She is not here with me at all so I pull up a basic bedroom. “Space theme for Moira. Midnight blue walls with stars and planets on the ceiling and walls.” A kid would love this room. An adult, not so much. At least, I don’t think so, but especially Moira who wants soft, soothing colors.
“For your bathroom, I was thinking a chartreuse shower stall. If we get rid of the tub, I can make it big enough for two,” I offer suggestively. We may not be having sex now but one day we will.
“If you think it will work.”
I just stare at her. Besides not owning her own business, the one thing Noelle was set on at the home improvement store was having a deep, claw foot bathtub, curved enough at the back so she can relax, read a book and soak.
“Where are you at?”
“Huh?”
“Where are you, because you aren’t here with me?”
She blinks at me. “Yes, I am.”
“Really?” I laugh and turn the tablet to her. “This is the bathroom you agreed to. This is the kitchen, Moira’s room, and this,” I flip to the last picture. “Is your bathroom.”
She sits back, eyes wide in shock and her mouth open. “Those are the ugliest things I’ve seen.”
“Yet, each time I asked, you agreed.”
Noelle winces. “I did?”
I set the tablet aside. “So, what are you really thinking about?”
She glances back at the kitchen. “Why doesn’t Adeline have more help?”
“Why don’t you ask?”
“I was going to, if you don’t mind waiting. I don’t want to bother her when they are so busy.”
“Of course, I don’t mind.” I scoot my chair around so I can see into the kitchen too and where I’m closer to her.
“But until then, why don’t you tell me what’s wrong with these?”
She gives me a disbelieving look. “Besides being butt-ugly?”
I place a hand over my heart. “That hurts.”
“Then maybe you should rethink design.” She laughs at me.
“Okay, I’ll give you that.” Then I lean in and kiss her. I’m pretty sure I could kiss Noelle all day long. “And, if you don’t want to think about designs, we can talk about something else.
I don’t know what else we could talk about. Half of my brain is in the kitchen. The lines were never this slow five years ago, and the cases, even at the end of the day, were never this empty. Worse, customers never walked away because the item they were craving was sold out. That’s happened five times since I’ve been sitting here.
What has happened? Or is this just an off day?
I glance at the newest costumers to enter. One is Christian, but I haven’t met the woman with him. She’s beautiful with long auburn hair. He’s bent down, whispering in her ear and a blush spreads across her cheeks. That man is in love so I’m assuming the woman is Bethany. When they stop at the register, another sack comes from the kitchen.
“Looks like Christian needs dinner rolls too.”
“Huh?” Sean looks up. “Christian can’t boil water and if he’s cooking dinner, we are not eating there.”
The woman with him peeks into the bag and gives a little squeal, then hugs him.
“She must really like dinner rolls.”
They turn and Christian spots us at the table and comes over.
“Hey, what’s going on?”
“Designing Noelle’s kitchen.” Sean turns the tablet to him. “What do you think? Noelle loves it.”
Bethany, or who I assume is Bethany’s eyes widen slightly and she forces a smile.
“Don’t listen to him.”
“You did agree to it,” he defends.
“I did not.” It’s my fault for not paying closer attention. “I didn’t mean to.”
One of the girls behind the counter calls out Christian’s name and he goes back and pays and grabs two cups and returns.
“Peppermint tea for you.” He hands one of them to Bethany. “Coffee for me.”
“Have a seat,” Sean says.
They look at me as if asking permission. “Please.”
“Are dinner rolls really that exciting or are you just having weird cravings,” Sean asks.
“Dinner rolls?”
“Noelle says that is what people usually have in bags on Sundays.”
Christian leans in. “They’ve been running out of eclairs really early so I called this morning.” He winks.
That worries me. A bakery with Adeline’s reputation shouldn’t run out of anything early.
“Hi, I’m Bethany,” the auburn woman finally says since we weren’t introduced.
“Sorry,” Sean winces. “This is Noelle.”
“Who now lives across the street and a few houses down.” She laughs. “The chef, right?”
“Yep.” Then I remember.
“Nurse?”
“So, we’re caught up.” She laughs.
“How’s the new job?” Christian asks. “Joy said you worked a wedding yesterday.”
“It felt good to cook.” I feel like my smile is as forced as Bethany’s was earlier. I did like cooking and it was an exhausting day in a good way, but I’m also seriously wondering how much of Chef George I can take, or want to take. “It’s only weekends though, but Rosetta offered me a position with wedding planning. I’ll do it for now, but I really like cooking.” That’s what it comes down to. I’ve worked under dicks before and will again, so it isn’t all Chef George. It’s the fact that I’ll be lucky if I work in the kitchen four days a week.
“You still have a ton of applications out there,” Sean reminds me. “Those were sent on Thursday. Some may not even get looked at until tomorrow.”
He’s right. “Fingers crossed.”
Christian stands. “Well, we’re headed out for sunshine and fresh air since neither one of us has to work tonight.”
“Nice meeting you,” I call.
“I don’t think you like your new job,” Sean says.
