Salzy rolled his eyes.“Okay.Fine.”He pulled the keys from his pocket.“I’ll be back.”
Putting the big grill together proved to take longer than Jamie would have thought.When they got ready to put the barrel-shaped top on, Mike asked, “Why did you get such a big grill?”
“I was thinking that I might use it for the diner sometime.I plan on getting a big smoker too.Maybe put pulled pork on the special’s menu.Perhaps for the Saturday night special.”
“You’d be competing with Porkies, where I got the BBQ from yesterday.They’d be pretty stiff competition.”
“I didn’t think of that.”Jamie helped Mike put on the rotisserie attachment.“I’ll come up with something.Besides, you’ve never tastedmyBBQ.”
“You know I will hold you to that,” Mike chuckled.
“Well, tonight you just get hamburgers and hot dogs.Nothing fancy.”
Mike looked at Jamie, his face sombre.“Won’t you get like, bored with just doing diner food?I mean, you’re capable of doing some pretty high-end cuisine.”
Jamie shrugged.“It’s food that I grew up with, and I could cook most of the stuff in my sleep, to be honest.”He stretched his neck.“Maybe.Not sure what to do about it, though.People are counting on me.The diner is my main concern at the moment.”
“You said that you were going to do a pastry...setup?”Mike leaned back against one of the tables.
“A pastry station.Yes.I think that if we had more baked good options on the menu, it would boost sales.”
Mike nodded.“Will you be doing that?”
Jamie thought for a moment.“Initially, I thought I would, but having seen what business is like over the last week, I’m rethinking that.I have a friend in Atlanta who might like to move down here and do that for me.She’s just had a baby not all that long ago, and I got the impression that she was not wanting to live in such a big city with a kid.The schedule for a good restaurant can be brutal.Not at all kid friendly.”
“Just hear me out,” Mike stood up and paced for a moment.“I’m thinking on the fly here, but have you considered...branching out?”
“What do you mean?”Jamie wiped sweat out of his eyes.“Want a beer?We’re done with the grill, and it’s hotter than hell out here.”
“Yeah, I’ll take one.”Mike followed Jamie inside.They both walked into the big cooler.Mike raised his arms.“This feels good.”
“Right?”Jamie handed him a beer, then realized they didn’t have a bottle opener.He took in the biceps and broad spread of Mike’s upper body.“We’ll have to go upstairs to open these,” he said, raising his beer bottle.
“Anyway,” Mike said, lowering his arms.“Might be something to think about.”
“What do you mean, ‘branch out’?”
Mike looked off into nowhere.“Like...doing a bistro, or even a bakery.You know there isn’t a decent bakery in this town.Or even doing something for just carry out, like some of the shops in France do.More high-end type stuff.”
“No.I never thought of anything like that.”Jamie went to the door, pushing it open.“Let’s get these beers open.”
“You should think about it.But...you know...after all of these renovations are done.”Mike was thinking of what Joesph had said about so much happening with Jamie.
They climbed the stairs.“Do you think this town would support a bistro?”Jamie stepped into the apartment.
“Yes.I do think that this town would support a decent restaurant.”Joesph answered, handing Jamie a bottle opener, standing just inside the apartment.“I have a feeling you’ve been away too long.This place has exploded in the last five years.”
Jamie stopped, looking at Joesph.“How would you know?”
“Because Mike took me to a restaurant, which I assumed to be the best in town and to be frank, it wasn’t all that.”Joesph took a long drink of iced tea.“That and I’ve been doing research for the renovations, and the options are a lot more than I had anticipated.”
“I also suggested a bakery.”Mike wiped his face with the tail of his tank top, giving the two other men quite a show of his fur-covered abs.
“He even thought of doing a specialty take-out type shop.”Jamie took a long draw of his cold beer.“You know, like some of the shops we saw in Paris?Maybe...do a one-stop shop.Like a boulangerie, pâtisserie, fromage, and charcuterie-type place all in one.”
“Oh!I did love that charcutier and cheese shop.”Joesph sighed dreamily.
“Yeah, I don’t think Columbus is ready for pâté and terrines,” Jamie said, laughing.
