I tipped the deliveryman and took possession of the flowers, wondering who would be sending them to me. My birthday was months away.
“Bailey, look at the pretty flowers.” She was too busy singing the alphabet song with the Muppets to even acknowledge I was in the same room. I carried the large bouquet to the table and deeply inhaled the sweet scent of roses and lilacs. Taking one last whiff, I set it down on the table and removed the card and found myself stunned by the name inscribed on the card.
“Dear Jamie, Please forgive my rudeness yesterday. I do hope I haven’t tarnished your faith in mankind and that you’ll give me another chance to show you I’m actually a nice guy. Chase Walker.”
“My, my, my,” was all I could say. It was nice of him to send the flowers with an apology, but I was convinced the flower delivery was more about his ego being shot down because I’d walked out on him. In the midst of my feeling rather smug, my cell phone played its tune. I answered.
“I’m sure I’m the last person you want to speak to, but I wanted to tell you how sorry I am and beg your forgiveness.” I remained silent. “Are you still there?”
“Yes.”
“Did you receive the flowers I sent?”
“I did.” My response was blemished with coolness. “So what can I do for you, Mr. Walker?”
“Whoa, you’re pretty direct.”
“No more than you, Mr. Walker.”
“Touché, pretty lady.”
“Mr. Walker, I’m not one of your girls, so please don’t try to flatter me with sweet talk.”
“Sorry.” He cleared his throat. “I…I called to ask if you’d bring your niece to the house so I can meet her. I won’t offer any excuses…you won’t believe me anyway, but I am genuinely sorry for my behavior. I really wasn’t feeling well and took it out on you. Will you give this another shot?”
I tapped the pencil I was holding on the counter, questioning whether I should. I was still in a snit from our interaction and wasn’t about to let the beautiful flowers influence my decision. But then there was my financial status I needed to consider. And if I decided to move forward, his fee was going up.
“So, what do you say?” he asked.
“Okay,” I said, my tone less than convincing. “We can talk again, but I’m not making any promises. Bailey is my life now, and I won’t have anyone around who doesn’t want her in his presence. She’s had enough hardship.”
“I totally understand.” I heard him sigh. “So can we meet this afternoon at two o’clock at my sister’s? Would that be a good time for you and Bailey?”
“Fine, see you at two o’clock.” I clicked off without saying good-bye, still feeling the aftermath of his sting. I keyed in the Kitchen Widget’s phone number to leave a message for Cassie.
Bailey trudged alongside me, Mr. Bear clutched tightly in her arms as we walked to the door. “Sweetie, this visit is very important to us, so please be a good girl while I’m talking to Mr. Walker, okay?”
She nodded in agreement. “Bailey, good girl.”
“Yes, she is.” I pushed the buzzer and waited. Courtney greeted us with a wide smile.
“And who is this beautiful little girl?” she asked, bending down to Bailey’s eye level.
“Bailey,” she said and held up her fingers. “I’m free.”
“Well, you’re a big girl.” Courtney looked in my direction and winked at me. “Thanks for coming back, Jamie. I really appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome,” I said coolly. I didn’t want to come across as too friendly in case I wasn’t happy with the way things turned out. I reached down for Bailey’s hand, but she wasn’t there. A sudden panicked feeling washed through me.
Courtney smiled, apparently seeing my panic. “She’s already inside.”
I released a sigh of relief and stepped inside, calling out to her when I heard Chase’s voice.
“She’s in here with me.”
I mumbled an apology and rushed into his room with trepidation until I saw Bailey standing in front of him, a wide grin on his face and her three fingers in the air.
She looked in my direction. “Boo-boo, Ann Amie?” she said pointing to his casts.
“I do have a lot,” he said. “That’s from the zoom-zoom cars.” She gently patted his leg in consolation. “Bailey make better,” and a second later she broke out into the alphabet song she’d shared with the Muppets. Watching the expression on Chase’s face warmed my heart and convinced me that yesterday must have been an off day for him. It was apparent he liked children after all.