“It’s not that,” I swear. “I think so much was going on. Still going on, and I’m just still looking for my place. Where I fit. All I know is that owning a catering company and being a wedding planner isn’t it.” I hate that I sound ungrateful when I’ve been unemployed for six months and found a job almost immediately after I started looking. A lot of people would kill for my opportunity. “It will come.” I know it will. “I think I just needed to get through some things. Until my meltdown, I was anxious about everything. On edge.” I might as well call it what it was. “Now, after spending that last night with Grams and Gramps, I’m more settled. If that makes sense.”
“Patient,” he says.
“Yeah. Calm.”
“Less anxious.” He winks at me. Then Sean reaches over and threads his fingers with mine. “You’ll find your place. I worked for a couple of companies before I felt comfortable with this one because it was more in the direction I wanted to go.”
“But it’s only temporary for you.”
“Maybe. It’s a dream to renovate, but it’s down the road and I’m happy where I’m at. The boss is a good guy and fair, and asks my opinion.”
“I think I’d rather just relax. Work for Rosetta, but most of all, watch out for Kaden. Plus, that trust money helps take the edge off.” Maybe that’s why I am finally relaxing. I’ve been worried about money ever since I got back and put that deposit down on the dinky apartment, and then watched my bank account dwindle daily. “I know it’s not supposed to support me, but it helps. A lot.”
“I think it’s a bunch of things. Trial is over.” He holds up one finger. “You started to allow yourself to mourn.” He holds up a second finger. “You have a little breathing space from Kaden right now, even though you love him, but everyone needs a break”
I do love my brother but just having time is nice too.
“The trust, the house and the most important of all…”
“What?” I finally ask when he answer.
“Me.” Sean grins.
“My new f
riend.”
He kisses the back of my hand. “Friend that is falling for you.”
His eyes are so warm that I could just drown in them. “Right back at you.”
“Well I hope so. We are sleeping together,” he teases.
“It was one night, don’t push your luck.” Except it’s a big house and I don’t like being there alone. Better yet, I really like sleeping with Sean.
“Does that mean I can’t stay tonight?”
“We’ll see,” I smile before I take a sip of the best hot chocolate in New York. I don’t care that it’s summer. Cocoa, steamed milk and deliciousness is for every season.
“You know, finding a guy, or friend, wasn’t one of the hurdles but I’m glad it was there to surprise me.”
“Hurdles.”
“It’s how I’ve thought of everything. How I approached each thing I had to get through. Gramps announcement that he was leaving is the one I tripped on.”
He’s just staring at me like I’m speaking a foreign language and I’m pretty sure I didn’t slip into French.
“Did you run track?”
He seems really surprised, like I couldn’t do it or something.
“I went to state,” I announce proudly. “Got seventh, but I still went to state.” I’m damn proud of it to.
“I had no idea you are a runner.”
“I haven’t in a while but maybe now that I’m back here, with the park this close, I’ll pick it up again.” I look out the window to across the street. “I do miss it. Do you run?”
“Nope. Never got into it.”
“You’re a weight guy aren’t you?”
“I’m a nothing guy. My job keeps me physical enough.”
Given how he looks without his shirt and in boxers, whatever he’s doing is already perfect.
“Well, where are they? Where are your macarons?”
I turn to find Adeline standing by the table and get up to give her a hug.
“Don’t try to soften me up.” She still hugs me back.
“I’ll bring you some tomorrow.” If I can get to the grocery store and if the temperature isn’t off in Grams’ old oven. “And you’ll be able to decide.”
“It’s good to see you, Noelle.”
Sean gets up and holds out a chair for her.
“Nice boy. Black coffee. Tarts.”
His face turns a little pink.
“But only on Mondays.”
“How do you know that?” he finally asks. “I know all my regulars. It’s the others I can’t keep track of.”
If she knows what all her regulars like and when, why isn’t there more baked goods in the cases to cover for those who aren’t so regular?
“I was sorry to hear about your mother.”
“Thank you.”
“Have your grandparents moved?”
She knew?
“I know your grandfather was waiting until the time was right.”
Gramps must have come here when there was someone to sit with Grams.
“I used to walk down with pastries. He couldn’t come here anymore and Doris, well she couldn’t either.”
“They moved yesterday.”
“It will be good for them. And now, you have that house with your brother.”
“I’d forgotten how there are no secrets between the neighbors that have lived here for decades,” I find myself laughing. “Business must be good. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the cases so empty.” I need to know what is going on because that wouldn’t have been the case five years ago.
“Help. Lousy help. I hire cooks and they come in and want to change things. They want to change my recipes.”
That’s something you don’t do going into someone else’s bakery. Especially someone who has been operating that same bakery for at least sixty years, if not longer.
“I don’t mind trying new things, but I won’t change what I’ve been selling for years.”
“Nor should you.” There is a reason she’s been successful for so long.
“These kids. They want to bake to impress and are forgetting the most important ingredient.”
“Love.” I answer for her.
“Yes. You.” She points to me. “You understand. You always have.”
