In the Eye of the Storm / Catering to the CEO

by Samantha Chase

  “Cassie? It’s Grace Clark, Adam’s assistant. How are you?”

  She cringed. There were so many different ways this whole situation could play out that Cassie was afraid to get too far ahead of herself and dare to hope that Grace was calling with good news. Sitting up straight in her chair, she finally found her voice to answer.

  “I’m fine, Grace. Thanks. How are you?”

  “Oh, Cassie, please!” Grace began, her Southern drawl becoming more pronounced. “You ran out of here as if your skirt was on fire, and I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to stop you and talk to you, but then Adam barked for me to come into his office.”

  “Barked?” Cassie laughed. The image of Adam as a wolf came to mind and had her sympathizing with his assistant.

  “You know what I mean.” She lowered her voice, as if afraid for anyone to overhear her. “Are you okay, Cass? I’m so sorry it’s all worked out this way. I have loved working with you, and I consider you a friend. Is there any way we can make this right?”

  While Cassie appreciated the offer, deep down she knew she had to stick to her guns; otherwise her word would be useless. “Honestly, Grace, maybe it’s all for the better. Adam was unreasonable. The contract clearly states—”

  “I know, I know,” she interrupted. “Believe me, I deal with him every day, and I know how unreasonable he can be. He’s had me calling caterers ever since you left, and no one is willing to take on an event of this magnitude on such short notice. He is having a fit!”

  “Enough of a fit that he’d apologize?” Cassie asked hopefully. That would solve her problem. If Adam were the one to call her and restore the event with CJ’s, then Cassie would have her dignity.

  “Please, the great Adam Lawrence does not apologize to anyone. It’s never going to happen.”

  “I was afraid you’d say that,” Cassie murmured. Kicking off her shoes under her desk, she slouched dejectedly.

  “But, seriously, are you going to be okay? I don’t mean to pry, but it’s that…well, I know that you’re still building up your business and the LSS account was a big one for you.”

  “It sure was. Was being the operative word.”

  “Oh, Cass…”

  “It’ll be okay, Grace. I’ve always had a hard time working with Adam, having to listen to him yell and talk down to everyone. You deserve a medal for putting up with him every day. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.” She wished she believed it herself.

  “Well, I’ve got your business cards, and you can believe that I will pass them along.”

  “I appreciate that, Grace. Really.” With not much left to say, they made promises to meet for lunch and to keep in touch before hanging up. Cassie was going to miss working with Grace. What had started as a work relationship had grown into a friendship, and Cassie had come to look forward to events with LSS for the opportunity to work with Grace. She’d often teased that if Adam ever fired her, she’d give Grace a position with CJ’s.

  Unfortunately, there was no one offering her a replacement job. She heard Katie in the kitchen and pulled herself up, put her shoes on, and went to help with the groceries and prep work for their dinner.

  By five o’clock, Katie was packing up. “I gotta run, Cass. I have to pick up Ella from the sitter’s.” Ella was Katie’s three-month-old daughter, a baby who had drawn the Jacobs family closer together after Katie’s boyfriend had taken off, never to be heard from again.

  “I’ll see you at the house in a little while,” Cassie called after her as she packed up the supplies she would need to cook at her father’s house. Stephen Jacobs still lived in the house he and his wife had raised their children in. Though it had a fully stocked kitchen, Cassie had a couple of favorite pots and pans that she preferred to cook with. By five thirty, she had changed into more casual clothes and was heading to her childhood home.

  Her brother Matt was the first one out of the house to help her. He met her at the trunk of her car and picked her up in a bear hug as if she weighed nothing. “Hey! There’s my cooking angel of mercy!” He gave her a smacking kiss on the cheek before putting her down. Of course, it helped that he was well over six feet tall and built like a linebacker and took his police training seriously. Reaching into the trunk, he took most of what Cassie had brought with her and headed toward the two-story Colonial.

