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He sighs. “So you know that restaurant in Beverly Hills I’m opening in the spring?”
“Yeah.”
He’s been flying back and forth between Denver and Los Angeles this past year to get everything ready for the opening of MGT. He named the restaurant using the initials of Maya’s, Gage’s, and my names.
“One of the line cooks dropped out at the last minute,” he says. “I want you to take the open spot in the kitchen.”
I must have heard my dad wrong because no way he just asked me to be a cook at his new restaurant.
I laugh. “What?”
“I want you to work in the kitchen there and help develop the lunch menu. I’ve seen the sandwich recipes you’ve been developing on your Instagram. They look solid. And your brother has let me try the recipes you’ve cooked for him when you two are on break here at Se’bon. You have an excellent palette, Tyler. I think you could be a huge asset to the team at MGT.”
For a while, I just sit there and process what my dad has just said.
“Wait… you’re serious?” I finally say.
My dad chuckles, which is weird to see because he’s usually so serious at work.
“Yes, I’m serious. Tyler, you’ve impressed me since you’ve been working for me this past year. You work hard every single day you’re here. When you started working here, you started from the ground up. You were willing to do anything that I or the staff asked you to do, and you did it with a great attitude and you never complained. Do you know how rare your attitude and work ethic are? So many of my colleagues have kids who expect that their parents start them on the top. It’s such a shame.”
He shakes his head and lets out an unbelieving laugh. “Not you though. You work hard. You take pride in your work here at Se’bon. And on top of that, you struck out on your own by creating your culinary persona on social media. That shows how industrious you are. And that’s why I want you at MGT. You have the work ethic and the creativity to help turn that restaurant into a success.”
I’m speechless hearing my dad sing my praises. My whole life I’ve seen my dad act like a hard-ass chef, never easily doling out compliments. And here he is praising my cooking skills and work ethic.
Growing up he wasn’t around much since he was always traveling as a celebrity chef and opening restaurants. When we did see him, he often seemed distracted and would be thinking about work. But over the past few years, he’s tried to reconnect with Gage, Maya, and me. As much as I wish he would have been a more present father growing up, it’s been meaningful getting to know him as an adult.
I’m quiet for a few seconds as I process everything he’s said. I finally manage to say, “Wow, Dad. Um, thank you.”
“No need to thank me. I’m just observing your work ethic.”
“I can’t believe you want me to help open your new restaurant. I know how much your restaurants mean to you.”
“Exactly,” he says, nodding once. “I only want the very best people working in my kitchens.”
A sense of pride swells within me. I can’t remember the last time my dad spoke this highly of me. It’s not like he criticized me all the time or anything like that. He just never really paid attention to my work or my accomplishments until I started working for him.
“If you accept this position, you’ll need to move to Beverly Hills soon,” he says.
“How soon?”
“Next week.”
“What about Gage’s wedding? That’s in two weeks. And Maya’s wedding is four weeks after that on New Year’s Eve.”
“You’ll fly back for those, of course,” he says. “But we need you at MGT as soon as possible.”
My head is spinning. This is a lot to take in.
“I need you in LA as much as possible,” he says as he checks his phone. “You’ll be busy developing a new menu and recipe testing, building relationships with suppliers and vendors, all that.”
“Right.”
“You can stay at my condo so you don’t have to look for a place to live.”
“Okay. Um, thanks.”
My mind instantly goes to Tori. Things are just starting to get serious between us. If I move, what will that do to our relationship? It’s too soon to ask her to move with me. And even if I did, I wouldn’t feel good about it. She just became a business partner at Sweet Cheeks. I can’t ask her to give that up for me…