When Bailey finished her song, she bowed at the waist, and Courtney and I clapped.
“Thank you, Bailey, that was a very nice song,” he said. “You’ve made me feel so much better now.” She stepped back and threw him a kiss. He turned his cheek. “Got it,” he said, and pointed to the spot on his cheek.
I interrupted. “Okay, Bailey, will you sit down on the big chair over there,” I said, pointing, “and wait until Aunt Jamie finishes talking to Mr. Walker?” She nodded and stooped down to pick up Mr. Bear and then climbed up onto the chair and began addressing the stuffed animal in a hushed voice.
I pulled a chair over to the side of his bed, noticing he was clean-shaven and his hair actually looked presentable—a big improvement over yesterday.
“Thank you for coming back,” he said, his eyes focused directly on Bailey. “I can see why this little girl has top priority. She’s going to be a heartbreaker when she gets older.” He watched her having a conversation with Mr. Bear, and turned back to me. “Can we try this again?”
“On my terms this time. I’m changing my program for you because you have a need that I can fill, and I’m good with all the chores except I will not help you bathe or change your clothing. You’ll have to hire a nurse to handle that.”
“That’s fine.” His voice was docile.
“Why the sudden change of heart, Mr. Walker?”
“Chase, please.” He lowered his head and fiddled with a loose piece of gauze sticking out from the end of his cast. “I had no right to throw a tantrum like that and I’m sorry. My sister needs a break from me and my insulting comments about her food. So, are we good now?”
“Okay, but only on a probationary basis, and I’ll let you know when it’s over. Does that work for you?”
“If that’s the only way you’ll take the job, then that’s fine. When can you start?”
“Tomorrow, if you’d like.” I reached for my briefcase and pulled out the interview forms. “Shall I have Courtney tell me your food preferences, or do you want to tell me?”
“I’ll tell you.”
“Okay, once I develop a weekly menu, I’ll fax it to you for your approval, and then we can discuss the cost for my service.”
“You can email it to me. Courtney, please give Jamie a card with my address on it.” He paused to look at me. I could see he was thinking about something.
“What’s on your mind?” I asked.
“Uh…I think the first meal, however, should be some form of humble pie, don’t you?”
I ignored the comment and stood to leave. I turned in Bailey’s direction. “We need to get Mr. Bear home, munchkin.”
“Otay.” She kissed the bear and wiggled down off the chair and waved to Chase, a sudden shyness taking over.
“See you tomorrow,” he said with a wave.
“Thank you again for coming back,” Courtney added. “I will forever be indebted to you and your sister for saving me.”
“And me too,” Chase shouted from the bedroom.
In a food processor, pour the flour and salt in the bowl. Using the pulse feature on the food processor, add the cold butter cubes a few at a time until the mixture has crumbles the size of pebbles.
Add cold water, a tablespoon at a time to avoid making the dough too soft. Too bad this procedure won’t work for someone like Jamie whose cold, cold heart remains in the same rock-solid state with no signs of softening. But she ain’t seen nothing
yet when it comes to Chase Walker’s subtlety. But then, you’ve only seen a sampling of her stubbornness. Maybe she’s going to be much harder to convince than you think. You don’t think so, huh? Hmm, are you sure about that, Mr. Smarty-Pants?
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours. Now start thinking of little schemes you can use to get this spunky young woman to defrost in your arms. Take it one step at a time, though. She may think she’s tough, but you’ve never met a woman you couldn’t convince to see things your way. Now that you’ve gotten the details from big sister about Jamie’s feelings toward romance it should make things easier, but tread lightly, my friend. You’re in for the challenge of your life.
Okay, now remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to sit for thirty minutes before rolling out into six individual pieces into six-inch circles and place on a floured surface until the meat mixture is prepared.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place the ground beef in a large mixing bowl and season with parsley, salt, and pepper, working it in with your hands to incorporate.