  Cassie stood in the driveway for a moment taking in the grand house and realized that it still looked the same. Her dad kept it clean and well manicured, and it always said “home” to her. It was a nice feeling to know that some things were sacred and stable and never changed. Grabbing the grocery bags, she closed the trunk just as a car pulled in behind her.

  Waving to Lauren, she stopped and waited for the middle sister to get out of the car. “How goes law school? Ready to sue anyone yet?” she teased.

  Making a face at the lame joke, Lauren grabbed her satchel and walked with Cassie to the door. “Very funny. Unfortunately, they don’t let you sue anyone until after graduation. It’s wrong.” They laughed and made their way to the kitchen. Matt was already setting up his sister’s supplies, and Katie was getting Ella settled into her baby swing.

  * * *

  Stephen Jacobs smiled as his family came into view. His kids were his whole life, and seeing them all in his kitchen, grown up and happy, always made him beam with pride. They were a close-knit group, and he’d always thought that it would be that way forever. With a quick prayer, he hoped that by the end of the night it would still be that way.

  Life had not changed much in the ten years since he’d lost his wife. Stephen had tried to keep things as normal as possible for the sake of the kids. Cassie and Matt had had to take on a bit more responsibility to help out with Katie and Lauren, but, if anything, it seemed to make them all closer. They were a pretty unshakeable bunch, he thought to himself. Heck, even Katie’s unplanned pregnancy hadn’t been able to shake their bond. Somehow, he feared, tonight’s dinner might be big enough to cause a tremor or two.

  Walking into the kitchen, he heard Cassie telling the story of her difficult client whose account she’d lost today. Bastard. As a father, he hated to think of anyone hurting or upsetting any of his children, and although Cassie was a grown woman of twenty-six, he still wanted to fight her battles for her.

  “Basically, it’s a breach of contract on his part,” Lauren was saying, anxious to use her legal knowledge around the house to prove that she was taking law school seriously. “You could probably sue him for the total amount of the contract. It might not get you future work with his company, but it would cover your butt until you can get another client or two to replace him.”

  It was funny to listen to Lauren talking so seriously when she was wearing sweats, her hair pulled up in a ponytail; she looked more high school than law school, Stephen thought. He was so proud of all his kids, and listening as they were pulling together to help one another told him that he’d done a good job raising them.

  “That would not endear me to any future clients, I think,” Cassie said as she cleaned and chopped fresh spinach to use in her Greek chicken. She was dressed casually like her sister, in faded blue jeans, a white T-shirt, and a black apron tied around her waist. She moved around the kitchen multitasking and was definitely at home here; cooking had always been a joy for her, and she had been fortunate to turn her passion into a successful career.

  “Why would future clients have to know?” Katie asked, joining the conversation after getting Ella settled.

  “If he decides to be spiteful, he’ll let it be known to all the local businesses that I would not do what he asked and then sued. I’m telling you, he’s that kind of person.” From all that she’d said before, Stephen knew Adam Lawrence did not let anyone get the better of him, and if he failed to get a new caterer, she could kiss her business reputation goodbye.

  Conversation veered away from her and her miserable day and went on
to make the rounds of all the Jacobs siblings. With everyone laughing and smiling, Stephen thought now was a good time to talk about what was new in his life. “I sure am glad y’all came over tonight. It seems we don’t get to do this often enough.” All four of his children turned to look at him and smile. “The thing is, I’ve invited someone over tonight for you to meet, and I hope you’ll like her.”

  “Her?” all four voices said at once.

  Stephen had to smile. Their shocked tone matched the confusion on their faces. “Yes, her. Her name is Beverly, she likes to be called Bev, and we’ve been dating for a couple of months now.”

  “A couple of months?” Matt asked incredulously. “How come you never mentioned this to any of us before?”

  Stephen knew there’d be questions; he was glad they’d decided to ask before Bev arrived. “Well, when Bev and I first met, Katie was in her ninth month, and as you remember, she was having a rough time.” They all nodded. “Then Ella arrived, and we were all caught up in celebrating and getting them both settled. Well, it wasn’t the time to introduce any of you to somebody new. That was Katie’s time. She deserved to be the center of attention.”

