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“This is last minute, and you’re being thrown into a situation you weren’t planning on. I need the help desperately, and I have no time to negotiate.”
“You can’t possibly afford—”
“Don’t offend me with what you think I can afford. Now, if this conversation satisfies your concerns, you can stop by my office at the end of the night and I’ll cut you your check.” His eyes darted behind her, and she followed them to find Chef Gabriel standing with his arms crossed and an irritated look on his face. When she glanced back to Shane, he was walking away.
Despite her head having a hard time catching up, her legs didn’t seem to suffer from the same problem. She wheeled around, heading straight for the chef. “I can do just about anything you tell me to if I have instructions.”
Gabriel lifted a brow. “I can’t be your babysitter.”
“You won’t have to be. I can handle most dishes. Just tell me what to make.” Her voice held more confidence than she felt on the inside. She still couldn’t believe how she’d managed to get roped into this whole thing. Right about now, she would have been heading home to fix herself something small before snuggling up with a good book.
Gabriel jerked his chin toward the kitchen. “I’m going to start you on plating. It’s a two-person job, and Hannah can keep an eye on you.” He took a few steps without another word, leaving Eloise wondering if she was meant to follow him or go track down whoever this Hannah was. But then he stopped and faced her. “Well? Are you coming?”
She lurched forward. Of course he wanted her to follow him.
He gestured vaguely toward a row of lockers just outside the office. “You can find an apron over there. Are you wearing comfortable shoes? You’ll be on your feet all night.” His eyes dropped lower, and when they settled on her footwear, she tapped the heels of her boots together. “I work in these all day. They’ll be fine.”
Gabriel sighed. “I knew I would be sorry when Shane convinced me to move out here.”
Eloise blinked a few times. Wait a minute. Did Gabriel know Shane from before he moved here? Or was he head-hunted? She didn’t have enough time to dwell on her theories because Gabriel had already managed to slip around a corner. If she didn’t pay attention, she’d get lost. It was time to get her head on straight so she could show Shane she wasn’t just some dumb cowgirl who didn’t know her way around a kitchen. He’d given her a shot. This could be the beginning of a new adventure for her.
Over the next six hours Eloise did her best to hold her own. What started out as simple became chaotic as the dinner rush hit. The chef shouted orders and received resounding comments from his staff. While it put her on edge, there was something thrilling about being in the center of all this chaos. She was part of something big that was happening, and she’d never felt so alive.
She was beginning to understand why so many of her sisters had opted to find jobs away from home. Being ordered around in a clean kitchen surrounded by mouthwatering food was one hundred times better than stepping over mounds of manure.
Eloise wiped her forehead with the back of her hand before she whisked the dish she’d put together over to the counter for the waitress to pick up.
“Callahan, we need another chef’s salad.”
“Right away, Chef.” Eloise spun around, nearly colliding with someone—not just someone—Shane. She peered up at him and murmured, “Sorry.” Then she darted around him and headed for the walk-in refrigerator. It made sense that she’d nearly bump into Shane. The kitchen was a well-oiled machine, but one that didn’t account for the addition of a person who normally wasn’t hanging around. It was strange how often she could hurry toward another part of the kitchen without any concern she’d get in someone’s way—almost like she wasn’t in a kitchen at all. They were like a herd of wild horses flowing and moving as one.
She retrieved the fixings for the chef’s salad and hurried back to her station. She knew this one by heart, granted it wasn’t all that difficult, but she was proud of how quickly she could fulfill her duty.
Her eyes swept through the kitchen, and it wasn’t until they locked with Shane’s that she realized she’d been looking for him. She couldn’t put her finger on just why she was so interested in finding him, but it was probably because she wanted to make sure he saw she was worth what he was paying her. Eloise dragged her gaze away from him and focused once more on the food.
A snort left her chest as she placed the salad on the counter with a flourish. No one was worth being paid one hundred dollars per hour—definitely not her.
One moment she was running a forgotten platter out to a table that had been waiting for their food, and the next she was leaning against a counter with Hannah. The restaurant had slowed down, and they had already done a lot of the clean-up.
Hannah grinned at Eloise. “You’re pretty good at this stuff. You can’t tell me you haven’t done it before.”
Eloise bit down on her lower lip, fighting a smile. “Truly, I haven’t. I mean, I love to cook at home, but I’ve never been in a restaurant setting.”
Hannah’s eyes widened. “That’s crazy. You for sure have a natural talent.”
Glancing away, Eloise warmed at the compliment. “Thanks.”
“Maybe you should ask about staying on. Since Penelope had her baby, she won’t be back for at least six weeks.”
“You really think so?” Eloise glanced around the kitchen envisioning what it might be like to work here for more than one day. The whole environment gave her such a high. The thought was both thrilling and terrifying all at once.
Hannah nudged her. “Iknowso.” They’d only met a few hours before and already she felt like a close friend.
Eloise shrugged. “Maybe I’ll talk to Mr. Owens when our shift is over.”
“You totally should.”
“Hannah, Eloise, we need some cheesecakes plated.”
