“I’ve seen plenty of chefs like you come and go, then poof, obscurity.”
Spit flew out of his mouth and, unlike the other kitchen workers, I dodged that shit. The man had a compulsion about eating raw onions. No, thanks.
The wedding was a few weeks ago, and I had my head down since I returned to work. But my stoicism this morning only stoked his anger.
“You are the only one competing, Landry. I’m just working, nothing more.” Working him was exhausting and I didn’t feel like I’d gained much more than a headache. In fact, I was starting to think that leaving wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.
“Just shut up and get back to work!” Arms crossed, he leaned forward with a scowl on his face but my gaze just focused on the one drop of sweat sliding down his forehead and around one of the red bulbous nostrils of his nose.
“There’s a cheesecake order for the Casino Owner’s Association luncheon being held here tomorrow and it sure as shit won’t bake itself! Got it?”
I nodded, not bothering to tell him that the cake was already done. That while he was blustering about the crepes he’d butchered this morning and the cookies that had crumbled during plating, I’d already baked it and had it cooling on a rack.
Because unlike him, I was a fucking professional. I planned to come in early tomorrow to finish the glaze and decorating, but again, not anything he needed to know. Luckily with his tirade over, I could get back to work and pretend I was somewhere else. Like the amazing chefs I’d worked with pretty much everywhere else, men and women who loved to teach, who got off on making sure they sent out well-trained chefs who might end up outshining them.
I spent the last few hours of my shift rolling out dough, piping, glazing and creaming. All the shit work Landry heaped my way that was usually left up to interns and preppers. All day. All
week, really. I did it all, without complaint. Oh, I told him off in my mind. Imagined the worst things in the world happening to him, like my personal favorite, him getting caught in the industrial mixer as the paddle sliced through him. But I said nothing, just to piss him off.
I was so close to freedom when Landry stopped me again as I was heading out for the day. “I’m watching you, girl. I won’t let you come in here and steal my job. Better chefs, hell better men and women than you have tried, failed and lived to fucking regret it.”
I stared at him, spittle gathered on the rim of his bottom lip, the corner of his mouth and it struck me as funny. Hilarious, in fact. And I laughed. I knew I should have controlled it, and I would have if I could, but sometimes I couldn’t do shit about a laugh but let it happen. “I’m sorry,” I said but it was undercut by another fit of laughter.
“Laugh it up, Mandy.”
My eyes rolled so hard I’d thought I’d go blind for a minute. “Do what you have to do Landry. I’m not trying to steal your job, and that’s the truth. I came here thinking I could learn from you and then move on. But maybe I should just skip to the part where I move on.”
I wasn’t ready to quit just yet, but then again, fate had never left many decisions up to me anyway.
Landry just glared down at me. I shrugged and pushed the door open, waiting for him to speak.
He said nothing, so I left him with, “Let me know.”
I walked out feeling a little better, well, also kind of numb, but mostly better, because, fuck him.
When I got home, two pregnant women waited for me.
The tall redhead announced, “We’re going out to eat.”
Teddy leaned against the front hood, looking like a leggy preggo fantasy centerfold. Jana was smarter, getting out of the blistering heat and relaxing inside the car with the air blowing on her.
I blinked. “Okay. Congratulations?”
“Everybody’s a comedian,” Teddy groaned and pushed off the car. “We’re pregnant, we’re hungry and you probably haven’t eaten all day. Get in.”
“Sorry but I just spent all day sweating balls in a hot kitchen. If you want me to go anywhere, I need a shower.”
I glared until she rolled her eyes. “We’ll wait here. Jana’s too pregnant for stairs.”
I laughed, shaking my head. I envied the friendship they had. They’d known each other for longer than I knew anyone other than my family. I’d worked so I wouldn’t have to have roommates, but New York prices made that nothing but a pipe dream. I lived with people that I never knew, never made an effort to get to know beyond basic hanging out if our days off happened to coincide.
It took me no time to shower and change into jeans and a tank top, then get out there before the neighbors thought I was keeping pregnant women locked in a car. “Okay, want me to drive?”
Teddy glared. “You sayin’ I’m too fat to drive, pixie? Are ya?”
“Seriously? No, I’m saying I’m worried you might fall asleep at the wheel.”
“Oh. Don’t worry about that, I just woke up from a nap.” She flashed a devilish grin as she backed out of the parking space and drove too fast to an upscale burger joint I hadn’t eaten at yet.