by Kiana Lee
The woman flipped through a stack of papers and pulled out a page. She set the sheet down in front of her.
“Your payment was declined.” She pointed to the highlighted amount with a well-manicured finger. “And until we receive the fee in full, you will be unable to continue your studies.”
“What?” Caitlin said, blinking at the woman, unsure that she had heard correctly. “Are you saying that I can’t go to any more classes until I pay?”
“That’s right,” the woman said, sympathy reflecting in her eyes.
Caitlin sat back in her chair as the realization sunk in. She had maxed out all three of her credit cards. She had been paying the minimum amount on the cards, but the money that she recently transferred to her grandparents had almost cleaned out her account. As a result, she had insufficient funds to pay down the minimum. And while the credit card company continued to charge interest on the money she borrowed, she was barred from putting further tuition payments on her cards.
The director picked up the sheet of paper and placed it back on the pile. “I’m afraid that you’re going to have to clear out your locker until this matter is resolved.”
“Can’t an exception be made for me?” she pleaded. “Please, I have to attend classes. I promise to find the money —”
“I’m sorry,” the woman said, shaking her head. “We have to follow school protocol. Unfortunately, if we make an exception for you, then we’ll have to make exceptions for every student.”
“But what if I can come up with the money?”
“Then we can reinstate your enrollment,” she paused. “But you’ll have to pay the entire fees owing since this is the second time we’ve had problems with your credit card. Unfortunately, it takes an incredible amount of man-hours to figure out payment problems, so we can no longer have this issue reoccurring.”
Caitlin nodded, her movement wooden. She had received her last paycheck from the hotel but she had already spent that money on groceries and rent. Where else was she going to get money to cover tuition? She had no idea. Feeling numb, she made her way out of the office and went to gather her things from her locker. Luckily classes were in session, and there was no one in the change room to witness her humiliation.
She pulled out her phone and punched in Jessie’s number. “Hi, Jessie,” she said when her friend answered.
“What’s wrong, Caitlin?” Alarm and concern sounded in Jessie’s voice all at once. Even though Caitlin hadn’t revealed anything, it was clear Jessie already knew that something was wrong. Next to her grandparents, Jessie and her sister, Maya were the closest Caitlin had to family.
At hearing the genuine concern in her friend’s voice, something inside of Caitlin broke. Then unable to stop them, the tears began to roll down her cheeks.
“I maxed out my credit cards, and the school can’t get any more payments,” she said. “So until I pay the full amount owing, they’ve decided to kick me out.”
“That’s crazy!” Jessie said, getting mad on her behalf.
“What’s crazy is that they’ve already taken half of my tuition,” Caitlin said bitterly.
“What if you sell your Jeep?”
“How am I going to sell it in time?” she sniffed. “Midterms are almost here, and those exams are worth ten percent of our grades. If I miss that, I might as well kiss the job placement and my certificate goodbye.”
“Doesn’t your old coworker have a brother who owns a car dealership?”
“Yes,” she said, the word stretching out slowly.
“Well, call her, and see if she can hook you up. It’s worth a shot, right? At the moment you have nothing to lose.”
Jessie made a lot of sense. As soon as Caitlin hung up on her, she found Quinn in her contact list and dialed her number. When she got her friend’s voicemail, she let out a curse. She had forgotten that the kitchen workers weren’t allowed to use electronic devices while on their shifts. Her best option was to go to the hotel and speak to Quinn in person.
Glancing down at her watch, she discovered that it was almost lunch. The workers would be slammed right now. If Caitlin could somehow sneak into the kitchen, she could get the contact information for Quinn’s brother. And then she could skedaddle out of there without anyone knowing that she had visited.
She drove to the employee entrance located at the back of the hotel and waited in her car. Someone was bound to come out for a smoke break. And when they did, she could follow them into the building.