“If you don’t feel it inside, it won’t taste as it should.” Her last bit of advice when she handed me that box of macarons.
“Where are you cooking now? I’m sure a fancy restaurant has snapped you up with your degrees from France and experience.”
“You’re from France.” Born and raised. She came here right after World War II. She’d lost her family in the War, fought with the resistance and came here to start over and met the love of her life.
“I didn’t have a fancy diploma.”
“You didn’t need one.”
“That may be your opinion.” She snorts. “Those kids, the ones that I would hire didn’t respect experience over degrees. Some thought I should change my menu. Another thought everything should be gluten free. I do non-gluten for my customers who need that, but I’m not doing non-gluten for everything.” The statement is said like it’s the most ridiculous thing she’s ever heard. “It’s just getting too hard to get help anymore.” Adeline sighs and looks around. “We’ll probably be closing by the end of the year. I just can’t keep up with everything that needs to be made.”
She can’t close. “What of family? It’s your business. Your legacy.”
“I had all sons, as you know. They have all sons, but finally, one great-granddaughter was born. She’s the only one who has shown an interest but she can’t bake and runs the office. Truthfully, she’d rather not do that but she doesn’t want this place to go away.
“You have no one helping.” No wonder the cases are only partial filled.
“Oh, I have cooks and bakers, not as many as I need, and none of them can step into my shoes. I can’t keep up with it like I used to and tell the others what we need. Most are right out of school. The women who used to work back with me retired. Some of them died. It’s just not the same and unless I find the right person I’d rather close than see this place turned into a modern bakery, whatever that is.” She looks at me. “Since when did bread stop being bread?”
“What of the other bakeries?”
“There are more?” Sean asks.
“There are what, a dozen other bakeries in the different boroughs, right?” I ask Adeline.
“They are doing well, but I don’t run those. The corporation is in charge.” She shakes her head. “I came here from France and opened a little bakery and now I’m a corporation.”
“A very delicious one,” I remind her.
“Well, they can do what they want with the others, but they are not changing this one and I’ve told them that.”
“Noelle just now started looking for a job,” Sean offers.
Of course. Why the hell didn’t that occur to me? Here I’ve been sitting, wondering what’s wrong and talking to Adeline and didn’t even think to apply myself.
“I’m sure she’d rather be in a fancy restaurant with small portions and pretty designs on the plate.”
Noelle snorts. “Actually, I don’t think I would.”
“Then why didn’t you ask me for a job?” Adeline demands.
I don’t have an answer. It didn’t really occur to me that what I’m looking for could be right under my nose. “I didn’t know you were looking until now, and we were just talking.”
“Well, come on.” Adeline stands and grabs my hand.
“Where are we going?”
“To the kitchen.”
I look helplessly at Sean as she drags me away. When we finally reach the kitchen, Adeline turns and fists her hands on her hips. “Now you will bake.”
“Where are your recipes?” Which I will follow all the way down to the last teaspoon.
“Anyone can read a recipe. You need to show me that you can bake from the heart.”
Bake from the heart. What can I make that
will prove myself?
I glance up at Sean. He’s back to work on his tablet. “Tarts?”
Adeline starts to smile and gets blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, and raspberries out of the refrigerator. “That’s his favorite combination.”
25
The longer I sit here, the quieter it gets until there are no more customers, and Noelle still hasn’t come back out. Whenever I look, I can sometimes see her in the kitchen, with Adeline, and she’s making something, but I can’t tell what it is.
“I’m sorry, sir, but we are closing and you’ll need to leave.”
“I’m with her.” I point to the kitchen.
The younger woman frowns. I haven’t seen her before so she must have been in the back.
“Who is with my grandmother?”
“Noelle Dubois and I think she’s applying for a position.”
The young woman’s mouth forms an O, then she locks the front door, flips the sign to “Closed” and goes to the back. I see her in the kitchen and then Adeline shooing her out. A moment later, the young woman is back at my table and sitting down.
“Who is she?”
“Who are you?” I counter.
“Bernadette. Adeline’s granddaughter.”
The one who runs the office. So, I tell her who Noelle is.
“The Dempseys’ granddaughter? The one who studied cuisine in France?”
“The very same.”
Bernadette turns and looks into the kitchen. “She wants to work here?”
“I believe so.”
She sinks into a chair. “Why?”
“She came here as a child. Has fond memories and doesn’t want to see it disappear. And, she needs a job.”
“I just hope she doesn’t have any ideas of modernizing it.”
I chuckle.
“What?”
“Your grandmother has already lectured on the problem with hired help, these days.”
Bernadette rubs her temples. “I worry about my grandmother. She just can’t keep up with the demand any longer, but she won’t quit. That woman will die in the kitchen and anyone coming in had better realize that.”
“I’m sure Noelle is very much aware, if she gets the job.”
“I hope she does,” Bernadette says quietly. “And I hope she’s finally the right one.”
Rattling Around: The Baxter Boys #5 (The Baxter Boys ~ Rattled) Page 21
