Page 51 of Strike
“The food chain, of course!” He laughed. “Tell me, have you ever applied to be on a reality cooking show?”
I nodded. “I have, but I was never selected to audition.”
“Forget about being a contestant. After a year with me, honing your skills, I can get you a guest appearance. No competition required.”
“Do you really think I have the talent?”
“Yes, you certainly do, but I’ll be honest with you, Callie. This won’t be easy. You’ll hate me just as much as you love me. I’ll push you to the edge in my quest to make you the best. You will cry tears of frustration, but at the end of it, you’ll be surpassed by nobody.”
He said it with such conviction and passion, I believed him. Inspiration had been struck in my heart, and I began to think of all the places I wanted to see and people I wanted to learn from. I could be sitting where Hector was now. Never afraid of being bankrupt, not wanting for a paying customer, and having my name on the lips of the most influential people in food.
“You’ll travel the world, Callie,” he went on. “Paris, New York, London, Rome… I have restaurants in all those cities. In fact, I’m going to supervise the opening of a new site in Amsterdam in a few weeks. I would like for you to come.”
I sucked in a sharp breath. This was exactly what happened to Mark. He got an offer he couldn’t refuse, he did whatever it took to make it a reality, and it turned around to bite him in the ass.But I’m not Mark, I thought to myself.I can handle this.
“Just like that?” I asked, shocked. “You haven’t seen me bake yet…”
He laughed, throwing his head back. “This isn’t an episode of MasterChef. If you would like to cook for me, then you can. I won’t say no. Perhaps I can come by your shop and see this cake everyone is making such a fuss about?”
“Sure. If you like.”
“It’s a big decision,” Hector went on, not even taking a breath. “Take some time, and think about it. I’m willing to give you a break, Callie. I know your shop is opening within the fortnight. I can help you with finding a suitable manager to keep it going, not to mention staff from my own ranks. Training and new experiences are vital parts of the culture here. They could learn a lot from the simplicity of cupcakes. It’s a true art form.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, so I nodded and forced out something polite. “I will. I’ll think about it.”
“Tell me, have you ever thought about expansion? Taking The Fitzroy Cake Company to the world?”
Outside, the air was clear, and I breathed in the crispness. Melbourne was bustling. I stood on the street corner, watching people walk to-and-fro as a steady clip of trams rumbled down Swanston Street.
One thing was certain. I wasn’t sure how to take Hector Vanderhall. Was he patronizing or encouraging? I just couldn’t place my finger on it. Everything he said was wonderful. Learning, traveling, expanding my experience…those were all things I wanted, but at what cost?
Thinking about The Fitzroy Cake Company, I sighed. Wasn’t a simple dream enough? I’d started out wanting a little shop where I could do my own thing, but now I was being told I needed a chain of them, along with a cookbook, television appearances, and a range of signature bakeware.
I wasn’t sure that life was for me. Then there was the elephant in the room.Mark.
If I took the job, I would have to leave him behind. There was no way we could continue the kind of relationship he needed with me on the other side of the world. Even if he came, my time would be severely limited. Coming home to a hotel room, exhausted and grumpy didn’t make for a healthy situation. Mark needed to be loved, and we were still new… Deep down, I knew it was him or the job. I couldn’t have both.
What was I going to do?
20
Storm
Ihada weird feeling in my chest when I woke. Usually, I felt sluggish like a weight was sitting right on top of me, but today, it wasn’t there.
Maybe this was what hope felt like. What a trip.
Staring at the ceiling, I thought about Callie. My beautiful, ashen-haired, emerald-eyed Callie. I opened up and let her see some of the darkness inside my heart, and shebelieved me.
My phone pinged with a text. Like I’d call out to her telepathically, it was from Callie.If you’re free, come to the shop.
Sitting up on the couch, I pulled my boots on, grabbed my jacket, found my keys, and legged it downstairs. Any excuse to be with her was a good excuse. Actually, I didn’t need one of those. She was so passionate, bright, and damn cheerful about everything it was beginning to rub off. Even when she was deep in a serious conversation about my moronic ways, she was a ball of positivity.
I could learn a lot from a woman like Callie Winslow.
The back door was unlocked when I arrived at The Fitzroy Cake Company. The sweet scent of cooking filled my nose as I pushed the door inward and stepped into the stock room. This was where we’d met. This very spot. It looked a fuckload better without all the smoke damage.
“Hey,” I called out as I stepped into the kitchen.
