From Where I Watch You (31 page)
“What can I get you?” Jessica leans over, smiling at Noah.
“Oh, Jess-ica?” Noelle sings.
I squirm in my seat, waiting for it.
“Yeah, what?” Jessica scribbles on her notepad.
Noelle cracks her knuckles and elbows me. “Noah, there. He’s single, and he’s applying for the dishwasher job. Remember what I told you about dishwashers?”
Jessica grunts and huffs off to another table.
“You’re such a pig, Noelle,” I tell her.
“I’m aware, and yet you stick with me.”
Mom twirls by and drops an envelope in front of me. Reflexively I don’t even want to touch it but when I turn it over I see the postmark and the return address: It’s La Patisserie.
Mom leans over to whisper in my ear. “Whatever that is, I promise that we’ll talk about it, okay?”
I nod as I pull a piece of paper from the envelope. Clipped to it is a business card with a picture of the gray-haired judge from the baking contest. In the picture her arms are folded and she smiles at me, wearing her double-buttoned chef’s uniform.
I set the card down and my heart skips a little when I read the handwritten note.
Dear Kara—
You are quite a talented pastry artist. I hope you will pursue a career in this field because you have a remarkable future. Please consider applying for a scholarship, and since you need a reference to apply for entrance into our school, I’d be honored to write a letter for you. Please see my contact information on the enclosed business card. I wish you the best of luck!
Sincerely,
Kate Connors
Dean of Students
La Patisserie Pastry School
I read it three more times, until Noelle pulls it away from me to read it herself.
“Wow, Kar. Very awesome.” She smiles and tosses the paper back to me.
It is very awesome. I stand up and tell everyone I’ll see them later. Then I walk back into my corner of the kitchen. Charlie notices and blows me a soap bubbly kiss. I move the crap that other people have loaded onto my work counter and I’m not even pissed about it.
How can I be pissed when I’m in the mood to bake?
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
..........................................................
Thanks to the teachers, librarians and booksellers who put books into my younger hands, and for putting
this
book into someone’s hands.
To my agent, Sarah Davies: From the second we met at SCBWI, you pushed me. I
adore
and fear you, and can listen to you talk all day! Your eyes, your questions, your digging, cutting and shaping made this book 1,000 times better and I’m in debt to you! I can only pay you back in cake pops for life. They make for good fairy wands.
To my editor, Dan Ehrenhaft, you’re responsible for many happy tears. There’s no better home for Kara and her story. Your love for this story and your guidance, kindness and affirmations have made this a sugary sweet experience. Thanks to Bronwen Hruska, Meredith Barnes, Rachel Kowal, Janine Agro and
everyone
at Soho Press. I hope I can meet you all someday. You’ve made this girl’s
lifelong dream
come true!
Thanks to my critique girls: Greenhouse sisters Ashley Elston and Wendy Howell Mills; Tracey Neithercott, Bridgette Booth, Karen B. Schwartz, and beautiful Raynbow Gignilliat—rest in peace; you’ll always be our Revising Queen. Most of all I thank you, Kelly Jensen, for pushing to make this sharp and pointy, and for reading my first chapters a gazillion times.
To my sister, Tara Stivers, who shares my love of writing YA, and who understands heart-palpitating words like “I got a partial!” like no one else in our family can.
I’m indebted to SCBWI Western WA and their annual writer conferences. (Thanks to Mandy Hubbard for introducing my sister and me to this conference and letting us sit at the Cool Kids table that year!) Thanks to my SCBWI WWA writer pals, my Blueboarders, The Fearless Fifteeners and The Fall Fifteeners: writing is solitary, but I
never
feel alone.
Thanks to my first creative writing teacher at Highline Community College for putting my work in the campus publication. You were the first one to love something I wrote.
To my friends and family, especially my brothers, and my parents, Julie and Ray Beatty, and the late Michael Grogan, for encouraging my imagination and always keeping me stocked with books, paper and ink.
To my husband, Blair, for supporting and encouraging me, and not complaining when I make dinners that are good for three nights. XO
To Keeley and Jack, you are my heart. Watch out for each other.
Table of Contents
2. First, pick cut-outs of drops.
3. Remove from heat before it melts.
13. Set the broken bits aside.
15. Be careful not to burn your butter.
19. Watch carefully so you don’t burn the nuts.
23. Half lengthwise and scrape.
25. Remove when puffed around the edges.
26. Poke the middle to check for doneness.
29. Drizzle before it hardens.
30. Knead and work it thoroughly.
33. Press until it springs back.