"Mother"-I pinched the bridge of my nose and tossed my head back-"you're giving me a nosebleed." I was no slouch in the drama department either, but this one had me beat by a mile. "Listen, this day is all about Dad. Nothing else matters."
"Yeah, I know," she sighed. "I just. . . well, you know."
She lowered her head and kicked at the floor. I allowed her to have her fifteen minutes of whatever they were calling it these days. I counted the seconds before blastoff. C'mon, c'mon, wait for it, wait for it. She took a deep breath and, bingo, the grand finale burst through the air like a jet in flames.
"I just hope I'm still alive whenever you decide to have kids. I'd hate to think of those poor little darlings missing out on a loving Nona who makes their Halloween costumes ... biscotti ... and rice pudding, and..
She made the sign of the cross. Now came the grasping of the medal of St. Gabriel the Archangel, the one she'd worn around her neck since my teenage years. She kissed it and tossed her hand skyward. I imagined St. Gabriel turning his cheek to catch the kiss. Oh yes, St. Gabriel was noted as the messenger, and she wanted him to send a message to me. Get married-have kids.
I groaned so loudly, it caught Dad's attention. "Mother, puleeze stop!" My hand shot up faster than a speeding bullet. The expression on her face said it all.
MAMA'S SINGING I-AIN'T-NEVER-GONNA-BE-A-NONA
BLUES CREAMY RICE PUDDING
Scald the half-and-half and buttermilk in the top of a double boiler to turn up the heat on your daughter's heart, but do not boil. It's okay to lower the heat and allow the liquid to simmer. Now is a good time to strategize your next move. Maybe the daughter will see she's being unreasonable about this marriage thing. Toss in the remaining ingredientsthere's always a chance the combination of the right ingredients may make her realize this is just what she's been missing. Sooner or later, something's got to give. Let's hope this does it. Stir to combine and cover with a lid.
Check back often to see if the rice has absorbed the liquid and puffed up the way you'd like to see Cassie's heart. Perhaps it will only take an hour to explode into a love that will last a lifetime. Humph, if only it were that easy. More time is necessary if her stubbornness remains hard-core. And if you're lucky enough to have a daughter who gives you what you really want-like a precious little bambino in your arms-your plan worked. If not, start from the beginning. Serve warm with whipped cream. Makes 4-6 servings.
When the sun descended and dusk approached, an anxious, queasy feeling overcame me, since I knew it wouldn't be long before Josh arrived. Mom had talked nonstop as we packed the remaining items on the shelves, but I paid little attention and concentrated on filling the boxes with condiments and crackers. Part of me wanted them to leave, and yet part of me wanted them to stay-providing that feeling of security. But now that Mom had what I suspected was Charlie's account of my meeting with Josh, which Dad had undoubtedly conveyed to her, there was little chance she'd leave without seeing him firsthand. That Charlie was in so much trouble with me. But even Dad's jovial mood had intensified as the afternoon wore on, and it added to my anxiety.
I kept trying to convince myself Dad had only been teasing earlier. No way would he lower himself to Mom's level by contributing to the grand push to get me married. Regardless, these two couldn't be trusted.
"Cassie, what's that all over your arms?" Mom asked when she saw me scratching. She grabbed my arms and pushed my sleeves up. "Look at this rash. How long have you had this?"
"Had what?" I asked. I looked down. "Oh, wow, that is a rash" I scratched some more. "I just thought my arm was itchy. Maybe I'm allergic to something in the store." 11
"Since when?" she said defensively. "You've spent years in this store and have never gotten a rash before." She watched me scratch. "Stop doing that. You'll leave open cuts and wind up with scars"
She eyed my arms closely. "These are hives from nerves"
"I'm not nervous," I said.
"I think you are. I can see it in your face."
"I am not" rushed out of my mouth.
Our attention was drawn away to the jingle of the front door opening, and in walked Rocky, and my heart melted. Both parents immediately rushed up to shake Josh's hand and give him the once-over.
