her training was from Jenny.
Another eye roll from Marcella. “You know he’s the owner’s nephew?”
“Oh, that explains a lot,” said Ali. Marcella agreed and that was all they said on the matter.
CHAPTER 13
Ben hadn’t seen Ali much since she started at the restaurant. Her hours were long and she was usually too tired to go out. Tonight she was glad to see him. They’d be sharing a pizza and watching a movie. Ali was off for two days and finally able to hang out and relax.
She’d been stockpiling money as the pay at the Golden Palm wasn’t too bad. Slowly she was paying off her Dad’s medical bills and although she hadn’t been able to see him they’d spoke several times a week on the phone and she was relieved to know he was healing well.
Ali swung her tired body of the soft chair and answered the door. “Hope this is OK,” he said holding up a bottle of red pinot noir.
“Yeah, great,” said Ali plopping back into the overstuffed chair in her living room. Ben was left standing at the door. “Come on in,” she said. “Don’t mind me; I’m kind of wiped out. I worked earlier and my feet are killing me. I think I’ve got to get some better chef’s clogs. I got mine on discount and they aren’t so great.”
Ben came in, opened the wine and poured each of them a glass. Handing one to Ali, he asked, “So how do you like it? Is it what you thought it would be?”
“Well, Ali said, yes and no. I mean, I’m learning a lot, but the main pastry chef Adolphe won’t be working with me directly for another couple of years. I’m learning mostly from Jenny, who is a killer chef and John, who is the owner’s nephew and mostly on a smoke break.”
Ben smiled. “Well, that’s something. Is the pastry kitchen where you want to be?”
“Yeah, I really think so,” said Ali. In her few trips to the hot kitchen she was amazed at the level of heat, expletives and the sound level. “They are maniacs over there,” she told Ben as she finished describing it to him.
“Do you think you’ll be able to go to school and work there?”
“Well, they said that once school starts I should concentrate on that and just work one day a week or so. After I graduate, I’ll be trained and ready to start full-time.”
“Wow, I still can’t believe what an amazing opportunity you’ve got.”
“I know. I try to count my blessings,” said Ali. “Even when my feet are killing me. So what’s up with you? How’s work?”
Ben frowned. “It’s fine.
“Wow, I didn’t know what to make of him,” said Ali as she sat across the break table from Marcella. She sipped her water and picked at a salad.
Marcella gave her a half smile. “He doesn’t give praise, but you’ll know it if he’s unhappy.”
“All my direction comes from John or Jenny,” said Ali. “Will he be training me at all?”
Marcella laughed out loud. “That’s a hoot! John and Jenny are his protégés. They were each here a year before Adolphe actually worked with them.” She took a bite out of a sandwich.
Ali’s heart sank. She was hoping to learn from the Master himself, but took solace that she was learning from Smoke-Break John when he was around or Jenny, a quiet Asian woman who rarely spoke and was fond of showing vs. telling. Whenever Ali asked a question, she usually got a head nod instead of actual words.
“So how long has John been here?” Ali asked. He was never around and didn’t appear to actually be doing much. He had showed her a few things, but most of her training was from Jenny.
Another eye roll from Marcella. “You know he’s the owner’s nephew?”
“Oh, that explains a lot,” said Ali. Marcella agreed and that was all they said on the matter.
CHAPTER 13
Ben hadn’t seen Ali much since she started at the restaurant. Her hours were long and she was usually too tired to go out. Tonight she was glad to see him. They’d be sharing a pizza and watching a movie. Ali was off for two days and finally able to hang out and relax.
She’d been stockpiling money as the pay at the Golden Palm wasn’t too bad. Slowly she was paying off her Dad’s medical bills and although she hadn’t been able to see him they’d spoke several times a week on the phone and she was relieved to know he was healing well.
Ali swung her tired body of the soft chair and answered the door. “Hope this is OK,” he said holding up a bottle of red pinot noir.
“Yeah, great,” said Ali plopping back into the overstuffed chair in her living room. Ben was left standing at the door. “Come on in,” she said. “Don’t mind me; I’m kind of wiped out. I worked earlier and my feet are killing me. I think I’ve got to get some better chef’s clogs. I got mine on discount and they aren’t so great.”
Ben came in, opened the wine and poured each of them a glass. Handing one to Ali, he asked, “So how do you like it? Is it what you thought it would be?”
“Well, Ali said, yes and no. I mean, I’m learning a lot, but the main pastry chef Adolphe won’t be working with me directly for another couple of years. I’m learning mostly from Jenny, who is a killer chef and John, who is the owner’s nephew and mostly on a smoke break.”
Ben smiled. “Well, that’s something. Is the pastry kitchen where you want to be?”
“Yeah, I really think so,” said Ali. In her few trips to the hot kitchen she was amazed at the level of heat, expletives and the sound level. “They are maniacs over there,” she told Ben as she finished describing it to him.
“Do you think you’ll be able to go to school and work there?”
“Well, they said that once school starts I should concentrate on that and just work one day a week or so. After I graduate, I’ll be trained and ready to start full-time.”
“Wow, I still can’t believe what an amazing opportunity you’ve got.”
“I know. I try to count my blessings,” said Ali. “Even when my feet are killing me. So what’s up with you? How’s work?”
Ben frowned. “It’s fine.
Similar Books
