Before heading down the stairs to the subway, I dialed Mom's number to find out about the woman who'd stopped in to see them at the store.
"It's about time you called!" she shrieked. "Did you call Jamie Burke?"
"No, Mother, you didn't leave a phone number. How did she come to contact me? How'd she find out I was in need of employees?"
"After you left, I posted a sign in the store's front window."
"You did? But I don't even have a loan yet," I screeched.
"Right, you don't, but you don't want to wait until the last minute either, do you? You're going to need to interview more than one person. For God's sake, you don't just hire the first person who comes along"
"No, you're right." I sighed. I had a lot to learn about running a business. "Okay, give me her number."
"Is that all the thanks I get?" she blasted.
"I'm sorry. Yes, thank you"
"Did you pick out your appliances yet?"
"No, not yet. Josh wants me to go out to look at more tonight."
"Oh, really?" shot out of her mouth. "And?"
I rolled my eyes. "Mother?"
"Yes?"
"The number, please."
"Certainly, dear" She cleared her throat and recited the number. Just as I jotted the last digit, my phone beeped, signaling a new call, and Josh's number flashed across the screen.
My heart skipped a beat. "Ooh, hold on a minute, Mom" I clicked once and greeted him. Knowing he didn't have a girlfriend excited me, yet scared me even more.
"Hey, you," he said, like we were old buddies. "What time can I pick you up, and where?"
"Why don't I meet you somewhere?" I said, adrenaline rushing through my veins.
"No. I prefer picking up my dates because I don't want you taking a subway or bus so late at night"
Date? Did he just call this a date? Of course, the term date could just be contractor talk. "How late are you talking here?" I said guardedly.
"Well, I figured by the time we're done at the showroom and have dinner, it could be late."
"Oh, Josh, that's not necessary. I'll grab a bite before we leave."
"That's too bad. I was really hoping to have someone keep me company. I eat alone every night. It would really make me happy if you had dinner with me afterward."
The sadness in his voice tugged at my heart, and I couldn't say no. "All right. How soon will you be here?"
"Terrific. You're in the Village, aren't you?"
"Yeah, how did you know?"
"Charlie gave me your address. I need to run home and take a shower first, and then I'll be over to pick you up. You're going to love this Brazilian restaurant I'm taking you to"
"Whoa, wait a minute, Josh" My better judgment kicked in, and I couldn't let it go without saying something. "Do you take all your business associations to places like this?"
"No. Not really. I was just letting you know that the place was nice so you'd know how to dress ... that's all. I thought women appreciated knowing that ahead of time." His voice mellowed. "You know, I eat fast food every night, so having a decent meal is something I really look forward to, especially in a nice restaurant. Throw in having a beautiful woman sitting across from me, and you have what I call a night to remember. But, seriously, I didn't mean to offend you, so if you think I'm being too forward, we can just do casual . . ." This guy was not only fast on his feet, but his techniques were so like my own mother's, it had me marching to his drummer. Could Mom have brought the wrong child home from the hospital?
Wherever his tactic came from, it was working. "Oh, Josh, I'm sorry," I squeaked as the guilt oozed out of every pore in my body. "Of course you didn't offend me ... forget what I said. I'm just being a jerk about it. I'll absolutely have dinner with you"
"But I don't want you to do something that makes you uncomfortable just because I told you I'm lonely."
Oh boy, he was really good at this-so good, it snapped me to attention. "Oh, no, I don't feel pressured. I think it's very nice of you to invite me. I, on the other hand, am not always so nice." I found myself revealing my sins as though I were kneeling in a confessional. "I'm sorry I was so abrupt. Listen, I need to catch this train. Why don't we plan to get together in about an hour?"
"Okay, our appointment with Viking is scheduled for six thirty, and dinner reservations are for eight. Will that give you enough time to get ready?"
I checked my watch. "I guess so" My heart raced with anticipation. "See you then" I clicked off and managed to get inside the train before the doors shut. A rush of excitement spread through me like wildfire-a feeling that had become foreign to me and that I'd really missed. As soon as the train stopped, I was out onto the platform like a shot and jogged up the stairs and back out onto the sidewalk, hustling toward my apartment.
I heard the house phone ring just as I turned the key, but I ignored it and made a beeline toward the bedroom to shower.
With five minutes to spare, I checked to see what call I'd missed. I cringed when Mom's number appeared, now remembering I'd put her on hold when I took Josh's call. If she figured the call was from Josh, she was having a field day knowing I'd blown her off for him.
At the sound of the doorbell, I took one last look in the mirror, fixing the pieces of hair that had fallen flat, grabbed the can of hair spray off the counter and sprayed as I walked toward the foyer. I tossed the can onto the end table and opened the door. Looking at Josh in his snug-fitting black leather pants, I was speechless. He was the total package, all right. Handsome, muscular, and tonight his blue eyes had a greenish cast accentuated by the light green T-shirt he wore.
"Are you ready to rock 'n' roll?"
I forced myself to respond. "Yes."
