Page 60 of The Second Chance in the Mediterranean
“Hey, I’m not the one who put your job on the line. That was him.” He pointed an aggressive finger down the hall. “Don’t be angry at me.”
“I lost half my crew for tomorrow.” To my horror, tears stung my eyes. I was losing control in a way that had never happened before. Kitchens were a pressure cooker, and even by myself, in the little galley on this ship, I was imploding.
“Marce,” Seb said gently. “He would have done something else. Maybe sabotaged something tomorrow or taken advantage of you when everyone else was busy.” He swept a hand up my arm and onto my shoulder. “It’s your name on the event. Anything that could happen would just end up being a he-said, she-said nightmare. You are better off without him, and you can do it. I know it.”
I took a few deep breaths. Perhaps Seb was right and it was better to have this guy out the night before instead of in the heat of activity the day of. I blinked hard, feeling myself deflate.
“Yeah, okay.” I shook my arms out. “Sleep now, problem-solve tomorrow.”
“Okay. I know I’m being overly cautious, but let me hear you lock your door.”
I stepped in and turned around to close the door behind me. When the door was just a crack open, I paused. “Thank you, Seb.”
“Good night, Marcella.”
Twenty-Nine
I woke early,dressed in my uniform, and gave myself a pep talk. A very terrible pep talk. “Let’s do the best we can. We will not get fired today, Marcella.”
The main deck was bustling with activity already, and a young woman who I didn’t recognize was pushing a cart full of food off the boat and down the gangway.
“Hey, wait!” I reached out a hand and the woman turned. She was dressed in uniform, but instead ofPegasuson the logo like I was expecting, it readLady Elmira. My brain stuttered for a moment. “Wait, who are you? Where is all this food going?”
“Marcella!” Roy called out behind me. He stopped beside me. “Go ahead, Annette. Thanks.” He nodded at her and she pushed the cart again.
“What’s going on?”
“Dom can probably explain it better, but he’s busy right now. Andre is gone—I don’t know, and I didn’t ask,” Roy said when he saw my face. “But the rest ofPegasus’s crew is still coming to help us out today. The food, though”—he gestured and pulled us aside as someone came up the gangway with a cart of dinnerware—“the food is going next door. Thankfully, we were able to recruit—well, I say recruit but in actuality it was more like Natasha forcefully bribed—the chef to prep in his kitchen for the day instead.” Roy winced. “We can’t get everything done, but it’ll be a lot.”
“Wow, this is...unexpected.”
Roy laughed. “It was very impressive to see. Natasha is a bit of a dervish when she’s been slighted. It helps that Dom knows the bosun next door pretty well.” He shrugged. “Small world, right?”
I turned around, surveying all the effort being done to pull this event off, not just from the food side, but every way possible. The boat swarmed with staff who polished and cleaned. I stood, blinking in amazement, and let a glimmer of hope sweep over me for a moment before I snapped myself out of it.
Time to get to work.
* * *
Throughout the day,I sent off food next door. Whole produce that went over with instructions like “dice” or “chiffon” came back perfectly done. It was like having my own row of invisible interns all day long.
Cat had barely been in the galley all day, and I hoped that everything was going well for her team. The stews came and went, following their own instructions and operating independently from me and Roy.
High-heeled steps clacked down the stairwell as I finished the last swirls of a tempered chocolate and placed them in the fridge to chill. Natasha was beside me as I closed the door.
“Marcella, how are you today?” Her eyes scrutinized me. I glanced at the clock; I hadn’t been expecting her back on board for at least another half hour. My chef’s jacket was spotted, my apron a little lopsided, and wisps of hair stuck to my forehead.
“Things are going well.” It wasn’t a lie; wewerea little behind, but given the circumstances, it could have been worse.
“I know you don’t have much time to chat, but I wanted to assure you that I take slights against my crew seriously.” She cocked her head. “Restaurants are a competitive male-dominated industry, so I imagine it’s not unlike technology when I got into the game. Whilst the event tonight is important, I would be a fool to overlook my long-term goals.”
“Thank you?”
“That doesn’t mean I don’t have my usual expectations, though. Don’t let me down.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I swear she clicked her heels. “Right. Carry on. I look forward to the service tonight.”
