One Menu at a Time

  Add the honey, coconut oil, butter, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir the liquid to be sure everything is incorporated.

  Pour the hot liquid over the nuts and seeds. Now step back and take a deep breath to see if you still have a headache. If you do, hide your fingers under your apron and pose those fingers in the same position. You may need to give her spell a double whammy. And if this method doesn’t work, head for the hills, girlfriend. But before you go, use a big spoon to mix the nut/seed mixture using the wrist action here and continuously turning the mixture until evenly coated.

  Pour the contents onto a greased baking sheet and spread evenly. Bake in a 300-degree oven for forty minutes, turning periodically until the mixture is golden brown throughout.

  Allow the granola to cool; add the dried fruits and mix. Store in a sealed container. Makes eighteen to twenty servings.

  As I moved about the kitchen, making sure I had everything heated and ready to go before the rush of lunch hour, I glanced at the clock for the hundredth time and noted the bewitching hour was already here. My insides were jiggling from nervous anxiety about pulling this off without any employees to help. I’d popped some aspirin in my mouth earlier and the headache had subsided somewhat, as well as mama’s squinty eyes once I placed black construction paper over the windows.

  Vito’s visits into the kitchen had become more frequent and annoying as the morning had progressed, and I was relatively certain it was on the advice of Mama Carlucci.

  “Mmm, it smells good in here,” he said. “Fire up the grill, we have three customers who just walked in for lunch,” he said excitedly. “You do good.”

  I smiled, knowing I was off to a good start. “The grill is already fired up,” I said. “Have you taken their order yet?” I said while stirring the sauce.

  “No, but I will in a little while. They’re raving about the menu.”

  “So, how do you know they want something from the grill?”

  “I don’t, but I’ve always wanted to say that. I heard a chef say that in a movie once. The two kids working at night didn’t know how to use the grill so I didn’t tell the customers I had any grilled dishes, but I can see you’re a real pro in this kitchen, Jamie. Mama will be pleased.”

  “Vito, you have no training whatsoever in the kitchen?” My high-pitched voice assaulted my own ears.

  “No, I used to watch my parents. Back then Dad did the cooking with a little bit of help from a worker, while Mama watched the front of the house. She would stand out there for hours.”

  “Vito, do you know the difference between the front of the house and the back of the house in restaurant terms?”

  “No, but I heard those terms used in that same movie.”

  I rolled my eyes. This guy had a lot to learn. “The front of the house is where the receptionist and waitstaff cater to the customers, and the back of the house is the kitchen with the chefs and cooks and other staff who prepare all the food.”

  “Oh, so it didn’t have anything to do with mom watching the front of the building?”

  “No.” I gave an internal snicker. “Okay, go out and see what our first luncheon guests want to eat.”

  “Got it.”

  “Hey, one more thing. As business picks up, Vito, we’re going to need to hire some help during the times Jackson and Casey can’t be here. And today, I’m going to need your assistance.”

  “I don’t cook, but I can help. Mama can too.”

  “Ah, no. I really don’t want Mama in here right now. I move very quickly, and I don’t want to put her in harm’s way,” I lied, “if you know what I mean.” I glanced over at the statue. “And Vito, please remove the statue; I don’t need those beady eyes following me around the kitchen all day.”

  “Oh, Mama’s not going to like that.” I continued chopping until I heard the swish from the doors closing. A few seconds later and he was back standing next to me.

  “Vito, you’re a fifty-year-old man. You’ll never have a successful business with the way you’re running it. This place can be a real moneymaker if you’ll develop guidelines about how you want to conduct the business. And it doesn’t stop there; you have to enforce them. That means your mother can’t dictate the way you run your business just because that’s the way they ran their business when she was younger. Things are much different today in restaurants. People expect more.”

  “That’s what I like—an aggressive woman. Mama says that’s what I need.”

  “I’m not aggressive, Vito; I’m assertive. And that’s how you need to be to run a restaurant.”

  “Okay, I get you to teach me. We talk later about these guidelines.” He winked at me and walked out of the room without removing the statue.

