“I’msorry,” she said again. “I didn’t realize it was so early. Between takingshifts at Sarita and working to open our restaurant, I literally never knowwhat time it is anymore. Unfortunately, I’m awake all the time.”
“Thatsounds rough.” I did my best to sound sympathetic, but I didn’t know if Ipulled it off.
“Andyou don’t sound like a man,” she added quickly. “Your morning voice justsurprised me.”
Clearingmy throat, I gave her a break. “No, I get it. I have the worst morning voice.”And morning breath come to think of it. I stretched my legs, pointing my toesand working out the kinks in my muscles from last night’s late shift.
“Ido too,” she said quickly. “I blame the kitchen. All those flames and smokedmeat. It can’t be good for us.”
Shewas right about that. Not that either of us would even entertain the idea ofchanging careers. “I don’t mean to be rude or anything, but why did you call?”As lovely as it was to chat with Vera, a person I barely knew, I really had topee.
“Oh,right! I was wondering if you would like some lessons.”
“Lessons?”
“Likein the kitchen?” she asked, confidently.
Again,she was insulting me. Only it didn’t sound like Vera realized it. Was sheoffering to teach me how to cook? “I don’t know what you mean…”
Shelaughed again, and the sound relaxed some of my bristling back. “Can you tellI’m operating on zero sleep?”
Herquestion made me think of Wyatt and I got the strangest urge to call him andsee how he was doing. Then I remembered how obnoxious he was, and my fingersstopped itching. Almost.
“Here’sthe deal. Killian and I can’t keep up with Sarita and Salt. We’re doing what wecan now as a favor to Ezra while he’s out of town, but I know when he getsback, Killian won’t be able to tell him no. In a surprise turn of events, hefeels responsible for Sarita’s downfall because he left Lilou first, and allthe other chefs assume it was because he got tired of working for Ezra. Whichis kind of true… but we also had this amazing opportunity and we couldn’t sayno to our dream anymore. Do you know what I mean? Like we had to go for it ordie trying.” There was a thoughtful pause and she added, “We still might diefor it.”
Itwas silent for long enough that I worried she’d fallen asleep on the other endof the line. “I’m still confused.”
“WhatI’m trying to say,” Vera said slower and I could hear the smile in her voice,“is that I can’t do Sarita anymore. I need to be done with it as soon aspossible. Which means Sarita needs a captain. Which means, I’m willing to coachyou right into that head chef position if you want my help.”
Isat up fully and picked up my jaw off the bed. “How will you have time to dothat?” It was the first question that came to mind and it popped out of mymouth before I could swallow it. I shouldn’t have cared about her schedule or whetherthis one extra thing in her life was going to burn her out. I should have said,yes please, and buried my conscience in a big hole somewhere.
“Well…”There was a tone to her voice that I was starting to recognize as hermischievous side. “You get nights off, right?”
“Two.”I admitted quickly. “I mean, I used to get two nights off, but lately Wyatt hasneeded more help than Killian did.”
“We’llget you those two nights back,” she said decisively. “I mean, off from Lilou. We’llwork together at Sarita. My plan is to have you there enough that eventuallyyou just become the boss, and nobody even realizes we staged a not-so-hostiletakeover.”
Verawas officially my hero. “That’s not a bad plan.”
Icould hear her smile return to her voice. “I know.”
“I’mmore likely to only get one night off though.”
“Wecan work with one night,” she compromised. “Just make sure Wyatt gives it toyou.”
“You’rekind of an evil genius, Vera.”
Shelaughed. “I know that too.” She seemed to think of something at the last minuteand her tone changed completely. “Oh, I forgot to ask if that’s too much foryou. I’d like to work with you as much as possible so that means you probablywon’t get many nights off. And by that, I mean, you won’t get any nights off.”
Wavingmy hand in the air, even though she couldn’t see it, I didn’t bother to worryabout my nights off or sleeping or the non-existent social life I wasn’tmotivated to fix. I could tend to those things later. After Sarita was mine.“I’m used to working every night. It’s not a problem. I can take a day off afterI’m the boss.” I rolled my eyes at myself because when I was the boss, my workschedule would get even crazier. “Or when I’m dead.”
“That’sthe spirit,” she championed. “You’re awesome, Kaya. This is going to be fun!”
Funwasn’t the word I would have used for it. But it was an amazing opportunitythat I would be a fool to turn down.
“Whendo we start?” I asked her.
“When’syour next night off?”
