Sweet Bits (11 page)

“Where’d you go to school?” asked Ali.

“Cordon Bleu, here in Chicago,” said April.

“I’m going there,” said Ali.

“No surprise. Most of us went there,” said April unimpressed. “It’s a workhouse, but you’ll get most of what you need to know.”

“Most?” asked Ali.

“Yeah, you don’t really get to know what it’s like to work in a real kitchen until you do,” said April. “Have you had other jobs?”

“No, uh, I’ve just been baking and cooking for private families,” said Ali, suddenly feeling incredibly unprepared for her new opportunity.

April laughed. “Well, hold steady, keep your nose down and work your butt off,” said April. “That’ll at least keep you out of trouble.”

Ali thought it sounded like ominous, but good advice. She resolved to keep it in mind.

By going to Max’s, which she learned was the local hangout for the restaurant crowd, Ali had had a full education in the Golden Palm’s kitchen etiquette and procedures and by the time her head hit the pillow that night she realized she had never been more tired, more confused and more happy.

***

Ali didn’t meet the elusive Adolphe for several days.

“He works when others don’t,” Marcella told her and then rolled her eyes. It was a look that told Ali most of what she needed to know about Adolphe. High strung, high maintenance, genius.

Ali paid studious attention and worked hard. Her efforts were not unnoticed and when Adolphe appeared suddenly at her elbow, she was startled. He watched her pipe Bavarian cream onto pastries. She abruptly stopped and stood back wondering if she should continue.

“Go on,” he said quietly. He didn’t smile or frown. He seemed impartial to her work, but later was told that he approved. He walked away quickly. He seemed to almost float above the ground and moved in swift, smooth motions. His hair was jet back and slicked back. He had an extremely thin mustache and dark, penetrating eyes. Ali thought he looked like a fiendish character from an old cartoon.

“Wow, I didn’t know what to make of him,” said Ali as she sat across the break table from Marcella. She sipped her water and picked at a salad.

Marcella gave her a half smile. “He doesn’t give praise, but you’ll know it if he’s unhappy.”

“All my direction comes from John or Jenny,” said Ali. “Will he be training me at all?”

Marcella laughed out loud. “That’s a hoot! John and Jenny are his protégés. They were each here a year before Adolphe actually worked with them.” She took a bite out of a sandwich.

Ali’s heart sank. She was hoping to learn from the Master himself, but took solace that she was learning from Smoke-Break John when he was around or Jenny, a quiet Asian woman who rarely spoke and was fond of showing vs. telling. Whenever Ali asked a question, she usually got a head nod instead of actual words.

“So how long has John been here?” Ali asked. He was never around and didn’t appear to actually be doing much. He had showed her a few things, but most of her training was from Jenny.

Another eye roll from Marcella. “You know he’s the owner’s nephew?”

“Oh, that explains a lot,” said Ali. Marcella agreed and that was all they said on the matter.

Ben hadn’t seen Ali much since she started at the restaurant. Her hours were long and she was usually too tired to go out. Tonight she was glad to see him. They’d be sharing a pizza and watching a movie. Ali was off for two days and finally able to hang out and relax.

She’d been stockpiling money as the pay at the Golden Palm wasn’t too bad. Slowly she was paying off her Dad’s medical bills and although she hadn’t been able to see him they’d spoke several times a week on the phone and she was relieved to know he was healing well.

Ali swung her tired body of the soft chair and answered the door. “Hope this is OK,” he said holding up a bottle of red pinot noir.

“Yeah, great,” said Ali plopping back into the overstuffed chair in her living room. Ben was left standing at the door. “Come on in,” she said. “Don’t mind me; I’m kind of wiped out. I worked earlier and my feet are killing me. I think I’ve got to get some better chef’s clogs. I got mine on discount and they aren’t so great.”

Ben came in, opened the wine and poured each of them a glass. Handing one to Ali, he asked, “So how do you like it? Is it what you thought it would be?”

“Well, Ali said, yes and no. I mean, I’m learning a lot, but the main pastry chef Adolphe won’t be working with me directly for another couple of years. I’m learning mostly from Jenny, who is a killer chef and John, who is the owner’s nephew and mostly on a smoke break.”

Ben smiled. “Well, that’s something. Is the pastry kitchen where you want to be?”

“Yeah, I really think so,” said Ali. In her few trips to the hot kitchen she was amazed at the level of heat, expletives and the sound level. “They are maniacs over there,” she told Ben as she finished describing it to him.

“Do you think you’ll be able to go to school and work there?”

