“Maybe so, but my life is back to routine, and that’s the way I like it after what happened.”
“I’m going to go too. Night, Mr. C, I mean Burt,” Sean said.
“Call me whatever you want, but just hand me that last brownie and don’t tell my wife.”
Burt stuffed the treat in his napkin with the other brownies and headed for the garage.
“Night, kids!” April called out from the kitchen, as she waved around the corner. She was on the phone with an excited look on her face.
***
Ashley and Sean walked to his car, then rode back to her apartment laughing about the evening.
“Boy, your dad really has a gripe about that dealership,” Sean said.
“I know, it’s not the first time I’ve heard him complain about them. But I need the work, and there will be a lot of people there, so maybe I’ll get some new clients out of it,” Ashley replied.
“Do you want some help for that catering job?” Sean asked. “I could get someone to cover for me.”
“That’s okay,” Ashley said. “I have Lara coming to help set up for the buffet. And she’s bringing her brother who’s worked as a bartender, so I’m set.”
“Yeah, but do you need help with the food? They don’t know anything about cooking, and I could give you a hand with that. I could bring the desserts,” he suggested.
“You know what, I have a meeting at the dealership coming up. We’re going to go over the menu, so after I find out more details, I’ll let you know if I need more help.”
“Ok. Sounds good. Want me to walk you to the door?”
Ashley was going to say no, and then she reconsidered.
“Sure. You can say hi to the cats.”
Sean walked her up the stairs to her apartment to make sure she got in safely. He couldn’t resist petting the two cats. Susie Q brushed by his leg and purred. She was a small tortoiseshell colored kitten with a chubby face like a toy.
Charlie gave him the stare down as if to say, “Did you bring me anything man?” before he strode over to Ashley.
Charlie had a perfectly round apple face and big green eyes. He was brownish with white spots. Ashley always joked about his cow patch look. A cat who walked on a leash and rode in the car like a dog, had the markings of a cow, and was always finding and hiding trinkets like a monkey.
She had gotten him from a shelter, and he turned out to be one of the best things that ever came into her life. And he constantly entertained her.
“Hope you’re feeding him extra well after he helped solve that infamous case,” Sean joked.
“Oh, he’s more spoiled than ever. I’m mom and slave all at once.”
Sean grinned at Ashley and the cats. He then leaned in for a good night kiss. Ashley closed her eyes and felt his soft lips on hers. What a sweet night.
“Night,” he said.
“Night. Thanks for coming to dinner,” she replied.
Sean smiled. “Are you kidding? Thanks for having me over to eat all your mom’s good food.” He then patted his substantial belly. “Look at Charlie staring at my belly. What’s he thinking? Is he jealous that I had a good meal?”
“He wants treats too, of course. He’s probably thinking, ‘Tut, never fear me. I’m as a vigilant as a cat to steal cream.’ From Henry IV Part One.”
Sean laughed as he walked out the door. “Shakespeare says it all, huh Charlie?”
As Ashley waved at Sean, she saw her landlady, Mrs. Norris, peering out her window at him as he walked to his car. Silly woman. She should make friends with him instead of giving him glares. She might score some pastries that way. Mrs. Norris looked up at Ashley’s apartment and saw Ashley grinning and waving at her. Mrs. Norris shut her curtain fast.
Ashley chuckled and got ready for bed. The cats followed her to her room and cuddled close. She petted them both. Susie Q fell asleep right away. Charlie continued the stare down.
“OK Charlie, I couldn’t walk you tonight as I had dinner with my parents. Tomorrow morning for sure.”
His eyes were round and accusatory as if to say, ‘how am I supposed to stay in top shape without my walks?’ then he reluctantly lay down.
She petted his head and scratched him under the chin.
“You are quite the prince, aren’t you?” she said.
She went to sleep with a full stomach and happy heart that night. Sean was fitting in so well with everything about her life. She had a catering job lined up and would probably get more soon. Not to mention her little town of Comfortville was back to being quiet and comforting again.
Chapter Two
“Oww,” Ashley yelped.
Charlie looked at her with mild amusement in his eyes.
“Oh, did I accidently step on your hair?” he seemed to say as he jumped off the bed.
Susie Q glanced from Ashley to Charlie and back to Ashley again to reinforce that she had nothing to do with the rude awakening.
“It’s only five forty-five,” she groaned. “I need my fifteen minutes more Charlie.”
But she knew that she might as well get her insistent cat outside. If he could, he would bark, but instead he started yowling loudly at the door.
She stumbled out of bed and got his halter and leash, then put it on him. As soon as she opened the door, he bolted out and down the steps. Once on the street, he took to sniffing the plants, cars, and keeping his eyes peeled for dogs.
As he motored down the street, she realized she still had her pajamas on.
“Oh well, it’s pretty early. Hopefully, I’m not the only one out in pajamas.”
As she passed a few dog walkers, she realized she truly was the only one in her sleepwear. Still, everyone enjoyed seeing Charlie so much; they didn’t seem to notice. As usual, the neighbors on her street stopped to pet him, and their dogs wagged their tails at him. Everyone knew Charlie. They had a great walk and then she turned around to head back.
