Grabbing the dishrag, she walked to the laundry room and tossed it in the washer. The house was clean, but she still had to sweep the porch and make sure that her gas grill was working. Whistling to Frankie, she walked over to the back door and let the dog outside, following the little terrier before shutting the door behind her. She went over to the small shed in the backyard and pulled out a push broom to begin sweeping the leaves and dirt off her stone patio. She had just finished checking that the propane container was hooked up to the grill and everything was working well when she heard a car door slam. Frankie started barking and dashed around the side of the house. Her guests had arrived.
Autumn followed the dog around the house and waved as she saw Alicia and her husband get out of their car. Alicia bent down to greet Frankie, who was dancing around joyfully.
“Come around the back,” Autumn said. “I was just about to drag the lawn furniture out of the shed. You guys can help if you want.”
“Darn it,” Alicia joked. “We should have gotten here later and let Nick do all of the hard work.”
“Well, you don't have to help; we can just eat on the ground if you would rather.”
Her friend stuck out her tongue playfully, then grabbed her husband's hand and dragged him toward the side of the house. Frankie followed, still thrilled at the prospect of having guests. Autumn smiled. It was a beautiful spring day, and even though she had a lot on her mind, she was looking forward to spending the next few hours with friends.
They were still dragging the table and chairs out of the shed when Nick appeared around the side of the house.
“I saw your car out front,” he said to Alicia. “When no one answered my knock at the front door, I figured you'd be around back.”
“You guessed right,” Autumn said. “I should probably go around front and make sure Bonnie finds the place okay. Did you bring the food?”
“Yep,” Nick said. He held up a plastic bag. “Three different kinds of meat and both hotdog and hamburger buns.”
“Great,” Autumn said, grinning. “I have the drinks inside. Bonnie said that she would be bringing potato salad and pasta salad, so hopefully we're all set. I’ll go get the drinks and wait for Bonnie, but you can go ahead and start cooking if you would like to.”
She hummed as she mixed the lemonade and fruit punch inside. Simply being outdoors in the nice weather and seeing the people she cared most about had boosted her mood significantly. It was a good reminder that life was more than work. It was about the small, daily pleasures, and the relationships that she built.
A couple of minutes later, a knock at the front door signaled Bonnie's arrival. Bonnie was a friend of Alicia's, whom the other woman had met in her book club. Autumn had met her for the first time a few weeks ago, and had quickly become friends with the shy, quiet woman. Bonnie lived alone and had had terrible luck with men, but she was one of the kindest people that Autumn knew.
“Come on in,” she called out. She waited, then a moment later put down the wooden spoon that she had been using to stir the lemonade and opened the door herself.
“Sorry,” Bonnie said. “I heard something, but I wasn't sure if you said ‘come in’ or ‘I'm coming’. I didn't want to open the door if I wasn't supposed to.”
“That's fine,” Autumn said. “Come in and make yourself at home. Everyone else is in the backyard.”
“I brought food,” Bonnie said, holding up two plastic covered bowls. “I hope it's good. I haven't made potato salad for a while.”
“I'm sure it will be wonderful,” Autumn said. “I'll take those and find serving spoons for them. You can go and join the others.”
It wasn't until she brought all the food out, had the drinks set up, and a tablecloth thrown over the table that she got a chance to sit down and catch up with her friends. It was the first time they had all gotten together like this, though they had all met each other separately on various occasions.
“I can't believe how nice it is out,” Alicia said. “It's the perfect weather for barbecuing. It's still early enough in the year that there aren't any bugs, but warm enough that we can actually enjoy being outside.”
“I’ll have to buy another citronella candle; it seemed to work pretty well to keep the mosquitoes away last year.” Autumn smiled, thinking of the late summer nights she and Alicia had spent sitting on the porch, drinking wine and talking about their day. She couldn't have been happier that the weather was beginning to warm up. She had had more than enough of snow and cold to last her a lifetime.
“We aren’t the only ones doing this today,” Nick said. “When I stopped at the store, there were about five other people buying the same food I was.”
“I'm glad you got there before they ran out of ground beef,” Autumn said. “The grill already smells delicious.”
“It will only be a couple of minutes until it's done,” Nick told her. “In the meantime, why don't you tell us more about this job offer? It sounds like a great opportunity for you.”
Autumn poured herself a cup of lemonade, then sighed. “It is… but I don't know if I'm going to take it. I love working at Asheville Meadows. There's no reason to change that.”
“But, Autumn, this is what you have wanted to do for a long as I've known you,” Alicia said. Behind her, Nick nodded.
“I think you should at least go to the interview,” he said. “While I would love it if you stayed at Asheville Meadows for my own selfish reasons, I don't want to hold you back. You will always have a place there. I hope you know that.”
Austin felt a lump in her throat and quickly took a sip of lemonade. “If you really think I should do it,” she said slowly. “I guess I’ll call her and see when she wants me to come in for the interview. Whatever happens, I won't leave Asheville Meadows without giving you plenty of warning.”
