"Oh right," she said, obviously unimpressed and started to walk towards the lower deck hoping he'd just let her go and stay where he was but these hopes were dashed when he strode along beside her.
When they entered the small room she tapped some of the black & white balloons and decorations hanging from the ceiling and admired the bunting strategically draped around the buffet table which proclaimed Andrew was just divorced and free and single again. The staff had done a great job of displaying her buffet - it looked fantastic and she breathed a sigh of relief whilst congratulating herself with a job well done.
The seafood looked fresh with ice crystals scattered around it, the vegetables and salad were crisp and colourful, and she hoped Andrew would be impressed with her selection of pristine, white calamari rings, shells of oysters and mahogany clams, huge crabs and claws, blue mussels, scallops, and every sized prawn and shrimp they'd had in the fish market. In the centre were cooked 8oz Cornish lobsters, bowls of avocado sauce, risotto and long baguettes of crusty bread.
Andrew whistled through his teeth. "This looks superb, Katie," he declared. "Shall we start with an appetiser of shrimp and prawn?"
Glumly, she realised he intended eating with her and wished she could spot Lisa or Sarah but they seemed to have disappeared. Filling their plates he ushered her to a table near the piano in the corner of the room and she followed him to the seats. The fresh smell from the prawns was divine and her mouth watered in anticipation.
“These prawns are delicious, so succulent and sweet,” he said excitedly.
Agreeing with him between mouthfuls she explained how she’d bought them fresh from Billingsgate fish market that morning and then decided she did feel a little sorry for him. It wasn’t easy coping when you were left on your own as she knew only too well, and although he was a prat and obviously full of fanciful stories his manners were impeccable and he was trying to be kind to her. Therefore, in an effort to steer the conversation away from him and his business she started to tell him about her passion for food and cooking. They returned to the buffet and she let him select a lobster while she filled bowls with salad, avocado sauce, risotto, and collected bread in a basket.
The bright red lobster sat in front of them on the table and she eyed it warily.
“I need to own up here, Andrew; I’m not quite sure how to tackle this?”
“Allow me,” he said gently twisting the claws from it. “Most of the meat in a lobster is in the tail and two front claws so we’ll try to get as much out as we can.”
She was amazed at his skill and expertise and thanked him gratefully while he broke off the tips of the claws with a nutcracker to reveal the succulent meat. He selected the best chunks for her and placed them onto her plate while she cut French bread for him and put salad into his bowl. They worked amicably in silence and after their first mouthfuls of lobster they both agreed the creamy, white meat was fabulous.
“It’s so fresh, it actually smells like seaweed. You’d think we were clambering over rock pools,” she said.
"Yeah, it reminds me of our honeymoon..." he said miserably. His voice softened and he lost the arrogant drawl while he talked about his ex-wife and how he hadn’t seen the break-up coming, and how at the end of their last argument she'd screamed her hatred for him. He told Katie he was horrified to think that anyone could actually hate him and Katie thought his loneliness seemed almost palpable.
Pouring the last of the champagne into their glasses she smiled compassionately at him. Maybe, she thought he’d taken her smile as a green light because suddenly he leant into her personal space and she smelt the strong alcohol fumes and stale cigar aroma on his breath which made her pull away from him. This however was no deterrent and he moved closer telling her how beautiful she looked while staring lecherously down her cleavage. He actually licked his lips beneath his thickly crusted moustache and she felt a shiver of repulsion run through her - it was definitely time to leave.
Suddenly he squeezed her knee hard and then tried to slide his hand up her thigh. "Look, why not be nice to me and come back to my place,” he cajoled. “If you'll stay the night and look after me properly I'll invest in your business and make you pots of lovely money."
She was horrified and roughly pushed his hand away. "You mean to tell me you're offering to buy into my business in exchange for sex?" she cried.
"Of course, it's the done thing nowadays, darling."
She stood up to leave, lifted her chin high, pulled her shoulders back and folded her arms defiantly across her chest. "No thanks, Andrew, I'd rather make it on my own," she retorted and strode across the room with his distant laughter ringing in her ears.
