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“Not that I know of …”
Tim doesn’t get a chance to finish his sentence because we’re interrupted by someone saying, “Hey there, I’m Jake. Was someone looking for me?”
It turns out Jakeisthe Adonis I was hoping he’d be. “I was. I was looking for you.” I force my mouth closed so I don’t accidentally drool on his shoes.
“Lucky me,” he practically purrs. “Aren’t you one of the single ladies on the show? I saw you last night.”
“I am … that’s me … I was here …” I sound like an idiot.
Tim insinuates himself between us. “I’m Tim. I own the club.”
“I thought you were one of the guys on the show.” Jake sounds confused.
“I am, but I wasn’t supposed to be. I’m filling in for someone.”
Jake nods his head causing his thick, shoulder-length blond hair to bounce around like he’s the star of a hair commercial. I barely resist the urge to reach out to see if it’s as soft as it looks. “Cool, man. Do you want to show me where the kitchen is?”
“You can show us both,” I say, while picking up speed to stay by Jake’s side.
When we walk through the swinging doors to the kitchen, we see Trina talking to the staff. She smiles brightly when she spots us. “Paige, Jake, welcome!”
“Woohoo …” Tim grumbles under his breath.
I give him a sharp look before saying, “Hey, Trina. This is kind of exciting.” I look over at Jake as goosebumps pop up all over my arms. Missy was right. You never do know when Mr. Wonderful might show up.
Trina tells Tim, “We’ve got it from here, if you have other things to attend to.”
He doesn’t budge.
Then she asks Jake, “What kind of food do you specialize in?”
“Vegan pho.” He seems super enthusiastic about it too.
“What kind of ingredients do you need to make that?” she asks.
Jake takes a rubber band out of his pocket and uses it to pull his hair back. “Bean sprouts, tofu, rice noodles, cardamom pods, whole star anise, hoisin, sriracha, cilantro …”
Trina’s gaze drifts over toward Tim. “Do you have any of those things on hand?”
I nearly laugh out loud at the look on Tim’s face. He answers, “While I love pho, this is a country club in Wisconsin, not a trendy restaurant on Sunset Boulevard.”
“So, no?” Trina guesses.
“No,” Tim tells her. “We have things like potatoes, roast beef, steak, pasta, chicken breast, king crab.”
“Can you cook non-vegan food?” Trina asks Jake.
“I could but I won’t. I don’t morally believe in eating animals.” I wonder if this could be a deal breaker for me and Jake. I suppose I could run out and eat meat on the sly if I had to. The question is whether I want to hide my food consumption like it’s a crime.
For some reason I decide to volunteer, “I make a great cheeseburger casserole.”I’m sorry, Jake. I’m sorry, cows.Meanwhile,Jake stares at me like I’ve just confessed to war crimes.
Trina looks excited. “Can you make enough to feed thirty or so?”
“No problem,” I tell her. “The last time I made it was for my parents’ fortieth anniversary and they had more than fifty people there.” And they loved it!
“What do you want me to make?” Jake sounds defeated.
Trina suggests, “Why don’t you check the refrigerator and see what kind of ingredients are on hand.”
