The Restaurant

by Pamela M. Kelley

  “We have some menu additions tonight—lobster pot pie, stuffed lemon sole and an appetizer of tater tots topped with braised short ribs.”

  “I’ll try the lobster pot pie,” Jill said.

  “And I’ll do the New York strip steak, medium.”

  “Great. Would you like an appetizer to start?”

  Billy looked at Jill. “If I get that short ribs appetizer will you have some?”

  She laughed. “What do you think? Of course.”

  Everything was good. Jill could only eat half of her meal as it was so rich, and she’d eaten more of the short ribs appetizer than she should have.

  Billy cleaned his plate and was impressed with everything.

  “I can’t believe the three of you own this place,” he said as he looked around the restaurant.

  “The four of us,” she corrected him.

  “Oh, right. But still, it’s impressive.”

  “It doesn’t seem real that we own a restaurant,” she admitted.

  Emma brought their check over to them when they finished.

  “We never talked about this, but Gary said if we come in to eat, it goes on the house account. There’s no bill, just tip for the server. Hope everything was good?”

  Jill was stunned. It hadn’t even crossed her mind that they wouldn’t pay.

  Billy grabbed the check. “Tip’s on me, then. Thank you ladies.”

  They walked home and Jill put her leftovers in the refrigerator. It was still early.

  “We could walk back into town and go hear some live music at the Rose and Crown if you feel like? It’s not too far of a walk, maybe ten minutes or so.”

  “I could use the walk after that food.”

  They made their way over to Water Street and the Rose and Crown, which was a pub style restaurant and bar. They often had bands on the weekends and Jill had seen a listing earlier in the week that they were going to have a blues band. She knew Billy loved blues music. They both did, actually.

  The band was just getting ready to go on when they walked in and found seats at the bar. Jill stayed with wine and Billy went back to a Jack and Coke. The band was excellent, and they stayed and listened to two sets. The bar was more crowded by the time they started their second set and several people got up to dance when they shifted to a popular country blues song that was climbing the charts.

  “Do you want to go join them? This is an awesome song,” Billy said. He was tapping his fingers on the bar and swaying in his seat to the beat.

  “Sure, let’s go.”

  They joined the small crowd that was dancing and stayed up for several songs. When the music shifted to a slow song and people moved closer together, Jill turned to walk back to their seats, but Billy took hold of her arm and pulled her closer.

  “Where are you going? This is a great song too.”

  He put his arms around her waist, and she leaned into him and put hers on his shoulders. They swayed to the music and it was nice, though a little strange. For the first time, Jill felt a shift in the air between them. A hint of some kind of vibe was there, and it took her by surprise. But when the song finished and they sat back down at the bar, everything was back to normal and she wondered if she’d imagined the fleeting sense of attraction.

  They walked home a short while later, fell into bed and spent the next day sightseeing and out to dinner again, this time at Millie’s, and Billy agreed that their Mexican food was as good as Rosa Mexicano’s, the place they loved in Manhattan. They had a blast, but Jill never got that feeling again and was sure she’d imagined it.

  On Sunday, they went to brunch with Emma and Mandy at the Brant Point Grill. The food was elegant and they all had mimosas, which were delicious. Billy charmed her sisters with his funny stories about their crazy business.

  “How did it go yesterday?” Jill asked Mandy. She knew Cory was coming to get the kids to spend the night at his new place.

  Mandy shrugged. “About as I expected it would. It’s very strange. Cory is on his best behavior. I think he still believes he can change my mind if he’s charming enough. You’d think he’d know better than that. It’s awkward for the kids too. Brooke really didn’t want to go with him and Blake follows her lead. She finally agreed about ten minutes before he arrived to get them. So that was fun.”

  “I’m sorry to hear you’ve separated,” Billy said.

  “Thanks. I’m sure Jill told you, it’s all a bit sudden. I’m still getting used to the idea.”

  “If you need someone to go rough him up, let me know,” Billy offered with a wink and Jill loved him for it. He was always great at lightening the mood.