She felt a tingle of excitement as she drained the rest of her glass of lemonade. She hadn't been looking for a new job; far from it, in fact, but now that the prospect of finally achieving her lifelong dream was at her fingertips, she couldn't help but wonder where this new opportunity might take her.
CHAPTER THREE
* * *
Blake's Steakhouse was in the next town over; a small village called Fox Landing. Autumn had never eaten there, but it was on her and Nick's shortlist for their date nights. She took a deep breath as she walked toward the restaurant’s front doors, fighting down the feeling of anxiety that suddenly plagued her. What was she thinking? She had no idea how to be a real chef. Why was she even considering leaving Asheville Meadows, when she was so happy there?
Get a hold of yourself, she thought. Even if she does offer the job to me, I don't have to take it. I can just tell her the truth; that I'm happy where I am. Still, the anxiety didn't completely vanish as she walked through the doors. It was early in the day and the restaurant didn't open until after noon, and Autumn was glad that she wouldn't actually be cooking for any customers. It was bad enough that her food was going to be judged by the restaurant's owner as well as the staff and the other chef.
“Ms. Roth,” someone said. “Or can I call you Autumn? I'm glad you made it. I hope the drive wasn't too bad.”
“Autumn is fine,” she said, turning to see Audrey Blake walking toward her. “It is only about a twenty-minute drive. It's not bad at all.”
“Wonderful. We're still waiting for a couple of applicants to arrive. You can go wait in the kitchen with the others, if you'd like. The employee restrooms are through the door at the back of the kitchen; feel free to stop there if you need to use them. We've got the coffee machine running, and you can grab a bottle of water out of the fridge if you'd like. Go ahead and introduce yourself to everyone else. I'll be in once everyone is here.”
Steeling herself to meet the people who were going to be competing for the position with her, as well as the staff that she might end up working with for the next couple of years, she followed the direction in which Audrey had pointed and let herself through a swinging door. W
hat she found on the other side took her breath away. When she had first started working at Asheville Meadows, she had been impressed by the industrial kitchen, but the kitchen in Blake’s Steakhouse dwarfed the one at the nursing home. Everything was made out of spotless, stainless steel. There were three towering refrigerators, and a heavy door that she guessed led to a walk-in meat freezer. There were multiple stovetops and ovens, an industrial grade vent in the middle of the room, bright lighting coming from the recessed overhead bulbs, and of course, ample counter space.
“Hey, come on in.” The cheery voice made Autumn force herself to drag her gaze away from the set of expensive looking knives that were laid out and met the eyes of a young woman wearing a spotless black uniform. “I’m Kiki, and I’m one of the sous chefs. I’ll be helping out today.”
“Autumn Roth,” Autumn said, shaking the other woman's hand. “It's nice to meet you.”
“You too. You’re from the nursing home, right?” Autumn nodded. “Ms. Blake told me all about you. There are four other people that are supposed to be applying for the position today as well. The two already here are Calvin Wilcox and Beatrice Lange. Calvin is a home economics teacher at the high school, and Beatrice makes meals for a charity during her off time.”
Autumn stepped further into the room and shook hands with a balding, middle-aged man and a strawberry blonde-haired woman who was dressed all in pastels.
“So, Audrey is only interviewing people who have nonprofessional experience with cooking?”
“Sort of,” Kiki said. “Some people, like you, do get paid for cooking, but no one she is interviewing today has worked in a regular restaurant, and no one has gone to a cooking school. Her whole thing is finding hidden talent.”
“That's neat,” Autumn said. “Well, I'm flattered to be here. It's nice to meet all of you.”
“It's nice to meet you too,” Beatrice said. “You cook at a nursing home? That must be interesting.”
Autumn spent the next few minutes talking about her experiences at Asheville Meadows. By the time she was done, two new people had arrived; a young man named Drew Adler and an older man named Leonardo Dodd, but he insisted everyone called him Leo.
“Now that we are all here, why don't we get started on the interview portion?” Audrey said. “I'll call you each back into my office, and we can just go over your experience, your goals for the future, and any questions you may have. Then we will start cooking. Working in a professional kitchen is a high stress, very demanding job, and not everyone can do it. There's no shame in deciding that this job isn't for you. I know how hard it can be to find a good position in a kitchen without spending years at a school or getting experience in a similar environment, and I want to extend the same chance that my mentor gave me to one of you.”
Autumn had to wait her turn while the two people who had arrived before her went in for their interviews. She was still nervous but realizing that she wasn't the only person who didn't have any experience working in a professional kitchen made her feel better. In fact, she probably had more experience than most of the other applicants did. The kitchen at Asheville Meadows might not be exactly like working in a restaurant, but it did give her a lot of experience when it came to preparing large amounts of food with a strict deadline.