  I rolled my eyes, knowing I was getting nowhere fast. I didn’t take his innuendos seriously because he was only following his mother’s advice, but after the door shut, I raced over to Saint Beady Eyes, lifted him up off his perch, headed for the walk-in, and shoved him to the back on the highest shelf.

  At the end of the day, I released an exhausted sigh. I was out of the groove of working this hard, and lifting heavy pots and pans off the overhead rack only made me more tired. It was going to take a little time before I didn’t feel the achy tiredness anymore. I tossed my apron into the washing machine in the back room and slowly walked back out to the kitchen. Exhausted or not, I was psyched it had been a productive day and that sense of isolation no longer existed…except, I was missing Chase.

  “I’m ready to head out of here, Jackson. I’d like you and Casey to finish cleaning those dishes and then you can head out of here too. Thanks for your help tonight. You were a godsend.”

  “It was fun working with you today, Jamie,” they said in unison. “And it was much more relaxed compared to the pressure we’ve experienced before you started working here. The dining room was packed tonight. I’m sure Mama Carlucci and Vito were quite pleased. As a matter of fact, Casey and I are quite pleased.”

  “Thanks. I enjoyed working with you guys too. As a matter of fact, I think we make a pretty good team.” I smiled and slipped into my jacket quickly in an effort to sneak out before Vito had a chance to ask more questions. His interruptions had turned out to be more exhausting than the work itself. I shut the door and made my way to the train.

  Bailey was already asleep when I walked into the apartment.

  “She had a good day in school,” Stefani said. “She even drew a picture for you,” she said as she handed it to me. “I’m sure you’ll appreciate this.”

  As far as I could tell, the picture was a woman in a chef’s hat standing in front of what looked like a stove. “She’s the cutest thing. Was she good for you?”

  “She was. We have lots of fun together. She wanted to wait up for you, but I told her you would tuck her in when you got home.”

  “Thank you, Stef. It’s a pleasure knowing I have someone who’s trustworthy to watch her.”

  Stefani buttoned her coat and headed for the door. “Thanks. See you tomorrow.”

  I tiptoed into Bailey’s room. She was asleep and curled into a little ball. I removed my shoes, got into bed, and snuggled up close to her. She stirred and put her arm across my chest and made me realize just how much I’d missed her today. Seeing her was like a breath of fresh air. I lay there for about ten minutes, wanting to sleep, but my mind wouldn’t shut down.

  I eased myself out of bed and ambled out into the living room to check the mail when I noticed the light flashing on the house phone. I dialed the number for the messages and picked up the pile of mail sitting on the counter while waiting for the voice mail to begin playing. The first two were solicitations for septic system tabs. I guess the telemarketers hadn’t done their homework, otherwise they would have known New York had city sewers. The third message repeated Renee’s phone number. I clicked off the phone and decided to wait until morning. I was too tired to hear any negativity.

  Renee and I hadn’t spo
ken since before I’d walked out on Chase, and after the day I’d had today, I wasn’t in any mood. I meandered to the sofa, flopped down, and rested my head on the cushion trying not to think about her call, but the guilt continued to do what it always does—and I got up to check it. I really had been missing her even though we didn’t see eye-to-eye, but I did have to admit she meant well. I just wasn’t used to anyone trying to run my life anymore and you’d think at twenty-six, I wouldn’t be faced with that. Of course, if Lucy Pirelli had been my mother, all bets would have been off. The more I thought about it, the more the guilt ate away at me until I finally walked over to the phone to retrieve Renee’s message.

  My pulse shot up when I heard the panicked tone of her voice as she told me Roger had been in an accident and asked me to come to the hospital. I dialed Cassie’s number; even though it was late, I knew she wouldn’t mind.

  “Cassie, sorry to call you so late, but Roger’s been in an accident and I need to go to the hospital. Can you come over and watch Bailey?”

  I paced back and forth until Cassie arrived a short time later. I was happy she didn’t live far from me.

  “Do you know how it happened?” Cassie asked when she arrived.