He motored right beside her like a good doggy. What a cat.
***
As they turned into her complex, exactly what she had been trying to avoid, happened.
Mrs. Norris popped out. “Good morning, Ashley dear. How is your dog hiding inside a cat disguise doing?”
“He’s fine, Mrs. Norris. After all this time, you can call him Charlie.”
“Oh, I know his name dear, I was just making a joke.”
“How are you, Mrs. Norris?” Ashley wanted to get the chit-chat out of the way and get up to her apartment.
“Not so fast. I wanted to hear how you’re doing. I heard you have a big catering job over at Hartman’s Autos. That should be fun. You’ll meet a lot of people, too. Just watch out for Bob Hartman. I tell you, he’s a ladies man if there ever was one.”
How in the world had Mrs. Norris found out about Ashley’s catering job? Was news coming in on the wind now?
“Yes, it should be good. I’m looking forward to it. If you’ll excuse me, I have to get upstairs and work on my menus,” Ashley said.
“Not so fast again. Didn’t you ask me how I was doing?” Mrs. Norris replied.
Ashley smiled stiffly. “Uh yeah, of course. Hope all is going well.”
“Well, I’d be better, but I’ve had lots of complaints in the last few days from tenants about barking dogs. “
“Well, that’s what dogs do,” Ashley said.
“Do they bother you? You haven’t said anything,” Mrs. Norris stated.
“Not really. They don’t bark all night or anything, and after all, even though the dogs here aren’t big, when they bark, they could alert you to something.”
“That’s true. But it seems they’ve been barking more than usual. Maybe it’s a skunk or raccoon hanging out back in the alley and getting them worked up.”
“There you go, that must be it. Well, I have to go Mrs. Norris, see you later.”
“Bye, dear. Hope your catering job works out. And don’t forget that the rent goes up at the end of the year.”
“Thank you
, Mrs. Norris. I won’t forget. Need to get Charlie inside.”
Ashley let out a long sigh when she got upstairs and took off Charlie’s halter and leash. He sat there expecting a treat after his walk. She gave him a few kitty crunchies.
“Thanks for bolting for the stairs and sparing me from more talk with Mrs. Norris,” Ashley said to him.
Charlie gave her an understanding look and went back to gobbling his food. Ashley opened the window shades for the day and gazed outside for a minute. She started to daydream about what menus she would put together for Hartman Luxury Autos.
She’d do four different appetizers and choose four different classic cocktails. Then she’d add in some good Belgian style beers and a fine selection of red and white wines. Simple and elegant. She would round it out with coffee, mini desserts, and a fruit selection. Perfect.
After she had worked through the afternoon, she printed out three different appetizer menus to show them at the dealership and put her favorite one on top in the folder. Her stomach was rumbling so she padded into the kitchen and made a small dinner. She loaded a plate with some fresh sliced tomatoes, added diced cucumbers, a small handful of arugula, and a few slices of sweet onion. She drizzled all of it with olive oil, added a dash of balsamic vinegar and ground some pepper on top. Then she crumbled some goat cheese over it and grabbed some parmesan crackers. She opened a bottle of sparkling apple juice to wash it all down with. Delicious. And a perfect way to finish off some of the end of summer vegetables from the local farmers market.
Time to get ready for bed. The cats started to chase each other around the apartment, then jumped on the couch. No sooner than Ashely had climbed under the covers, they both came streaking in for the night. Susie Q curled up next to Ashley and Charlie lay on the pillow above her head.
“Like being on a throne,” she thought. Before long, everyone had dozed off to sleep.
Chapter Three
Ashley’s alarm went off at six a.m., and she jumped out of bed. She took Charlie out for a quick walk, then made some coffee and a small breakfast of eggs on toast. She wanted to review the menus and get herself into interview mode. Her friend Lara called.
“Are you excited?” Lara asked.
“Excited and nervous. Thanks again for offering to help me.” Ashley said.
“Of course! Call me later and let me know how it went. Bye,” Lara said.
Ashley thought about the job as she got dressed. She was feeling anxious now. Hartman’s Autos was an important catering gig. She had to get it right. And even though Bob Hartman had been nice to her about the event on the phone, everything she had heard about him since made it seem he was going to be difficult to work for. His general manager, Mark Laughlin, had been very polite on the phone too. Still, her dad was usually spot on in his assessment of people.
She was also a bit nervous about asking her friend Lara and Lara’s brother Will to help out. Lara wasn’t a chef, but she knew good food and was friendly and a hard worker. Lara’s brother had bartending experience so he should be fine, but she has some reservations about him. He had just turned twenty-one and had only done two other jobs that she knew about. Should Ashley take up Sean’s offer to help her? She’d have to think about that. Her stomach churned.
***
She thought for a moment. Shakespeare came to mind again. “Present fears are less than horrible imaginings.’ That was from the play ‘Macbeth’ and summed up her dread at the moment.
***
Just then she noticed there had been two calls and one text from Sean. She smiled. He was texting to wish her good luck at her catering meeting. She instantly felt better.