“Autumn Roth,” Audrey called from her office after what seemed like an eternity. Autumn stood up from the tall stool she had been sitting on and made her way toward the door. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. It's not like I need this job, she told herself. Even if I don't get offered the position for whatever reason, it will be okay. It doesn't mean I'm not good enough – I know I'm good enough. It just means I'm not the perfect fit for this specific place.
“Go ahead and take a seat,” Audrey said. “Tell me a bit about yourself. How long have you lived in town? What's your family like? Are you married? Any kids? I want to get to know the real you.”
Autumn took a deep breath, then began answering the questions. She told Audrey about her family, her move to Asheville, the grocery store and how she had found her job at Asheville Meadows. By the time she was done, she felt more relaxed. Audrey was easy to talk to. She seemed to know how to put people at ease when she wanted to, though Autumn didn't doubt that she could be quite intimidating if the situation called for it.
“Thank you,” Audrey said. “We're like a family here. It's important to me that everyone gets along well, and that we are all team players. This restaurant is my life, and I don't want any petty drama or personal vendettas getting in the way of business here. You seem like you'd be a great fit. We still have the next portion of the interview to get through, of course. I'll be asking each of you to create a three-course meal. You won't be given any instructions, but you will each be making the same basic dishes. The first course will be a green salad. The second will be a chicken entrée, and the third will be a chocolate cake. Whoever gets the position will be expected to create a lot of their own dishes, so I want to see your creativity at play here. Once everyone's done, we will all sit down and eat together. You will be asked to cook enough that everyone can get a small portion of your dish. After that, you will all be free to go home, and I will talk with Kiki and we will decide together who gets the position. Do you have any questions?”
“No,” Autumn said. “That all makes sense.”
“Wonderful,” Audrey said. “When you return to the kitchen, send Drew in. Once I'm done talking to him, we'll get started.”
CHAPTER FOUR
* * *
“Where's the basil?” Autumn muttered as she searched through the fridge. There was fresh sage, cilantro, oregano… “There you are,” she said, grabbing the fresh basil leaves. She had decided to make a chicken pesto dish for her entrée course but wasn't completely sure whether or not it had been the right decision. She had seen two of the other applicants making chicken Alfredo dishes, and she had no idea what Leo was making – he was sequestered in the opposite corner from her.
She had finished making a light salad with lettuce, shredded carrots, shredded cucumber, and a white wine vinaigrette sauce, and as a last-second thought had added a sprinkle of crushed walnuts to it. She already had her cake in the oven – that had been an easy choice; she had simply made her favorite chocolate lava cake. There was vanilla ice cream in the freezer, and she knew that the gooey chocolate dessert couldn't go wrong.
She returned to her spot in the kitchen and finished making the pesto. The chicken breast was already cooking, and she had cauliflower boiling away on the stove. Instead of making mashed potatoes, she had decided for the lighter alternative of mashed cauliflower, which would be delicious with some butter, salt, pepper, and shredded cheese mixed in. She had been nervous when she first started cooking, but once she decided what she was going to make, most of her nerves had melted away, and she was simply cooking, like she did every day. Working almost on autopilot, she drained the cauliflower and began mashing it, adding the spices one by one. They weren’t being timed, at least not officially, but Autumn had the feeling that it wouldn't look good if one of them took too much longer than the others. This was a restaurant, after all; being able to cook quickly was almost as important as being able to cook well. If the dish took too long to get out, then they would have unhappy guests.
Ten minutes later, Autumn scooped the last of the mashed cauliflower into a serving bowl and set the dish on the counter. She went down a mental checklist in her head. Everything was complete. Breathing a sigh of relief, she glanced to the side. The only one still cooking was Drew, and it looked like he was almost done as well.
“That looks wonderful,” Beatrice said. She was peeking over Autumn’s shoulder. “I can't wait to taste it. I wish I had been a little bit more original, but I decided to just stick with making what I know. Have you seen what Leo is making? I’m allergic to a couple of things, and I like to keep an eye on what ingredients people are using.”
Autumn shook her head. “I haven't been over to his side
of the room.”
“Well, I'm not sure what it is, but it looks like it belongs in a five-star restaurant. I was never that good at presentation, and I think that's going to be my weak point.”
Beatrice walked away to finish putting the last touches on her food. Autumn was left to stare at her chicken pesto and mashed cauliflower. She hadn't even thought about presentation. She didn't have any decorative herbs laid out, or any colorful spices sprinkled over the food. She had made it just like she was used to cooking at the nursing home; quality food, but it was just placed on a platter and forgotten about until someone was ready to eat it.
Beside her, Drew stepped back and untied his apron. He was done, which meant that she didn't have any time to improve the presentation of her food. It would just have to do.
She untied her own apron and hung it up, glancing over at Leo as she did so. She realized suddenly that Leo hadn't been interviewed by Audrey. He had been the last one to arrive, and she hadn't learned much about him besides his name. What’s his story? she wondered.
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