“Don’t hate you?” I was trulyconfused. “Why would I hate you?” But he had already turned around and startedjogging back toLilou. I stared after him for asecond longer before I got back to work as well.
I couldn’t shake the weird feelingthat crept up my spine after Wyatt disappeared. What I should have asked him waswho the food was for.
The truck stayed busy enough that Iwas forced back into my routine. I realized I truly might have to hirepermanent help to take money soon. It wasn’t fair to only rely on my brotherand best friend to fill in when they were doing it pro bono.
But that was the problem. This wasonly day two. I hardly had enough profit to cover my operating expenses. Iwasn’t exactly in the best place to start taking on employees.
Wyatt returned an hour later. Therewas a lull, and Molly and I had our faces an inch away from fans, trying tocool off.
“You’re not secretly serving my foodto your customers, are you?” I joked. “Because you better beupchargingthe shit out of it if you are.”
He laughed nervously, but it didn’treach his apologetic eyes. “I’m so sorry,” he mumbled, and I panicked thinking fora second that he really was serving my food to his diners. No, wait. He onlytook two plates. Unless he was Jesus, miraculous food multiplication wasimpossible.
That anxious feeling crept back overme and I felt sick again. I didn’t know him, but he was nice enough earlier.What did he possibly have to feel sorry about? “Sorry for what?”
He held out a folded piece of paper.“I didn’t think he’d have notes for you. I swear.”
“Notes? Who had notes?”
Molly was tight at my side. She’dtensed, ready for a fight. But all I could do was look between Wyatt’sdownturned face and the white piece of paper he held out to me.
“He wanted to try your food, but Iswear, I wouldn’t have done it if I’d known he was going to send me back here.”
My mouth dried out and my thoughts startedbouncing against the impossibility of what I didn’t want to believe justhappened. It was like I was a bumper car trapped in the corner. I knew what Ihad to do. I knew what was happening. But I couldn’t get the car turned aroundin the right direction.
This wasn’t happening.
“Who?” I asked, still calm, stilldisbelieving. “Killian?”
Wyatt shook the paper at me. “He’smy boss.”
I snatched the note out of hisstupid fingers. “Yeah, well you’re not a mindless minion,” I snapped.
Wyatt took a step back and shruggedhelplessly. “He’s my boss,” he repeated.
With that, he scurried back acrossthe street and Molly and I were left to stare at the folded piece of paper. Apparently“boss” included spying on the nearby food truck and acting as a carrier pigeon.
“What just happened?” she asked.
I glared atLilou,mentally wishing it would burst into flames. “I think I just got my firstreview.”
Molly glanced back and forth betweenthe same restaurant and the paper in my hands putting the pieces together.“No,” she disagreed. “No way.”
I unfolded the paper, and sureenough, handwriting scratched across it, the quick, slanted lines of Killian’sexpert opinion.
“He didn’t,” Molly continued to deny.“I mean, the nerve of someone to do that. So what, he sent that guy over totake him back food? So he could critique it? I can’t even imagine what kind ofego you’d have to have… I mean, think about it! What if I sent every othermarketer my opinion of their work? It’s so ballsy!”
Molly continued her tirade while Ifinally scrounged the courage to read the words meant to put me in my place.
GrilledCheese- too sweet. The pancetta, jam and brioche are way too much. It could bea dessert if not for all the goddamn salt. The tomato drizzle could have beengood, but it’s ruined by the cluster fuck of everything else.
Good grief. I wanted to scream athim. What an asshole! Hadn’t I said it before? He was an asshole! And apparently,he was only getting started…
PulledPork- I can tell the pork is a day old. Amateur. The green beans are soggy. Andthe teriyaki sauce is pedestrian.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, hemoved on to attack my garnishes.
Stopwith the parsley. For God’s sake. What’s the point??
