LAID OUT TO REST by J. C. Eaton

Author:J. C. Eaton [J. C. Eaton]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Level Best Books
Published: 2022-07-10T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-One

Suzette arrived at the soon-to-be renamed sandwich shop at three on the dot the next day. Tall, slender, and blonde, with an outfit that complimented her figure, Matt offered up a zillion excuses to keep on working once he laid eyes on her. I all but threw him out, insisting nothing else needed to be sorted, cleaned, or otherwise. Lilly-Ann even helped by taking him by the arm. She told me she’d be back at seven so I could show her how to prepare the mini-charcuterie boards.

“It’s not live yet,” Suzette said, handing me a tablet once my employees left. “It’s your new website. Simplistic, functional, inviting, and within your price range.”

“My gosh, the graphics of the charcuterie boards are eye-catching. Where did you find them?”

“Some are company designs others are public domain photos. Will they work until we can photograph your masterpieces?”

“Absolutely.”

She went on to review the marketing plan, beginning with targeted ads and mailers for event planners. By the time she left, I was confident my new business would succeed.

With only a couple of hours until seven, I drove home, took Speedbump for a walk, and made myself an omelet. Then it was off to The Char-Board. I had the foresight to bring my Trader Joe’s purchases to the place in the morning so I wouldn’t be stressed at the end of the day. Oddly enough, Edith had left me alone since we arrived home late last night, following my second sojourn to Imogen’s place. Not a good sign. I worried she was up to something. Probably with good reason.

Lilly-Ann was at the shop when I pulled up front. Judging from her smile, she was as eager to get going as I was.

“Hey there! Hope you weren’t waiting long,” I said.

“Nope, just got here. My car’s on the opposite side of the street so it will be facing the right direction when I head home. Funny habit of mine.”

“Makes sense. Boy am I glad I lugged the food in this morning. That’s one less thing we have to deal with.” I unlocked the door and wondered if maybe I shouldn’t make an extra key for Lilly-Ann, just in case. The prior owner, according to everyone, was a total micromanager who had to control everything. Maybe he wasn’t comfortable giving one of his employees a spare key, but I needed to trust someone for backup and Lilly-Ann seemed reliable.

“Better keep the front lights off so folks don’t think we’re open,” I continued. “Besides, we’re going to be working in the kitchen. Once we wash our hands, it’ll be look and learn.”

Lilly-Ann wiped her hands on a paper towel and tossed it in the trash. “I know it’s a matter of cutting and arranging the foods on a platter, but is there a secret to it? A special technique?”

“Actually, the mini-boards are more difficult in the sense that they’re designed for one or two people and that means the combination of elements, that is, foods, must complement each other. When it comes to the larger platters for parties and events, it’s an entirely different story.

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