Page 8 of Canapés at the Beach House Hotel
Bernie sat back in his chair and formed a tower with his fingertips.“That puts a different spin on it.Brock, the ass, will gladly play the role agitator that Jonny needs.”
“That’s what we’re afraid of,” I said.
“But we won’t allow that little bastard to dictate how to run our business,” said Rhonda.“That prick isn’t going to get away with it.”
“Right,” I said.“But we don’t want anyone else to get hurt.Jean-Luc has worked hard for his excellent reputation.”
“Okay, then, let’s talk about Chet.I suggest we proceed with a normal interview, and the person with the final decision will be Jean-Luc.He’s been talking about the need to hire an additional sous chef.Let’s see what he thinks about Chet.By the way, when you do your interview, I’d like to stop by to introduce myself, if you don’t mind.”
“Okay,” said Rhonda.“I want to know what you think about him.”
“Angela and Liz have been working on an idea to increase bar revenue with a younger crowd,” I said.“They’ll interview Chet’s girlfriend, Harper, sometime tomorrow.”
“It’s smart to have their input,” said Bernie.“Have them report to me after the interview.”
“Of course,” I said, both excited and nervous about the challenge of hiring Chet .
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That afternoon, Rhonda and I rose to greet Chet when he walked into our office for his interview.I was touched by his appearance.He was wearing what looked like new khaki slacks and a dark gray golf shirt that complemented his dark hair, which still held a trace of moisture from what I assumed was a shower.
“Hello,” Chet said with a wide smile.
“We’re pleased to have this opportunity to speak with you,” I said.“Our General Manager will be stopping in.”
“Glad to see you’re on time,” said Rhonda.“Let’s sit at the conference table.”
We moved to the table, and all took seats.
From a leather-bound notebook, Chet removed papers and handed each of us his resumé.
Glancing at it, I didn’t see many new facts until I reached the list of restaurants he’d worked in.Most were located in New York State.
“Was Chez Michel the first restaurant you worked at in Miami?”I asked.
“As a chef, yes,” said Chet.“I worked in the kitchen atGator’sto see if I liked that more casual side of the business.”
“And you decided you didn’t?”Rhonda asked.
He shook his head.“I’d rather work hard in a different way to present something creative for guests.It can be difficult, especially to get the timing of trickier recipes down so they’re all served at once, but it’s worth it.When you’re finished, you’ve created a tasty work of art.”
“I love seeing a meal well-plated,” I said.
“I want it to look nice, but the real test is in the taste,” said Rhonda.“I can still see an image of my grandmother tasting a sauce and trying to decide what else it might need.I do the same thing.”
Chet gave her a happy smile.“Me, too.I think of Rosalie when I do it.”
“I have a question for you,” said Rhonda.“What is the difference between an appetizer and a canapé?
Chet smiled at her.“Hors d’oeuvres are typically served before the meal even begins, while appetizers tend to indicate the beginning of the meal.Canapés are essentially small, open-faced sandwiches made with an edible base of crackers, blinis, bread, or pastry, and served cold.For instance, if you pick up a piece of smoked salmon on a blini from a platter, you have a canapé.”
“Why do you want to work here at the hotel with Jean-Luc?”I asked.“When we talked earlier, you made it seem as if you were unsure.”
Chet gave us a sheepish look.“I didn’t mean to come across that way.I just need to be sure I’m not going to suffer from any problems like I had in Miami.I want to have a clean reputation.”
“Jean-Luc, our chef, is an outstanding person,” said Rhonda with a defensive tone.
“Oh, I know, I know,” said Chet.“He’s the kind of man I aspire to be one day.I’ve just had a very damaging experience and don’t want to derail my future altogether.”
