"I don't think Kiara would do that," Jenny insists.
"And you formed that opinion because you know her so well?" Robbs snorts. "Aside from where she goes to school, what do we know about her at all?"
"I know as much about her as I know about you," Jenny answers defiantly.
"I'm an open book," Robbs replies. "Ask me anything you want, and I'll give you a straight answer. Then go talk to that brown-haired bitch and see if she does the same. I'm telling you, I'm not going to sit back and lose this job because the boss man wants a hot new piece of tail... and you shouldn't sit back and take this either. You're an amazing chef, Jenny, and you deserve to be recognized for that. Paul's barely spoken to you since you won last week's competition. Not to mention that you're much more attractive than Kiara. I'd think if Paul wanted in anyone's pants, it would be yours. "
Jenny blushes. "Thank you... I think," she says. "But I'm still not sure you're right about Paul. I mean, if you are, then we should obviously do something about it... maybe report him to our instructors or something... but until I'm as convinced as you are, I'm not going to do or say anything about it."
"What if I find a way to show you that I'm right?" Robbs asks deviously.
"What are you planning on doing?" Jenny answers with a tone of suspicion.
"Nothing illegal, if that's what you're worried about," he assures her. "But I could create a situation... see how he responds. I don't have an exact plan worked out, but you'll know it when you see it."
"You're going to do something to make her look bad, aren't you?" Jenny asks. "You're bitching about the competition being unfair, and now you're talking about sabotage. What's fair about that?"
"I won't do anything to get her kicked out of the competition. But I'm going to prove that he's showing her favoritism. If I can do that, will you help me do something about it?"
Jenny considers his question for several moments before answering. "IF I see something that makes me believe that Paul is showing Kiara favoritism because of anything other than her food, then yes, I will help you put a stop to it," she says.
***
"Kiara, I'm glad you're here early," Paul says as he approaches my usual morning table.
"I take my coffee here in the morning," I explain. "What's up?"
Paul takes a seat at the table and pours coffee into the mug he had carried over with him. "Enrique called about ten minutes ago. His wife went into labor this morning, so he's going to be out for a week or so."
Enrique is in charge of the daily prep work. Paul already told Robbs, Jenny, and I that we will be covering for him after his baby is born, so I know where the conversation is heading.
"Kiara," Paul continues. "I know your dish is the special this weekend, but Cole and Harrison will be executing the majority of it. Since Enrique's leave is starting on our busiest day of the week, I'm hoping you won't mind handling today's prep. You possess the best knife skills, and you work the fastest," he says with that charming smile that makes me want to melt into my chair.
"Whatever you need, Paul," I answer quickly. "I'm flexible."
"Thanks, Kiara. I knew I could count on you. You know, flexibility is an important quality for an apprentice. That will serve you well in this competition."
"Thank you. I enjoy working here, and I'll do anything to earn a permanent place in the kitchen."
"Anything?" he asks with a sly smile.
"Anything, within reason," I answer with a blush.
"I'll keep that in mind." Paul stares at me intently, and I think that he wants to say something else. Before he can speak, I am startled by the sound of a voice clearing behind me. I turn and see Jenny standing with her arms crossed.
"Good morning," she says coldly.
"Good morning," I reply. "Are you all right?" Something is obviously bothering her.
"I'm great... just ready to get to work." She turns to Paul. "What is my assignment for today?" she asks impatiently.
"Well, as you came in second in yesterday's challenge, you get to pick the chef you will assist this weekend. I was just telling Kiara that Enrique's baby is on its way this morning. She'll be handling the prep work, so you're welcome to assist Cole or Harrison, if you'd like to practice your grilling or your sauce skills. Everyone else is available too, of course."
I can see on Jenny's face that she's insulted by the suggestion that she help with my dish. "I'd like to assist you this weekend, Paul," she answers quickly. "You're the best, and I'm here to learn from the best."
"That will be fine, Jenny," he says. "I need to take care of some administrative stuff before I put on my jacket. Why don't you sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee with Kiara? You should be well caffeinated if you're going to keep up with me."