Everything was going well between them. It was blossoming from friendship to something deeper, and she felt safe and comfortable around him. Because her friends and parents liked him, it made the relationship so much easier. She drove to her appointment with a clearer mindset.
***
***
Chapter Four
Ashley arrived at Hartman Auto Dealers a few minutes before her appointment. She checked in with the reception desk and had a seat on the couch. She couldn’t believe how sleek the dealership was. She hadn’t been out of town this way in a while. It seemed they had renovated it. The walls were shiny with chrome decorations, and the desks were all very modern looking. Gleaming new cars were parked all over the brilliantine finish on the floors. She was instantly relieved she had worn her non-slip work flats.
“I could fall on my face in a heartbeat on these floors,” she thought.
Just then, she saw a pretty young woman wobble on very high heels as she came around the corner with an enthusiastic car buyer. He was only too happy to catch her elbow.
“Thanks,” the pretty woman gushed.
“Sure,” he beamed at her. “I would say these floors are a danger zone for your shoes.”
“Yes, they are,” she said. “But we have to wear them for work.”
The guy looked perplexed, and Ashley frowned.
“Have to wear stiletto high heels to work?” she wondered. Who established those rules? A dictator?
Just then, another attractive woman approached Ashley with her hand extended. She looked a bit shaky in her sky-high heels too.
“Ms. Crane? I’m Holly Harris, Mr. Hartman’s assistant.”
Ashley got up and shook Holly’s hand. She couldn’t help but notice Holly’s tight-fitting clothes and heavy-handed makeup.
“Hi, thank you for seeing me, “Ashley said, politely.
“Of course! We are very excited about you catering the party. This way please,” Holly said.
Holly turned and walked into a new office. Ashley followed behind, watching Holly twitch her way to her desk.
Ashley handed Holly the appetizer and cocktail menus as soon as they were both seated.
“I chose the one on top. There are two others in case you like them better,” Ashley said.
“Thanks. Let me see,” Holly replied.
Holly took a moment to look them over, then glanced up at Ashley.
“I agree. I think the first one is best and suits the party perfectly. In a moment, I’ll show you the room where we will do the setup and see if you have any suggestions. Do you have any questions for me?”
“Thank you, not at the moment. I went over lots of details with Mr. Laughlin on the phone, and he pretty much answered all my questions.”
Holly narrowed her eyes. Her demeanor completely changed.
“Mark Laughlin won’t be in charge of the party. I will,” she stated flatly.
Ashley was taken by surprise.
“Oh, well then I misunderstood. He told me he was handling it when we spoke on the phone. But that’s fine. I’m happy to work with you,” she said.
“Mark likes to tell everybody that he is handling everything,” Holly sneered.
Ashley coughed nervously. She didn’t want to hear about “office politics.” Just then, the owner, Bob Hartman, barged into the office. He was average height and stocky. He had dark brown hair and piercing brown eyes.
“Hi! Bob Hartman here. You must be Miss Crane. Pleased to meet you. Let’s get to it.”
Ashley shook his hand and smiled up at him. He looked as blustery and aggressive as her father had said. Before she could say another word, he barreled on.
“Listen, I heard you’re a great cook, and that’s what we need. But we also need someone who can roll with the dice and get things done. You got that, right? We have to put on a knockout party because I have very important people coming. I interviewed a few other people for the job, and they were losers. I can’t deal with losers, got it? So arrive with your best people and whip the party into shape. Holly here will tell you everything else you need to know. See you soon.”
Bob turned to leave the office.
Ashley took a breath after his barrage and stood up.
“Mr. Hartman?” she asked.
He turned around and stared at her. “Yes?”
“Thank y
ou for the opportunity. I plan to put on a great evening for Hartman Autos.”
“Good. That’s what I like to hear.” He paused and took a long look at her.
“Ya got any high heels you can wear for the evening?”
“Excuse me? I can’t possibly cater in heels,” Ashley stammered.
He shot her a disdainful look. “Yeah right, ok. If you bring girls to help you out, have them wear a pair of heels. It classes up the joint.”
Ashley was just about to joke with him and ask if he wanted the guys to wear heels too, but he had already disappeared around the corner.
Ashley then sat down and looked at Holly.
“Well, that was interesting,” Ashley deadpanned.
“Wasn’t it?” Holly smirked. “Let’s go look at the party area.”
***
Ashley followed dutifully behind again as Holly twitched back and forth down the hallway. As they rounded a corner into a room, she heard arguing from an office to her left. The office door was ajar, and Ashley saw two men in there. One was Hartman, and the other man was extremely tall with a bald head.
“Why is Holly taking over so many duties around here? I was supposed to organize the party. You do realize whose coming don’t you? I should have my hand in this event. Holly is just an administrative assistant,” the man barked.
Ashley recognized that voice from her phone call about the job. It was the General Manager, Mark Laughlin.
“Stop being ridiculous. You’ve got plenty to keep you busy. I don’t need you futzing around with a party. Get the sales back up,” Hartman growled.
“What are you talking about? We’ve had a great month. Last quarter was one of our highest in years!”
Ashley Crane Cozy Mystery Collection Page 20