The bastard, she swore quietly and nearly walked into the back of Lisa who was talking to a group of men at the corner of the buffet table.
"Ah, here she is. Speak of the devil, Katie. I was just telling the guys here who'd made this fantastic seafood spread.”
She glowed with pleasure when one of the men raved about the seafood risotto she’d made with prawns, salmon flakes, and purple sprouting broccoli.
“Yes, you've really outdone yourself tonight,” Lisa said. “Is Andrew pleased with it?" she asked, looking across the room at him.
Katie took a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and sipped it. "Oh yes, he's delighted," she said raising the glass up towards Andrew and grinning. Within the next twenty minutes Katie had given countless business cards to people and confirmed a booking for another seafood buffet at an engagement party the following week. Delightedly, she beamed at Lisa, thanking her again for bringing her to the party and then taking her arm she pulled her into the ladies toilet. This was the first chance she’d had all night to talk to her alone and knew she had to do the dastardly deed. Apprehensively she licked her dry lips and told her John’s story about the picnic and Julie who was seeing a black guy from Pimlico called …. Adam.
Katie applied more blusher to her cheeks glancing tentatively at Lisa as she painted lip gloss onto her full lips. "I mean, it could be another guy living in Pimlico called Adam, and we could be jumping to the wrong conclusions. Have you seen him anymore?"
Lisa put the lip gloss back into her clutch-bag and viciously snapped the clasp shut. "Christ, no. He was just a one, no, a two-night stand," she said. "But I tell you something, Katie, this size eight bitch is really beginning to get on my nerves."
"Hmm, it’s probably just a coincidence..."
Lisa bristled. "Well, whatever it is she's getting under my skin. Nobody messes with me and my family."
They left the toilets and Katie breathed a sigh of relief that Lisa had taken it so well and didn’t appear on the surface to be too upset about Adam. A gap in people along the corridor made it clear for them both to see Sarah scurrying towards them beaming from ear to ear and taking both their hands she dragged them back into the toilets to tell them about the most handsome man she'd ever met.
"He's called Simon and well, he's just..." she giggled. “Well, I think he's the one. He really could be my Mr Right."
"Oh Sarah, I'm thrilled," Katie said smiling at the happiness shining in her eyes. Lisa shouted and whooped with delight while they both cuddled and kissed her. Half dancing in a conga chain they laughed all the way back into the buffet room and after Sarah had hurried back to the top deck to Simon, a wave of tiredness suddenly swept over Katie.
The five o’clock alarm was beginning to catch up with her. "Phew, I’m whacked and ready for home, Lisa. Are you staying?"
"Maybe just for another half hour," she answered, ogling a Brian Ferry look-a-like sitting by the piano on his own. Katie kissed her goodnight and was making her way around to the exit of the boat when she heard her name being called and turned to see Tim's sister, Jenny.
"Hello there," she said walking towards her smiling. They kissed each other’s cheeks and Katie told Jenny how well she looked and asked about Greg.
Jenny’s rebuke for not keeping in touch was gentle, "Just because our Tim is a moro
n and couldn't hang on to you doesn't mean we can't still be friends, does it?"
Katie agreed and, remembering how desperate she’d been to find out about Tim during the last few weeks, she could have kicked herself for not thinking of Jenny before now.
"He's such an idiot,” Jenny said fondly. “When you walked out I told him to get round straight away and grovel for you to forgive him. But he said if you’d run out at the first sign of trouble then you couldn't have been in it for the long haul and he's as stubborn as a mule, you know?"
"But I was in it for keeps, Jenny,” she countered, “I just couldn't stand being spoken to like one of his kitchen assistants."
She drained the wine out of her glass. "I know and he’s learning his lessons the hard way, believe you me. The restaurant is in a mess and he's up to his eyeballs in it."
Katie's stomach flipped with alarm. "A mess? What do you mean?"