"I can hold my own," Jenny says boldly, "but a cup of coffee sounds good."
"I'll bring you a mug," Paul offers as he stands. Jenny takes Paul's abandoned seat across from me, while he walks over to the bar and fetches a mug for her. He brings it over to the table. "We'll get started in about half an hour," he tells her before heading off to his office.
Jenny stares at me for a minute before speaking. "So, you two were pretty cozy when I got here," she says with an air of accusation.
"We were just talking about covering the prep work. He's getting us to all take turns with it," I explain.
"I thought you felt uncomfortable around him after what you heard in the bathroom last week. But you certainly didn't seem uncomfortable just now."
Her hostility confuses me, and I'm not quite sure how to handle it. "He's our boss, Jenny. I'll talk to him. And I'm starting to think that Amy and Charlotte were exaggerating about him being a ladies' man. Like you said, gossip has a way of taking on a life of its own. I think Paul is just a good guy. And he obviously cares about other chefs, or he'd have never started this competition in the first place," I observe.
"Well, I guess I'll see how much he cares first hand over the weekend," Jenny answers shortly.
"Jenny, I'm sorry I ever said anything to you about what I overheard. Talking about it puts us on the same level as Amy and Charlotte, and we have more important things to do than gossip."
"Uh huh," Jenny replies. "Kiara, I'm sorry for being cranky this morning. I didn't sleep well at all last night. I wasn't happy with my dish yesterday, and I'm still shocked that he awarded me second place. It got me wondering about Paul, and whether or not he's showing us favoritism because we're women."
I laugh. "If he's showing us favoritism over Robbs, it's because we're not pompous pricks."
"You may be right about that," Jenny says. We sit and drink our coffee in silence for a while, and then she speaks again. "I'm going to head into the kitchen. Call me a brownnoser if you like, but I want to get Paul's station set up for him."
"I wouldn't call that brown nosing," I assure her. "I'd call that being proactive. I still need to look over today's prep list. I'd better get in there too."
We clear away our table and then set off for the kitchen.
***
"Chef Kiara, we needed those stuffed hens ten minutes ago," Robbs calls out impatiently. I was covering the prep station for four hours, and I'm completely in the weeds. If I'd been thinking more clearly when I planned out my work, I'd have started with those damn hens. Instead, I started with the mise en place for everyone's assorted dishes.
"I'll get them to you in ten," I call out. I grab a deep, stainless steel container and set off for the kitchen to retrieve the hens. At least the stuffing is ready. I toss twenty Cornish hens into the container and head back to the prep station. The hens are heavy. I heave the container onto the edge of the station and watch in horror as my cutting board tumbles to the floor, along with most of my day's work.
"Shit!" I scream. Everyone in the kitchen is staring at me... I avert my eyes helplessly and try to fight back my tears.
"What the hell happened here, Chef?" Paul demands as he walks over to the prep station. "I asked you to cover this because I thought y
ou could handle it! Why am I looking at hundreds of dollars of produce and meat lying on my kitchen floor?"
"I'm so sorry Chef," I stammer. "I was just putting the hens on the table... I don't know what happened... I somehow knocked the edge of the cutting board off the side of the table... when I went to set the hens down, everything just came crashing down around me."
"Pay attention to what you're doing!" Paul growls.
"I know, I know. I'm so sorry! I'll fix it, Chef," I insist. I drop to my knees and start picking up the mess I made.
"It's okay, Kiara," Paul says softly. "We're just going to prep as we go." He turns to the rest of the kitchen. "Chef Kiara made a mistake, and I think we all know what that feels like." He takes a deep breath, and I can tell he's trying to come up with a plan for how to deal with my mistake. "Here's what we're going to do," he announces. "We're going to eighty-six my dish tonight. I'll ask the servers to take it off the board. Chef Jenny and I will assist Chef Kiara, and we'll just prep as we go."
The announcement draws sneers from everyone in the room, and none are as hateful as Jenny's. I know she's pissed about helping to fix my mistake, but I don't care. I'm just relieved I wasn't fired.
