Emma arrived moments later, and they decided to walk downtown to the Club Car on Main Street. Over a bottle of chardonnay and an appetizer of fried calamari, they caught up with each other.
“So, how did it go with Billy? Was he upset about Mimi’s Place taking you out of Manhattan?” Emma reached for a piece of bread out of the basket that had just landed on their table.
“He’s not thrilled. He counts on my being there, to bounce ideas off each other and to help keep everyone focused.”
“He’s a good-looking guy,” Emma commented as she took another bite of calamari.
“He’s hot, and he knows it.” Jill laughed. “Billy loves attention and gets plenty of it.”
“How come the two of you have never hooked up? I’ve often wondered about that.” Emma smiled before taking a sip of wine.
Jill hesitated a moment before saying, “Me and Billy? I’ve always thought that would just be weird. We’re like brother and sister, great friends, not to mention business partners. I don’t think either of us wants to risk losing any of that.”
“That makes sense. So, does he have a girlfriend then?”
“Why, are you interested?” Jill teased.
“No, just curious. I don’t remember you mentioning one.”
“That’s because none of them last long enough to qualify for girlfriend status. Billy dates all the time, but he hasn’t had a serious relationship in years.”
“That sounds familiar,” Emma said wryly.
Jill sighed. It was true. Her love life was virtually nonexistent. She dated a little here and there, but it never seemed to go anywhere. No one had knocked her socks off in a very long time.
“I might work a little too much,” she admitted. Which was an understatement. On a typical day, she was at her desk by seven-thirty and stayed ‘til at least six and a few times a week she and Billy would grab a drink after work and usually one or more of their employees would join them. Theirs was a social job and by the end of the day they were still energized and not ready to go home yet. A drink or two helped them to unwind and laugh about their crazy days.
It also meant that she wasn’t getting out as much with her other friends and more often lately she had been content to do absolutely nothing on a weekend, which of course led to even fewer dates.
“You definitely have a point. So, now that you’re single again, we’ll have to get out there, and see what kind of trouble we can stir up.”
Emma looked horrified at the suggestion. “Oh, I don’t think I’m even close to ready for that. Honestly, I can’t imagine dating again. It’s been so long. Everything is so different now. I wouldn’t know where to begin.”
“It’s still the same. Just take baby steps. Ease your way into it. Don’t even think about dating right away, just get out there and discover things that interest you. Maybe take a class or something.”
Emma relaxed and even seemed a bit excited at that suggestion. “I’d love to do that. Maybe a cooking class or pottery or something might be fun.”
“Get your feet wet with that, then we’ll move on to ladies night.” Jill grinned at the initial look of shock on her sister’s face. But then Emma nodded.
“I’ll see what I can find for classes. Maybe something we both will enjoy.”
“So, Brody, looks like we’re part owners of a restaurant now. Crazy, huh?” Paul Taylor set his coffee cup down and reached to scratch behind the ears of his oversized orange cat. Brody purred as he rubbed against Paul’s leg. They’d been together almost twelve years. He’d adopted Brody soon after he and Patsy divorced and he took the job at Mimi’s Place. He would have loved to have a dog too, but he knew with his work hours, it wouldn’t be fair to the animal. Cats were easier.
He glanced out the window, half-seeing the distant ocean view from his cottage. His place was small, but it suited him as he didn’t need a big place. When he and Patsy split, she stayed in their house and he moved into this cottage. It had been in the family for years as a rental property and the location was ideal as it was a short walk to downtown and the waterfront.
He’d been content enough running the kitchen at Mimi’s Place. He liked the people there and had never felt the urge to go elsewhere. And then he learned that he’d been left a share of the restaurant. It was unexpected and fascinating. As the chef, he had of course known who the secret owner was and he adored her. He’d known her long before he took the chef position, from when he and Emma used to date, in high school. Emma’s grandmother always welcomed them in for an afternoon visit and she always had homemade brownies.
Paul smiled thinking of the condition in the will, where all three granddaughters had to work together at the restaurant for a year or else it would all go to him. Paul knew she didn’t really want that to happen and was pretty sure she simply wanted the girls to spend some quality time together.
He’d seen Mandy around town now and then, but hadn’t seen Emma or Jill for many years. He’d heard that Jill had some kind of high-powered job in New York City and it didn’t surprise him. He imagined it suited her well, and he wondered how she felt about having to work at Mimi’s Place for a year. And Emma—well last he knew, she’d married and was living on the West Coast. She probably wasn’t too keen on having to spend a year on Nantucket working with him. He wondered if her husband would join her. He hadn’t thought about Emma in years. It would be interesting to see her again.
It didn’t sound like any of them had any significant restaurant experience, from what Ray had said, so he was curious to see how that would play out. Hopefully they could all work well together. Paul was happy to let them handle front of the restaurant stuff and leave the food and kitchen area to him. He wondered what would happen when the year was up.