"Charlie thinks you're just the person for this job," Dad said a little too enthusiastically. "And my daughter, here ... Well, that may take a little more work than you're used to, but the end result will be worth it."
"Dad?" I couldn't believe my ears. "I'm sorry, Josh. My parents are anxious to see me get my business up and running."
I shot Dad a dirty look, but it didn't matter; his smirk grew wider. Josh laughed. The poor guy had no idea what he was in for with these two.
"It's okay," he said, with a wink. "I already knew this wasn't going to be easy" Thankfully, he was looking at Dad and did not notice Mom's eyes bouncing back and forth between the two of us as she watched the interaction.
"The kitchen is through this door." I pointed. "Why don't you go on in, and I'll be with you in a few minutes?" I watched him walk away. When he was out of sight, I laced into my parents.
"Listen, you two," I said. "First, he has a girlfriend," I whispered through gritted teeth, "and second, what are you doing? You just met this guy."
My heart was spinning out of control. I wasn't sure if my anger had more to do with my parents or with me for becoming too attracted to him.
"You like him, don't you?" Mom said with a sly smile.
"I just met him too, for God's sake."
"But you have a rash. You already know he has a girlfriend. I mean, seriously, Cass, if you weren't interested, you wouldn't have tried to find out, and you wouldn't have itchy red spots all over your arms" Mom's grin was so wide, I thought her cheeks might crack.
I had the urge to explain how I knew he had a girlfriend but didn't say anything because it would have fallen on deaf ears anyway. Seriously, what was the point? "Now will you both please just leave this up to me?"
"Nice try, cookie," Mom said. "Since you really just met him, then maybe we should stick around, after all. I mean, who knows? He could be like that scary Ted Bundy guy, although he seems like a nice person, and Charlie said-"
"Aha, so that's it."
"Whatever are you talking about, Cassie? You're accusing your father and me of doing something devious. You're the one who's all nervous and jerky. You like him." She giggled. "And that makes me very happy."
I flung my hands up in the air and huffed, turning on my heels toward the kitchen, Mom and Dad hot on my trail like we were conjoined triplets.
Josh was measuring the floor when I entered. I hadn't noticed before, but he'd changed his clothing from this morning. Dressed in tight-fitting jeans and a beige silk jersey T-shirt, he looked mighty fine. Actually, a little too fine. He glanced over his shoulder at me, and I got a whiff of a different aftershave. Whoa surfed through my mind. His smile told me the expression on my face must have reflected what I was feeling.
"Do you have an idea of how you want this kitchen space to look?" he asked.
"I do" I removed the photo from my pocket and handed it to him. "This is basically what I want, but I have no clue how much money this is going to cost."
He focused on the photo. "This is a demo kitchen, all right. Do you know what brand appliances you want to use?"
"Not yet. This whole business thing has had a whirlwind effect on my brain." I released a sigh. "The only professional appliances I know about are in Charlie's restaurant and culinary school, and I thought you might be able to recommend some others. You're the first person I've called."
"Thank you. I'm flattered you called me first"
"Ah, well, this business idea is in the beginning stages," I explained to deflect any misconceptions. "I haven't had time to check out more contractors"
"That's all right. I'm still flattered." He rubbed his hand over his chin as he scanned the length of the room and walls. "I think you should see what other contractors have t
o offer, but I can almost guarantee you they won't be able to match my price."
"Sounds good to me" Dad gave me an appreciative grin. Maybe I'd learned more from his business sense than I'd realized. My heart raced at the thought of seeing Josh every day. "When Charlie told me you were doing work for him, I thought it would be a good way to see the results, and then take it from there."
"Okay," he said in a husky voice while retracting the tape measure. "I think I have enough measurements for now. What I'm going to need moving forward are the measurements for the appliances so I can make sure I have the correct inset openings in the cabinets. Why don't I take you to a few places to look at appliances, then we can grab a bite to eat and I can write up the estimate at the same time?"
"Ah ... ah" My stomach knotted into a tight ball.