  “No. I called the hospital, but they wouldn’t give me any information.” I rushed toward the door. “I don’t know how long I’m going to be, but I’ll call you.”

  “Go, don’t worry about a thing. Be with your sister.”

  I walked out and hailed a cab. “St Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center on 10th and West 58th, and please hurry.”

  The streets were congested, but the driver took some side streets trying to cut down on the delay. I dialed Renee’s phone number, then realized cell phones weren’t allowed in the rooms. A half hour later, the cabby pulled up in front of the doors. I paid my tab and rushed into the lobby and up to the reception desk.

  “Roger Martin.”

  She flipped through her screens. “Oh, honey, he’s in the ICU. I’m not sure you can go up there.”

  “Listen, this is my brother-in-law. Please call up there and tell my sister I’m here.” She dialed the phone number while I waited, my foot tapping nervously.

  “Sorry, but the nurse said there’s too many people up there now. You can’t go.”

  “That’s too bad, I’m going up anyway.” I headed toward the elevators when my cell phone rang. It was Courtney.

  “Jamie, we’ll leave so you can be with your sister. We’re in the trauma unit on the…”

  I pushed the button and could feel the pulsating of my heart pounding inside my chest. The doors opened and I turned around in circles trying to figure out where to go. I caught a glimpse of Courtney as she rounded the corner and figured if I went in the opposite direction, it would lead me to Renee. I saw a nurse and approached, asking for help and she escorted me to the ICU. Renee jumped up and hugged me with all her might. The tears flowed down our cheeks.

  “Thank you for coming, Jamie. I really needed you here more than you know.”

  “What happen?”

  “Roger was jogging across a busy thoroughfare when a car came out of nowhere and ran right into him.” Tears rolled down her cheeks.

  “Oh my God, is he going to be all right?”

  “They don’t know.” Her tears came more readily now. “I’ve been so mean to him…and to you. Forgive me,” she said, squeezing my hand tightly. “I keep praying to God, promising to be nicer to those I love if He’ll just save my husband and let me make up for all the mean things I’ve ever said and done.”

  I allowed her to get everything off her chest, hoping it would make her feel better. And me, I was feeling guilty for being so impatient with her, especially now that she needed my support more than ever.

  “What are the doctors saying?”

  “They won’t know for a while yet. He’s got a few more hours before they’ll know. They said something about critical hours, but I can’t be sure.” Her voice cracked. “I was just so upset seeing him like this, I didn’t hear all of what they said.”

  We stayed in each other’s arms for a long time. Nurses continued to walk in and out of the room, monitoring the apparatus Roger was hooked up to. The steady beep from the monitors was mesmerizing…until it wasn’t, and then an onslaught of nurses and orderlies rushed in and we were ushered out. Things happened so quickly Renee was beside herself and trying to push her way back into the room. “I have to be with him,” she begged. I’d never seen her so frightened.

  “Renee, let them do their work. We’ll only be in the way.”

  “But what if he dies?”

  “He’s not going to die. We won’t let him.”

  “Did his heart stop?” she asked. “Is that what happened?” She stood a little straighter. “I want to stay in the room with him; he needs me.”

  “I don’t know what happened. I wasn’t paying attention to the monitors until the sound changed, and then with the onslaught of staff rushing in I don’t know. It happened so fast, but trust that the team has been trained for such things.” My heart was racing from the scare but I knew, no matter what, I needed to stay strong for her sake. “He’s going to be fine.” We heard someone shout, “Clear,” and the sound of the defibrillator caused Renee to panic even more. She gasped. “Oh my God, it was his heart.”

  “Now don’t be jumping to conclusions.” I began to guide her toward the waiting room when we heard those two beautiful words, “He’s back,” and we simultaneously sighed out our frustrations and anxieties. Renee headed toward the room again. “What are you doing?”

  “I need to go back in.” She stood by hopelessly watching and waiting for someone to tell her she could come in. A few seconds later, a nurse came to the door and spoke to her. Renee nodded and turned back to walk toward me.