“Well, they said that once school starts I should concentrate on that and just work one day a week or so. After I graduate, I’ll be trained and ready to start full-time.”

“Wow, I still can’t believe what an amazing opportunity you’ve got.”

“I know. I try to count my blessings,” said Ali. “Even when my feet are killing me. So what’s up with you? How’s work?”

Ben frowned. “It’s fine. Boring.”

“Have you located any other firms here in the city that do the type of work you want?”

“Yeah, actually I have. I spoke to a couple and they were pretty excited about the prospect of me working with them. They saw me on the news and knew about my track record.”

“That’s great, Ben.”

“Unfortunately, they also have zero budgets for a new hire,” he said.

She frowned. It was all she could muster. As much as she wanted to care, she was just too tired.

Luckily, the doorbell rang. The pizza had arrived. Ben took care of it and Ali jumped up to grab plates and napkins and the bottle of wine. She carried all of it back to her coffee table and slid a large slice of pepperoni and mushroom onto her plate.

Ben settled on the sofa with his slice. He was tired of talking about work. He was tired of work altogether. It was time to just enjoy Ali and some quiet time.

***

When Ben woke up it was just becoming dawn. The light in the room was dim and grey. He could hear the beginning of a few birds chirping. Literally early birds, he thought. He rubbed his eyes and looked around. Ali was nowhere to be seen. He’d fallen asleep on her sofa and she’d let him slumber without waking him. He stretched out on the sofa and yawned.

Two hours later he woke up again and this time Ali stood over him smiling. “Hey, sleepyhead.”

He looked up at her. “What a nice way to wake up,” he thought, seeing her pretty face first thing.

“Coffee?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he said as he righted himself on the sofa. He stretched. “Why didn’t you wake me and kick me out last night?”

Ali measured the coffee into the maker and turned it on. “Cause you were so cute,” she said walking back to the living room. “I didn’t have the heart.”

“Oh, well, thanks. I actually slept great. This sofa is pretty comfy.”

“Yeah, I’ve slept there before. It’s not bad.”

“So, what are your plans for the day?”

“I plan to just get some things done around here and then relax. How ‘bout you?”

“Same. I need to do some laundry and then I’m hitting the off button. This week was kind of brutal. I was in court nearly every day.”

Ali went to the kitchen and poured coffee into two large mugs. She knew Ben liked it with a touch of sugar. She took it black. She handed him a sweetened cup full and sat across from him sipping it. He could see the steam coming off of it and joined her in sipping silence.

“How about I go home and finish my chores and give you some time to do the same?” he asked rising.

“OK, if you must.” She smiled up at him. “How about tonight? Plans?”

“Nope. I’m all by my lonesome,” he said.

“How about going out for a drink and maybe some sushi or something?”

“Like a date?” he teased.

“Like a date,” she teased back.

“Oh, I guess…” he mocked sounding like he was being forced. “How about I pick you up at 7:00?”

“Perfect,” she said. She looked at the closed door once he left and couldn’t believe she had to wait nine more hours to see him again.

Ben arrived looking great. He had just shaved and Ali could smell the hint of citrus aftershave. He had on a blue shirt, jeans and a blazer. His blue eyes shone. They left for the sushi restaurant in Ben’s car.

She has no idea how pretty she is, thought Ben as the sushi arrived. They both had Saki cocktails and were munching on salted edamame. Ali couldn’t have looked better. Her golden brown hair was set off by a jewel green blouse. She had on dark jeans and high-heeled boots. Her ears had dangling earring with matching green stones. She looks like a model, he thought.

They chatted about nothing particular. It was always that way with them. They could talk about important life matters or nothing at all. It was all the same. It was easy. It was right.

“Hey, Al,” he asked dipping a piece of fish in soy sauce.

“Yeah?”

“Why aren’t you dating anyone?”

Ali nearly did a spit-take. Ben never asked blunt, direct questions like this. “What?”

“Well, you’re gorgeous, smart, and available. What’s the deal?”

“Well, what about you?” she asked. “You’re the same. Or are you? Is there someone I don’t know about?”

The tips of Ben’s ears turned pink. This was a sure sign he was embarrassed and caught. He was keeping something from her. “OK, spill,” she said.

“Spill what? There’s no one.”

“Uh-huh,” said Ali unconvinced. “OK, don’t tell me then. I thought we were friends.”

Ben set his chopsticks down, took a large sip of wine and a deep breath. It was an opening. It was now or never. He decided to go for it. “I’ve wanted to tell you this for a while but I was, well, afraid, I guess.”

“What? Tell me what?” He has someone in his life, she thought, her heart sinking.

