“What?” I asked.
“Nothing.” She lifted a dog biscuit from the box. “This goes a long way to covering his free daycare hours. Looks like I won’t have to deduct anything from your check.”
“Oh. Well, thanks. But I think he meant them as a gift, so…”
Sammi shrugged. “Either way, we’re good.”
I smiled reluctantly. “You like his biscuits that much, huh?”
“Almost as much as you do,” she teased.
I tossed a biscuit at her head. “I’m not into guys! We’re just friends.”
She laughed. “Famous last words.”
CHAPTER 12
“The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. This advice has never failed!”
— MATCHMAKING MAMAS
Jamie
“I haveto get out of here, Marissa!” I called as I plated yet another sample for the bridezilla lingering in the shop.
Piper Lynch had shown up at for her appointment at four and dismissed four out of the six aperitifs as toopedestrian.Then, she’d rejected our main course as toopretentious.
Marissa and I were ready to lynch the bride, and she’d yet to select a menu. If she was this much of a pain in the ass now, she’d be even worse on her wedding day. And to top it all off, Theo had called in sick.
Normally, when a bride wasn’t happy withher tasting menu, we made notes and reserved a follow-up appointment. But not Piper. She insisted this had to be settled today. Her timeline was too short to delay. Of course, that tight schedule was the one she’d set, not us.
But hey, the bride is always right…or at least we have to pretend she is.
“What are we gonna do?” I asked Marissa. “Casual is too casual and gourmet is too freaking gourmet.”
“She wants the VIP treatment,” Marissa said.
I nodded along, but I had to leave at six to pick up Tramp and Lady at the doggy day care. I didn’t have time to reinvent a menu.
Marissa smiled sharply. “I say we recycle the aperitifs. Take the shrimp and put it into a bright salad with mango and a few trimmings, yeah? That should dress it up. Turn the charcuterie board into skewers of prosciutto, mozzarella, and tomato with a drizzle of balsamic.”
That would only take a few minutes. I nodded. “Done. What about the main entree?”
“I’ll do a lobster pasta instead of risotto. It’ll probably feel more familiar to her.”
We got to work, and I finished up the apps, but Piper was taking her time humming over each item. Eating every bite before she decided if it was a yes or no.
“Marissa,” I said tensely, checking the time on my phone.
She waved a hand. “Okay, go. Take some of the castoffs with you for your trouble.”
“Are you sure?”
“Maybe it’ll soften up Sammi and she won’t kick you out of doggy day care.”
“Fingers crossed!”
I rushed to box up a few of the best appetizers that Piperhad turned her nose up at. Then I high-tailed it out of the kitchen exit and jogged to my car.
