Joey looked up from lining up their route to the entrance to the harbor. “They’ll think you’ve lost your mind.” A smile broke across their face. “Thank you for saying it, anyway.”
Marianne acknowledged how much she would love to wrap her arms around them now. Then she pushed away the thought. Maybe, one day, when she’d put her disastrous marriage behind her, her career was back on track and Denny was a happy, well-adjusted child, she might consider looking for companionship, but those days were a long way off and what she needed now was to get her life together.
“Well, thanks for your time today. I do appreciate it, even if I ask a lot.”
Joey bypassed the stone quay and headed for the smaller wooden dock below the hotel. “You can pay me back by helping take the catch up to the kitchen.”
Marianne continued to film over Joey’s shoulder as they maneuvered the boat alongside the dock. She would have liked to get footage as Joey unloaded the catch, but she couldn’t refuse to help.
As Joey jumped onto the wooden platform to secure the boat, Tierney appeared on the path from the hotel, pushing the empty trolley Joey used for their catch.
“I was allowed to bring it down, but I’m under strict instruction not to help in any other way.”
Joey took the trolley. “Thanks. You could do some filming for Mari if you want?”
Marianne turned from packing up her kit.Perfect. Joey was the most thoughtful person. Tierney would jump at the chance to get behind a camera.
“Yeah sure, that’d be fun. I’ll do some filming in the kitchen later, if you want?” Tierney took the phone.
Marianne had been worried about how much she would get away with in the kitchen. She should’ve negotiated time for social media in her contract with Kasia, but she’d just been grateful she could focus on cooking for a while longer. But if Tierney was helping out that might soften the way for her.
“That would be amazing, if you don’t mind?”
“Of course not. We’ll collaborate on the posts, and it’ll do us all good.”
Tierney filmed as Joey unloaded the catch, and Marianne scrambled to help. Back inside the hotel, she guided them into the cold storage area, and they placed the storage trays inside.
“Thanks again for your time, Joey.” Marianne ignored her disappointment at their time together coming to an end.
“Come and eat with us tonight.” Tierney handed the phone back to Marianne and followed Joey back outside.
“Are you two going to film me eating?” Joey waved Marianne a goodbye as they left.
She heard Tierney say, “Of course not. Well, maybe a little,” before their voices faded in the distance.
She straightened her shoulders and turned to the staff area to change for work. She’d had her fun, now she would give work her full concentration.
“Okay, team.” She clapped her hands together, but her staff had all turned at the sound of her voice. “We have enough langoustines for a pasta special as well as the grilled dish. Sian and Davy, you’re on those.”
“Yes, Chef,” they replied in unison.
“And Connor, as well as the preorders, there’s half a dozen lobster I wasn’t expecting. Let’s get them in the holding tank and get Thermidor on the specials. I don’t like them to be left in the tank for too long, so let’s make it something special.”
“I’m on it, Chef.” Connor swung on his heels. He would make a good head chef one day when he’d built his confidence. He was terrified of Kasia, and a chef couldn’t afford to be dominated by front of house management.
She busied herself with the management tasks of the kitchen and regularly checked on progress of the dishes, but she wondered if Tierney would be as good as her word. As if sensing her cue, Tierney appeared at the kitchen door. “Have you got a minute?”
That didn’t sound promising. She should have got Kasia on board before involving Tierney. “Yeah, sure.” She might as well get the telling off over with.
“It’s all good.” Tierney led the way across the restaurant toward Kasia’s office. “We just need to explain that we’ve got a strategy.”
“Have we?” Marianne was currently feeling very un-strategic in every part of her life and wasn’t in the mood to humor Kasia.
Tierney winked over her shoulder. “Think on your feet.”
“Marianne. Thanks for sparing a few minutes.” Kasia was sitting at her desk with her hands steepled. “Please sit down.”
Marianne perched on a chair and Tierney leaned on the door, rubbing her hand unconsciously across her growing belly.