"Thank you, Chefs," I say almost inaudibly.
Paul puts an arm around me and leans into my ear. "Mistakes happen, Kiara," he whispers gently. "Shake it off, and don't let it affect the rest of your night."
My emotions get the better of me, and I wrap my arms around Paul. He returns my embrace and holds me tightly. "It's okay," he assures me again as he pulls away. "We've got your back."
Jenny approaches the prep station, her arms loaded down with fresh produce.
"I'm so sorry, Jenny," I apologize as she deposits the food onto the cutting boards. "I know this is the last thing you wanted to do tonight."
"Just pay more attention to what you're doing next time," she snaps. "I'm here to learn from professional chefs, not to clean up your messes."
I know there's no point in saying anything else, so I grab a knife and get back to work.
***
"Are you ready to admit I was right?" Robbs asks Jenny with a satisfied look on his face.
"Yes," Jenny replies angrily. "I can't believe I had to spend the entire night helping that bitch redo her prep. And I can't believe the bastard hugged her! If you or I had done that, he'd have chewed us new assholes. But nooooo... poor little Kiara just made a mistake. WE need to help her."
"I'm sorry that what I did ruined your night, Jenny," Robbs says softly. "I didn't mean for you to get mixed up in things. And I know that sliding that board over the edge of the table was a dirty trick, but if she'd been paying attention to what she was doing, she would have noticed it before she ruined all that food."
Jenny nods. "I'm not pissed at you, Robbs," she assures him. "I'm pissed at Kiara... and Paul. If he wanted to help her, he should have done it on his own. He could have transferred me to any other chef in the kitchen."
"And you saw the way Kiara wrapped her arms around him, didn't you?" Robbs asks. "Do you still think she's only interested in him on a professional level?"
Jenny shakes her head. "I overheard them this morning. I didn't have a chance to tell you about it yet, but Kiara told Paul that she's willing to do anything to win the apprenticeship. And believe me, when he heard that, he was damn near drooling. It was disgusting."
"Does she know you heard them?"
"Yep. And I made it pretty clear that I thought she was being shady. She insisted they were just talking about work. But she also made it pretty clear that she thinks Paul is a decent guy. It's only a matter of time before they start hooking up. You and I could out cook Julia Child and still not win this contest."
"How far are you willing to go to keep that from happening?" Robbs asks quietly.
"As far as it takes," Jenny answers with determination.
***
"I enjoyed working with you this weekend," Jenny tells Paul. "Especially today, when we actually got to cook together... your tenderloin was divine."
"I enjoyed it as well," Paul replies politely. "I was impressed by the way you handled yourself in the kitchen, and the credit for the tenderloin belongs more to you than me. Your skills at the roasting station are phenomenal. I may get you to assist Michael next weekend."
"Unless I win Thursday's challenge," she reminds him with a grin.
"Yes, of course," he says. "If you win Thursday's challenge, you'll execute your own dish next weekend."
It's nearly midnight, and the wait-staff have already left for the night. Paul, Jenny, Robbs, and Claire are the only chefs still in the kitchen. Paul and Jenny are cleaning the roasting station, while Claire and Robbs finish wiping down the butcher-block tables.
"Chef, I'm just about finished up for the night," Claire calls from across the room. "The muffin batter is ready. I'm going to wait until morning to bake them off."
"Great, Claire, good work tonight... drive home safely," Paul replies. "Robbs, if you're finished, you can go ahead and leave too. Jenny and I will do a bit more scrubbing, but we're not far behind you."
He turns to Jenny as the other two chefs exit the kitchen. "You can go ahead and leave too, if you'd like," he offers.
"Actually..." Jenny begins slowly. "I was hoping you can help me with something. I'm taking a class next semester on pairings... you know, alcohol and food?"
"Yes, Jenny, I know what pairings mean," Paul says with an indulgent smile.
"Of course you do," she says with a forced blush. "I don't have a good understanding of the process, and I was hoping you might be able to give me some tips. I know it's late... and you probably don't feel like drinking..."
