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ChapterSixteen
“Another order for the special. Top sirloin medium-well with baked potatoes and pan-seared salmon with the lemon herb rice and a serving of pickled asparagus. Hold the sauce.”
Jo groaned as she reached for the order sheet to go over everything that Suzie, one of the servers, had just rattled off to her. She looked over to Daniel by the stove, looking back at her with a smirk as he held the tongs ready to turn the lamb shanks browning in the skillet for the previous order. “You wanted to know what a real dinner crowd looks like here. Well, you got it,” he said, still smirking.
Jo rolled her eyes at him. “I’m quitting,” she pouted. Daniel laughed at her look of petulance before turning back to the fire. Jo turned her attention to the young woman awaiting instructions. “Take these to table four, and this order will be ready in the next fifteen minutes.”
Suzie nodded, taking the small basket of sliced bread and the jug of cold water. Before she exited through the double stainless-steel doors that led to the main hall, she looked back at Jo with a warm smile. “Welcome to the family.”
Jo returned her smile before turning toward the chaotic yet orderly kitchen. An abundance of ingredients, mainly seasonings and vegetables, lay on one of the prep tables, while another table held chopping boards, knives, and bowls for wet ingredients. She and Daniel had been on their feet with no break for the past two hours, and by the looks of it, they would be on their feet for another two to finish the orders and clean the kitchen. The crowd that had shown up for dinner this evening had surprised her. It was as if the restaurant was operating a revolving door, as it seemed that the more people left after their meals, twice as many would show up. She wasn’t complaining. Josephine was used to this sort of thing back at her old job in Tacoma, but she was surprised that such a small eatery could draw such a large crowd. She hadn’t come prepared with the mindset to have so much to do. If the restaurant was doing so well considering its size, perhaps they could afford to expand it and possibly hire more staff. This was something she’d have to discuss with her sisters, though.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
She looked over her shoulder to see Daniel staring at her curiously.
“I was just thinking of how I can get you to fire me,” she deadpanned.
“Sorry, that is not an option.” Daniel grinned; his steel-gray eyes twinkled with mischief.
“Oh, really?” Jo challenged, turning fully to him with her hands folded over her chest.
“Yup. Not even if you pulled out your toenails and served them as hors d’oeuvres.”
Jo made a face. “That’s disgusting.” She shuddered.
Daniel laughed. “Well, at least you know how desperately I need you here,” he said lightly.
Jo felt the heat rising up her neck. Quickly, she averted her gaze and turned back to the table to continue what she was doing before the telltale signs of her flushed skin could give away the fact that she was affected by his words.
“Well, don’t get too comfortable. The minute your sous chef is back, I’m out of here,” she gestured, pointing toward the door.
She didn’t know if he was about to respond because just then, Pat, their next server, pushed her head through the door, her chirpy voice interrupting whatever vibe had been running in the kitchen.
“Is order twenty ready?” she asked.
“Yes. Give me a minute to just plate and garnish this,” she heard Daniel respond to the young lady. At this, Pat stepped into the kitchen and waited for the order with her tray in hand.
Jo continued with what she was doing, lightly seasoning the steak and salmon and preparing the frying pans with a small amount of oil.
“Need help?” Daniel sidled up to her the minute Pat left.
“Yes, thanks,” she accepted. “Can you prepare the steak, medium well done, while I do the salmon, please?”
“Sure thing,” he agreed.
The two chefs worked in unison as if they had been doing this for years, and everything they suggested or added to the dishes complemented the flavors well.
“Taste this,” Jo stretched her hand up as Daniel bent his head down to taste the sauce on the wooden spoon she held. She looked up, waiting for his reaction as he rolled the sauce around in his mouth.
“Mm-hmm. This tastes great,” he complimented, causing Jo’s lips to turn up in satisfaction. “Let me suggest that you add just another teaspoon of oregano and see how that comes out.”
“Okay,” she readily agreed. It amazed her how eagerly she wanted to please this man, yet back in her old job, when the head chef had shot down her ideas and instructed her to add more ingredients or cut back on something, she’d more often than not, done so unwillingly. Yet, with Daniel, it was different. She seemed to thrive off his compliments and trusted herself more to try new things like the garlic pesto sauce she’d just made. She also liked the fact that he welcomed her suggestions and didn’t hesitate to follow her instructions.
“What are you thinking?” Daniel asked her as she kept staring at him.
“How much I like you more than my previous boss.” She widened her eyes in surprise at the words that had just slipped out of her mouth. She quickly went into damage control mode. “I mean, you’re nicer than my old boss. I appreciate that and the fact that you welcome my suggestions.”
Daniel smiled tenderly down at her. His gaze seemed to bore into her soul, seeing more than what was on display. Jo felt her heart rate quicken.
