Catering to Love (9 page)

Corey jumped into the shower, allowed the hot water to beat against his back, and tried to erase the crappy day he’d had. He felt a lot of resentment toward Nell for leaving him with the impression she was still thinking about holding his loan. The fact that she’d sprung the announcement about Gabi being the new owner, stuck in his throat like a knife being twisted. The staff all knew he wanted to buy the restaurant and were probably laughing behind his back. Disappointment dug into the well of his stomach. Gabi hadn’t interfered the first month—she probably wanted to see if he was capable. But judging from what he’d seen in Gabi’s demeanor, there was no way she was going to let him run the kitchen the way he wanted. Running the show was going to be her gig, not his. He felt a heavy sadness settle into his chest. He needed this job more than he could say, but this new owner would probably clip his wings, and he’d never get to develop his own ideas. More importantly, with the resentment he was feeling, he wasn’t even sure he could work for Gabi—regardless of how cute she was.

Corey rubbed the stiffness in his neck to relieve the tension and shook his head in dismay. Cripes, he’d already lost sleep over Gabi, and it wasn’t because she was the new boss. It was because he couldn’t stop thinking about her, and that was making him angry too. This was something he hadn’t done since his break up with Victoria. The more he got to know Gabi, the more he liked her, but he’d never let her know.

Admittedly, the worst part of this whole thing was Gabi was the type of woman he’d always wanted in his life. She was confident and had the same type of entrepreneurial spirit he had had before his restaurant was pulled out from under him. His body stiffened thinking back to the worst time in his life, when his business went down the tubes and his world crashed around him. Victoria saw to that, despite his pleas to his investors to hang on, even going so far as to give them assurances he would rebuild the business. But they’d mistrusted him and backed Victoria because of her social standing, and reputation, and that of the newspaper where she worked. It was hard to watch his once-thriving business dwindle down to next to nothing, and that’s when his backers forced him to liquidate. He punched his fist against the wall, but nothing helped to relieve the tension he felt then, and the return of it again today. Having Gabi take over the inn was just one more disappointment. He didn’t want to think of Gabi as the same as Victoria, but Nell screwed him and so did his former girlfriend—chances were, she’d do the same. It seemed like all the women screwed him—royally, and it wasn’t for pleasure.

The fact that Gabi was too young to have enough money to buy the inn meant she either had rich parents or financial
backers. He should have realized what was going on when Gabi’s parents came here to see the Carters. He didn’t realize who they were at the time, but thinking back now, he could see a definite resemblance to her mother. Victoria was a spoiled little rich girl who was an only child and used to getting her own way. He wouldn’t allow another woman to set him up for another fall. Victoria had destroyed the one thing that mattered most to him—his restaurant. No sirree.

And then along comes this Gabi woman, petite, cute, jovial, and she never puts on airs. She was the real deal, or so he thought. But he’d started out thinking Victoria was that way too, and look where that got him: in financial ruins. He just couldn’t trust another woman. And to think he had almost let his guard down. He felt like a jerk for even having those thoughts in the first place.

He shook his head. He couldn’t continue to beat himself up over this. What was done was done.

He had to admit Gabi was trying really hard—maybe too hard. But he wasn’t buying that cutesy stuff she was pulling. Seriously, what boss asks employees to develop their own dishes? None that he had ever known. If working at the inn hadn’t been so nice, he’d have left a while ago. He just wished
she
wasn’t his boss.

Corey splashed on some cologne and headed out the door to meet Rocky, another chef from town. Maybe he knew of someone looking for help.

He pulled into a parking space in front of Peter and Paul’s, a local hamburger joint with nightly live music, locked the car and walked inside. A folk singer was performing a Janis Joplin bluesy rock ballad. Easing through
the crowd, he walked to the bar and ordered a beer. Rocky hadn’t arrived yet. He slugged back his beer and enjoyed the music. He wasn’t looking for a woman, although he noticed a few looking in his direction. He ordered another beer and turned to face the vocalist, when he saw Rocky enter. His friend headed in his direction.

“What’s happening, man?” Rocky asked, extending his hand in greeting.

“It’s official. I have a female boss.”

“Sorry about that, dude. So what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. I’m thinking I should just quit and find something else. Problem is, I like working at the place.”

“Is she bossy?”

“Not yet. She’s a little too syrupy if you ask me. She walks around talking to everyone and asks for the other cooks’ input for recipes. Wants them to create stuff.” He snorted. “Like I’m really buying that crap.”

“Are you nuts?” Rocky said, after ordering his beer. “I’ve never had a boss ask for my input. My bosses are ‘It’s my way or the highway.’ At least she asks. So what’s wrong with that?”

“I’m just not buying it. She’s just trying to make everyone like her.”

“And do they?”

“Oh yeah. They like her all right.”

Rocky sipped his beer. “So what’s the problem then?”

“I just don’t like her.”

“Do you think it could be because she bought the place you wanted?”

“That could be part of it, I guess.”

“Is she ugly?”

“No, actually, she’s pretty damn hot.”

“And this is a problem, why?”

“Never mind, I guess you wouldn’t understand the predicament I’m in. I guess you’d have to be there to understand it.”

“Is she looking for any help?”

“She could be. I don’t know. Why don’t you stop by and ask?” He shook his head, puzzled by Rocky’s interest. “That is, if you don’t mind working for a broad.”

“I might just do that. But more importantly, Corey, I met you tonight because I was looking for a way to kick back, laugh a little, and have a good time. Quite honestly, you’re getting to be a pain in my butt. You’re no fun anymore. All you do is whine, and I’m tired of it.” He threw money on the bar, “I’ve had enough for one night.” He slugged back his drink. “We all have problems, we all have baggage, but you don’t hear me complaining. Call me when you have your head back on straight.” He turned on his heel and walked out the door.

