Delicious by Susan Mallery

Author:Susan Mallery [Mallery, Susan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HQN
Published: 2006-12-12T23:00:00+00:00

PENNY CHECKED the bandage on her hand. The bleeding had stopped, proving her theory that she didn’t need stitches. It was Friday night and the kitchen was moving at top speed. Nothing less than a severed limb was going to get her out of the restaurant until the orders were through.

“The table for eight has been seated,” she yelled. “You know they’re going to want the special so brace yourself.”

Edouard glared at her. “Did you have to offer two different reductions? On a Friday?”

Penny shrugged. “I thought you were up to it.”

She offered bravado to her staff because it was expected, but on the inside, she winced. She hadn’t been thinking when she’d planned the specials for that evening. Unfortunately, they required too many burners. Which meant if several came in at the same time, there was a delicate dance to be performed, along with a strong-armed game of “who gets the open burner.”

She wanted to make a general announcement that the baby had moved and that had distracted her, but she doubted anyone would care. So she put up with the complaints and vowed not to screw up again.

Naomi blew into the kitchen looking like she was ready to choke someone.

“The wine inventory is wrong,” she announced. “I can’t believe it. On the tasting dinner, they’re out of the pinot. Just like that. Randy just announced it in hushed tones, as if by whispering no one would notice.” She stood in the middle of the kitchen and raised both her fists. “Where the hell is Cal? I want him dead. I mean that. Seriously, not breathing, dead.”

Penny stared at her. “What do you mean, we’re out of pinot? We can’t be out of pinot. Next to my fish and chips, the tasting menu is the most popular item. Dammit all to hell, I told Cal we needed to double-check the wine inventory. Did he have Randy do it?”

“That’s what I’m guessing.”

“And Cal’s not here?”

Naomi shook her head. “I haven’t seen him in about an hour.”

Great. It was a Friday night. The restaurant was packed, they were out of wine and Cal was missing.

“Nobody screws with my tasting menu,” Penny muttered as she headed for her office.

The tasting menu—a five-course prix fixe meal that offered everything from appetizers to dessert—came either with or without wine. The “with wine” selection offered a different glass of wine with each course, including a very nice Pinot Noir with the salmon.

Penny had been very specific about the pairing. Some pinots were sweeter than others and she’d wanted the exact balance of sugar with her salmon.

She jerked off her jacket and stepped out of her clogs. If she was going to have to walk through the dining room, she didn’t want everyone noticing that she was the chef.

After slipping into loafers and tugging on a black blazer she kept hanging on the back of her door for just such occasions, she pulled off her head scarf and raced toward the dining room.

Once there, she moved slowly, acting as if she were simply one of the staff.

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