"As it happens, I'm quite skilled at pairings," Paul tells her with a cocky grin. "And I'd be happy to give you a few pointers. If you'll finish up here, I'll hit the walk-in and the bar and set up a tasting area."
"Thank you so much!" Jenny gushes. "I know I'll be a shoe in to ace the class if a chef of your caliber shows me the ropes first."
"You're more than welcome, Jenny," Paul replies. "I'm always happy to help the next generation of chefs. That's the whole point of this competition."
Paul carries a large tray into the walk-in while Jenny continues scrubbing the roasting station. As she finishes up, Paul reappears with an assortment of cheeses, produce, and cold cuts.
"We'll start off simple," he explains as he gestures to the platter in his hand. "It'll be easier to do this at the bar."
Jenny carries her rag to the sink, rinses it, and follows Paul through the swinging kitchen doors.
"Thank you for asking me to do this," Paul says as he sets the platter down and steps behind the bar. "I need to teach all three of you about pairings. We always offer drink suggestions alongside our menu items, but I forgot all about having you guys sample them."
"I'm excited to learn." Jenny beams. "I know the basic pairings. You know... champagne with strawberries... white wine with fish, red with beef. But that's where my knowledge ends."
"Well, why don't you take a bite of a strawberry and then a drink of this?" Paul suggests. He holds out a glass of white wine and Jenny accepts it.
"That's amazing!" Jenny says after sampling the pairing. "After tasting the strawberry, the berry flavor in the wine just pops!"
"Take another sip and tell me what else you taste," Paul directs.
Jenny complies. "Hmmm... peaches, green apple... and pepper?"
"Impressive," Paul replies. "You're better at this than you think." He slices a thin piece of sharp cheddar and pours a splash of red wine into a glass. Jenny reaches for them, but he quickly stops her.
"You need to cleanse your palate between wines," he explains. He grabs a bottle of Kettle One vodka and pours them each a shot.
"You're right, that does help," Jenny tells him after downing her shot. She samples the cheese and red wine together. "The crispness of the wine is a welcome contrast to the creaminess of the cheese," she observes.
Paul pours them each another shot of vodka before pairing prosciutto with a light chardonnay. They continue the process for an hour, with each of them taking a shot between samples.
"I'd like to work on beer pairings next, but I'm afraid I'm already pretty drunk," Jenny teases. She rests her chest on the bar and positions her cleavage directly in Paul's line of vision. He tries not to stare, but he can't help himself.
"We can do beer pairings another night," he suggests. "And next time, we'll use black coffee to cleanse our palates," he adds.
"I know I already thanked you, but I hope you know how much I appreciate this, Paul," Jenny says, dropping her voice to a seductive tone. "I admire you so much." She reaches across the bar and places a hand on top of his. He flinches at first, then opens his fist and caresses her hand with his forefinger.
"Thank you, Jenny. It's always nice to hear that I'm appreciated."
Jenny stares into his eyes. "You know, I'm no expert, but there's always one thing I enjoyed with my alcohol," she says daringly.
He holds eye contact with her as she wraps her hand around one of his fingers and begins stroking it up and down. "Oh yeah? What's that?"
"Sex," she answers boldly.
"Jenny... I don't know if that's the best idea. We work together... I'm your superior." He breathes heavily as she continues stroking his finger.
"I don't see why that matters," she whispers. "I'm not talking about a relationship. Just two people enjoying each other after a long day at work." She rises from her stool and climbs on to the bar, still stroking Paul's finger with her soft hand. "Would that be such a bad thing?"
"Well, when you put it that way," Paul says. "How is a guy to resist?" He wraps her hair in his free hand and pulls her lips to his. They kiss passionately, and Paul climbs onto the bar next to Jenny. "No strings attached?" he says quietly as he pulls her shirt over her head.
Fifty Recipes For Disaster - Book 1 (Fifty Recipes For Disaster New Adult Romance Series, #1) Page 4