After fifteen minutes of waiting, Caitlin found it was getting too hot to stay in the car so she got out and moved closer to the back entrance. A cold sweat ran down her back when she finally stood by the door. If Chef Dan saw her, he would no doubt attack her, and he wouldn’t care who witnessed the assault. Likely all the workers would avert their eyes like before and pretend that nothing had happened. So she knew full well that she was taking a serious risk by returning to this hellhole. But though she was mindful of the danger, desperation spurred her forward.
Fortunately, Caitlin didn’t have to wait long when the door opened and two workers came out. They were obviously new employees since she didn’t recognize any of them. One of the guys picked up a rock and wedged it at the door to keep it ajar. When he turned back to his friend, Caitlin had already slipped inside.
Glancing quickly over her shoulder to ensure that no one followed her, she walked rapidly toward the kitchen. As she got closer, the familiar rattle of pots and pans, the banging and scraping of metal spatulas, and the hollering between workstations became distinct. Like always, the entire kitchen was a whirlwind of activity. Chef Dan was barking orders, making everyone scrambled as usual. At the moment, he was inspecting the work of the line chefs and had his back toward her. Just like clockwork, Chef took ten seconds to make his judgments for each dish, and she had enough time to run across to the prep area. But before she reached the area, a server entered the kitchen and placed a plate on the pass.
“What the hell is this?” Chef yelled.
Caitlin ducked behind a storage shelf, her heart racing so fast she was afraid that it would pop from her chest. She remembered being the brunt of Chef’s anger, and she didn’t envy the server’s position at this moment.
“The customer didn’t want sesame seeds in his octopus ceviche,” the waiter said.
“Did he request no sesame seeds in his order?”
“Yeah, he did,” the server said. “The customer’s allergic to the seeds.”
When the front worker left, Chef let out a string of curses and screamed, “Who screwed up here?”
Caitlin heard a hesitant voice speak up, and as expected, the poor worker received a verbal beating. For the time being, she thought it was best to stay hidden. When everything became quiet again, she looked through an opening between the shelves. Chef had returned to manning the pass, acting as if nothing dramatic had happened. As more and more plates lined up for inspection, she knew that the kitchen was at its peak busyness. This was the perfect time to make her move.
“Quinn!” she hissed.
At the sound of her name, Quinn jerked her head up and looked behind her, a confused expression on her face. When she saw Caitlin crouched behind the shelf, her eyes widened like saucers.
“I need to talk with you.”
Looking cautiously at Chef, Quinn put her knife down and hurried over to her. “What do you need to talk about?” she asked, her tone rushed. “Chef’s gonna throw a hissy fit if he sees you here.”
“I need your help,” Caitlin said, not wanting to discuss the possibilities of getting caught. “I want to sell my Jeep fast, and I want to know whether your brother can hook me up.”
“I don’t think I’d be doing you any favors by calling him.” A doubtful glint appeared in her eyes. “No matter how new your car is, he’s not going to give you the market value.”
“I don’t care,” Caitlin said. “Unless I find money for my tuition, the culinary school will kick me out.”
The expres
sion on Quinn’s face changed. “You’re crazy, you know.” But then she leaned to the side of the shelf to look into the heart of the kitchen. When she returned her attention to Caitlin, she rattled off the address. Caitlin punched the information into her phone.
“I’ll text him at break,” Quinn said. “But if you get to him before I contact him, tell him that I sent you.” Her brows drew together suddenly and she added, “Just make sure you drive a hard bargain. That way, he’ll give you more money, which I’m sure he can afford.” A plate crashed at the front of the kitchen and was followed by screams. “Now get the heck out of here before you get me fired, okay?”
Caitlin didn’t have to be told twice. When she was sure both the head chef and his right-hand man were occupied, she dashed out of the kitchen.
A few minutes later, she was in her Jeep and on her way to the dealership. Quinn had often spoken about her brother. She hoped that because of her connections to her friend, the brother would offer her a cash deal. If Caitlin went through another dealer, there would likely be a lot of paperwork and delays. And right now she couldn’t afford to encounter any delays. She needed to clean up this financial mess, return to school and get back into the game.
