Hannah
It’s been a couple of weeks since Leo and I announced that we’re a couple, or should I say that Leo announced it, since I was just sort of nervously standing in the background.It turned out that pretty much everyone who works here, including our bosses, had this pool going on when we would hook up, and they still don’t know when it happened.Leo and I have been totally silent about it all, but I’m not sure why.I think it’s more to fuck with them than us actually wanting to keep the details private.It’s been fun holding it over everyone’s heads and only us knowing exactly what happened.Secrets at Somerville’s don’t stay hidden very long, so we’re going to keep this going.
The day we announced that Leo and I were together, he also dropped a bombshell on me that I was made head chef of the Somerville restaurant.I didn’t see it coming and I’m still in shock, finding it hard to believe that when it reopens, I’ll be the one in charge.It feels amazing and to have it happen here is even better.I always thought I would have had to spend years working in the industry and years working for a prick like Roy Langston, taking the ridicule and feeling beaten down, before I would have ever found myself in this position.
I’ve finally finished the new menu items, trying them out after the restaurant at Apple Jacks is closed with Leo by my side, tasting everything and helping me perfect the recipes.Today I’m meeting with Ellen to go over them with her and get final approval.With Lauren on maternity leave and Jack focused on Apple Jacks, Ellen has taken over.
Since Apple Jacks is currently open and thriving, I’ve invited Ellen over to my little cottage to do some tasting and to talk about hiring new staff.When the restaurant reopens, it will not only have been updated, it will also be almost twice the size, requiring more employees and more menu items.
I’m plating a few small bites of everything just as a knock comes on my front door.
“Come in!”I call out, knowing it’s Ellen.
The door swings open and of course, not only Ellen walks in, but she has the twins heading in right along with her.
“Sorry,” she starts, shaking her head.“Will’s traveling for work and my sitter just canceled, so these two will be joining us.But they have assured me they will keep to themselves.”Ellen looks over her shoulder at them as they flop down on my couch, pulling out their iPads.I hear the theme song toThe Simpsonsstart up and they both seem to be lost in their own world.
After getting busted ratting Leo and me out to Ellen, they seem to have settled down a little bit.With their crazy Uncle Jack wrapped up in the birth of his own twins, these two don’t seem to have the partner in crime that they used to.I’m sure that will change once Lauren and Jack are settled, and Olivia and Oscar will be back with a vengeance, getting into all kinds of trouble with Jack backing them up.
“Hey!”she shouts and Oscar and Olivia’s heads spring up, looking at her and smiling sweetly.You’d never know these two get up to no good when left to their own devices.They look so sweet and innocent.“Remember what I said?”She narrows her eyes at them and they both nod, giggling at their mom’s funny face.
“We won’t get into anyone’s business,” Oscar assures her, just as Olivia chimes in adding, “And we won’t talk about how Leo and Hannah were kissing.”
I laugh out loud at Olivia’s comment.Either she completely missed what her mom was telling her or she’s a cheeky little shit who’s trying to get under her mom’s skin.Either way, she’s pretty damn funny.
“Yeah, something like that,” Ellen mutters, turning back to me.“Sorry.I swear it’s like they’re being raised by wild animals.I think it’s called strong-willed,” she now jokes.“I call it wine club.”
I laugh at her joke, knowing she’s a great mom and works incredibly hard to keep a business running and keep her family in check.
“So, I have a few things for you to try,” I say, sliding a plate over to her.“This is a smoky gouda macaroni and cheese, paired with the new rosé that’s currently being aged, it will be perfect.”
“I was hoping you’d incorporate some of the new wines we have in the works,” Ellen says, taking a bite of the macaroni and cheese.“Oh my god,” she moans out.“This is amazing.You can really taste the smokiness.”
“I think it would also pair well with a lighter chardonnay, unoaked,” I reply, and it feels so weird to be sitting here having this conversation with someone who is as excited about this as I am.
“For sure.Hopefully the rosé will be ready to go by the time the restaurant reopens, and we can make sure to add all the bin numbers and pairs to the menu.”
“Already on it,” I say with far too much excitement and Ellen laughs when I present her with a typed up proof of the menu.
“I love that you’re so on top of this.I’ll make sure to send you the info for our graphic designer and the two of you can work on new layouts for the menu, and I’d love for her to work with you and Leo to get pictures of the menu items so we can get them on the website,” Ellen adds, and it takes everything in me not squeal out loud.
I’m going to be working with a graphic designer and photographers and creating all of this from scratch.All of it will have my name on it; I’ll have had a hand in everything.
“That sounds…it sounds amazing,” I reply, at a loss for a better word.
“We’re just so glad Dylan had you apply here, and that Leo was able to convince you that you wanted to work here,” Ellen answers back, and again, I have to keep my mouth shut.I have to keep myself from blurting out the truth.It was me who begged Dylan to get me a job here.There was zero convincing happening.I would have taken the job if Leo had told me I was going to be peeling potatoes in the back room.
We go through several more menu items, this time sampling them with the wine pairings I have chosen, and Ellen has yet to nix any of them.I really expected her to have more of an opinion one way or another, but she seems to love everything.I know I’m a great chef, but even great chefs can make mistakes in combinations or pairings.
Just as we’re about to move onto a few new dessert ideas, Olivia stands up and announces that she has to use the bathroom.My place isn’t very big, so I point in the direction of the small hallway that leads to my bedroom and the bathroom.She can’t miss it.
Ellen and I get back to what we are doing, chatting more now about everything but the food.The conversation is flowing like I’m talking to a friend rather than my boss and I’m sure Ellen is enjoying the fact that her kids are quiet and distracted.
We’re both laughing as she shares the hilarious story about how she met her husband Will, and just as I’m about to ask her a question, Olivia returns from the bathroom.Interrupting us, she asks, “Why do you have a baguette in your bathroom?”
First of all, only a ten-year-old who has grown up at a winery would use the word baguette and second, I have absolutely no idea what she’s talking about.
“I don’t have a baguette in my bathroom,” I reply, chuckling a little as I look over at Ellen, hoping she has some clue as to what Olivia is talking about.Maybe she doesn’t even know what the word baguette means.