  “They want me to wait a while, but for now, he’s going to be okay. She said they only needed the paddles once, and according to her, that means his heart must be strong.”

  “Good. Okay, c’mon, let’s go wait in the family room. Along the way, Courtney walked down the hall and saw me with my arm around Renee.

  “What happened? Is everything okay?” she asked.

  “It seems to be now, but it was pretty rocky there for a while.” I explained what happened. “I was so worried,” I mumbled in a low voice.

  “Maybe I should take her for a walk or something,” she said. She looked over at Renee who was now pacing. “Yeah, I think that’s exactly what I’m going to do.” She touched my arm. “We’ve missed you, Jamie.”

  “Thank—” I stopped talking when Chase limped into the room carrying four containers of coffee. I think my heart may have stopped beating for a moment. He took one look at me and I melted into the seat. God, how I’ve missed him went through my mind. I searched his handsome face with a million thoughts racing through my mind. It was then that I knew no one could ever take his place—I was in love with him. It felt good to finally admit that I had opened my heart to love. His eyes locked onto mine, and I was momentarily hypnotized, afraid if I moved mine away he’d disappear. But what I saw told me what I needed to know. He genuinely cared for me. He handed me a container of coffee.

  “Thank you.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “As soon as I know Roger will be all right, I will be.”

  He pointed to the empty seat next to me. “May I?”

  “Okay.” The masculine scent of his cologne brought back wonderful memories of the closeness we’d found in each other’s arms. Courtney excused herself and went into the hall, looking for Renee who’d managed to leave the room while we weren’t looking. And then we were alone—just the two of us.

  Another few minutes of silence. The only audible sound was our breathing. Sitting next to him reminded me of the comfort and stability he gave me. We turned to face each other, still silent, and then I began to talk at the same time he did.

  “I’ve missed you so much,” he said, nervously fidgeting with his fingers. “Being apart from
you has taught me something very valuable…I don’t want to go on without you.” The tears rolled down my cheeks and he dried them with the pad of his thumb. “I’ve had a lot of time to think since you left and I can’t stop hoping you’ll come back…not to take care of me. I’m okay now. It’s just a matter of healing, but to give us a chance to work this out. Let me show you what real commitment is and how wonderful it can be for two people. I’m totally convinced my life will be empty without you.” He stood in front of me. I remained silent as I soaked in his words. “Look, I know you’re probably wondering why I didn’t call you, but I was still so angry about my health situation, and very nervous about chasing after you for fear you’d reject me again.” He swallowed hard. “I know that was pretty dumb on my part.” He inhaled. “When I heard you would be here, I knew this was going to be my last chance to tell you how much you mean to me.” His hand cupped behind my neck and pulled me toward him and kissed me with so much emotion, my body responded in kind. He looked at me again. “What do you say?”

  I hesitated for a few minutes, mulling over what I wanted to say to him. “What about Emily?”

  “What about her?”

  “Do you still love her?”

  “My God, no. Why would you even ask that question?”

  “Because that was the first thing you asked me when I mentioned seeing Ryan.”

  “Oh, Jamie. I’m so sorry. I only asked because she was so brazen about running off with him, I just wondered if she’d have the nerve to face you. I never meant to make you question my love and, I can assure you, I never loved her the way I love you.” He stared into my eyes. “I mean that.”

  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Knowing that I had someone who loved me for me gave new meaning to falling in love. His fingers affectionately grazed my cheek.

  “After Ryan, I promised myself I’d never let another man hurt me like that.” I choked up. “But then you came along, melted my heart, and swept me off my feet. It was so hard to believe you could actually want me. I told myself I was being delusional. I was just overtaken by your charm and kindness toward Bailey. I figured what you were professing was nothing more than your loneliness, especially after having so many beautiful women at your beck and call. Even though I pushed you away, I want you to know that every single beautiful thing you’ve ever said to me has played over and over in my mind and has only made me want you more.” I shrugged, “But I told myself I wasn’t anything special and that I couldn’t keep a man.”