Cut the large potatoes in half lengthwise and then thinly slice horizontally so you have half-moons—much better for romancing. Full moons bring out the crazies in spunky young women like her. Slice the onion in the same manner. Brush the outer perimeter of each circle with water and place a half cup of the uncooked ground beef mixture on one half of the circle. Flatten the beef with a fork to spread the mixture out to within a half inch of the edge; add a layer of potatoes, a layer of onions, and fold over, crimping with a fork to seal. Now we know you’re thinking your charm will chisel away all her fears and you’ll be able to seal the deal. Pretty confident, aren’t you?
Now use a needle to poke air holes in the top of the pasties, and poke yourself too—someone needs to tell you you’re not the be-all to end-all. Brush egg wash over top and place on a greased baking sheet and bake for forty-five to fifty minutes until the outside is golden. Makes six individual pasties.
“What are you doing here?” I asked Renee, who was standing by the front door when we returned home.
“I’m glad to see I timed this just right. I talked to Courtney after you left. I’m so happy you took the job.”
I was taken aback that she was checking up on me, but there wasn’t much I could do about that right now. The ball was in her court, so to speak. “Well, we’ll see how thrilling it is after I get started. Leopards don’t usually change their spots, but I’m going to give him a chance and take it from there.” I unlocked the door and we all walked inside.
“Aren’t you the cynic,” Renee quipped.
“No, just being cautious. The good news is I’ll have some money to pay my bills.”
“Oooh.” Renee inhaled the sweet scent of the flowers. “Who sent these?”
“It’s one of those, I’m sorry, but gifts,” I said twisting my mouth to the side.
Renee repeated it and frowned. “What does that mean?”
“They say they’re sorry, but it typically only lasts as a temporary fix to the problem.”
“So, I guess that means these are from Chase and he was apologizing.”
“Yes,” I said filling the kettle with water. “Want some tea?”
“Sure.” Renee lowered her nose to the flowers and inhaled deeply. “Mmm, the fragrance is very alluring.” She gave me the raised brows. “He sounds awfully romantic.”
“Oh, please. The only reason he sent them was because he’s so accustomed to getting what he wants, he’s trying out which method works best to get to me. The truth is, he’s just met his match and is not quite sure what to make of it.”
“Get to you how? As in girlfriend?”
“Good grief, no. Geez, you and your one-track mind are getting annoying.” I groaned. “As in getting his way.”
She ignored my comment and touched the flowers. “I wish Roger was the type to send me flowers. He didn’t even want to pay for the flowers for our wedding! You know, Chase didn’t have to send you flowers; he could have just called you.”
“Yeah, maybe,” I said, reaching for the tea bags. “Regular or flavored?”
“Regular.”
Bailey shuffled into the kitchen, her bear snuggled under her chin. “I sleep now, Mommy?”
I didn’t bother to correct her, and wondered if the reason I didn’t had to do with her sleepiness, or more about me enjoying the sound of being called “Mommy.”
“Sure, sweetie.” She raised her arms. I leaned down and scooped her up in one fell swoop and headed for the bedroom.
“I lub you, Ann Amie,” she said, her body going limp as she drifted off to sleep before her body hit the bed.
“I love you too, munchkin,” I whispered and brushed her hair to the side, tucking her under the covers.
I was expecting Renee to make some sarcastic comment when I returned to the kitchen, but she remained silent. The only telling part was the silly grin on her face. We continued drinking our tea and making small talk, but I couldn’t stop the pangs of anxiety waving in my stomach because I hadn’t stuck to my guns and I’d succumbed to being a private chef instead of a personal chef.
Being a nursemaid to a moody celebrity wasn’t my idea of a dream job, but I forced myself to be grateful that I now had gainful employment and could afford to pay my bills. Six weeks didn’t seem quite so bad if I thought about it under those terms. It was clear Chase was unhappy with his current health crisis, and based on that, I had no doubt he’d push to get back to his fast lifestyle as quickly as he could—foxy-looking women and all.