An hour later she sat facing Quinn’s brother. “I can give you five thousand dollars for it,” he said.
“The Jeep is only a year old,” she said, remembering the advice that Quinn told her. “It’s got to be worth more than that. Maybe I should go to another car dealer, and see what they say.”
From the gleam in his eyes, she could tell that he desired her car. She was certain that if he displayed the Jeep in his lot, it would be the newest model there.
“Okay, fine. I’ll give you seven grand, and that’s it.”
Caitlin put out a hand. “You have a deal.”
With an envelope filled with cash, she walked out of the dealership, a smile on her face. She had received an additional two thousand dollars from Quinn’s brother. While the amount she got for the Jeep wasn’t its true value, it was enough to sustain her for the rest of the program. She felt relieved because finally, she could go on with her studies and not worry about getting kicked out of school. Now it was just a matter of maintaining her marks and gunning for the coveted position at Signatures.
Chapter 13
“You’re a good friend.” Caitlin’s maddening words continued to echo in Jason’s brain. He couldn’t figure out why she was constantly on his mind. And her stubborn and regular rejection was starting to add up and put him in a perpetually foul mood. She wasn’t interested in him. That was a fact. Why couldn’t he just move on? It was the smartest thing to do, yet somehow he couldn’t accept it.
Seeing Caitlin in class on Monday morning didn’t improve his mood. Even though he was considered only friend material, he couldn’t help but want more. But before class went into session, she got called away.
Jason leaned forward, tapping Jane on the shoulder. “Do you know where Caitlin is going?”
“Someone at the office wants to speak to her, although I’m not sure about what.”
He settled back in his chair, wondering why they would call her to the office. As far as he could tell, she was a model student.
Jason spent the rest of the class hyperaware of the movements in the classroom. Every time he heard a sound behind him, he turned, expecting to see Caitlin reenter the room. But there was no sign of her. Then when the first hour had passed, he concluded that she wasn’t returning.
After he finished the second demo class of the day, Jason decided to go to the cafeteria to grab lunch. He debated whether he should skip class and drop by to visit Caitlin at her apartment. As he was deciding what to do, he was about to pass the administrative offices. That was when David Molowa stepped into the corridor. Jason saw him first, and his immediate response was to turn the other way. But he was out of luck. As if he sensed Jason’s presence, Molowa looked behind him.
“Ah, just the man I want to see,” David said cheerfully. He waited for Jason to catch up to him. “I was thinking about you today, and then you magically appear. I need to ask you a few questions. Come, talk with me for a few minutes.”
Placing a hand on Jason’s shoulder, he clamped it there so he couldn’t escape. A few students maneuvered around them. Jason could have easily shrugged off the smaller man, but he didn’t want to cause a scene. And though he felt reluctant, he allowed the director to steer him through the office doors.
The radio played in the waiting room and seemed almost too loud. Only one secretary manned the front desk, and since it was lunchtime, most of the other staff members had gone on their break. As a result, the usual hustle and bustle of the office had switched off.
Once Jason was inside his office, Molowa closed the door with a decided click. Moving around piles of books and papers, he maneuvered his way to his desk. “Have a seat,” he said, gesturing to a chair.
Since the last time Jason was here, the interior of Molowa’s office seemed more cluttered than usual, although the mess didn’t seem to bother the man.
“No, I think I’ll stand.” Jason wasn’t here for a social call, and he wanted to leave as soon as possible. “So what do you want to ask me?”
“Let’s not play dumb here, Jason. It’s been more than two weeks, and I’ve yet to hear anything from you.” He laced his fingers together, his gaze leveled on Jason’s face. “Give me a rundown of what’s happening.”