  And it made Mandy laugh. “Thanks. You don’t know how tempting that is. How about we all have another mimosa? I have the rest of the day free, so I feel like splurging.

  The mimosas were light, more orange juice than champagne, and they all agreed a second one was a good idea.

  When they finished, Jill drove Billy to the airport and walked him in.

  “I’m so glad you were able to come this weekend. It’s been ages since you’ve been here.”

  “Way too long,” he agreed. He pulled her in for a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. “I had an awesome time. Thank you. Let me know when you’ll be back in town and stay the weekend, so I can return the favor and take you out.”

  She smiled. “Will do. Bye, Billy.”

  Chapter 17

  Mandy was grateful for the leisurely brunch with her sisters and Billy. She’d been looking forward to it and the time went by too fast. When she got home it was early afternoon, and she still had a few more hours before Cory would be bringing the kids back. She puttered around in the kitchen making a batch of stuffed shells for their supper. It was one of the kids’ favorite meals and she felt like pampering them a little. She hoped their night in the new place had gone okay. She knew it had to be strange for them and stressful.

  Once the casserole was in the oven, she made herself a cup of chamomile tea and settled on the sofa with Grams’ diary and flipped it open. The next entry was two years later.

  Dearest Diary, I know it has been a long time. It has for me too. I never thought I would get over Jay. I was just so sad for so long. But something lovely has happened. I wasn’t expecting it at all, but I went to Nantucket with some friends a few months ago. We went for the long Memorial Day weekend and it was so much fun. But the best part is I met someone special. His name is Charlie, and he’s from there. His family runs a boating business, deep-sea fishing and charters.

  It’s a different kind of love than what I had with Jay. That was unique and special. But Charlie is so sweet, and I really enjoy his company. I think we could have a wonderful life together. He’s asked me to marry him and to move to Nantucket and I said yes!

  Mandy smiled thinking of her grandfather. He really had been a sweetheart, and he’d adored Grams. She read further on about her grandmother’s wedding and the big move to Nantucket. And then the birth of her first child, Mandy’s mother. When the baby was two, Grams had a visit that turned her world upside down.

  Dear Diary, the most wonderful, shocking thing has happened. Jay didn’t die. He was held as a prisoner of war and as soon as he was released, he came to find me. He’s so thin now, and he’s grown up so much. I met him for coffee, and we both cried buckets. It’s so unfair what happened to him, to us. And of course, I feel horribly guilty for moving on. But I truly thought he was gone. He doesn’t blame me. He said he understands, but the pain in his eyes brought tears to mine. He’s such a good man, and I loved him so much. I still do. But Charlie is also a good man, and I love him too. We’ve built a life together.

  Jay and I agreed to keep in touch. There’s no reason not to. He’s a dear friend and we both care deeply about each other. I need to tell Charlie, but I don’t want to hurt him, so I need to be careful about this. He has nothing to worry about. I’ll never leave him.

  Mandy found herself reaching for a tissue as the front door opened. She closed
the diary and smiled as the kids came rushing through the door. She got up to meet them and looked outside. Cory sat in his car, watching to make sure they made it inside. He smiled big and waved when he saw her. She gave a quick wave back and shut the door firmly behind her.

  “Are you guys hungry? I made stuffed shells. Your favorite.”

  “I’m starving,” Blake cried as he ran to hug her. Brooke hung behind and gave her mother a quick hug when she finished with Blake.

  “Thanks for making the shells. We haven’t had those in a long time.”

  “Put your stuff away, then come to the kitchen and we’ll eat. You can tell me all about your dad’s new place.”

  Chapter 18

  When Emma walked into Mimi’s Place for her evening shift, Gary was at the front desk with a concerned frown. His hand was still on the phone. He removed it as he looked up and saw Emma.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “Jose just called out sick. So, Paul is short-staffed in the kitchen tonight. Jose was on the salad and dessert station.”

  “How are we set for waitstaff?” Emma usually floated between helping on the reservations desk, bringing out food from the kitchen and keeping an eye on the tables.

