AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I rolled my eyes dramatically to make Ivy laugh. “He’s become such a worrywart.”
“That’s because he loves you,” Cameron said. “We don’t like to see the woman we love hurting. Been there done that, so I know exactly how he feels. Consider his worry his way of expressing his love right now.”
Lance pointed at Cameron as if to say, ‘see’ and I chuckled, holding up my hand. “I love him for his worry. But I’m going to the cookie walk. Those cookies were too hard won not to watch people enjoy them,” I said, rubbing my fingers. I shut those memories down before I started to focus on them again. I wouldn’t let Brenda ruin another holiday for me. It was bad enough my arm was in a cast, but that was the only nod she would get from me this year.
Ivy clapped her hands and motioned for us to follow her. “As you know, I’m making some changes at the diner,” she said when we were all assembled in the small alcove that they used at the store for wrapping gifts and warming drinks and snacks.
“And I’ve been thinking about making some changes here at the farm,” Cameron said. “To that end, we’ll need help from both of you.”
“Sure, whatever we can do,” Lance promised.
“Glad you’re in,” Ivy said, grinning at the man I love.
“I was going to put together a video presentation for you, Lance, but since I’m here, I’ll talk you through it, okay?” Cameron asked and Lance nodded.
“I’ve decided to add a kitchen onto the farm store. It will be a fully functioning commercial kitchen including ovens for baking. It will be smaller than the diner, but big enough for several people to be working in it at once.”
“That’s ambitious,” Lance said. “I’m happy to help with advice on appliance choices and layout.”
“Great, thank you. I was hoping you’d offer your expertise there. Mostly because if you agree, you’ll be running it.”
“I’ll be what now?” Lance asked, glancing between Ivy and Cameron.
“It will be a training kitchen for students, both with the school to work program and any other student who wants to learn a skill while still in high school.”
“I mean, that sounds really fantastic, but what does that have to do with me? I cook at the diner.”
“For now,” Ivy said with a tip of her head. “But I’d like you to help Cameron get this off the ground.”
Lance groaned and leaned his butt against the counter. “Guys, I know you’re trying to help but we’ve been over this. It stresses me out.”
Cameron held up his hand to stop him. “Here’s the thing, Lance. The kitchen I want to build won’t stress you out because you’ll be designing it with your specific needs in mind.”
“You mean like instead of written instructions there would be pictures of the steps? Things like that?”
Ivy nodded and bounced on her toes a few times. “Yes, and that’s just the beginning. We have so many plans for this including eventually taking in kids from other districts in the surrounding area.”
“I want to sit down with you after the holidays to hash this all out. I need to know what direction we want to go with it and how many kids we’d be able to train at a time. First, I had to know if you were interested,” Cameron said. I could tell he was nervous that Lance would say no.
Lance glanced between them and then to me. I smiled and gave him a nod because I knew he wanted my opinion. “I don’t know how I’d work here and at the diner. We’re already so busy there.”
“We are,” Ivy agreed. “But you wouldn’t be here full-time, so you’d still be cooking at the diner too. I’m going to hire another part-time cook to cover the hours you’d be here. Already did actually, her name is Brittany.”
Lance took a step back, but the grin that broke out on his face was for the record books. “You’re putting her on the line?” His excitement filled the room with joy.
“She’s ready,” Ivy agreed on a nod. “You have done an amazing job training her up through the ranks of the kitchen. It would be wrong for me not to give her a chance. I want you to train her on the line starting the first of the year. I’m confident that with a little help from you and Mason, and if I schedule her for less busy times at the diner, she will be successful. I’m also looking for another part-time cook to work with her and cover some of your hours if you decide to work out here with Cameron.”
“That’s fantastic,” Lance said. His gaze drifted to mine and I nodded, a smile on my face.
“And,” Cameron said, “as the head trainer here, you’d be running this kitchen the same way you taught Brittany. They learn every aspect of the kitchen from dishes on up. The goal is to teach them how to work any position, so when they go out into the community, they can take any open job in a restaurant. I know it will be a huge undertaking, but we’re ready if you are.”
“I have enjoyed my time working with Brittany in the kitchen, but I’m not a teacher, guys. She learned by doing.”
“Exactly,” Cameron agreed. “That’s the point of the training kitchen. They learn by doing. They learn by watching someone who knows what they’re doing. Many of them learn the same way you do and that is why we’ll use videos as training guides, technology that will speak the recipes rather than read them, and picture guided processes for equipment use and cleaning.”
“I won’t have to read or write?”
“There will be some reading and writing that can’t be avoided, but I’ll be here to help with that. I understand the intricacies of your TBI thanks to Indigo and Ivy, and it’s not a problem to work around them if you’ll agree to help me with this project. You have the glasses for any reading you have to do in the kitchen, right?” Cameron asked, and Lance nodded, tapping the frames he wore. I could tell he was still skeptical and so could Cameron. “I’ll be here to help with the ordering the same way Mason does at the diner. Becca will also be available for graphic design work to make everything we need for signage.”
