“Good to see you, Finn!”
“Glad you came, Angelo.” Finn patted him on the back. “This is my brother, Jax.”
Angelo held out a hand, and Jax instantly shook it, trying not to stammer as he spoke. “Nice to meet you.”
“Same,” Angelo replied like he truly meant it. Jax had worked with some good people before, but he could tell that this jovial man would be fantastic to assist and learn from. After surviving Russel’s reign of terror, Angelo would be a welcome change.
Wait. Was he actually considering this?
“So, Suzie definitely isn’t coming back, right?” Gesturing toward Jax, Finn grinned. “Because my brother is an excellent chef.”
“Is that so?” Angelo looked back and forth between them, stopping on Jax. “It’s true, wearelooking to replace Suzie.”
Jax could feel Angelo scanning him, assessing, and the three of them drifted further into the corner, away from the other patrons.
“Why cooking? Why be a chef?” Angelo’s expression was all curiosity, and it sounded like a friendly question, but Jax knew that this chance hinged on his answer. Reaching into his heart, he gave Angelo the honest truth.
“Because being in a kitchen, making something delicious from the most basic ingredients? It’s magic. I was five when my mom taught me how to make ravioli, and I felt like I’d cast a spell. Eggs, flour, olive oil, salt, spice, cheese, and that extra ingredient - her skill - and all of a sudden there were these pockets of joy on my plate.” Jax tilted his head. “After that, I knew what I wanted to do.”
Angelo smiled. “How long have you been working in kitchens?”
“Since I was thirteen.” He couldn’t stand to watch his mother cry over bills anymore, so he’d gotten a fake ID and started washing dishes, working his way up over time.
Shock rippled across Finn’s face, but Angelo only nodded, the look inhis eye telling Jax that he understood because he’d been there too.
“Have you been a sous-chef before?”
“No, but I’ve done prep, fry, sauce, grill, inventory, you name it. The first head chef I worked with told me that the most important thing for a kitchen to do is run, and it doesn’t matter if you own the place, you need to pitch in wherever, even if it’s washing dishes, and I’ve always stood by that.”
He held Angelo’s gaze, trying to emit confidence. If he wasn’t at the mercy of his back, then he wouldn’t have had any doubts, because hecouldrun a kitchen if his body decided to work with him.
And he didn’t have the heart to turn this down.
Eventually, Angelo gave him another bright smile.
“I have to talk to Owen and Marci about it, but I’d love to have you on board.”
Jax couldn’t help it; he allowed himself to hope, and he eagerly shook Angelo’s hand again.
This might be a mistake. If he took this position and failed spectacularly, then he’d strain his relationship with Finn.
But this might also be a good thing, which rarely happened in his life, so he should snatch this up and cherish it. Besides, he’d heard a lot about The Pointe from both Finn and Ollie; apparently, it paid well, offered spectacular health insurance, and the management was terrific. They might be understanding if he needed a day off here and there.
“And I’d love to work with you!” Jax exclaimed, his voice a little shaky with excitement. Now, he didn’t have to hunt for another restaurant, but he did have to move; there was no way his back could take the hour commute.
He wouldn’t see his mom as much and Mae would probably have a fit, but he wanted out of his tiny shithole apartment and his tiny shithole life. This would be a fresh start in a new place with a better job, and maybe it wouldn’t be the disaster he was already anticipating.
Maybe this would change everything for him.
4
TRISTAN
Parkedinthebank’slot across the street, Tristan stared at The Pointe through his windshield, unsure. Even though he’d gotten an interview, he knew that he didn’t have a chance at being their maître d’, no matter how much Rain had assured him.
With the economy the way it was, Tristan hadn’t been able to find a better gig than the gourmet restaurant, but he was way past his limit. He needed something more in line with his personality, something happier. According to Rain, The Pointe was happier; he’d been a server there for almost a year and hadn’t stopped raving about it.
But the maître d’ position sounded too good to be true, which meant that it probably was.