Would they want to sell and if they did, would he want to take out a loan and buy their shares? It was a risk and a lot to think about. If they all wanted to sell, it might give him a nice little nest egg and maybe the new owners would keep him on as the chef, or he could always go somewhere else, if need be. He wasn’t too keen on that idea though. He liked being at Mimi’s Place.
Brody jumped into his lap and purred loudly. Paul gave him what he wanted, the under-the-chin rub. “We’ll be okay, Brody, whatever happens.” Brody responded by head butting Paul’s hand and purring even louder. Paul finished his coffee and got ready to head into the restaurant a little earlier than usual, so he could meet with Ray and the girls.
Mandy met Jill and Emma at Mimi’s Place the next morning at a few minutes before nine-thirty. They were greeted warmly by one of the young waitresses and ushered to a small dining room at the back of the restaurant where Ray was waiting for them. He was sitting at a small round table with a pile of guest checks and a hand-held calculator in front of him. He stood up when they entered the room.
“Ladies, it’s my pleasure to see you again. Please have a seat.” He gestured to the dark wood chairs around the table. “Make yourself comfortable.”
“Can I bring coffee or tea for anyone?” the blonde waitress who had seated them offered.
“Coffee would be great. Thank you, Samantha. All three of us, I think?” The others nodded, and Jill thought she detected a note of curiosity. She wondered if the staff had been told about the change in management yet.
“This is Samantha, one of our best servers. Samantha, meet the new owners of Mimi’s Place.” Ray introduced each of them and Samantha told them how pleased she was to meet them. Once she’d left the room, Ray spoke up again.
“I had a quick meeting this morning and let the staff know about the changes. I also begged them to go easy on you.” His eyes twinkled as he added that last bit and they could tell that he was kidding. “I understand this came as a bit of a surprise to the three of you?” He glanced around the table with a warm smile.
“That’s an understatement,” Emma said and Mandy and Jill both nodded in agreement.
“How long have you known about Grams being the owner, if you don’t mind my asking?�
�� Mandy pulled her chair in a bit closer, eager to hear his response.
Ray rubbed a finger absently against his chin as though he was trying to decide how best to answer. “I’ve known for many years. As manager, there were certain things that had to be communicated directly, you know. But I always respected your grandmother’s wish for privacy. She had her reasons, and she wanted to be treated the same as any other paying customer.”
Unfortunately, it was clear that Ray’s loyalty to their grandmother would keep him from divulging any of her secrets.
“Well ladies, shall we begin?”
For the next two hours Ray gave them a crash course on running a restaurant. He stressed that no one expected them to learn overnight, and that he just wanted to give them an overview of how they did things at Mimi’s Place.
“The only way you’ll really learn is by doing. You’ll learn on the job, and that’s how it sinks in. Plus, it’s not like you’ll be going it alone. I’ll be here to help for a while and Paul is looking forward to working with all of you.” He glanced around the restaurant and then at his watch before adding, “He should be here any moment.” He cleared his throat and then continued. “Ladies, as you know I’m no spring chicken. I don’t like to admit it because in my mind I’m still in my thirties. It’s just the mirror that doesn’t agree with me, and I suppose I’ve slowed down a little. These legs don’t go as fast as they used to. Anyway, what I’m getting around to saying is that I think it’s time for me to go. Past time, if you ask my wife.” He chuckled at that and added a bit of cream to his coffee.
“I’m supposed to be cutting back on this stuff, cream and coffee, but really, at my age, what’s the point? So where was I? Right. I was planning to finish up here this week. But, I’ve only been here part-time for many years now. Gary, my assistant manager, has been doing a fantastic job and he’ll be the one that will be here walking you through everything. Paul has been running the show in the kitchen for the past twelve years now and doing a right fine job of it. He’ll be joining us shortly. You all know Paul?”
“Of course,” Emma began. “He was in my year in school.” She didn’t add that she and Paul had actually dated during their senior year and after she ended things with him, they hadn’t spoken since.
“Where did he work before this?” Mandy perked up now that they were discussing people instead of the restaurant itself.
“Paul came to us from Patsy’s Bistro.”
“That’s a wonderful place! Cory and I used to go there often. Why did he leave?”
“Patsy and Paul were married for a few years. When they got divorced, Paul left. They were college sweethearts who grew apart. Luckily, they never had kids.” He looked up and smiled as Paul walked into the room. “Speak of the devil. Paul, we were just talking about you.”
“Oh no. Should I come back later?” His voice was deep and amused. He was taller than Emma remembered, though she realized he could have kept growing a bit after high school. He was a few inches over six feet and had the same thick dark brown hair. He met her gaze and smiled and she remembered how she’d always loved his eyes. They were a pretty mix of gray and green.
“Have a seat. I was just telling the girls that you run the show here and that they’ll be in good hands.”
Paul sat in the empty chair next to Emma. He looked around the table at everyone. “It’s great to see you all again. I’m very sorry for your loss. Your grandmother was a special lady. I’m honored that she chose to remember me this way and I’m looking forward to working with all of you. Mimi’s Place is a great restaurant.” He smiled and glanced around the table before adding, “Do any of you have restaurant experience?”
