AllFreeNovel
Share Us
After a few minutes – albeit more time than it had taken Patrick – I had my first ever traditionally made pizza base ready.
‘See, you’re a natural.’ He grinned at me with an approving nod.
My stomach melted at the look in his kindhearted eyes. He was almosttoonice and encouraging. I looked back at my base and noticed with a frown it was slightly uneven in parts, and I was about to point it out but stopped myself.If Patrick Vitello of all people approves, I must be doing something right, and I guess you could say it looks rustic?
As the orders continued to fly in, Patrick made the pizzas while I watched him carefully. My duty was to turn the pizzas in the oven and cut them, while he sprinkled them with the perfect portion of toppings.
I flashed back for a moment to all those afternoons making pizzas with Dad. He always chuckled at how Australians wanted their pizzas pre-sliced. ‘Not like in Italy,’ he used to say. As I watched Patrick pull out the pizza cutter and deftly slice his pizzas, I realised he didn’t exactly followeverytradition after all.
After watching Patrick do at least three Margheritas, I felt confident enough to try one myself. I spread the napoli sauce in the centre, then placed ten balls of fresh mozzarella around it before tearing the basil leaves and sprinkling them on top. Once the ingredients were on, I seasoned it with salt and pepper, then slid it into the oven.
Within seconds, the sauce began to bubble, and I felt my excitement rise along with the crust as I watched the cheese melt. When the edge closest to the flames was nicely charred, I rotated the pizza for a perfect, even cook. The leoparding was my favourite part to watch form.
I reached for the paddle, gently lifted the pizza from the oven, carried it to the workbench, drizzled it with olive oil, and then began slicing it with the pizza cutter.
‘So, is this pizza going out to a customer?’ I asked.
‘No, you and I will eat it.’
I looked up at him and blinked.Was he joking?‘Really? Do we have time?’
‘Si.’He didn’t break eye contact with me as he reached for a slice of the pizza I’d just prepared. His stare was so intense, I felt a bead of sweat slip down the side of my forehead. Before he could take a bite, I turned away. I felt weak for doing it, but I couldn’t face his rejection after attempting one of his own recipes. He knew exactly how it should taste, and how all the components should marry together in perfect harmony for the tastebuds.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him wipe his mouth with a napkin.
He let out a hearty laugh. ‘You can look at me now, Naomi.’
I swallowed and raised my eyes to meet his.This is it.
‘I’m impressed. You know Margherita pizzas are one of the pizzas that get judged by critics because of the simplicity of their ingredients, but sometimes the simplest recipes are the hardest to execute, and …’ He paused for emphasis. ‘This is great. I’d proudly serve this in my restaurant.’
I smiled so wide my cheeks hurt, and to my horror, I found myself on the verge of tears. A montage of the last twelve months flashed before my eyes – losing Dad, and then my job. What a toll it had all taken. But now, on this day, Patrick Vitello giving my pizza the thumbs-up finally felt like a real turning point.
‘Go on. Try a piece for yourself before we get more orders.’ He gestured to the pizza.
I nodded and grabbed a slice, grateful for the opportunity to not talk. He was right. It was good. Although, I thought to myself, it was hard to go wrong with his exceptional produce; everything in this kitchen was sourced, grown, and made with so much passion and love. It was my turn to wipe my mouth with a paper towel, and as I reached for a roll on the counter, I took the opportunity to sneak a glimpse at Patrick. He had gone back for another slice, which I took as a good sign.Maybe I really can do a great job in this kitchen. I’m in my element here, just like Patrick. We both cooked from our hearts.
By the end of lunch service, I had learned how to cook five of Casa di Vitello’s pizzas off by heart: Margherita, Capricciosa, Funghi, Prosciutto, and Seafood. My Margherita and Seafood pizzas had the honour of being tested by a customer and, to my delight, were received with a flurry of joyful comments.
Just after three o’clock, Patrick took me out the back of the restaurant. I knew he’d want to discuss how my trial had gone, and despite his positive feedback and the rave reviews from diners, I couldn’t help feeling nervous.
‘Naomi, I knew you’d be great, and I’m thrilled to have found you.’ He looked into my eyes with sincerity.
Relief flooded my body. ‘Patrick, I’m honoured you even offered me this trial, and I’m so glad you’re not disappointed. Thank you so much.’Wow, that was quite eloquent. Not bad, Naomi.I smiled at him.
‘Well, I think my kitchen would greatly benefit from having you work here.’ He paused for a moment, his eyes staring at the lockers. ‘So, I’d like to offer you a full-time position.’
Naturally, my mouth dropped open at his words.A full-time position?How is this even possible?People never got full-time positions handed to them so easily. It always took at least a year of hard work and being an on-call casual.This couldn’t be real – no way. This is a dream. Does Patrick think I’m cute or something? No, surely not. Look at him. He’s perfect. And just a nice guy.
I wasn’t entirely confident in my ability to form a sentence, but I managed to sputter, ‘A full-time position?’
‘Si, I like to build a connection with my staff, and you fit in perfectly. It also helps that your pizzas do not disappoint.’ He winked at me. ‘You’d be doing my Noosa business a favour.’
I exhaled, and before I could stop myself, I hugged him. ‘Thank you. Thank you sooo much.’ My lip began to wobble, and then that’s when it finally happened. The dam burst, and I began to sob. ‘You have no idea how much this means to me.’
He wrapped his arms around me and patted my back with his palm in a soothing manner. Despite my joy at being offered a job and the whirlwind of emotions rushing through my mind, I was instantly distracted by his body heat and toned chest. Still shaking slightly, I was about to repeat how grateful I was when the door behind us swung open. We both turned around at the same time to see Trisha staring at us. Patrick and I let go of each other instantly, and he gave her a smile.
She frowned slightly before arranging her face back into a smile and cleared her throat. ‘Great work today, Naomi. The waitstaff told me your pizzas received a lot of praise. I guess congratulations are in order.’ She looked at Patrick, who nodded. ‘Welcome to the House of Vitello.’ She shook my hand again.
