We wrap up dinner service, and I decide to head out to the back porch and take in the waves, before I dig into the inventory. We have been readjusting the menu each night based on what we have, and what needs to be used. Brynn was on the right track, when she suggested a limited menu, and so far, there have been no complaints, as long as we have gluten-free, vegetarian, and Keto options for those few guests.
The night is quiet, and everything almost seems still, except for the crashing of the waves. This back porch was my favorite place at night growing up. My parents would be in talking to Brynn’s, and we would sit out here and play cards and games. Later, we would make out in the corner.
I’m surprised to find Brynn out here on the couch with a glass of wine in her hand. She looks at me, but she doesn’t say anything. Since she isn’t telling me to leave, I sit in the chair next to her, and take in a deep breath of fresh, salty, sea air.
“Thank you for helping this week in the kitchen.” She says.
“You’re welcome. I think I got all the bookwork and paperwork in order. I have a sample menu ready for when the bridge is back open. It will lower your food costs, while allowing you to charge more. I don’t think George was doing much of anything at the end there.” I tell her.
“No, apparently, he was too busy filming his audition for the reality TV show. I hope he’s cut first round. I told him not to bother to call for a reference. No way will I give him a good one, and now, he’ll have four missing years on his resume to explain.” She huffs.
“What if he wins? You could try to capitalize on it.” I tell her.
Then, she does the last thing I expect. She busts out laughing.
“He’s not a team player, his food was subpar at best, and he never came up with new recipes. I recently found out Ken was the one to push him to put new things on the menu. The devil you know, right?” She shakes her head.
I try not to think about how she wouldn’t be in this mess at all, if I had come back to help her, when she needed it, or if we had changed our plans and just pushed ahead sooner.
“So, tell me, why are you doing this? And don’t give me the spill about, oh my mom made me crap.” She says.
“Mom’s idea was to send over our sous chef and test him out on running a kitchen, but then somehow, she twisted it to me coming over. I did some thinking and decided I’d rather it be me here than someone else. I’ve made many mistakes, but I plan to start making them right.” I tell her honestly.
We sit in silence for a few minutes, and I think back to when I brought food to her room the other day, and Kade was in her room. Apparently, he’s dating Lin, and they aren’t hiding it, but it doesn’t explain why he was in Brynn’s room that night. So, I decide to go for broke.
“So, Kade?” I start.
“What about him?”
“I thought he was dating Lin,” I say.
“He is.” She says, and bites back a smile. She knows what I want to know, but she’s going to make me work for it. Typical Brynn.
“Why was he in your room?” I ask, trying to keep as calm as possible.
“Lin was in the bathroom, when you came to the door. She timed it perfectly. Watch out for her, because I think she’s playing matchmaker.”
“Like you weren’t doing the same for her and Kade,” I tell her. “You know, you should be careful. He has a reputation for a reason. I wouldn’t be so quick to push him on your best friend.” I say.
I looked up everything on Kade Markson. He’s labeled Hollywood’s Playboy, and there’s picture after picture with him and a different girl each night on his arm.
“Really? Oh, right, you weren’t here, when the press hounded Lin and me for months. You didn’t see the stories they made up, and the shit they printed. They hid out in trees, trying to get a photo at just the right angle to make up whatever story they wanted. Just because it’s printed doesn’t make it true.” She snaps.
“I’m just trying to watch out for you!”
“Oh, yeah. How? By sabotaging every interview I’ve tried to set up. Is that looking out for me? The bridge is going to open, and I’m still not going to have a chef!” She yells.
I did look over every application she was setting up a video interview with, and I knew a few of them, and they weren’t right for the job. One I didn’t want around Brynn at all. Two others thought they were so high and mighty their egos wouldn’t fit through the door, when I talked to them. Another had never worked at a place with fresh seafood.
“You need someone who doesn’t have an inflated ego, who has worked with fresh seafood, and who doesn’t mind a small-town. Preferably, a family man or woman, because this isn’t a place for a playboy or someone single. You don’t want someone too new, because then this will just be a stopping point on the way to New York City, Vegas, or Hollywood. You also have to be careful about Kade, and that they aren’t trying to get to him and his contacts.”
“So, basically you. Oh, wait, your inflated ego rules you out.” She rolls her eyes.
I haven’t had anyone roll their eyes at me in years. It makes me want to take her over my knee and give her a lesson on what happens, when she gets bratty with me. Brynn is too stubborn for that, though.
She chugs down the rest of her wine in two large gulps, and then stands up.
“Why can’t you just let me be and let me hire who I’m going to hire?” She yells.