Page 3 of The Estate
Instead of speaking over her, his answers seemed to get shorter and shorter. She had doubts about which was better.
“Cal,” she stated, taking another deep breath, determined to not let him fluster her again. “I was told there was an issue with the meal. The kitchen’s activity doesn’t guarantee the food will meet the bride’s specifications. Or more accurately, those of the bride’s mother.”
Cal winced, and Rachel experienced a pang of sympathy. Her brief time spent with Alex’s mom, Jennifer, had been…informative. The woman had a sharp tongue, was opinionated, and didn’t care who she offended with her ‘honesty.’ The woman may have had the best of intentions, but Alex’s mom was a demanding, almost over-the-top mother of the bride.
“So, if you would be so kind,” she continued. “Can you please walk me through what the issue was and also its effect on tonight’s menu?” Cal could say there wasn’t an issue, but Trace had been clear in that the caterer had refused to cook dinner. Somewhere in all this was the truth.
“You’re not going to let this go, are you?” Cal demanded. “Even with my assurances as an owner that everything is handled.”
“No,” she replied. “I’m not. So please proceed.”
Cal shoved his fingers through his hair, confirming her suspicions of how it became a bit wild. Stepping next to her, he turned them both so they could see inside the kitchen.
“Standing by the stove is Joanne Mulberry, the owner and chef of Nordic Bistro, an extremely popular and highly rated restaurant here in Connecticut. She and her staff arrived earlier with a substantial amount of the food in tow. Our kitchen is not that large, thus limited storage. That means many of the items are delivered here on the day of, which was the case today. Unfortunately, some of the ordered items did not arrive. Specifically,” Cal raised his hand, gesturing for her to remain there while he proceeded to the kitchen and grabbed a pad of paper off the counter.
He rejoined her and glanced at the sheet. “Tonight’s meal calls for Cock-a-Leekie Soup.” He looked up. “I assume you know about the bride and groom’s Scottish ties?”
“Yes,” she replied. She’d spent the past few months listening to Alex talk about her Scottish-influenced wedding. Complete with driving Lottie, Alex’s cousin, nearly to tears in the search for Scottish lace to grace the wedding gown.
“That soup is, as you may guess, made with leeks. None were in the order that was delivered.”
“Well, there is perhaps another substitution…”
“Another item not received,” he spoke over her until she stopped talking. “Was the smoked salmon for the nicoise salad.”
“If you can’t provide the salmon…”
“And!” He shouted, turning his body to face her. “The cauliflower for the puree on the beef meal…”
“It’s easy enough to get cauliflower at any grocery,” she yelled back, shocking herself.But how dare he!“If you send someone out, I’m sure that’s an easy fix.”
“Itisan easy fix,” he shot back through gritted teeth. While no longer yelling, they were still loud enough to stop work in the kitchen, so everyone stared. “I’ve already sent someone out to get the leeks and the cauliflower. And Joanne has a call in to a vendor about the salmon.”
Cal crossed his arms and leaned closer to Rachel, his eyes now stormy green. “I can only assume that Trace was nearby when Joanne was discussing the issues with the orders. But at no time was the meal in jeopardy of not being prepared.”
When she started to respond, he put his hand up. “Furthermore, while your interest in seeing to this non-issue may be appreciated, it is not needed. Frankly, I have more than enough people in my life telling me how to run things. I do not need one more. My dance card is full. So, thank you for your time and concern. Please allow me to escort you back to the guest area.”
Rachel could not believe what she was hearing as this arrogant, egotistical, controlling ass of a man talked to her like that. Her last molecule of control snapped and her body flushed with anger. “I don’t care who you are, that is no way to speak to someone,” she said, her body trembling with fury.
She fought to control the flood of emotions, desperate to wrestle them back down. Normally, she wasn’t someone who lost control or confronted people with anger. She held heremotions in check with a tight rein. But this guy was pushing all her buttons.
While she hadn’t expected an apology, she had hoped for some acknowledgment of his rude behavior. But he didn’t respond except to tilt his head, then gesture for her to precede him down the hall. That was akin to waving a red flag at an already ticked off bull. She stabbed a finger at him; her eyes narrowing. Even as she did it, she couldn’t believe she was doing it. It was like having a kind of out-of-body experience.Who was she?
“I don’t need your assistance. I can find my way back, you ass,” she spat. “And I’m sure that arrogant, condescending attitude comes in real handy working in thehospitalityindustry.”
“I appreciate you sharing your opinions,” he replied snidely. “Again. As I said, the ballroom is directly at the end of the hallway. I’d hate for you to get lost and wind up back here.”
“Rest assured,” Rachel sneered. “It will be a cold day in hell before you see me again.” Spinning on her heel, she marched down the hall, eager to get as far away from him as possible.
As she walked, she uncurled her fists and rolled her shoulders, attempting unsuccessfully to dissipate her annoyance.
She just couldn’t believe she’d lost her cool like that. That never happened. Hell, her transfer to the client services team at work was based largely on her manager’s recommendation of her calm, methodical approach. Well, there was nothing calm about her now.
Approaching the foyer, she glanced around, looking for a secluded spot to sit. She needed a chance to regain her composure.
Seeing nothing, she glanced into a room on the left. It looked like a sunroom of sorts, but what caught her eye were doors that led outside. They overlooked a beautiful stone patio and a colorful garden. Decision made, she turned and marched through the room.
Pushing open the French doors, she drew a shaky breath. The fragrance of the flowers immediately surrounded her, as her eyes took in the riotous colors spread before her. This late in June, the plants were putting on their best display.