"Great, then let's get going" He gave me an appreciative glance but didn't say anything about the way I was dressed. I felt awkward because I was desperately waiting to hear him say something-to tell me I looked pretty. But those words never escaped his mouth. When had I become so needy?
"This is a nice building."
"Thanks. I like it too, but if I don't get my kitchen store up and running, I won't be able to keep it."
"Then stop procrastinating and get the ball rolling."
I was put off by his curtness but knew he was right and said so.
"I think I'm leaning toward the bird's-eye maple laminate cabinets," I said, just before we entered the restaurant, only to be distracted and enveloped in a deliciously fragrant cloud of perfectly roasted meat emanating from large skewers of kabobs. I watched two waiters circle around and stop at various tables to slice meat off the large skewers onto customers' plates.
I sucked in a deep breath. "Oh, God, this food smells so good."
"It does. I'm starving," he said.
"Then you've come to the right restaurant," the hostess commented, as she walked us to our table.
"So do you think those cabinets will be easy to clean without spending a lot of time on them?" I asked over my shoulder before we reached our table.
Josh nodded a thank-you to the hostess and responded to me. "I think it's a good choice," he said, sitting down. "I also think the honey color will be pleasing to the eye. I know you're concerned about filling the classes, but my sister has taken some cooking classes, and she loves them. There's no reason yours should be any different. I think you'll be busier than you expect"
"Oh, I forgot to mention, the dummy ad you suggested worked like magic. I had twenty calls to sign up for the class. Thanks for the suggestion"
"I'm glad I could help."
I finally looked around the restaurant. "You sure know how to pick out nice restaurants. Have you eaten here before?"
"A long time ago, and I remembered liking it, so I thought it would be fun to return"
Even though I'd regretted stopping him in his tracks earlier when he was flirting, I realized our new mode of interaction was much better, so maybe this was a good thing after all.
The hostess handed me an opened menu. "You can order off the
menu or indulge in the offerings from our roaming waiters. It's all-you-can-eat chicken, beef, pork, and our salad bar." She took our drink orders and left.
Our eyes locked, and for a brief second queasiness swirled around inside and drew me to him. The urge to have him hold me close screamed through my mind. The shock of being drawn to him like a magnet had me muttering to myself. Yeah, so much for being content with our mode of interaction.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"Yes, I'm fine. I was just thinking about too many things at once"
He didn't ask what those things were, but the uneasiness resurfaced. He cleared his throat the way people do when they're uncomfortable or annoyed. Fortunately, he did a two-step and changed the subject by pulling out a piece of paper from his jacket pocket and handing it to me.
"Here's the estimate for the labor, assuming you want me to do the job."
"That's not so bad," I said, holding the statement in my hand.
"But that doesn't include the cabinets or the appliances."
"Oh, it's doesn't?"
"No" He grinned. "You are new at this, aren't you? I might be able to get you a discount on the cabinets, but quite honestly, it won't be much. Figure the cabinets, the appliances, and my labor should run you around sixty thousand dollars. Have you gotten any other estimates?"
Just hearing the numbers gave me pause. The biggest financial decision I'd ever made was whether to spend a few hundred dollars on a handbag or pair of shoes.
"Ah, no. I've made a few calls but haven't heard back from anyone." Truth was, I hadn't called anyone other than him, but I didn't want him knowing. "I have to say, I'm really getting a reality check." I looked at the slip of paper again. "Okay, thanks." I folded the paper and stuffed it into my handbag. "I'll go over the figures with Dad before we head out to the bank on Monday."
When we returned from the salad bar, a roaming waiter stopped at our table and sliced tenderloin off the skewer onto our plates. The two of us were silent. Josh's eyes settled on me again, and an uneasy feeling coursed through my body. Halfway through slicing his meat, he paused and put his utensils down.
"Listen, Cassie, I'm sensing a strained feeling between us. Can we talk about it?"
"Sure, what's on your mind?"
"I think you know by now, I really like you and would like to get to know you better."
Panic engulfed me like a choke hold. I swallowed hard, trying to muster up the courage to accept the idea, but conflicting thoughts about past relationships pulled me back, and I just couldn't let myself go. I detoured his attempt to close the gap between us and shoved a forkful of food into my mouth. "Mmm, this is delicious," I said as I chewed.
His raised eyebrows told me he was on to me. "You're very good at dodging serious conversations, aren't you? I know by asking for more, I risk losing your job, but I feel a strong connection to you, and I just can't shake it. I'd really like to get to know you better on a personal level, but you seem to work harder at squelching a relationship than trying to establish one. Maybe you just don't like me. Is that it?"
"Oh, gosh no. I mean, yes, I like you." I sighed and leaned back in my seat.
"Well, I'm glad to hear that," he continued, "but why does it feel like you're teetering on a tightrope, afraid of falling off or letting the world see you as vulnerable? What's wrong?"
"Okay, I'll be honest with you. I think you know I like you too, but honestly, it's been my experience that business and pleasure don't mix. I've been down this road before and have gotten hurt more times than you can imagine."
"So does that mean you've put your life on hold because you're afraid to take a chance?"
"I guess I have put my life on hold, but I just can't afford to risk it when I have so many distractions right now."