"That's a perfect idea, Cassie." My father's strong voice bounced off the walls in the empty kitchen. "This Josh guy"he pointed-"is a good contractor. Having him show you appliances, he can give you some pointers about the best ones to use. Most contractors don't do that. Good job, son" Dad was patting Josh on the back now. "Why don't you two kids run along now?"
"Uh ... okay. I'll go to the appliance store with you, but I need to get back after that. I have an early day tomorrow," I said.
"Oh," he said, disappointment in his voice. "Please keep in mind that if you don't like any of the appliances I show you tonight, we'll have to hit the stores again whenever you have time. Just remember, the longer you take to decide, the longer it's going to take for me to give you an estimate."
"And the longer it's going to take to apply for a loan," Dad said. "You also have to consider that the commercial brands aren't just sitting around in the stores or warehouses. They have to be ordered, and that takes a while."
"Cassie," Mom offered, "Josh and your father are right. If you want to start this business within the next few months, you need to act now. Who knows what delays you'll have, but at least you'll be ready. Besides, if you called Charlie right now, I'm sure he wouldn't have a problem with you going in a little later tomorrow-you know, if you stay out too late."
Talk about being ambushed. Of course what they were saying all made sense, but I knew their motives weren't quite so honorable.
"Okay, okay, I'll call Charlie."
"No," Dad said, "you kids run along. I'll call Charlie." He flicked his hand forward. "Go" He practically pushed us out the door. Mom ran up and handed me my jacket.
"You don't want to forget this ... that is, unless Josh is going to keep you warm"
"Mother, what is wrong with you?" I rolled my eyes and sighed.
"I meant, I hope he has a good heater in his car to keep you warm."
Josh laughed and held the door open for me.
MAMA'S HUFFIN'-AND-PUFFIN'-AND-BLOWING-THEHOUSE-DOWN APPLE CINNAMON PUFFED PANCAKE
TOPPING
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Turning up the heat won't make your daughter rapidly fall in love, Mama, but she's getting there. She's trying to hide it, but you're on to her. She'd have to get up pretty early in the morning to outfox the fox. Just enjoy the expression on her face whenever he's around-you'll know when it's time to go for the touchdown.
In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and two tablespoons of the brown sugar, and blend with a whisk. Now grab a measuring cup, pour in the milk and the beaten eggs, add two tablespoons melted butter, and don't forget the vanilla. Mix thoroughly. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is thoroughly combined.
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small frying pan; add apples and saute until softened-2 to 3 minutes. That isn't long enough for your daughter to admit she wants him in her life-especially not to youbut bugging her consistently hasn't worked either. At her age, this isn't smart. True, subtlety has never been one of your strong suits, so keep the hints flying high. Try working through the back door-you know, work on the guy. That's how Josephine Cici got her daughter down the aisle. Okay, so maybe you don't want to mimic her moves, but hey, you do what you gotta do. The daughter won't catch on until it's too late, but you know she's going to be happy in the end-and possibly thank you for intervening because she's so stubborn. It's just a matter of getting her there. Take baby steps. Aww, you like the sounds of that pitter-patter, don't you?
Coat the inside of a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with cooking spray, making sure to coat the sides as well. After combining the ingredients for the topping, layer the apples, sprinkle the topping over the apples, and pour the batter over the top.
Bake in a 425-degree oven for 15 minutes. Turn the pancake over onto a large platter and slice into quarters. Serve with confectioners' sugar sprinkled over top, or butter and maple syrup. Makes 4 servings.
Your parents are too funny," Josh said when we exited the deli. "They really want you to open this business, don't they?"
"Hmm, among other things."
I slipped my hands into gloves and pulled my scarf tighter around my face to block the cold. It had just begun to snow, and there was a slight accumulation on the stairs.
"You sure you want to drive in this snow?" I asked.
"I have four-wheel drive. Are you afraid we'll get stuck somewhere in suburbia?"
