Jill chuckled. “Of course not. Nothing’s wrong. I just want to bounce an idea off of you.”
Twenty minutes later, she finished telling Billy about Mimi’s Place and Grams’ request and that she wanted to work from Nantucket for the next year. It didn’t go over very well.
“You want to what? How can you run the business from Nantucket? I need you here?” Tiny beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. He raked his hand through his hair several times and Jill noticed for the first time that there was a smattering of gray along his hairline. It was usually kept undercover by the heavy gel he used to keep it in place.
“I have complete faith in you to run things without me being physically here. I bet you’ll barely notice that I’m gone, and I’ll be fully accessible by email and phone and can conference in for the weekly job order meetings. Depending on my schedule, I might even be able to make those in person from time to time as I’m hoping to be back once or twice every month.”
“You want to do this for a whole year?” He looked miserable at the very thought of it.
“No, I don’t want to. But I don’t have much choice, not if I want to respect Grams’ last wishes and do what’s right for my sisters as well.” She put on her brightest smile. “It’s just a year. It’ll go by in the blink of an eye.”
Chapter 5
Mandy made Cory’s favorite dinner, veal Marsala, and planned to tell him about Mimi’s Place after they’d eaten and maybe had a glass or two of wine. When she spoke to him earlier in the day, he’d sounded exhausted already and distracted. He also said he’d most likely be home by six thirty, seven at the latest.
So, she planned accordingly. She fed the kids at about six, chicken Marsala for them, and then she set about preparing the rest of the meal that she and Cory would share. At six-thirty she put the asparagus on a sheet of tinfoil, sprinkled a little parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, a drizzle of olive oil over them and a quick squeeze of lemon. She threw them in the oven, next to a casserole dish of tiny fingerling potatoes that were glistening with butter and starting to brown nicely.
At a quarter to seven, she poured herself a glass of chardonnay and began sautéing the veal cutlets, which only took a few minutes. The sauce came together quickly and was a simple reduction of the pan drippings scraped up from the bottom of the pan and stirred into a bit of Marsala wine, butter and sautéed mushrooms. It smelled heavenly.
By seven, everything was ready, and there was still no sign of Cory. At a quarter past, she called his cellphone, which apparently wasn’t on as it went immediately into voicemail. By eight, the children were tucked into bed, the veal was cold and congealing and Mandy’s wine glass was empty. She refilled it, to the top this time, and grabbed an asparagus spear to nibble on. Finally, at almost nine, Cory walked through the door. Mandy glanced up and tried to keep the annoyance out of her voice as she said, “I was starting to worry about you.”
Cory shrugged his coat off and hung it in the front hall closet before coming into the kitchen.
“I had to stay late, needed to finish up a proposal for a client meeting first thing tomorrow morning. Something smells good.”
“It’s veal Marsala. When you said you’d be home by seven, I told you it would be waiting for you.” She grabbed two plates and reached for the veal.
“Honey, I’m sorry. I totally didn’t hear you say that. We were just crazed today. Kate ordered Chinese takeout for the office.”
“Okay then.” Mandy was fuming inside but trying not to show it. “Well, I’m starving so there’s all the more for me I guess.”
“I feel like an ass.” Cory looked truly sorry but Mandy said nothing in response, just continued to fill her plate. “How can I make it up to you?”
She smiled back. “Well, there is something I wanted to talk to you about.”
Jill walked into her apartment a little after nine-thirty that night. She was bone tired and ready to fall into bed. Billy had wanted to go for drinks and dinner after work to catch up and talk through how they’d manage in the short-term at least until they both got used to her working remotely and probably fewer hours as she was going to be juggling her duties at the restaurant.
By the end of the meal he was still apprehensive but supportive and even a little bit excited for her about the whole idea. Especially when she reminded him that Grams’ house had four bedrooms. He’d been there a few times with her, but it had been several years since they’d gone.
“Maybe I’ll have to plan a weekend trip to Nantucket. You can show me around and I can do a quality check on the food at Mimi’s Place.”
