by Randi Ocean
Chapter 8
Friday morning, Valerie and I arrived around ten-thirty. Valerie had gone to the international market for the fresh ingredients while I went to the pottery shop to find some plates, baskets, and props. Once we laid everything out for Dane to review, I took a moment to check my e-mail for anything new from Adele. An e-mail had come in from her around ten Thursday night.
Bridget,
I’ve left you a voicemail as well, but call me as soon as possible.
Adele
Adele Westbook
Culinary Director
Ramirez Restaurant Group
503-555-5656
I listened to her voicemail on the office line. She sounded quite agitated.
“Bridget, it’s Adele. The business side of this project is none of Sergio’s concern. He has way too much to deal with already to spend a moment worrying about these details. Leave him out of any further communication about the contract. I’ll review it and get back with you by Monday.”
She hung up without even a good-bye. A shiver ran up my back as I wondered if there was a chance she could try to sway Sergio away from working with us. I had to reach out to him to be sure.
As soon as I heard his voice, my heartbeat quickened. “Good morning, my sweet Bridget. I was just lying here thinking about you.” His voice had that “just waking up” quality about it. He sounded extremely alluring. I wanted to jump through the phone and be in his arms.
“Good morning. I hope I’m not calling too early. You sound a little sleepy but awfully dreamy,” I said, flirting way more than I should.
“You could ….”
I had to cut him off before he extended an invitation that I might not be able to resist. “Sergio, I’m sorry to interrupt. I shouldn’t have included you in the e-mail to Adele with our contract revisions. I didn’t mean to distract you from your work. Adele’s asked me to leave you out of the negotiation, so please, don’t spend a moment on it.”
“I know this is Adele’s territory, but I’m curious to see what she sent you. I was very busy last night, but I’m going to go through it this morning. Would you care to come over for coffee and look through it with me?” he asked in his sexy Latin accent, knowing full well that if I came for coffee, not much work would get done. “I miss you, my sweet,” he added.
“I miss you, too. I’m trying very hard to stay busy and stay away. I don’t think coffee would be a good idea right now.”
“You are probably right…but that won’t stop me from dreaming about you,” he said with a smile in his voice. “And if you change your mind, I’m here until four o’clock.”
“I’m helping Dane and Valerie prep some materials for our meeting with you next week. We want you to see how cool this book is going to be.”
“You’re handling it, so I know it’ll be fantastic,” he said.
“Thank you for your confidence. It means the world to me.”
“You mean the world to me, Bridget. Don’t forget that.”
“I won’t. See you soon.”
I dreaded calling Adele, but I couldn’t ignore it. Thankfully, she didn’t pick up. Even her voicemail message was stiff.
“It’s Adele. Leave a message.”
“Hi, Adele, this is Bridget. I got your message, and I apologize for including Sergio on my e-mail. I’ve called him and asked him to ignore the correspondence, and I’ll just communicate with you on anything contract-related from now on. No need to call me back unless there’s something else you need to discuss. Talk to you later. ‘Bye.” I had a feeling this was just the beginning of a lot of drama before we settled this contract.
**
Dane and Valerie were hard at work. The music was crankin’, and Dane was working his magic. I loved watching him build each shot as if he was painting with light. Valerie was strategically placing the glistening half-rounds of red onion on the shrimp escabeche one at a time while Dane shot the ingredients from the sauce.
“Can I help you, Dane?” I asked.
“You already have,” he responded enthusiastically. “The props that you picked up this morning are awesome. And once we get these shot, you can be the Photoshop bitch and make them really sing for the meeting.”
“Works for me.” I went over to the kitchen to see if I could help Valerie. She had everything under control. It was a simple recipe of shrimp in red sauce garnished with onions and cilantro, but she made it look extraordinarily elegant. Her specialty.
Dane clicked away. It was almost lunchtime, so I set out to brave the noon crowd at Whole Foods’ salad bar. I knew everyone’s usual choices, and so I could push my way through and get in and out quickly.