Preheat the broiler to high.
Coat the bottom of a roasting pan with cooking spray and sprinkle the tops of the sea bass with the granulated garlic, salt, and pepper. Set aside. Yep, Renee is always there to remind you of your shortcomings, but this makes you more determined to show her up. No amount of flowers or letters of apology will make you compromise your position for that guy with the big ego. You’re a professional and he’s not acting like one, except maybe spoiled like those Hollywood types. But that’s okay; play this low-key and see what happens.
Place under the broiler twelve to fifteen minutes until tops are golden. Pierce with a fork for doneness. If the fish is opaque inside, you have yourself a winner. It’s too early in the game to see if he’s sincere toward Bailey. If this doesn’t work out, ignore Renee and never let her make any recommendations again. And while you’re at it, if she tries to fool you with a meet and greet, leave her in the dust.
While the fish is cooking, melt the butter and olive oil in a saucepan, and add the garlic, sautéing until golden. Add the wine and lower the temperature to allow the wine to simmer, approximately ten minutes. Pool the sauce on the bottom of the plate and add the sea bass to the center. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately. Makes two servings.
I rang the buzzer, the large number of grocery bags the cabbie had helped me cart to the door now swimming around our feet. As soon as Courtney saw us, she grabbed the bags and helped to carry them inside.
“Is there anything else I can do before I leave?” she asked.
“Nope. I’m good. Did Chase have his medicine this morning?”
“Yes. I gave it to him. I also made some calls this morning and there will be a nurse coming sometime today for an interview with Chase.” Courtney prepared to leave. “Oh, before I forget, I left a key on the counter over there for your use.”
“Thank you. I wondered how I was going to get into the apartment while you were working.”
“Okay, I’m off to work. I’ll check with you later, but if you need anything, just call me.” She waved and walked outside.
I helped Bailey remove her coat and got her set up at the kitchen table, then set up my workstation with my tools to begin the prep work for the day’s meals. Hearing muffled voices, I turned to look for Bailey when I realized she was in with Chase, and I didn’t want her bothering him.
When I entered the room, Chase was holding onto the
overhead bar and trying to get out of bed, which was next to impossible with a cast the length of his long leg. “Mr. Walker, what are you trying to do?” I said sternly. I rushed over.
“There’s a child’s table and chairs I wanted to get for Bailey to use.”
“Get back in this bed before I give you bigger problems than your injuries.” He used the overhead bar to lower himself back down. My voice had escalated higher than I’d meant it to and Bailey started crying. “What’s wrong, honey?”
“Zoom-zoom, not bad.”
“No, honey, he’s not. I just want him to be careful before he hurts himself again.” I tried to hug her, but she brushed past me and moved closer to Chase, who patted her head through painful groans as I helped him into position.
“Aunt Jamie only wants to take care of me, sweetie. So don’t cry, okay?” Her bottom lip puckered as she shook her head in agreement, the tears resting on her chubby cheeks. “Why don’t we let Aunt Jamie get the table, okay?”
“Sure, I can get it. Where is it?”
“In the back bedroom down the hall.”
“Are you okay in that position?” I asked. He nodded again. “Okay, Bailey, do you want to come with me to get the table?” She rushed over and reached up for my hand and tugged gently until we walked down the hall to the back bedroom. When I opened the door, she rushed inside like it was Christmas morning and made a beeline to the small table and chairs. Without skipping a beat, she pulled out one of the chairs and sat down. Surprised someone like Courtney, who had no children, would have a child’s table and chairs in the room, I walked back to Chase’s bedroom to find out where he wanted me to put the table.
“Mr. Walker, do you have a lot of nieces and nephews?”
He grinned. “Please, call me Chase, and no, we don’t have any. It’s just Courtney and me.”
I cleared my throat. “I mean, why does she have a small table and chairs here?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “You ask an awful lot of questions.”
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