Jill assured him that he was welcome anytime, but she wanted to give it a little time first, for she and her sisters to get their feet wet. She didn’t admit it to Billy, but she was a little nervous about actually working in the restaurant. Aside from some bartending years ago at a college bar, she had no other experience.
Emma stepped out of the cab into a seemingly solid wall of heat. It was one thing she wouldn’t miss. Even though it was a dry heat, a hundred and ten was still hot. Peter was home. His car was in the driveway and he apparently had company. The other car looked familiar, like Tom’s actually, but she wasn’t a hundred percent sure. She hoped not. She didn’t think she was up to seeing the two of them together just yet.
When she walked through the front door they were sitting side by side on her sofa. She thought of it as hers because shortly after they’d gotten married she’d picked it out and it was her dream sofa. A soft vanilla cream shade, it had big puffy cushions that you could sink into. It was a set of two. The other was a larger version and was where Peter usually sprawled out while Emma claimed the smaller one to curl up on. That was where Tom and Peter were sitting, on the love seat.
Peter jumped up as soon as he saw her and ran over to give her an awkward hug.
“I didn’t realize you’d be back so soon. I thought you’d probably stay a few more days to visit with your sisters.” He glanced back at Tom. “He just came in for a minute. We’re heading out shortly. We were just checking the basketball score.” Both of them were huge basketball fans. Emma had always been bored to death by the game.
“Hi Emma,” Tom said. “I’m so sorry about your grandmother.”
“Thank you.” She turned her attention to Peter.
“I’m actually only back for a few days.” She told him about Mimi’s Place.
“You own a restaurant? On Nantucket? That’s so cool!” Peter seemed genuinely thrilled for her, and Tom, who fancied himself a gourmet cook, even seemed a bit envious.
“What an incredible opportunity. I’ve always dreamed of owning my own restaurant.” Tom was an accountant by trade, so this was news to Emma, though not apparently to Peter.
“If that’s what you really want to do, then you need to find a way to make it happen. That’s what I did. Do you have any idea how many people talk about writing a book, someday? I did it myself, for how many years?” He glanced at Emma.
“At least seven,” she confirmed. “Finally I told him he needed to stop talking about it, and to sit his butt down in the chair and just do it.”
“I found an hour a day, either before or after work and that added up to a finished book four months later,” Peter said proudly.
“Maybe I’ll look into an evening culinary school program,” Tom said.
“Great idea!” Peter agreed, “And in the meantime you can practice anytime on me.” A look passed between them then, and it reminded Emma that things would never be the same again for her or for Peter.
“Did you say you guys were heading out soon?” She was eager to have the house to herself.
Tom jumped up. “Yes, let’s get going. Nice to see you, Emma.”
Emma didn’t know what to say to that, because it wasn’t nice at all to see Tom. So, she just nodded and watched them walk out the door.
Facing the two of them hadn’t been as much of an ordeal as she’d anticipated, but it was still difficult, and draining.
She suddenly felt exhausted and just wanted to lie down in the peace and quiet of her bedroom. The spare bedroom, actually. The moment she’d heard the news about Peter and Tom, she’d moved into the spare bedroom which was bright and roomy and decorated in soothing shades of dusty pink and mauve. Sleeping in the bed she’d once shared with Peter was no longer an option.
She collapsed onto the bed and stretched out against the cool, satin comforter. She wondered if there was a support group for women whose husbands left them for another man? Probably, though she was lucky that she already had a personal support group in Mandy and Jill. She was looking forward to spending more time with them and was growing more excited about Mimi’s Place.
She’d always had a curious love/hate relationship with restaurant work. The things she disliked were the long hours on her feet, and the sometimes cheap or crabby customers. And the nights when she was ‘in the weeds’, when the timing was off and nothing seemed to go right, and all of her customers seemed to need her at once. Yes, she’d had her share of those ‘bad nights’, but overall, she’d had many more good ones, when she’d successfully juggled many tables, served food that wowed her customers, and even had regulars who would ask for her every time they came in.