  Turning to look at his youngest daughter, he noticed her blue eyes shining with unshed tears. “I didn’t want to take anything away from you, peanut. Besides, I had no idea if this relationship with Bev was going anywhere. After all, I’d been out of the dating world for quite some time.”

  “I guess it’s going somewhere then,” Lauren stated, not looking up from slicing a cucumber lest her father see the pain in her eyes.

  “It is. This whole thing took the both of us by surprise, but after almost four months we figured it was time for everyone to meet. So I invited her tonight for a casual gathering. She has only one son, and he is coming with her, and if it’s any comfort to you, he is learning about this today as well.”

  “I guess that’s something,” Lauren mumbled. Cassie elbowed her in the ribs.

  “Geez,” she whispered, “lighten up. This is new territory for all of us.” With that, chatter returned to the kitchen, and they finished prepping the meal. Cassie put the chicken into the oven and then pulled the tzatziki from the refrigerator along with fresh vegetables and hummus for the appetizer. She was arranging a basket of toasted pita chips when the doorbell rang.

  “That must be them!” Katie said, giddy with excitement. “Can you believe it? Dad has a girlfriend!” This caused the girls to giggle, even Lauren, while Matt stood back, arms crossed over his chest, ready to observe the whole scene before he decided whether he was happy about this new development in his family.

  Cringing, Cassie could only hope that her brother lightened up quickly or this night could be a disaster. Remembering the tray of olives that she had forgotten to take out of the refrigerator, she turned, her back to the door when everyone walked in. “Everyone, this is Bev.” He gestured to the room as a whole and then added, “And this is her son Adam. He’s—”

  Cassie nearly dropped the olive tray as she turned; her whole body had gone rigid. “The jackass who fired me today.”

  Chapter 2

  You could have heard a pin drop in the kitchen before all hell broke loose. Cassie slammed the tray of olives on the counter and stood there shooting daggers at Adam before she noticed that her siblings had surrounded her and were doing the same.

  Bev looked stricken, and Stephen put his arm around her and silently begged his children with his eyes to knock it off. With a nervous laugh, he said, “Well, small world. Um…Bev, these are my kids, Matt, Katie, Lauren, and, uh, Cassie.” Remembering their manners, they each shook Bev’s hand and welcomed her, but their gazes soon returned to Adam. Cassie was enjoying watching him squirm. And he was indeed squirming.

  “Um, maybe I should leave,” he murmured, clearly looking for an escape.

  “That won’t be necessary, Adam. Please, you are our guest, and my children will remember themselves and stop trying to intimidate you.” He shot them all a glare guaranteed to get them to do what he said, and within seconds, they were all scurrying around the kitchen, pouring drinks, setting out plates, and chatting with Bev as if she were an old friend.

  Except for Adam and Cassie. Each stood where they were as if in a standoff. It took only minutes for Stephen to notice, and when he did he summoned them to follow him into his office on the other side of the house. “Listen, this is a big night for Bev and me, and I will not have the two of you ruining it. I understand that you have a business relationship and some issues with one another right now, but that is about business and tonight is not. So say whatever it is that you need to say to each other to clear the air so we can have a nice dinner.” His tone left no room for argument, and with that, he turned and shut the door.

  Arms folded, Cassie turned, leaned against her father’s desk, and stared, daring Adam to speak first.

  He looked uncomfortable enough to cave. “I did not appreciate being called a jackass in front of my mother and your family.”

  “Really? I did not appreciate being fired for sticking to a legally binding contract.”

  She heard his sharp intake of breath and knew she had hit her mark. “I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree on that point for right now. As it stands, I am here purely to appease my mother. I thought we were meeting with potential business clients; I had no idea she was bringing me to meet her boyfriend and his family. I mean, seriously,” he said with disgust, “a boyfriend. At her age. What the hell is she thinking?”

  “Oh, maybe that she met a wonderful man?”

  “Of course you’d say that; you’re his daughter. Don’t you think it’s a bit ridiculous for them to be dating at their age?”