The market was exceptionally busy, even more so than the usual lunch rush. I was compiling my stack of containers when I heard a familiar voice. “Are you feeding an army?” Sally said as she leaned in to talk to me.
“Sally! How are you?” I said, giving her a hug. “We’re shooting today, and I’m on the lunch run for the gang.”
“Have you seen the news today?” She asked.
“No, I’ve been working since early this morning. What’s up?”
“They finally tracked down Clint Sinclair. He surrendered, and he’s talking. He’s naming names.”
“Wow, that’s incredible! What does that mean for me!?” I hoped restitution might be in my future.
“Not too much, I’m afraid. You gave the Feds a lot of information that was instrumental in cracking the case. As I said the other day, those crazies could come after you for revenge if they knew where to find you. For now, the focus will definitely be on Clint to see who he implicates and who goes down for the forgeries and the art theft. But do not let your guard down.”
“I know,” I conceded, understanding the consequences. “I’ll keep a close eye on the story, though. It would be so amazing if this whole thing blew over and I could get on with my life.”
“Bridget, these things don’t just blow over. You have to take this very seriously.”
I guessed it was too much to ask that I could resume a normal life, have friends regardless of their celebrity, and not look over my shoulder every damn day. “I know, you’re right,” I admitted. “A girl can dream, though, can’t she?” I asked, joking with her.
“Of course you can,” she laughed. “You’d better get going with that lunch. Your compadres will be wondering what happened to you. I’ll talk to you soon,” Sally gave me a hug and returned to her shopping.
When I got back to the studio, Dane and Valerie were in the thick of it. I put out the spread of food, and urged them to take a break and relax for a few minutes. Valerie checked her phone and there was a message from Nicole.
“She wants to meet for a drink at five o’clock at Familia Cucina. It would be great to meet her at least once before our big meeting next week. Dane, do you think we’ll be done in time for me to meet her at five?”
“Easily,” he responded. “We’re more than halfway there. I think we can wrap up in a couple of hours.”
“Bridget, do you want to join us?” Valerie asked.
“It probably wouldn’t hurt for me to meet her, too, if you don’t mind me hanging with you. I’d love to get a feel for her demeanor, since part of my job will be riding herd on her to keep the schedule on track.”
“Done,” Valerie replied.
I cleaned up lunch and washed some of Valerie’s dishes from her food prep to expedite her wrap. When it didn’t appear there was anything else I could do to help either her or Dane, I asked if I could leave a little early. I wanted to get home and check out the latest on the Clint story before I went to meet Valerie and Nicole.
“Yeah, I think Val and I have the rest of this covered. Thanks for all your help today,” Dane said.
“I’m happy to be part of it. Valerie, I’ll see you at Familia Cucina at five, and Dane, if you want to leave the drive on my desk, I’ll come in over the weekend to pull selects for us to work from on Monday.”
“I’ll do i
t.”
“See ya there, girlfriend,” Valerie said. “You can be my Friday-night date. Let’s plan to have dinner there, too.”
“Works for me,” I said, and was out the door.
When I got home, I pulled up CNN.com to get the latest scoop on the Clint Sinclair story. He had been traced to a cabin in the woods in central Pennsylvania. He’d been hiding out there since October after escaping a Mob hit at his studio. The article recounted how one of Clint’s assistants had been killed when the studio was broken into, presumably by the Mob. My stomach turned over as I remembered the day I’d gone there with the FBI and they found Sam dead. It was such a nightmare. My resolve strengthened to maintain my low profile as Bridget Stone and not put anyone else in harm’s way, particularly Sergio.
**
At a quarter to five, I headed over to Familia Cucina to meet Valerie and Nicole. It was a casual place, so I just added a fashionable green scarf to my jeans and red sweater to acknowledge the holiday. It was pretty quiet when I got there, but they were obviously planning for a big night of parties. Valerie and Nicole were already seated at a table.