Was he whining too much? No one understood what he was going through. He had to admit Gabi was very nice, but he just wished he could trust her. Truth was, he was afraid. Was he being too critical? Was it fair for him to judge all women based on Victoria’s actions? Probably not. But something about working for Gabi didn’t seem like the right choice.

Gabi was grateful it was Sunday. That meant she had an entire day to finish unpacking and get settled into the suite at the inn. Almost galloping up the stairs, she unlocked the door, anxious to clean up before the movers arrived and filled it with boxes and furniture from the storage unit she’d rented. If there was one thing she hated, it was living out of a suitcase. She relished the idea that this was now her home and she didn’t have to ever move again. She was thankful Nell had moved out earlier than the scheduled date.

Knowing tonight she’d be sleeping in her own bed was a big deal. It brought a smile to her face. She looked around the expansive room trying to decide where she wanted to place her furniture and released a sigh. Being able to just roll out of bed in the morning and walk downstairs to work was an added bonus. No icy windows to scrape, no warming up her car, and no getting all bundled up to walk outside. As she swept the floor, the broom slipped from her hands and hit the wall. She quickly grabbed it and reminded herself to tell the movers to be quiet since the rooms were rented out for the long Washington’s Birthday weekend.
She didn’t want to disturb the guests. Stopping to glance around again, she couldn’t believe she was finally the owner of this glorious building. Things were definitely looking up, and could only get better.

Now that she’d hired Estelle to handle the guest rooms, she felt a lot more comfortable knowing that part of the business would be taken care of, and she would be free to deal with other important issues. Being able to focus on the details is of the utmost importance to running a good operation.

Excitement spiraled through her when she saw the movers pull up to the back door. She opened the door just as Jimmy Beck, the owner of the moving company, was about to knock.

“Good morning,” he said, with a bright smile that showed a strong resemblance to Nell’s. It seemed like everyone in town was related to her. But for Gabi, that was a good thing. It gave her a host of people from whom she could seek assistance. “Are you ready to have my guys carry in the boxes?” he asked.

“I am. Just one thing I should mention, though. All the rooms have guests in them, so please ask your men to be as quiet as church mice.”

“Not to worry. We’re accustomed to working here when there are guests.”

“Oh, good. Then I don’t have to worry.”

“No, you don’t.” He turned and headed back down the stairs. “We’ll bring in your bed first,” he said, stopping on the bottom step. “I’m pretty sure you won’t have all your boxes unpacked today, and having your bed made so you can fall right into it when you’re tired will be a blessing.”

“Excellent idea, Jimmy. I’m glad you thought of it.”

“I’ve been doing this for a long time.”

“It sounds like it.” She grinned. “Okay, I’ll leave this door open for you guys.”

After tucking in the last corner of the sheet under her mattress, Gabi plopped down on the bed. “Ahh,” she exclaimed and patted the mattress. “Boy, how I’ve missed you.” She laughed, knowing she was in for a good night’s sleep when she finished for the day. Bouncing back up, she pushed a box close to the dresser and began to fill the drawers with her belongings when she heard a familiar voice call out her name. Rushing to the window, she saw Stephanie standing in the driveway. Gabi leaned out the window and gestured for Stephanie to come to the door. “I thought that voice sounded familiar,” she said, when she opened the door. The women hugged. “Good to see you.”

“So what are you doing with hired movers?” she asked, her hands resting on her hips. “I told you my brothers would do this for you.”

“I know you did, but I just thought it would make things easier. They were available and, as a matter of fact, they’re almost done. C’mon upstairs.”

Stephanie walked inside and noticed the pile of boxes. “Want some help unpacking these?”

“That’s okay. I have all day tomorrow to unpack. But thanks for offering.”

“This is really nice,” she said, checking out the suite. “A lot more room than where you slept last night, huh?”

“Yeah, I’ll say.” Gabi led her into the small kitchen. “How about a cold drink?”

“Sure. Whatcha got?”

Gabi rummaged around in the refrigerator. “Let’s see, juice, milk, soda, and wine.”

“Too early for wine. How about a soda?”

Gabi blew out an exhausted breath of air. “I haven’t stopped since I got up this morning, so having you here gives me a good excuse to take a break. Besides, I’ve really missed seeing you. It’s been very difficult trying to balance friends and working in a kitchen, and now as the owner, I have bigger responsibilities.”

“I know. And I can appreciate that. Don’t worry. I know you like me.” Stephanie laughed. “I’ll just come over when I can and bug the heck out of you. How does that sound?”

Gabi leaned in and gave her a tight hug. “That sounds wonderful. I’d like having you just show up. But listen, I might have a better idea, a way we can see each other on a regular basis.”

“I’m listening.”

“How about playing hostess at the restaurant on your nights off?”

“I don’t always have the same nights off. They’re typically in the middle of the week. I could request they be Friday and Saturday, but I don’t know if they’ll give them to me. But I’ll ask.”

“Please do. I could really use the help too.”

“Okay, let me see what I can work out.” She looked around the suite. “This is bigger than I thought it would be.” She pointed to the fireplace. “You’ll love having that
fireplace during Pennsylvania’s cold spell.” She grinned. “You missed it this year, but you’ll feel it next time around.”

“You mean it gets colder than it’s been?”

“Oh yeah. The good news is, by the time it rolls around again, you’ll be used to the temperatures and it won’t feel so cold.”

“Ya think so, huh?”

“Yeah, you’ll adjust. I promise,” she said, holding her hand up to swear.

“Ms. Johnson,” a man’s voice called out from downstairs. Gabi walked to the door. “We’re all finished. I have your bill here.”

“Okay, come upstairs and I’ll write you a check.”

“Well, I’d better let you get to your work.” Stephanie stood to leave.