  “I think they’re in love.”

  “Love? Please.” If his snort of derision didn’t get the point across that Adam did not believe in love, the look of disgust on his face certainly did.

  “You are a sad, sad human being, you know that?” Pushing off from the desk, Cassie crossed to the door. “I don’t know what your problem is, but I think it’s sweet and wonderful that they’ve found each other. As for tonight, we have no choice but to be civil. Remember, you’re on my turf, and right now no one here is impressed by you.”

  * * *

  It was a glorious exit; he had to give her that. Rubbing a hand across his chin, he closed his eyes and tried to think of a believable excuse to get the hell out of Dodge. Unfortunately, nothing came to him. The sound of laughter and the tempting aroma he was sure was Cassie’s cooking wafted toward him. His stomach knew a good thing when it presented itself because it suddenly let out a very loud protest at the idea of not staying. With a growl of frustration, Adam left the safety of Stephen’s office and returned to the kitchen.

  Conversation stopped briefly, but Stephen pulled out the chair beside him and offered it to Adam. Grateful not to have to speak, Adam sat quietly, and soon the conversation was lively again.

  “Cassie, this dip is fabulous!” Bev gushed. “Adam sent me on vacation to Greece a couple of years ago, and I have to tell you, this is as good as anything I ate while I was there! You’re a genius!”

  Stephen broke in to talk about how Cassie had come to start her own business: from cooking with her mother and grandmother when she was a little girl to hosting a business dinner or two for him when she was in her teens. “She has a knack for it,” he said. “She doesn’t need any recipes—you tell her what you want, and she can create it!”

  “Dad, please,” she murmured.

  Adam sensed more than saw Matt sit next to him. He didn’t turn to acknowledge him; he was too wrapped up in watching as Cassie tossed the rice in a large skillet one-handed without spilling any of it.

  “Lauren, grab me that lemon, please,” she said and in a flash had the pan on the stove and the lemon cut and was squeezing the fresh juice over the salad greens. Like a well-choreographed dance, the three sis
ters were moving about the kitchen, each knowing what to do without speaking, and soon there was a complete dinner set before them at the large kitchen table.

  “Well, well, well,” Bev said with a bright smile. “What have you made for us, Cassie?”

  Cassie cast a glance at Katie, who took over. “We’ve got boneless chicken breasts stuffed with spinach and feta cheese and drizzled with a balsamic glaze, rice pilaf, and, of course, a Greek salad.” She smiled at her sister. “This is one of Dad’s favorites.”

  “Oh, I can see why. Everything is fabulous, girls, thank you for preparing such a treat.” She took a small bite of her chicken, and when she had finished chewing, she looked at her son and said, “Isn’t it wonderful, Adam?”

  He nodded and grunted in agreement, afraid to say too much around this crowd. “Adam has always said that Cassie is an amazing chef. After every event he has, he’s always praised your cooking,” Bev said, glancing between Cassie and Adam, hoping to ease some of the tension.

  “Really?” Cassie asked. “Funny, I don’t remember hearing that hell had frozen over—”

  “Cassandra!” Stephen hissed. “That is enough! I could see if you were twelve and you were behaving like this, but you are a grown woman, and Adam is our guest. I know this has been a rough day for you both, but…”

  “Please, Mr. Jacobs,” Adam began, “there’s no need to intercede on my behalf. I’m afraid I handled things poorly this afternoon. I don’t see that three days make that much of a difference, and…”

  That was it! It seemed as if everyone started talking at once.

  “Three days do make a difference…”

  “You were the one who broke the contract!”

  “Do you have any idea how much planning and ordering go into an event like this?”

  “You’ll never get anyone to do this job on such short notice…”

  “Enough!”

  All heads turned to look at Stephen. He reached for Bev’s hand, and they held on tightly to one another. “You should all be ashamed of yourselves. There will be no more talk of this contract here tonight. The two of you can talk it out to your heart’s content tomorrow, but as of right now, you are done. Am I clear?”