It was nearly obscene! She laughed: This must be a hit!
“I should put the cuffs on you.”
Hope blushed at that image that produced. “Excuse me?” she said.
“This is criminal. I am now ruined for all other pork chops.”
“Really? You’re not just being nice?”
“Ask anyone. I’m not nice.” He cut another piece of the dish and popped it in his mouth.
Hope watched him eat the second bite. “Really, not too sweet, savory enough?”
“No, do not change a thing. Not one thing. This is perfect. You’re amazing.”
“Thank you, I don’t know about that, but I do know my way around protein.”
“I heard you were a good cook from Libby, but I really didn’t have any idea.”
“Thank you, yeah, I was catering before this. This will be my first attempt at a restaurant.”
“You’ll knock it out of the park. We’re lucky to have you.”
“Well, there, one thing down.”
“What’s that?”
“I have an entire menu to figure out, but at least now I know we can do pork chops one of the nights.”
“Well, not this chop, this one’s mine.”
“Gotcha. Yes, do you want seconds?”
He raised his eyebrow at her in answer.
“Coming right up.”
She’d started on a menu. Just that one dish made her feel better. She was on her way.
* * *
Hope
February 2009
She stared at the food truck. It was painted neon green and wrapped in electric orange. That didn’t fit with what she would serve from it, but still, it was the inside that she knew could make or break this business.
Thanks to her girls, Hope had been to what seemed like a million high school graduation parties. The affairs had gotten more and more elaborate, just like weddings and had become over the top extravaganzas.
Graduation parties included tents, place settings, chocolate fountains, and bombastic themes. While it was once fine to slap a few burgers on the grill, put some potato chips in a bowl, and fill a cooler with soda pop, that didn’t cut it these days. Some of her friends planned the graduation party the minute their kids started high school.
At these affairs, Hope had eaten her share of pulled pork, burgers, tacos, and pizza.
Her friend group of moms worked hard to keep up with the escalation, but it was a stress-filled endeavor, punctuated by the looming empty nest depression to follow.
The graduation party scene gave Hope a business idea.
Archie’s house flipping flopped years ago.