“You want a rundown,” he said slowly, trying to think of a way to stall him. To be fair, Molowa had held up his end of the bargain. The teachers were giving Jason the marks he needed, and none of the instructors in the practical classes hassled him like they did the other students. If he continued to play it right, he would win the top spot at the school, get his job back, and resume his old life. In contrast, Jason hadn’t held up his end of the bargain. Maybe he should’ve felt guilty, but he felt no sense of urgency. In fact, he hadn’t given much thought to the arrangement since they’d made the pact. Of course, he knew it would be stupid on his part to admit this. If Molowa knew that Jason had yet to call Jordan James, he would likely blow a fuse. And this was something that he wanted to avoid, especially since things were running smoothly, and he hadn’t had any trouble with his father.
“I’m in the process of setting something up,” Jason said, looking the older man in the eye.
“So you haven’t spoken to Jordan yet,” Molowa asked with a menacing frown. “I thought that —”
“Don’t worry about it,” he said, his tone smooth and reassuring. “I’m a student, you know. School has kept me busy, but I’m meeting up with him soon.”
“That’s excellent!” Molowa said, thumping his palm on the desk. His mood changed in an instant. And his face shone with anticipation, as if he already imagined his stardom. “So when do you meet him?”
“This weekend. If all goes well, I should have a date set up for you.”
“Good, good.” He rubbed his hands together like a keiki who was about to receive a freshly baked sweet roll. “That’s all I want to know. Once I get my show, I’ll be a celebrity, and then I can kiss this hellhole goodbye.” He nodded to his surroundings. “And it’ll be all thanks to you, my friend.”
“I’m sure your show will do well,” Jason said, his tone diplomatic. He couldn’t care less whether or not the show succeeded, however, he wasn’t about to reveal this to the director. “If you’re done with me, I’m going for my lunch now.”
Molowa let out a contented sigh and sank back in his chair while his hands laced behind his head. “Yes, go have your lunch.”
Jason didn’t have to be encouraged twice. Slipping out of the office, he hurried away in case the other man decided to drill him with more questions.
He pulled out his phone and quickly sent an email to Jordan James. He just hoped he could swing a meeting with the TV producer, otherwise he’d have to return to Molowa with a new excuse.
After his lunch, he had a few minutes to spare before
class started, so he headed out early to the practical class. He scrolled through the pictures that he had taken during the demo. One of the dishes that they had to make in this class was crème caramel. He stared down at the picture, the challenge of making the dessert exciting him. He had watched the instructor carefully, noting his techniques and nuances. Of course, the man had years of experience to draw from, and his creation was an example of pure perfection.
Closing his eyes, Jason imagined the steps he needed to produce the custard. A ramekin was coated with caramelized sugar and then a custard mixture was poured inside. After letting it cool in the fridge for several hours, it was then turned over, the caramel sauce oozing over the sides. This custard dessert was delicious, but it was easy to mess up, especially if the sugar burned. The other problem was if the milk was added to the egg mixture while it was too hot, it would scramble the eggs. He shuddered at the thought of finding large, unattractive lumps in the final product.
Walking into the near empty room, Jason chose his workstation. He laid his knife bag on the next station, reserving the spot for Caitlin in case she returned to class. Turning around, he went to the refrigerator to organize the items that he needed. But when he returned to his workstation, he saw that a classmate had moved his bag.
“Hey, I was saving that spot for someone else,” he said, frowning.
“Sorry, brah,” he said. “All the other places are taken.”
Jason looked around the table, and his frown deepened when he discovered that his classmate hadn’t lied. Somehow while he was in the midst of rummaging through the refrigerator and setting up his workspace, he had missed seeing Caitlin entering into the kitchen. Likely she didn’t see him either because she had chosen the station at the furthest end of the stainless-steel table. Unfortunately, Jason had little opportunity to talk with her since the instructor stepped into the kitchen and the class commenced.
Throughout the hour, he tried a few times to catch Caitlin’s eye, but his attempts were futile. She was either occupied with executing her dishes, or she was trading banter with the classmates in her vicinity. He felt bummed that he couldn’t join in the lively conversation. When class ended, he would catch up with her, he decided.