Page 58 of The Chef's Kiss
This was not good.
20
HUDSON
“Hudson? Chop-chop.” Jorgina stuck her head into the kitchen, giving me one of her stares I was learning to interpret as hurry up and do what I asked. Only, I rarely remembered what she’d actually asked me to do. “You too, Kevin.” He was the new sous chef she’d hired from one of her favorite Boston restaurants.
“That was the general idea.” I glanced back at the pile of vegetables I was chopping for a roasted vegetable medley I hadn’t decided what to do with yet. It would either be the basis for a soup or some sort of filling for a sandwich. Either way, it would have a healthy amount of goat cheese in it.
“You do remember we’re holding interviews today?” She blinked at me. “I put it on your calendar.”
I snatched up a towel to clean my hands. “You mean the one online I still haven’t looked at?”
“That would be the one. I suggest you all get used to looking at it several times a day or we’re going to have lots of communication issues in the near future.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Kevin muttered and rushed past her into the dining room. The full dining room.
“What’s going on out there? We don’t open for several more days.”
“We won’t open at all if I don’t have a well-trained wait staff to serve our guests, but I’ve made a lot of calls, so we will.”
I followed her into the dining room, pausing in shock to see just how many people she’d bribed to fill the restaurant with potential employees. “All these people want jobs?”
“Yes, and we need them.” Jorgina moved to the front of the dining room and clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention.
“Thank you all for coming.” She glared at me, and I took that as my cue to join her. Standing at her side, hands clasped behind my back, I wasn’t sure what my role here should be.
“It is my pleasure to introduce you to Chef Silverman, the genius behind our new menu.” She held up the completed menu I hadn’t even seen yet, and the crowd gave a smattering of applause.
She got smiles and nods. I got uneasy looks and no eye contact.
“If everyone will take a seat in the bar across from the dining room, we will call you in one at a time. We have a lot of interviews to get through today, so please be patient. Our wonderful sous chefs will serve some appetizers while you wait.”
“They will?” I murmured. “I hadn’t planned for that.”
“Don’t worry; it’s taken care of. I placed an order for the ingredients this morning, and Kevin knows what to do. I didn’t bother you with it because I didn’t want it to get overly complicated.”
I leaned closer. “Are you saying my food is too fussy?”
“That doesn’t mean it’s not delicious. I just need you here with me today. Not in the kitchen micromanaging.”
“I’ve never interviewed wait staff. I’m not sure you really need me for that.”
Jorgina pasted on a fake smile while the interviewees migrated to the bar. She leaned in, muttering under her breath and without cracking her smile, “I need you to be nice today. I’ll hire everyone we need, but they also need to like you before this day is over.”
“I don’t need them to like me, Jorgina. That’s why I have you.”
“Trust me. You need them to like you if you want this soft opening to go well.”
“Fine.” I let out a sigh of defeat. “Carry on.” I held my hand out, offering her the lead.
“Follow me please.” She moved to the nearest table where she had a stack of resumes and applications waiting for us. “Have a seat, Hudson, and try to relax. You look intimidating for no reason.”
I sat down and crossed my arms over my chest, not looking forward to whatever she had planned. “You hijacked my afternoon.”
She turned toward me and rolled her eyes. “For heaven’s sake, do you have to sit like that?”
“Now I sit wrong?” I returned her glare.
