Page 10 of The Sweet Spot
“Hey, hi, Brandon. I guess you know it’s me,” she said with a nervous laugh.
“We did exchange numbers,” I said as pleasantly as possible, even though I didn’t sound pleasant. I’d have to work on that. I had an idea why she was calling, so no need to scare her off.
“Right, yes, we did. What did people do before the call display? They guessed? I mean, how awful is that? What if it’s someone you don’t want to talk to, and now you’re forced into it because you picked up the phone? Have you ever used a rotary phone? Up until a few years ago, my grandparents still had one.” That laugh again, almost a giggle that made her endearing.
“No, can’t say I’ve ever used one.” The conversation had been perplexing, but her digressions did make me want to laugh.
“Enough about that. I didn’t call to talk about rotary phones. I know a ton of time has passed since Tangi and Ethan’s wedding, and it’s probably way too late, and you’ve likely hired someone because I couldn’t get my shit together, but if you’re still looking for a private chef, I’m available.”
I’d forgotten to look for someone. Actually, I’d had no desire to. Maybe I was lazy, or maybe it was too daunting. I’d had no idea where to start. It wasn’t like I didn’t have the time.
“I haven’t hired anyone. I’m assuming you’d be willing to relocate?”
“Definitely. It’s time for a fresh start. I’ve been living with my parents for the last two and a half weeks, and I’ve come to realize I don’t like doing that. Not even a little. I don’t expect you to just hire me. You’ll probably want a private taste testing, and I am happy to do that. My plan is to fly up to Vancouver on the weekend. Tangi and Ethan have been kind enough to let me stay in their condo, so I just need a day or two to scout outplaces to get groceries, and then I can come up with a menu. I do have a few chef friends in Vancouver, and I’m sure they can recommend places, but it’s important that I find my own spots, you know?”
She talked a lot, but I chalked it up to nerves. “All right, but I have tried your food. I have an idea.”
“No, we have to do this the right way. So if you don’t mind, take the next day or two to think about what you want. My specialty is vegan and vegetarian, but if you’d also like poultry or beef and pork, I can make that work too. I don’t enjoy cooking with it, but I can. I also am perfectly happy to work with fish, but so you know, I am a strict vegetarian, so I can’t always guarantee it will be perfectly seasoned. I won’t try it, and that’s nonnegotiable for me.”
“I figured you were a vegetarian,” I said, sitting on my sofa and opening Google on my iPad. Her restaurant website was still up, so I looked over the menu. Everything sounded great, if not a little carb-heavy, but that was good when I needed the extra calories and energy.
“I know that’s a strike against me.”
“It’s not a big deal. I am looking for a more plant-based diet. I do still want to incorporate poultry and fish, but if it needs a little salt, I can sprinkle it on myself.”
She giggled again, which elicited a chuckle from me.
“I will do my best to season it properly.”
“I’m not worried about that. And as for diet, I’m looking for a lot of protein, some complex carbs, and a balance of good fats. My focus is to stay away from simple carbs and too much complex carbs while still staying full. That’s not to say that I won’t still be eating a lot of them, especially after games.”
“I totally understand. I’ve been doing my research and talking to some private chef friends. I’ve got some great ideas.”
She did seem prepared for the call even though she cameoff a bit flaky, although it was endearing. “Okay, then when you get to town, and you’ve settled in, let’s get together for a taste testing. We can also discuss salary expectations.”
“Sounds good.”
I got off the phone and googled what it cost for private chefs because there was no way I was going to let her get away.
Chapter Seven
Wolseley
Ithink Mom and Dad figured out that they were part of the reason I was heading out West. I loved my parents, but spending nearly every waking minute with them was a problem, especially after I’d enjoyed living on my own for so long. Suddenly, having people around all the time was a hard adjustment. Dad had recently retired from teaching history at the University of Minnesota for more than thirty years, and Mom was working part-time as an accountant after having worked in the field all her life. She was on an extended break for the summer, so the three of us had a lot of togetherness. My brother was long gone, living with his long-term partner and their two small kids. Lucky him.
Mom’s dark blue eyes were filled with tears as Dad helped me put my luggage and carry-on into the car. We’d always been close—maybe too close because I often worried that I was disappointing her, but I had to make this move. I had to get away from the restaurant, the stench of Daniel, and the complete disaster of my life. And if I could impress Brandon, then maybe I’d have anew start. The best part of all was that I’d be reunited with my two best friends. I’d missed them so much over the last two years. First, when Tangi moved to Vancouver, then when Jill got transferred to Toronto, lost her job, then moved to Vancouver, too, when the Kodiaks PR job came up. Maybe not having my two best friends around had led to me making so many crappy choices.
“Call me when you arrive,” Mom said.
“I will.”
“And you promise to call or text every day?”
“Yes,” I said, giving her one more hug. She wasn’t coming to the airport because she was afraid of making a scene. She bawled like a baby at the hospital when my nephew was born, so it was probably for the best that she stayed home.
Dad and I drove to the airport, talking about anything except how my life had taken a nosedive. Dad refused to talk about it, which suited me just fine. I didn’t want to talk about it, either, especially how theGazettehad made me sound like a total flake who’d been duped by an ingenious sous chef. Sure, I’d been duped, but Daniel was hardly ingenious. He was a fraud.
“It’s a good thing we kept up your and your brother’s dual citizenship,” Dad said. “You should be able to find work there in no time if the personal chef angle doesn’t work out.”