Emma spoke up first. “I do. As a server, mostly.”
“That’s great. Was it around here?”
“It was ages ago, actually, at The Barnacle, a restaurant on the Cape. I worked there several summers while I was in college. A group of us rented a place in Dennis Port.”
“I worked part time as a bartender during college. It was a fun job.” Emma knew Jill had loved working at The Prickly Cactus. It was where she’d met Billy. They’d often worked the same shifts and became fast friends.
“That’s great!” Paul seemed pleased that they had some restaurant experience, even if it wasn’t managerial. He glanced at Mandy, waiting to see what she had to say.
“I don’t have a drop of experience, unless you count organizing charity dinners and events,” she said wryly.
“Actually, I would count that. We do a lot of parties and banquets here. Organizations like the Rotary Club, for example come in regularly for their meetings and there’s the occasional wedding as well.”
They chatted a bit longer and decided that it might make more sense and be less overwhelming for the staff if one of them went in at a time, rather than three people hovering around getting in the way.
Paul’s first impression of the girls was positive. They seemed open and eager to learn. He’d worried a little that Jill might want to be in charge and make changes that he wasn’t keen on, but he didn’t get that sense after meeting with them. For sisters, they all looked so different. Mandy had blondish brown hair and a ready smile. Jill was vibrant and striking with her long, almost black hair and Emma was petite and slim with big brown eyes and shoulder length light brown hair. He knew Mandy was married with children, but didn’t know much about Emma or Jill’s personal lives. He knew the transition was likely to be more difficult for both of them though, as they lived far from Nantucket.
As they stood to leave, Emma came over to him.
“So strange that we’re together again. How have you been, Paul?”
He smiled. “I’m good. This should be an interesting year. How are you feeling about it? You’ve lived on out West for years now?”
Emma laughed. “Interesting is the word for it. I have mixed feelings to be honest. A part of me is excited for the adventure, but I’m also nervous.” She took a deep breath. “There’s a lot of change for me right now. I’m getting a divorce. So, staying on Nantucket for a while is actually a good thing.”
He looked surprised. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“It’s been hard, but it’s for the best.” She decided to change the subject as she wasn’t ready to go into any details. “We had no idea that you worked at Mimi’s Place, or actually that my grandmother even owned it.” Emma smiled. “She must have thought highly of you.”
Paul’s cheeks turned a little red. “Your grandmother was quite a woman. I’m honored that she chose to remember me this way. I certainly didn’t expect it.”
“Did you know she was the owner?”
“I did. A few of us met with her occasionally, and of course she came in to eat regularly.”
Emma looked around the restaurant. “She really did love it here.”
Paul followed her gaze. “She’s not the only one.” He wondered how Emma and her sisters would feel about Mimi’s Place in a year.
Emma nodded as they reached Jill and Mandy. “It was really great to see you again, Paul. I’m sure we’ll be talking again soon.” Jill’s phone started to ring incessantly as she dug around in her purse to find it. “Billy, did you hear back? Will they go up on the salary?”
Paul watched Emma and her sisters walk away as Jill chatted on the phone, oblivious to everything else. He tried to picture them all working in the restaurant and smiled. It was going to be interesting, for sure.
Chapter 7
Emma was the first to start at the restaurant as Jill was still trying to iron out work issues and get her laptop connected to Grams’ internet. She arrived at the restaurant at ten-thirty and was going to be learning from Gary, the assistant manager, all about the front of the house operations.
The restaurant was quiet when she walked through the door. The only sounds were a faint radio in the kitchen and the hum of the dishwasher. She could see some activity—kitchen workers bringing in crates of produce and cartons of milk. Gary was waiting for h
er at the front desk, with the book of reservations in front of him.
“This is one of my favorite times of day,” he said with a smile. “The calm before the storm. When we prepare ourselves for what’s on the lineup for the day. Coffee?”
“Thanks, I’d love some.” Emma accepted the mug and added a bit of cream and sugar before joining Gary to look at the book.
“Today should be fairly straightforward. We have the Garden Ladies Luncheon group coming at one. They come once a month and there’s only twenty or so of them. They’re a breeze. You’ll be amazed though by how much they drink in the afternoon. As long as their cocktails are flowing, all is well.”
“Grams used to be in that group, I think.”
“She was indeed.”
“I did a little serving during school, but never really handled the reservations or hosting.”
“Well, the serving experience will come in handy.” Gary looked pleased to hear it. “One of the biggest challenges with manning the front desk is controlling the timing and flow of customers to the tables. When possible, you try to avoid sitting several parties in the same station at once, as that strains both the kitchen and the server.”
“I used to hate that. We called it being ‘in the weeds’, when all your tables needed you at once.”
“It’s not pleasant for the guest either, so we try to stagger new tables as much as possible and work in reserved ones as well. And then of course we have our special guests. We’ll go over who they are and what you need to know.”
The Restaurant Page 5