“Hi, Nicole, I’m Bridget. I’m the studio manager at Pratt Photography.”
She stood to shake my hand. “Nicole Terry,” she said with a hint of formality.
“Am I late? Looks like you girls are a little ahead of me,” I said, nodding toward their drinks. There was a pitcher of margaritas on the table with some guacamole, chips, and salsa.
Nicole filled the empty glass that was waiting for me. “Not too far for you to catch up. My boyfriend is one of the owners here, so he had the margaritas and snacks waiting for us when we arrived.”
As I sat down, Sergio’s brother, Cyrus, emerged from the kitchen with a cheese plate. I was stunned; he looked so much like Sergio.
“Hello, ladies,” he said cheerfully, putting the plate down on our table. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Nicole introduced Valerie and me. “Cy, this is Valerie and Bridget. Girls, this is Sergio’s brother, Cyrus. We call him Cy.”
He kissed our hands, one at a time. “I understand you’re the amazing team that’s going to assist in shooting the book. We’re excited to have you and Dane on board.”
“Thanks, Cy,” Valerie said. “We’re very happy to be working with Sergio and Nicole, too. I think we’re going to have a lot of fun and create an awesome book.”
I was still so overwhelmed by how much he looked like Sergio; I didn’t know what to say. Then, to top it off, Sergio appeared.
“Well, isn’t this a nice surprise,” Sergio beamed at me with a captivating stare. “I heard the food mavens were getting together, but I didn’t realize you’d be joining them. I’m happy to see all of you,” he added, addressing the whole group.
“I didn’t expect to see you here either,” I mumbled. He kissed my hand, and then held my gaze for a long moment. My heart pounded, and I could feel my face flush. “It’s nice to see you.”
“This is our busiest restaurant tonight,” Cy explained. “We have three parties along with our regular service, so Sergio and I are double-teaming to be sure it all goes flawlessly.” His voice pattern was so much like Sergio’s, it was eerie.
I collected myself and tried to put words together and not sound as flustered as I felt. “It’s nice to meet you, Cy. I know we’ll all be seeing a lot of each other in a couple of weeks.”
Sergio was about to comment when Cy interrupted, “We still have a lot of work to do, so we’ll leave you ladies to talk. Have a nice evening,”
As the men walked away, Nicole asked, “How long have you known Sergio?” She seemed intrigued by our familiarity.
“We met last week when he and Adele came to the studio to discuss the book,” I said, trying to be nonchalant. “I’ve always admired him, though. I followed him when he was on Top Chef. He’s very talented.”
“Yes, he is,” Nicole agreed, “and so is Cy. He doesn’t get the recognition Sergio does, but he’s really the mastermind behind Buena Comida.” Valerie and I exchanged glances. This was news to both of us. Nicole sensed our surprise. “Cy was the one who came up with the concept for an upscale Latin restaurant and found an investor. He knew Sergio’s following would help fill seats, so he put him in charge over there. I think it’s been a bigger success than even they imagined. It was Adele’s idea to do the book when the restaurant became so popular. She’s pushed hard to tailor the recipes for the home cook. It’s taken a couple of years to accomplish.”
It was becoming clear to me why Adele was so adamant about how the book should be shot. The original restaurant concept was Cy’s idea, and the book was hers. She selected the recipes that would be included in the book, and it obviously chapped her that Sergio was taking any control of it. I felt slightly foolish that I had given Sergio all the credit without knowing this background. It made me consider how much I really knew about him at all.
Valerie chimed in and broke my train of thought. “Well, that’s good to know. Thanks for sharing that with us. And speaking of sharing, I’m going to let the two of you enjoy that cheese plate. I don’t dare touch it with those Marcona almonds on there. I’d be heading straight to the emergency room.”
“You have nut allergies?” Nicole asked.
