‘Right. What do we do? What do we do?’ It’s hard to think with Lauren close by my side, breathing heavily. She smells of smoke and her discomfort is tangible. Think, I tell myself, come on. I’m about to ask Scottie but then remember something Mum used to make, because it was easy. ‘Let’s do frozen berries with a white chocolate sauce, won’t take long, nice and easy, right?’
She nods.
‘And cranberries? What are we going do with all these cranberries?’ I hope she might offer something, even, ‘I don’t know’ but she shuffles from side to side, crunching her knuckles.
‘Garlic bread first, Holly!’ calls Scottie. ‘We’ve got masses of French bread.’
‘Oh, I love garlic bread,’ I say, ‘we can do that, can’t we Lauren?’
‘Yes, Chef,’ she says glumly.
‘Why don’t we do a white chocolate cake with cranberries? That sounds delicious, doesn’t it?’ I’m at it again, sounding like a mother trying to encourage her child that we can havefunin the kitchen. ‘How about a sponge cake decorated with cranberries?’ I wait in vain for her to say something.
‘Garlic bread!’ reminds Scottie. Nina told me he was missing Sergio, one of his prep chefs, today, so I’d need to help out with the main courses and starters too.
‘Yep, got it. Lauren, can you start slicing the French bread?’
‘Yes, Chef.’
‘Where’s the garlic?’ I call out to Scottie.
‘Here, Chef.’ Lauren hands me a bowl of garlic bulbs.
‘Thanks,’ I say, about to tell her not to call me ‘chef’, but maybe she wants to? She feels comfortable thinking I’m in charge. Who knows? All I know is, I don’t want to tell her notto say things, when it’s about the only thing she does say.
‘Butter is soft.’ Scottie hands me some. ‘Don’t be mean, put loads on, and garlic.’
I swiftly chop the garlic and mash it up with the butter and seasoning, keeping one eye on Lauren cutting the French bread into even slices with great care and precision. She could speed up but I’m not about to complain. ‘That’s excellent,’ I tell her, adding, ‘we won’t be kissing anyone tonight, will we?’ From the blank look on Lauren’s face, she thinks I’m the unfunniest person in the world. She’s right too.
By half past eleven Lauren and I have finished the garlic bread; two extra-large Victoria sponges are in the oven, and we have about three quarters of an hour left to ice and decorate the cakes, make the white chocolate sauce and put the berries into bowls five minutes before serving up. Lauren pours three large tubs of double cream into a heatproof bowl, along with most of the white chocolate buttons. When no one’s looking I eat a few.
‘Saw that,’ says Angus, joining Lauren and me.
‘I only had one,’ I pretend.
‘Plus ten,’ he says, stealing one for himself out of a half-used packet. ‘What’s your favourite chocolate, Lauren?’ he asks, and when he places a hand on her shoulder she withdraws instantly, as if his touched burned her. ‘I’m sorry,’ Angus says, instinctively reaching out to her again, before she jolts away from him, this time knocking the pan off the stove, cream splattering over the floor.
‘Oh for fuck’s sake!’ Scottie yells, entering the kitchen.
‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry,’ Lauren says, cowering like a wounded animal.
Angus grabs a cloth. ‘That was my fault.’
‘Can one of you get on with it?’ Scotties raises his voice, causing Lauren to withdraw again.
‘Stop shouting, Scottie,’ Angus demands, adding, ‘are you OK, Lauren?’
‘I’m sorry, sorry,’ she says, cowering again.
‘No,I’msorry.’
‘There are too many people in the kitchen,’ Scottie insists. ‘Angus, you’re in everyone’s way.’
I see a flash of vulnerability in Angus’s eyes as he throws the cloth towards the sink. It misses. ‘Scottie, for once in your life, can you drop the diva act and show a bit of kindness and patience?’ he says, before storming out of the kitchen.
Scottie looks confused. ‘All I’m saying is we’ve got less than an hour to get everything ready, so we need to get a move on.’
I nod. ‘Lauren, can you grab another tub of cream and one of the large pans?’ I gesture to the shelf close to Scottie. Seconds later, watching her fail to reach the shelf with no success, Scottie hands it to her, saying, ‘Here, and anything you can’t reach, ask, Lauren.’
