Finding Chef's Kiss

Chapter 7

My legs almost give way when I register the harsh words contrasting against Logan's smooth mouth. I take in a deep breath and force myself to stand up straighter. "Excuse me?"

He heads to his seat, shuffling through the papers on his desk once he reaches it. "You heard me. You can leave the way you came in."

"Don't be such an ass! I'm begging here."

"And I told you what I thought. There is no way in hell I'm going to change any plans that Reid and I spent months looking over and planning. You'll just have to deal and hope it aligns with your article."

With fists clenched, I shake my head. "You know, I thought you would at least have the decency to hear me out and we could talk about this like adults. It was only yesterday when you were pleading with me to give your restaurant a chance. Nice to know there are people out there who can return the favor!" I huff and speed out of the room, escaping the ticking time bomb and not bothering to hear Logan's response. I need space to re-think my approach. What just happened was a disaster.

How could I have escalated it so much? I'm such an idiot. Why can't I do anything right?

It doesn't help that he's a jerk. This would be so much easier if he were a reasonable guy.

I ignore the obvious glances from the staff as I make my way back to the dining room. Yet stop the second James' calls out to me. "Wait!" Turning around, I find four staff members facing me in the main dining area. James continues, "Please just wait. We need to talk to you."

"We heard everything!" a young woman with light red hair, freckles, and soft, blue eyes, says. Her hair is tied in pigtails, and she looks as if she inspired the Wendy's logo.

"Honey, we need your help!" An older woman with smooth, dark brown skin and deep round eyes comes up beside me and places a hand on my shoulder, guiding me towards the front door. "We need to talk outside though. These walls are too thin."

"I really should be going," I state as I glance around at the overly bright eyes staring back at me.

"Señorita, please don't leave us hanging! Please help us," a shorter, round man who's likely in his thirties, says.

My curiosity is officially piqued. I tilt my head like I'm going to receive the ingredient list to a dish I can't quite figure out.

James glances between his colleagues and presses on, likely registering he now has my attention. "Gemma, please don't take anything Chef said to heart. He's just been really stressed out lately and he's actually an amazing person to be around. He'd really love it if you helped out with the renovation."

I bend my neck forward and then stiffen it back up. "Um, are you sure you guys heard everything that was said? That man would rather walk on a field of coals than let me change anything here."

The Wendy's logo girl chimes in. "He just gets like that sometimes. He's really a soft teddy bear that wants what's best for the business. He just needs time to figure it out." The group nods vigorously.

"We can help you! We know him better than anyone else!" says James.

"I, um, what..." I pause, glancing at each of the faces before me. As much as I hate this situation, a lot is riding on the success of this business. My boss raved about how she couldn't wait to try the place when it opened back up again. And I'm certain Michelin Guide would want to look at it if they've read my work. At this point, I need to do whatever it takes. "What do you guys have in mind?"

A large breath releases collectively. Smiles form on all their faces and I shift on the balls of my feet.

"Hun, have you ever watched the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding?" the older woman asks. I shake my head and the woman continues. "Well, there's a saying that if the man is the head, then the woman is the neck, and she can turn the head any way she wants."

James chimes in, "Logan just needs to feel like he's in charge and that things were his idea."

"I'm not going to stroke his ego if that's what you're asking me to do," I say as I cross my arms.

"Miss. This no stroke ego. This his personality. He likes being boss," says the shorter man in broken English.

"Well, cat's already out of the bag. I already told him what my idea was, so that ship has sailed."

"He's just a bit rough around the edges. He needs some finesse in his life," says James. He places a finger on his lips for a moment before continuing. "I think...And I say this in the most respectful way possible...He needs to clearly see what's in it for him. Like maybe offer something to sweeten the deal? We know he's running low on cash. This renovation is his last-ditch effort to save the place. Don't let his pride get in the way of that. We just really want to see him succeed here."

I touch my parted lips. Something I can't quite understand tugs at my heart. Logan's employees seem to genuinely love their jerk of a boss. I look straight at James before surprising myself by asking, "What's his favorite dessert?"

A grin spreads over the man's face. "Oreos. He loves Oreos and milk."

"What is he, like five years old? Anyways, thanks. I'll need some time to think about this though. I don't know what I'm going to say to convince him yet."

"We'll be here to plant the seeds," says the older woman. "You just go get yourself some rest and come back fresh tomorrow. Please do come back though. We need you. Chef needs you."

I nod. "Of course. I'll come back. I'm sure you all have read the article. I'm invested in making sure things go well."

The older woman lifts her hand for a shake. "I'm Tina by the way. I mostly focus on dough work."

"And she's the kitchen mom," the red head adds. "I'm Stefanie, I help around with chopping and just anywhere that's needed to fill in the gaps." She points to the shorter man. "That's Pedro. He does meats. You've met James who does register duty. The only other person who's been here during the renovation is Billy. He's at school right now but helps with clean up and bussing."

"Nice to meet you guys and thanks for helping me out."

"It's our pleasure!" says Stefanie, bobbing her head of red hair up and down.

"So, if this place is under renovation, why does Logan have his kitchen staff here?"

"We're testing out a new menu when we can and doing general inventory. We're at lower capacity than normal. More staff is on a break. Also, we're waiting on Logan's idiot cousin Reid to come in to officially kick off the construction to implement some new designs," says James.

A ping alerts me to an incoming notification. I glance at my phone and find an email from Katie about the Michelin Guide meet and greet with potential time options. I look back up at the group. "Thanks guys. I have to head out. I really appreciate this. It's made me feel a tiny bit better, and hopefully I can get Logan on board tomorrow afternoon."

While I do feel better after talking to Logan's employees, I can't escape the uneasiness that gnawing away at me as I head home.

***

I'm so excited that Logan's staff has been officially introduced! What do we think of the characters so far? Thanks for reading, voting, and commenting! ♥️