Jenny half turned to go. "He's short staffed, the boss is on his back all the time, and he's working about sixteen hours a day. It could all be going pear shaped!"
"Oh no," Katie sighed. "He's worked so hard to get where he is..."
"Sorry, Katie, I’ve got a taxi booked. Look, why don’t you give him a ring? I know he'd be over the moon to hear from you.”
Katie wavered, "Er, I’ll think about it, Jenny," she replied.
Jenny started to hurry towards the exit and called over her shoulder, "You could give him a shoulder to cry on because he needs all the friends he can get at the moment."
Chapter Twenty Eight
Get in touch Jenny had told her, he’s really having a bad time at the moment and could do with some support. But where was he two months ago when everything was falling apart and she needed his support. Sitting at her kitchen table and staring idly out of the window she remembered how Jenny had said he was learning his lessons the hard way and something inside her softened. If there was just the hint of seeing her old sweet natured Tim emerge from all of this, it would be worth one final shot and opened the laptop to begin typing.
It took her nearly half an hour to compose the email and when she read it back to herself she decided it sounded light-hearted, chatty and friendly. She pressed the send button before she had time to talk herself out of sending it and knew for the next few hours she’d be on tenterhooks waiting for a reply.
Still buzzing from the previous night’s successful buffet, she decided that relying upon business bookings through word of mouth only wouldn’t be enough and planned to start a small advertising campaign. Beginning with Chrissie’s contact list she began to work her way through the names and designed some new flyers. Stopping midway to make coffee she couldn’t help but wonder if things were going so badly at Tim’s restaurant why he hadn’t told her during the kneading dough visit. But there again, she realised she’d been so shocked to see him she hadn’t even asked about his work.
Her cheeks flushed with guilt and slowly and deliberately she repeated the words; She. Hadn’t. Even. Asked. About. His. Work.
Thinking back to the first week when he’d got the new job it dawned upon her that apart from going with him for lunch to meet Jack, at the front of house, she’d never once set foot in his kitchen. Had Frances been right when she’d said that Tim felt his work came second best to her job and? Had she been so involved with her own work that she hadn’t shown any interest in his? On the other hand though, even if she had gone to see him would it have made any difference? Tim wasn’t the type of guy to want anyone interfering and if things were going wrong he certainly wouldn’t want to admit it to her or anyone else for that matter - he’d much rather sort it out himself, wouldn’t he? Her stomach slumped with the thought that he’d obviously felt he couldn’t talk to her about it - after all, they’d been so close, hadn’t they?
Suddenly the ring tone from her mobile startled her and she saw his name on the screen – at the sound of his first hello she could feel her insides tingle. They chatted at first and he asked about Lisa and Sarah and then went on to tell her about the plight he was in.
“And to cap it all, there’s a food critic due in two days’ time to do an article in The Telegraph about the royal wedding banquet I’m planning. Jack reckons it’s make-or-break time…”
She could hear the anxiety and exhaustion in his voice and her heart melted. “But it’s hardly your fault he was in a car accident,” she said comfortingly.
“I know, but that’s not the way he sees it,” he stressed. “As head chef I’m in charge and supposed to be able to cope with any eventuality. And trust me, I’ve rung every agency in London - there’s just no one available…”
She jibed. “Er, you haven’t tried my culinary business? I know a great home economist, called Chrissie, who is looking for the odd day’s work and, I know I’m not a trained chef but I can cook and would willingly come to help on the day the critic is visiting. Well, that’s if you want me to?”
She heard his sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line.
“You would?” he croaked. “Jeez, Kate, after everything that’s happened between us you would still come to help me?”
She could imagine the look on his face and how his eyes would have softened when he tilted his head to one side. He was the type of man that would never ask for help outright but he was also a man of integrity and she could hear the appreciation and respect in his voice.
Now she knew it was best to lighten the mood. “Well, you would do it for me, wouldn’t you?” she teased. “And, I haven’t told you how much I’m charging you, yet!”
He blundered, “Anything, name your price and I know Jack will pay it.”
