“It should be just tomorrow. I’ll pick our other van up on Monday.”
Grabbing two plates from the cabinet, he glanced in her direction. “What would you like to drink?”
“Whatever you’re having is fine,” she said as she opened a take-out container.
Lightning once again lit up the night sky. A loud boom soon followed it.
“Looks like Keith McCain was right for a change.”
Liv said the name as if he should know who she referred to.
“The meteorologist on channel 10,” she added, as if reading his thoughts. “This morning, he predicted we’d get a storm tonight.”
He couldn’t remember the last time he watched either the local or national news.
Liv opened the next container. “I’m not complaining. I love a good storm like this. But I don’t enjoy driving when it’s this bad.”
“Me too.” Many people complained when it rained or snowed. Not him. He didn’t know many people who shared his views, though. “How do you feel about snowstorms?”
“As long as I don’t have to go anywhere, I love them too. Especially if I have some hot chocolate on hand.”
Matt added the plates and utensils to the table, then went back for the iced teas he’d poured. “Everything looks amazing.” It was going to be difficult to decide what to eat first. “What do you suggest I start with?”
“If I were you, I’d go for the lobster mac and cheese. But if you’re in the mood for beef, I suggest the meatloaf Wellington. It was one of today’s specials.”
Nothing in the containers on the table resembled meatloaf to him. “The lobster mac and cheese is a must tonight. Which one is the meatloaf?”
Liv pushed a container closer to him. “This one. I know it doesn’t look like meatloaf. Dad wraps it in puff pastry and serves it with a mushroom demi-glace.” She pointed to another container. “This is chili-glazed salmon. It was very popular in the fall as a special, so Dad decided to permanently add it to the menu.”
He never would’ve thought to combine chili seasoning with salmon, but then again, his skills in the kitchen were limited. It might be the best thing he’d ever tasted.
“This is chicken piccata. If we didn’t have the lobster mac and cheese, I’d probably have that tonight.”
Matt cut the meatloaf into sections and added some to his plate before doing the same with the salmon. He didn’t dislike chicken piccata, but tonight the other dishes sounded more appealing. “So, how did the retirement party go tonight?”
“Really well.” Liv spooned food onto her plate and then lifted her glass toward her mouth, drawing his attention to her lips. “A few people asked for our business cards.” She paused to sip her iced tea, and for half a heartbeat, he contemplated replacing the glass with his mouth.
“And Irene’s daughter said she’s going to reach out about catering a high school sports banquet in November. Hopefully, we’ll be able to do it,” Liv continued, breaking whatever spell he’d been under.
After seeing her yesterday, he’d been unable to shake the feeling that something was off with her. And her frown and tone now reminded him of her comment earlier about bad news being the theme of the week.
“Why wouldn’t you be able to? Do you already have something booked for that day?” It was already May, so it was highly likely that customers had already booked events for the fall.
“We might. Lydia didn’t mention a date, and I didn’t have my calendar with me. But I’m not sure we’ll be able to cater large events much longer.”
Her response left him with more questions than answers. Based on everything she’d told him, Ocean View Catering was doing well, so why wouldn’t they be able to work on large events?
“Are you short-staffed?”
The pool of potential employees in town was limited. In fact, he knew that some businesses only opened in the summer and employed people who liked to vacation there, so they opted to work in town for the season, or college students who would rather live and work there than return to their parents’ homes.
With a mouthful of food, Liv shook her head. “I wish that was the reason why. Then I might be able to do something about it,” she answered once she’d swallowed. “There’s a good chance I’ll be living at home again and preparing food in my parents’ kitchen come fall, and there is no way I can cook food for a hundred-plus people there.” Sighing, she stabbed a piece of lobster with more force than necessary. “We found out this week that the new owner of the building is selling it.”
“That doesn’t mean whoever buys it will force the current businesses out. Whoever bought it most recently didn’t.”
“Fredrick hasn’t been the owner for long. His grandfather died suddenly three months ago. Fredrick was Mr. Waldman’s only grandchild, and he left everything to him.” Liv lifted the fork toward her mouth, but before it reached its destination, she put it down again. “Mr. Waldman bought the building not long before Gramps opened the restaurant. Over the years, they became good friends. They had a verbal agreement that if Mr. Waldman ever decided to sell, he’d give Gramps the opportunity to buy before putting it on the market. That way, Gramps wouldn’t have to worry about competing with other potential buyers.”
Matt didn’t have a law degree, but he knew verbal agreements were useless.
