Page 41 of The Chef's Kiss
“And your grandfather’s granddaughter.”
“Did Granddad put you up to this? That meddling little—”
“I’ll go. Just … if you need anything …” He shrugged again.
“I know. Thanks, Harrison.”
After he was gone, I wasn’t sure what I could ask, but it seemed I didn’t have to.
Jorgina collapsed into her chair. “He found me throwing up this morning.”
“Are you still sick? Do you need to go home?”
“No, it was just a little bug.”
I watched her for a moment, noticed how tired she looked. “How many Ashfords are there?”
She laughed. “Too many. Granddad had three sons. My dad has four kids, and his brothers each have four. We don’t know each other too well, and I have no idea why Harrison wants to be family now. He’s gotten close with a couple of my brothers recently, but I’m not them. My father can be a hard man, but I will always be on his side.”
“Families shouldn’t have to take sides.” In mine, there were no sides because we were barely a family, but I didn’t say that. She didn’t need to know my damage.
“Yeah, well, city boys shouldn’t become small-town chefs, and yet here we are.”
“And what about you, Harvard girl?”
She sighed. “Me? I was always meant to get stuck here, throttled by my own choices.”
15
JORGINA
“Wake up, Jorgina.” Someone who was about to die shook me awake. I couldn’t have been asleep for more than a few minutes.
“Go away.” I rolled over and burrowed under my soft chenille blanket. It took me forever to fall asleep, and now I had to do it all over again.
“You asked me to wake you for work.” Ruby tried to tug my blanket away from my face.
“Too early.” I rolled into a tighter burrito, seeking warmth and darkness.
“It’s eight-thirty. You don’t want to be late again. It’s only your second day.” Ruby’s voice grew firm, sounding way too much like her mother back when she was the one waking me up for school.
I lifted my head from my cocoon and blinked in confusion at the sunlight streaming in through my windows. My head throbbed, and I collapsed against my pillow. “Are you sure it’s not the crack of dawn? It feels like it.”
“No, you have less than an hour to get ready. I called one of the drivers to take you to work today.”
I shoved the warm blankets aside with a groan. “I need to get my own car.” I could not rely on Dad’s chauffeurs to get me to my job. I had to figure out this adulting thing soon. I had a little less than seven months before things got real.
“Okay. I’m up.” I rolled to sit on the edge of the bed, and the room started to spin. “Ugh, why does my head feel like I’ve been on a three-day bender?” I leaned forward and took a deep breath. At least I wasn’t puking.
“I picked some clothes for you to speed this along.” Ruby came breezing out of my closet with a pair of my stretchy gray pants and a fitted jacket I really hoped still fit. I wasn’t exactly my high school size anymore.
“I need coffee.”
“What? That’s not good for the baby.” She smacked my shoulder.
“I can’t have caffeine, right. Ugh, that sucks.” I rubbed my temples, hoping the throbbing would quit soon.
“Have you been to the doctor yet?” Ruby stood with her hands on her hips.
