Page 147
To: [email protected], Ford, Hayden
Subject: Re: Official Notice of Resignation
Then get your ass home, petit oiseau doux. Now.
From: [email protected]
To: My Favorite Former Bosses
Subject: Re: Official Notice of Resignation
Already in the elevator.
Fair warning: I'm expecting a very thorough performance review for my new position.
-M
EPILOGUE
MAEVE
“Yes, chef!”
I grin every single time I hear those words. Allison keeps telling me I’m just in the honeymoon phase with my restaurant and that I’ll get sick of being in charge eventually, but I don’t think so. We’re only two months past opening, but everything has been incredible so far.
After we got back from what turned out to be a life-changing Christmas, the men insisted I move out of my little apartment and into a bigger place with the three of them, even going so far as to personally move my little herb garden to make sure that none of the plants were disturbed. And although the terms of our deal had obviously changed quite a bit, Ford still insisted on giving me the money that he’d promised me, saying that he considered it an investment in our future.
With the financial backing of my three men, we managed to get everything ready for my new restaurant in record time. My grand opening was eight weeks ago, and since then, we’ve been booked solid most nights. I finally get to showcase what I can do with food—making it the star with fresh, simple techniques that let the ingredients shine.
While I have a small but dedicated team, the desserts are still mostly my domain. I’ve only recently started letting one of my sous chefs, Maggie, make them alongside me, since doing every single dessert while also running the entire kitchen would be insane.
It was actually my three boyfriends who convinced me to delegate. “Take it from three recovering workaholics,” Hayden said. “Don’t stretch yourself too thin.”
“When we first started Meridian,” Ford explained, “it was our baby, so we wanted to control every detail. Nearly burned us out. We had to learn how to let go.”
I’m still working on it. I’m used to being an assistant, which basically meant someone handed me a to-do list and I made sure everything got done. Now I’m the one calling the shots. It’s a shift, but a good one, and I have three business experts to bug for advice whenever I need it.
They rely on me too. I might not work for them anymore, but they asked me to interview the three people who replaced me. I figured it might be asking too much to expect one person to handle all three bosses the way I did, since they won’t be in love with their new assistants. Jake, Robin, and Alicia are all great and do solid work. I made sure to train them properly.
Even though I’m no longer an employee, Hayden, Gabriel, and Ford are constantly asking for my input. They keep me in the loop about everything happening with Meridian, and honestly, I feel more involved in the company now as their unofficial advisor than I ever was as their assistant.
It means everything to me that they respect my opinion and actually listen to what I have to say. And they haven’t been sitting around either. While I’ve been getting Graze up and running, they’ve been moving past the Silver Start disaster and working on their environmental projects. I’m incredibly proud of them, and I’ll admit I’m petty enough to hope that Silver Start’s board regrets the day they let someone like George pass up the chance to work with Meridian because of his narrow-minded bullshit.
More orders come in from the waitstaff and I pull them from the machine, reading them out loud as I survey the kitchen. My staff moves around me with practiced efficiency, cooking and plating everything before sending it out. All of this food came from my garden, from my farm. I’ve been involved in every step, from seed to plate. I can’t help sneaking out occasionally to walk through the dining room and watch people enjoy their meals.
One of my servers hurries in. “Ms. Keller? Your guys are here. I put them at their usual table by the window.”
“Thanks, Jordan.” I smile. My men stop by whenever they can, and the servers all refer to them as ‘the guys’ or ‘your men.’ They know I’m dating all three of them, and they think it’s sweet. If anyone has a problem with it, I find out during the interview process, and I don’t hire them.
I want my workplace to be a place of harmony, not stress or judgment. There’s enough chaos in restaurant work without adding unnecessary drama.
I cook the meals for Hayden, Ford, and Gabriel myself. I insist on it, no matter how busy we are. They joke that they can always tell when I’m the one who made their food. I’m not entirely sure that’s true since I’ve trained my staff so well, but I also shouldn’t underestimate my men. They might actually be able to tell the difference.
I’m just about to start on their dessert when Jordan returns. “Ms. Keller? The men are wondering if you have a moment to sit with them?”
They probably need advice on something. Or they’re trying to trick me into taking a break and getting off my feet for a few minutes. “Sure. Maggie, can you handle their dessert? Thanks.”
“Yes, chef!” Maggie says, grinning and shooting me a wink. She knows exactly where I’m going.