  “We’re good there. I’m just debating if I should try to call someone in to take Jose’s place.”

  “Don’t bother. I can do it. I’ve helped out on that station before.”

  Gary looked doubtful. “Are you sure? For the whole shift? It might get kind of crazy in there.”

  Emma laughed. “I don’t mind a little crazy. It will be a nice change. I’ll head in there now.”

  “Okay, if you’re sure. Thanks, Em.”

  Emma put her purse away and headed into the kitchen. Paul nodded when he saw her and continued writing the daily specials on the blackboard along with a note for the waitstaff that said ’86 swordfish’. Emma knew that ‘86’ meant they’d run out of swordfish. She went to the salad station and took a look around to make sure she had everything she needed. When Paul finished writing up the specials, he headed her way.

  “Are you looking for something? Can I help?”

  Emma smiled. “Looks like I’m actually going to help in here today. Jose called out sick.”

  “Oh! You sure about that? I’m happy for the help if you are.”

  “I’m sure. Before it gets busy, I could snap a few pics of the specials, if that’s okay? I was thinking I could post them on Facebook and that might drive some impulse reservations.”

  “Absolutely. We have a little time before the madness starts. I just took a batch of lobster pot pies out of the oven. Those have been a hit.”

  Emma pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and followed Paul behind the line, where the ovens were. A huge tray of gorgeous pot pies sat on the counter, cooling. They were in individual blue ceramic casserole dishes, with golden brown puff pastry on top in a lattice pattern with bubbling creamy filling peeking out. Bits of lobster, carrots and celery were visible for a colorful contrast against the nautical blue. Emma snapped a few pics and asked Paul for a good description of what was in the pot pies so she could add that to the Facebook post, along with the price.

  “When I get an order for the tater tots with the short ribs I’ll let you know, and you can get a picture of that, too. Same with the baked stuffed lobster. It’s a two pounder, stuffed with a Ritz and Royal lunch cracker combination, lots of butter, parsley, shrimp, scallops, knuckle and claw meat. It’s chock full of good stuff.”

  Emma’s stomach grumbled. She usually grabbed a snack before heading in but didn’t have time today. Her face must have given away her hunger because Paul immediately asked, “Have you tried the pot pie yet? We’ve run it as a special for a few days now and it will probably go onto the new menu as a permanent item.”

  “No, not yet.” Emma’s eyes grew wide as she watched Paul take a plate and scoop most of one of the pot pies onto it. He added some roasted potatoes and sautéed spinach on the side and handed it to her. “It’s going to be a busy night. Eat up and let me know what you think.”

  “Thank you!” Emma took the plate to her station and happily did as instructed. The pot pie was delicious, full of creamy sauce and veggies with big chunks of sweet lobster and flaky pastry. As soon as she finished, she uploaded the picture to Instagram and to the restaurant’s Facebook page along with her mouth-watering description, which also teased the other two specials and promised more pictures to come.

  Gary wasn’t kidding when he said it was likely to be busy. Emma felt like she was running all night to keep up—making salads, plating shrimp cocktail and all the desserts. Before it got too busy, she was able to grab a few quick shots of the first orders that came in for the short ribs appetizer and the baked stuffed lobster. She posted those to the Facebook page too, along with a picture of the specials board.

  When the night was over and the kitchen was shiny and spotless, Emma and Paul joined Gary at the bar for an after-work drink. Gary seemed pleased as he sipped his draft beer.

  “We had a good night tonight. Business was steady.” He glanced Emma’s way. “Do you know anything about a Facebook page? I had a few calls with people wanting to make sure we still had the lobster specials.”

  Emma laughed. “Oh good. It worked.” She told him about the posts she’d made and the pictures she took.

  “That’s a brilliant idea. My wife said she always looks restaurants up on Facebook. I never go there, so it didn’t even occur to me that we might want to do something on Facebook.”

  Emma nodded. “I put a Facebook page up earlier this week. I’m like your wife. I always look too.”

  “Well, let’s keep it going. If we can get people into the habit of looking, they might make a point of coming in more often.”