What she was most excited about was the chance to actually do some of the things that she and the other waitresses she’d worked with used to talk about, ideas for changes they’d implement if they were in charge. And Emma realized that the timing was a blessing. She sent a mental note of thanks to Grams for this chance to start over.
Cory poured himself a glass of wine and joined Mandy at the kitchen table. In between bites of the veal, which was absolutely delicious after she’d warmed it up for a few minutes, she told him about Mimi’s Place and how the three of them were planning to work there. She wasn’t asking his permission, she was telling him. But she still hoped for his approval, as it would make things easier, and less stressful. The last reaction she expected was the one she got— amusement. Cory apparently found the situation quite funny.
“You’re going to run a restaurant? How? You don’t have a drop of experience.” He leaned back in his chair and took another sip of wine before continuing. “Do you know that something like four out of five new restaurants don’t make it to the one-year mark? The odds are against you.” Mandy knew that there were several restaurant stocks in his hedge fund, so he’d clearly done some research on the market. They always did before taking on any investments, but she still found his attitude frustrating. Clearly he didn’t think she could do it.
“Mimi’s Place isn’t a new restaurant. It’s been around for years and has a great reputation.”
“Sure, it’s well established, but do you have any idea how healthy it is? Have you seen the financials?”
“Not yet,” she admitted. “We’re sitting down next week with Ray, the manager. He’s going to walk us through everything.”
“I’m not trying to be negative,” he began. “It’s just that the restaurant business is known to be particularly tough. It’s not at all uncommon for even established restaurants to go under if they’re not totally on top of the market and make the necessary changes to keep up. There’s a lot more competition now.”
“I know. We’re really excited about this though. It seems like perfect timing for me especially. You know how anxious I’ve been to get back to work.”
Cory frowned. “And you know that we don’t need the money. Profits are up again over last year’s record year. You don’t have to work.”
Mandy sighed. She’d lost count of how many times they’d had this discussion or some variation of it. “It’s not about the money. I need to feel useful, to get out there and do something challenging.”
“And you think running a restaurant is the answer?” The annoying smirk was back on his face. This was a big joke to him.
“I don’t know if this is the answer. But I know that I want to find out.”
The next day Mandy went to Grams’ house. She wanted to get it ready for Jill and Emma. She put freshly washed sheets on the beds, and stocked the fridge with essentials like Diet Coke, milk, eggs, a cooked rotisserie chicken, coffee, bagels— and of course, chocolate. That should hold them for a few days until they got settled.
It was a little strange when she first walked into her grandmother’s house. Even though it was immaculate and hadn’t been touched in close to a year, she could still feel Grams’ presence. As she walked through the rooms, she thought her senses were playing tricks on her because now and then she could swear she caught a whiff of cigarette smoke. Grams had been a heavy smoker, a pack a day from age sixteen she’d once said, and her brand of choice was Virginia Slims. She thought they had a refined look and a more delicate taste. She made weak attempts to quit several times, but it never lasted long. Grams often admitted that she loved smoking and never really wanted to stop.
Mandy paused when she walked into Grams’ favorite room. Her cozy library/den was just off the kitchen and the walls were lined with built-in bookcases that held an eclectic mix of books, from fiction and biographies to cookbooks of all kinds. For as long as Mandy could remember, Grams had collected cookbooks. She’d rarely cooked from them, but she loved reading them and getting ideas. Tucked into the far corner of the room was an antique roll-top desk where Grams kept all of her correspondence. There was an address book, stamps and what looked like an old diary. Intrigued, Mandy settled herself into the leather padded chair and opened the diary.
A while later she rubbed her neck which was starting to feel a bit stiff and glanced at her watch. She couldn’t believe the time. Almost two hours had gone by! No wonder her neck was cramping up. She’d been completely engrossed in Grams’ diary. She couldn’t stay much longer though. It was almost time to pick the kids up from school. But she needed to know what was going to happen next. Grams’ diary was fascinating. She’d had no idea what her grandmother’s life was really like.