They teased each other light-heartedly and laughed together while they agreed a price and arranged the hours she could do on Friday. She gave him Chrissie’s mobile number and asked him to email the recipes over to her for the fish starters and main courses so she could look over them before getting there.
Her hand was trembling when she clicked her mobile off and the reality of what she’d just done started to sink in. Her stomach was doing treble somersaults at the thought of seeing him again! It’s not a date though, she reminded herself because she knew she would be working hard, but couldn’t stop longing for Friday – she simply couldn’t wait.
That night Sarah had asked her and Lisa for dinner and as soon as she walked into Sarah’s kitchen she knew by the look on her face that this was it. This was the start of a life Sarah had been dreaming for - she looked totally different already. The happiness seemed to shine from her body and to say her eyes were sparkling was an understatement.
“It’s official,” Lisa said lounging on the settee. “Sarah’s in lurve…”
Katie offered to help with dinner but was shooed away and flopped down next to Lisa who was making the gesticulation of someone vomiting.
“OK. Here’s the deal,” Lisa said. “You can have thirty minutes to tell us all about the wonderful Simon but only thirty minutes and not a second longer.”
Sarah giggled like a schoolgirl. “It won’t take that long,” she said, “I’ve only known him one day and four hours of one night.”
“Oh no,” Katie teased, “we’ve got the time counted already.”
Sarah placed a pot of beef curry and a large bowl of rice in the centre of the table and both Katie and Lisa scrambled to their feet and sat down at the table. Sarah told them everything about him, what they’d talked about, how he’d made her feel, how he was probably the best kisser she’s ever known and how he seemed to want all the same things she did.
“And he’s sent three texts today already and I just can’t wait to see him tomorrow night,” she bubbled with excitement.
“Enough!” Lisa yelled. “You’ve had well over your time and there’s only so much slush I can cope with in one night.” But all three of them were laughing when she said it and Katie knew Lisa was as happy for Sarah as she was.
Katie took a large gulp of wine and told them about the telephone call with Tim and h
ow she’d offered to help out in the restaurant for the day.
“Just you be careful hon,” Lisa warned kindly. “Take it slowly. I don’t want to see you hurt again.”
Sarah squeezed Katie’s hand. “Lisa’s right. But going to support him in his hour of need – oh, Katie, it’s soooo romantic…”
When Katie arrived back from Sarah’s there was a message on her answer machine from Chrissie thanking her for the work at Tim’s restaurant. She said she’d been making jellies, custards, and sorbets, and then had crooned in her admiration at such a gorgeous chef. Katie imagined Chrissie’s California smile and hoped Tim had been pleased with her work.
On Friday morning Katie woke with bubbles of excitement snaking their way around her stomach before she’d even had time to hit the shower. Her white chef’s apron hung on the side of the wardrobe door starched and pressed, and she chose a short, black skirt and black vest to keep as cool as possible in the kitchen, but she also knew they looked good on her tanned legs and arms. Every time she thought of seeing him again she felt quite giddy with longing and although she kept reminding herself she was seeing him on a purely professional basis, she hoped and prayed something more would come from it. Maybe he’d ask her out for dinner or a drink to try and talk again, or maybe she should ask him, she thought, applying lip gloss. No, she couldn’t do that because more than anything else Lisa would be appalled and after all she had held the olive branch out by getting in touch and doing him the favour, therefore, he should be the one to take it further.
Pulling up outside the restaurant she day-dreamed about going out with him for dinner and kissing at the end of the night with his strong hands roaming her body, and ….. “STOP!” she shouted, get a grip on yourself, then took a deep breath, pulled her shoulders back and entered the door into the restaurants kitchen.
Tim’s insides flipped over when she walked into the kitchen and waved across at him - just the sight of her brought a rush of sheer joy flooding through his whole body. Grinning, he hurried across and enveloped her in a bear hug. It was his Kate, and she was really here in his kitchen and smiling at him in person, and not from the photograph on his desk.
Yes Chef, No Chef Page 26