Page 9 of Unexpected Pickle
He shrugs. “She only talks about food these days. She’s worked for me since high school. She used to have guys stop by, but it stopped a couple of years ago.”
This is new information he’s never shared. “Did she throw these guys out the door like she does me?” I almost don’t want to know the answer.
“Yep. She likes her space to be a certain way.”
I feel better. “So what do you suggest?”
The man brings us water and Max turns his glass around between his meaty palms. “Let me think.”
He’s really tan, even for LA, his skin bronzed in the window light. He must have had a competition recently. I’m glad fighters don’t have to turn themselves the color of tree bark.
He pulls out his phone. “I can’t put you close to her until maybe the spring Pickle festival. We’re doing a booth.”
“When’s that?”
“Two months.”
“I volunteer. Nothing sooner?”
He shakes his head. “But you know what? She has a cooking class she teaches at the community college. You could sign up for that.”
“Is it a whole semester?” I never did well with books and tests. My grades might not even get me into a trade school.
“No, no, it’s a one-night thing for the public. Crepes, I think. She teaches the classes now and then to do something other than deli work.”
“Why does she still work for you?” I ask. “Not that it’s a bad thing, but she’s a real chef.”
Max shrugs. “I keep promoting her, and she keeps staying. I get her high-profile gigs like this commercial. Maybe that’s it.”
“Isn’t her dad some big deal?”
“In the chef world, sure. But she won’t accept any jobs from his cronies, I do know that. They call her. She won’t talk to them.”
“Huh.” A little more of the mystery that is Jeannie unravels. “I’ll look up the cooking class.”
“Don’t wait too long. I think it’s next week. She took off the day to prep for it.”
“Understood.”
Our food arrives, but my mind stays on Jeannie. I have the next phase of my plan in place.
Crepe cooking.
How hard can it be?
4
JEANNIE AND THE CREPE CAPER
Ten students is just the right amount.
The cooking stations are perfectly arranged, spread throughout the room. The counters can hold up to twenty, but with ten, there is space to arrange all the ingredients, and the intervals between the griddles are pleasing to look at.
Crepes are fun. There are so many options. Tonight, I’m going to teach my students to make both sweet and savory. I’m not a natural instructor, as my patience is thin.
But with preparation and a plan, I find teaching regular cooks how to make something extraordinary is good practice for me.
The first student enters, an older gentleman who has taken my classes before. Jeff? Jarod? John? I realize I’m doing what Hex did at his commercial last week and bite back a smile.Areola. Aphid.