The diary began in her high school years, and Mandy was at the point where she had graduated from Radcliffe and was starting to spread her wings in Boston. That meant she was living at home in her family’s Beacon Hill townhouse and had just landed her first job out of college as a teacher at a North End elementary school. Mandy put her feet up and began reading again,
“I have to admit that I’m both thrilled and a bit terrified to be starting my new job tomorrow. My parents are especially pleased about the location. I’ll be able to walk to work and it’s a pleasant walk too, ten minutes tops. And of course father approves because, as he says, “The North End is such a safe area. Nothing bad happens there. The Italians won’t stand for it.” Those were his exact words. I asked him to further explain, and he just said, “They protect their own.” I just love the North End. Always have. Just think, after school’s out for the day I’ll be able to stop by Mike’s Pastry on my walk home for a cup of coffee and something sweet. Wish me luck!”
Grams sounded so young, and so full of excitement. Mandy turned the page, and the next entry was dated a month or so later.
Dearest Diary, I’m so sorry that I’ve neglected you. But I have a wonderful excuse. Two, actually. I love my job! The kids are wonderful and I’ve made a great friend in one of the other teachers. Betty and I have been tearing up the town, going from one party to the next. It seems like there’s been so many fun events lately. But, best of all, I met someone wonderful!
Jay is a true Italian, born and brought up right on Hanover Street. We met at Mike’s Pastry. I was buying some cannolis to bring home for dessert and he couldn’t decide what kind of Torrone to get and asked my advice. Well, you know how I feel about Torrone, that delicious nougat candy? I told him that the vanilla almond dipped in dark chocolate was the way to go. We kept chatting, and he asked me to dinner the following night and we’ve been dating steadily ever since.
I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. He reminds me a bit of Jimmy Stewart, but with darker hair and prettier eyes. They’re a soft blue-
gray and his smile just makes me melt. I think about him constantly. We seem to have this amazing connection, where we’re able to talk for hours about anything and everything. Do you suppose this means I’m in love? I’m pretty sure that whatever it is, he’s feeling it too.
The entry ended there, and reluctantly Mandy closed the diary. She couldn’t put off leaving any longer, even though she really wanted to read more. Especially to see who this mysterious Jay was. Unless it was a nickname, it wasn’t her grandfather, who Grams had been married to for over sixty years as his name was Charlie. Maybe Emma or Jill would know.
Mandy put the diary back in its spot on the desk and got up to leave. She was tempted to take it with her, but somehow it didn’t feel right to remove it from Grams’ place. Especially since Emma and Jill were going to be staying here. She’d just have to make a point of dropping by regularly to visit with her sisters and sneak off to read a few pages here and there.
Chapter 6
Moving into Grams’ place was strange. Jill arrived a half hour before Emma and as she walked around going from room to room, it seemed a bit surreal to think that they were going to be living in Grams’ house and running a restaurant that they’d never even known was hers. Why had she kept it a secret all these years? Jill wondered if anyone at Mimi’s Place knew the truth, or if they just thought Grams was a happy, regular customer all these years. It had never been a secret that it was her favorite restaurant.
Jill paused in front of a framed picture of her and her sisters with Grams in the middle. She remembered when they took that picture. Emma had used a tripod and set it up in the dining room, with the curtains open so you could catch a glimpse of the snow falling outside. Once she was satisfied with the setup, she set the timer and raced to jump into place. It took five or six tries to get it right, but the end result was worth it. The picture was great, and they all looked happy and content. Emma and Mandy were newly married and Jill had just moved to Manhattan and gone into business with Billy. Grams looked thrilled as usual just to be surrounded by her girls. Jill’s eyes teared up thinking about Grams. Though she loved her grandmother’s house, it felt so empty without her.
The Restaurant Page 4