He shook his head. "You know, normally, if a woman told me no, I'd make a beeline for the door, but you ... there's something special about you. You're different." He tilted his head to the side and huffed. "Being with you seems like the most natural thing." He shook his head again. "I've always loved a challenge, but this may be more than I can handle."
"I'm sorry, but I just can't afford any distractions right now" came out of my mouth before I'd taken time to mull it over. But now it was too late, because his expression told me I'd blown it.
"You can't, or you won't?"
"I'd like to keep our interaction strictly business" I saw the disappointment on his face. "Perhaps after I'm more established in my business, getting involved might be an option."
He snorted. "I may be talking myself right out of a job here, but I have to tell you that you're taking an awful lot for granted. Are you expecting me to sit around and wait for you to change your mind?" He released a sarcastic laugh. "I wouldn't count on it."
DODGING-THAT-LOVING-FEELING APPLE CAKE
FLOATING ON A SEA OF CARAMEL
HOT CARAMEL SAUCE
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until thickened and pale yellow.
Add the eggs, vanilla, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the sugar/butter mixture, completely incorporating into the mixture. Okay, dodging has worked quite well in the past and certainly took the starch out of his sails, but why do you say no when you mean yes?
Gradually add the flour, 1 cup at a time until thoroughly blended. The batter will be stiff, just like you. Now remove the bowl from the mixer stand and, using a spatula, fold in the apple chunks and nuts.
Making hay while the sun shines may be a metaphor, but dodging what could be the icing on the cake, or gliding on a sea of caramel, can apply to a relationship. This is just another one of your saved-by-the-bell excuses.
Now scrape the batter into a greased Bundt cake pan and bake for 60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the middle.
For the caramel sauce, melt the butter, brown sugar, and salt together in a 1-quart saucepan, on medium-low heat. Bring to a slow boil, just like you seem to move toward romance, stirring with a wire whisk. Remove from heat and add the evaporated milk and vanilla; stir until smooth. You've walked away from a chance at love, but don't walk away while you're making this sauce.
Spoon hot caramel sauce onto a dessert plate and place a wedge of apple cake in the center. Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream.
The smell of fresh-baked muffins wafted up my nose. I blinked my eyes open wide, scanning the room in a momentary state of confusion as to my whereabouts, wondering if I'd fallen asleep at work. Chilled by the cool air from the open window, I grabbed my robe off the chair and rushed from my bed to shut it, then ambled to the shower to get ready for my meeting with Jamie Burke this morning.
On the subway ride, I looked at the faces of the straphangers standing in front of me. One guy stood stone-faced, like he'd lost his best friend, and all I could think about was Josh and the shot-down expression on his face when I told him I wanted to keep our relationship strictly business. I shrugged, persuading myself I'd done the right thing.
I recognized Jamie right away when I entered the sandwich shop because she was wearing her chef's clothes, as was I. She waved when she saw me. She was quite stylish, with a short dark haircut cut close on the sides with the top messy and styled in pieces to one side. Her hazel eyes and dimples seemed to match her bubbly personality.
"I'm so happy to meet you, Cassie. So tell me about your new place. Do you have a name for it yet?"
"I've been toying with a few names, but the one I like the best is Kitchen Widgets and Cooking Club. How do you like it?"
"I like it. I think it defines all the elements of the store. Your mother mentioned ... was that your mother I was talking to?" I nodded. "Well, she said something about cooking gadgets and catering for groups who want to learn to cook, but I'm not sure how that all fits together"
"Okay. My mother is a little confused. What I want to do, besides selling gadgets in all shapes and sizes, is to teach cooking clas
ses to moms, couples, kids, and just about anyone else who wants to learn. I'm also willing to customize a class for groups. The catering was in addition to all that. Have you ever taught classes before?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I taught in an elementary school before changing careers"
I laughed. "I changed careers too-how funny is that? I was a speechwriter for a corporation."
She smiled. "Sounds like we have a lot in common."
"For sure," I continued. "So, here's what I'm looking for. I'd like to alternate the classes between teachers, so when someone is not teaching, she'll be helping customers by explaining how to use some of the gadgets ... things like that."
"Do you already have an established catering business?" she asked.
"My dad had a catering business. It has slowed down considerably due to the economy, but I'm sure there will be a few customers left. How about you? Do you have customers you can bring with you?"
"A few, but I've mostly worked in a restaurant. I do want to make sure I keep my hand in cooking."
I chuckled. "Oh, you will. Don't worry. I feel the same way. Before I actually open for business, I'm going to want to brainstorm ideas to enhance the business. I'm sure there are things I'm forgetting, so it would be nice to have someone who's doing the thinking with me"
"That sounds reasonable. Will you also do cooking birthday parties for kids?" Her enthusiasm told me this might work out well. "How many employees are you planning to hire?"
"Yes, I am. I think having classes for kids is a natural draw for moms as well. As for employees, I want two teaching classes, a clerk behind the counter, and my best friend, Megan, will be the general manager. She's currently working at a law firm and is pregnant." The more we chatted, the more comfortable I felt.
Dishing Up Romance Page 7