  “That’s the plan,” Emma agreed. “And the new specials really seem to be a hit. Either Jill or Mandy, I forget who called them luxurious comfort food. That could be something we’re known for. Who doesn’t love comfort food? Especially when it’s decadent too?”

  Paul chuckled. “That works for me. I was thinking for our party, I could do mini versions of the pot pie, to give people a taste. Same with the short ribs app. And a few other things. I have a loaded mashed potato side dish I want to test out soon.”

  “That sounds up my alley. What’s it loaded with?” Emma was envisioning bacon, cheese and sour cream.

  “Blue cheese, sour cream and an obscene amount of butter.”

  Emma thought that sounded even more delicious. “I want to try that. It’s not very diet-friendly, though.”

  “No. It’s not. Comfort food generally isn’t.” Paul looked thoughtful for a moment. “But maybe I can also introduce a few items that are both. I made a mashed potato the other day that was half-cauliflower and used chicken broth instead of butter. It had great flavor but was a good deal lighter.”

  “That might be popular. Lots of people are trying to cut back.”

  “It all sounds good to me,” Gary said. “I think having both options is a smart idea. Something for everyone. And on that note, I’m heading home. I’ll see you both soon enough.”

  Gary left and Emma took another sip of her chardonnay. She wasn’t in any hurry to get home. Jill was likely in bed as it was nearly eleven, but Emma was still wide awake. She knew once she got home and climbed into bed, exhaustion would take over and she’d go right to sleep but for now, she was still full of energy. Paul still had half a beer left and didn’t seem ready to rush off either.

  “What was the name of that shelter you mentioned where you adopted your cat?”

  Paul smiled. “Nantucket’s Safe Harbor for Animals.” A moment later he added, “I’m off during the day tomorrow and would be happy to go there with you.”

  “That would be great, actually. Jill’s okay with it, so I am anxious to get a cat. I was thinking maybe an older one, five years or more. I know they aren’t adopted as often, and I’d love to give an older cat a good home. Plus, I’m thinking
that they wouldn’t need as much attention as a lively kitten.”

  “That’s true, and cats sleep a lot. I think the shelter is likely to have some older cats. I can swing by around eleven, if that works for you.” Paul finished his last sip of beer and put it in the bar dishwasher. Emma did the same with her now-empty glass of wine.

  “That works for me. See you tomorrow.”

  Paul came by at eleven sharp the next day, and Emma was ready for him.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to come with us and help me pick out our cat?” she asked Jill.

  Jill shook her head as her phone started buzzing. “No, I’m slammed this morning. I trust you to pick out a good one. Have fun.”

  Emma walked outside and Paul was waiting in his blue Ford pickup truck. She climbed into the passenger side and a few minutes later they turned onto Crooked Lane where the shelter was.

  A volunteer had Emma fill out some paperwork, including references from her vet. She’d had several cats over the years, and they’d lost their last one just a few weeks before Emma learned about Tom. Losing Betty had been a blow, but she was an elderly girl at sixteen years old. They’d adopted her when she was nine. Emma knew her vet in Arizona would give her a good reference. Once she handed in the completed paperwork Mary, the volunteer, led them back to the area where the cats were held.

  Emma always hated this part of going to a shelter. Her heart went out to all the animals and she wanted to gather them up and take them all home with her. But of course, that wasn’t possible. It turned out that her decision this time was easy. There were only four cats currently available. One was a kitten, two were both about a year old and then there was Izzy, a six-year-old beauty. She was a multi-colored Maine Coon cat, but a tiny one with a delicate face and a long, fluffy tail.

  Izzy looked up as they walked into the room and Emma was glad to see that the cats weren’t in cages but were free to roam the room. The kitten was sound asleep while the two younger cats stretched in a patch of sunlight that came through the window. Izzy was perched on a carpeted cat stand, watching them. As they came closer, she lifted her head and closed her eyes, inviting Emma to pat her and scratch lightly under her chin. And then she hopped down and rubbed against Emma’s legs, weaving in and out. Emma wanted to scoop her up and take her right home.