"No" Truth is, I would have been happy being stuck anywhere with him.
He held on to my arm and guided me down the stairs. The heat from his touch had me forgetting how cold it was, so I forged ahead and heard the chirping sound of the remote and the clunk of the locks popping. I reached for the handle, and just as I was ready to pull the door open, his hand covered mine.
"Let me get that for you," he said, opening the door. I shivered from his touch.
"Are you cold?" he asked.
"A little," I fibbed. "My father," I said after he slid behind the wheel, "has had this deli for so many years, and now that he's going to retire, I think pushing me to open the store is his insurance that he won't change his mind."
"You're really lucky to have such supportive parents. My parents were killed in an automobile accident when I was ten years old, and I was raised by my grandparents."
"Oh, Josh, I'm so sorry. That must have been very hard for YOU."
He pulled the car out into the light traffic and drove down the road. "I'm not saying I haven't had a good life, but there's just my sister and me and a very small family-one aunt and uncle and my grandparents, who are from the generation that wasn't accustomed to giving encouragement" He smiled. "I've always wondered what it would be like to have the support of a big family." He turned to look at me. "I'll bet you have a big Italian family, huh?"
"I do, but one Sunday at Family Fest and you'll be glad you have a small family."
"Is that an invitation?" he asked, glancing over at me. I just stared at him. "So tell me what this Family Fest is. I've never heard of it before"
"Every Sunday, the entire clan has dinner at my mother's house. It used to be held at my nona's house, but she passed away a few years ago, and Mom has taken over. The only grandparent I have left is Nanu, my grandfather, who lives down the street. I don't think he'd know how to act if we didn't have the family gathering every week or his bowl of pasta."
"So when should I come?"
If Mom heard him, she'd be inviting him to the next Family Fest and making sure he was sitting right next to me. "Ah"-I released a nervous laugh-"I'll have to let you know."
"Okay," he said, lighthearted, "I'm going to hold you to it."
My mind made a fast U-turn and steered the conversation back to appliances. "Where are we going?"
Unfortunately, he wasn't having any of it. "Why are you so nervous around me, Cassie? Have I said something to make you feel uncomfortable?" He flashed a sexy smile, his handsome profile illuminated by the oncoming headlights, and my heart accelerated to high speed. I wasn't used to having anyone be quite so direct.
"No. I'm shy, that's all."
He laughed. "Oh yeah, I can see that," he teased. "Honestly"he held up hi
s hand-"I don't bite" He turned my way again. I suspected he was waiting for me to say something in rebuttal, but I ignored him. He cleared his throat. "Okay ... I guess it's back to business." He made a left turn onto High Street and headed for Bloomfield.
I released a sigh of relief, looking out my window at the people rushing about, apparently buying groceries that would hold them until the snow-covered roads were plowed.
Josh pulled into the parking lot of Appliance Plus. There were only a few cars in the lot.
"You think this snow has scared customers away?"
"Probably, but that means we get more attention and you learn more about the types of appliances so you can make a selection."
"Do you have any recommendations, or am I expected to wing it?"
"I do have some recommendations," he said, "but I'd like you to hear it from the salesman first, so you can make an informed decision. The guys in this place are pretty knowledgeable, so pick their brains."
"Okay"
We walked inside and were immediately greeted by three salesmen.
"See what I mean?" Josh said.
Rows upon rows of appliances lined the store. Mini-kitchens were set up in the last two aisles, complete with various manufacturers' cabinetry. Seeing them was exciting but scary because I didn't want to make the wrong decision and wind up being sorry I'd selected something based on its appeal rather than its durability. I'd been making my own decisions for a long time, but I imagined this was like buying a house. We stayed until closing, my head filled with information and my arms filled with brochures.
Josh pulled into the parking lot of an Indian restaurant. "What do you think?"
"I wasn't expecting anything quite so nice."
"Hey, I don't mess around. But don't worry," he said, with a wink, "I'm going to charge you big bucks to get this money back."
Dishing Up Romance Page 5