“Yup,” Valerie responded. “I avoid them at all cost.”
Nicole jotted down a note. “I’ll remember that when we get into shooting. There are a few recipes that contain nuts, so I’ll make sure you steer clear of those.”
The conversation went on for another hour, covering everything from food, photography, and life to shopping and Christmas. Valerie and I ordered some more food to go with the generous pitcher of margaritas and snacks Cy had prepared for us. Everyone seemed to be getting along pretty well. Both Nicole and Valerie had done their homework on each other. It was an interesting volley, each of them throwing out book references and specific recipes within the books they had styled. They appeared to have a relatively healthy respect for each other, but I could tell it could turn into rivalry in a heartbeat.
Toward the end of the conversation, Nicole handed Valerie the list of duties she expected from her assistant. Valerie bristled. She was willing to be an assistant… but on her terms. Nicole left us for a moment to say good-bye to Cy. When she was out of sight, Valerie shot me a look that could kill.
“We’ll figure it out,” I reassured her. This was our first point of contact with Nicole. There’d be time to negotiate our own ground rules. Clearly, Nicole’s set of rules was not going to fly.
Chapter 9
Early Saturday afternoon, I went to the studio to cull the shots Dane had taken for the meeting. As I examined each one, I thought about the book and the conversation with Nicole at Familia Cucina. It bothered me that when it came to Buena Comida, it appeared Sergio was more of a follower than the leader I’d imagined him to be. Of course, this was Nicole’s side of the story, and she was Cy’s girlfriend. The real truth probably lay somewhere in between Nicole’s story and the image of the Sergio I knew. I was glad I had put a little distance between Sergio and me so I could figure it out and decide for myself.
The text buzzer on my cell phone went off: I’m sorry I didn’t get 2 say good-bye last night. U looked so beautiful, it was hard 2 walk away
I thought to myself, Who is this man? I waited a little while to respond: I knew u were busy. I didn’t expect 2 c u there. c u tue.
I couldn’t even consider seeing him again until our meeting. It was a long while before I got a response from him. He was probably trying to figure out a way to convince me to come to the restaurant or his apartment, but all I got back was: K.
That night, I went digging to see what information I could find about Sergio and Cy. There was an article about the Top Chef contenders when Sergio had participated, including bios of each contestant. Sergio’s touted him as an innovator in Latin cuisine, and early in his career had been named one of Food & Wine’s “Top Ten New Chefs.” He looked lik
e a model, the way his soft brown eyes connected with the lens. That was the Sergio I knew.
I modified my search to look for information specifically on Cy. I found an article about the opening of Buena Comida that credited Cy with the concept. The article was from the opening weekend and said the restaurant and Cy, as Sergio’s brother, had a lot of promise. It was sort of a backhanded compliment that only gave Cy credibility because of his relation to Sergio.
Another article from a couple of weeks later was a scathing story of Cy’s infidelity, with accusations of him being abusive. His wife, a high-fashion model, was suing for divorce and was going for blood. Yet another entry from several weeks after that said Buena Comida was on the verge of bankruptcy since Cy had been judged in the court of public opinion about the affair. People were boycotting the restaurant to show their support for Cy’s wife. Sergio on the other hand, had public sympathy from when he bowed out of Top Chef after his wife’s death, so he stepped in to see if he could revive it. If anyone could save it, he could.
Article after article raved about Buena Comida after Sergio took over. He was a superstar. I couldn’t find anything that had been written referencing Cy that was more recent than two years earlier. The last thing I found was an article summarizing the fallout of his divorce. His wife had gotten everything; the two photos in the article showed his victorious wife driving away in a Mercedes, juxtaposed with Cy covering his face as he walked from the courthouse. His life was in shambles.
I went to LinkedIn to see what was there. Since Cy had to enter his own profile, that might be telling about how he presented himself.
Executive Chef, Partner, Ramirez Restaurant Group – 9 years