“Actually, Ali, you’re the only woman in my life. I mean I have dated here and there, but really there is no one.”

Ali’s heart skipped a beat. She put her chopsticks down. The sushi no longer had the appeal it had just moments ago. “Really, Ben?”

“Yes,” he said. “You’re it. I mean, I know you probably don’t feel the same way, but I just had to get it out.”

It was now or never. Ali quickly considered her option: Play it off and joke with him like he was kidding and let the moment go, or, admit to him she felt the same. She started to joke with him but instead, she reached across the table and took his hand. “Ben, I feel the same way you do.”

“You do?” He was surprised. “How come you never let me know?”

“You know why...because we’ve always been friends and friends only!”

“Ali,” Ben shook his head and laughed quietly. “I’ve loved you from the day I met you. At least, I’m pretty sure I did. It was second grade after all.”

Ali laughed. “I can still remember that day like it was yesterday.”

“Me, too,” said Ben. “You were in a blue skirt and yellow shirt and your long hair was in pig tails. You had big scuff on your knee and I helped you up.” He looked straight into her eyes. “You were the prettiest girl I’d ever seen.” He paused. “You still are.”

Ali blushed. She could feel the pinkness taking over her face and her heart racing. She couldn’t believe they were having this conversation. A casual sushi dinner had turned into true confessions.

“You know, I think I loved you, too.” She paused. “You know that night? Remember, the night we kissed?”

Ben nodded. He could never forget it.

“Well, I almost told you that I wanted it to be more than friends and not to forget the kiss.”

“What? That’s what I wanted too, but you seemed so set on just forgetting it, I didn’t want to screw things up and make things awkward so I went along with it.”

“Are you serious?” Ali sat back and laughed. “All those years when everybody else thought we were dating or should be, we were the only ones who couldn’t admit it?”

“And the time we were apart, well…” Ben paused. “I still thought of you all the time.”

Ali’s eyes grew soft. She had thought of Ben, too, but was too stubborn and pig-headed to ever do anything about it, to apologize, to find him.

“I didn’t think you wanted to talk to me,” he said. “But I did. I thought about you all the time. I dated several girls, but no one was right. No one was you. I finally realized it.”

Ali was dumbfounded. Was that why she didn’t date more? Why she found most guys boring or silly? She got asked out, but often turned them down. She searched her brain.
Could it possibly be?
All these years she had just been looking for Ben and didn’t know it? The rush of emotion and feeling overtook her. Suddenly she had tears in her eyes.

“Do you understand?” asked Ben.

Ali couldn’t speak. She didn’t dare or the tears would come rushing forward. She nodded yes and willed herself not to cry.

“Oh, sweetheart,” said Ben. He got up and sat in the booth beside her and cradled her. The restaurant was fairly dark and their high-sided booth was near the back. He was happy for the privacy.

Tears rolled down Ali’s cheeks. “I’m so sorry, Ben. I’m such an idiot,” she said in short sobs.

He wiped her eyes with the cloth napkin. “No, no…”

He let her cry for a moment and then she calmed down. He gave her some water and she took a long drink. Crying was so dehydrating!

She swiped the bottom of her eyes and hoped her mascara wasn’t running down her face. She turned to him in the booth next to her. “Ben, really, I am so sorry. I’m sorry I ever pushed you away or got mad at you for going to law school…or for any of it…”

Ben just laughed softly. “Oh, Ali, don’t be silly. Don’t you see? It was what was meant to happen.”

“You think?”

“Yeah, I do. We were great friends for years and then we had to go off and find out about ourselves and life and then come together again to know we are meant to be together.”

Ali chuckled. “Geez, you really are evolved aren’t you? Why didn’t I put that together? After all, I am smarter than you,” she said socking his shoulder softly and teasing.

“That you are,” he agreed smiling at her. “I’ve just had a lot of time to think about it all. You’ve been so busy with finding a school and your Dad and now your new job…”

Ali nodded. Maybe he was right.

He took her face in his hand and softly kissed her lips.

Since that night back when they were teenagers, they had not kissed. The kiss was so light, so warm. Ali’s heart fluttered. Ben is kissing me, she thought and then all her thoughts stopped.

What was now, what was right was that Ben loved her and told her they were meant to be together. That was all that was in her head.

***

“You know the Golden Door has a sister restaurant in San Fran, right?” asked April as she buttoned her white chef’s coat in preparation for a long shift.

“What? Really?” Ali wasn’t aware of the fact. Hmm, she thought. Maybe one day I’ll get out there…

“Yeah, you know if you want to go out there, they were looking for our trained pastry kitchen staff to come out and work there but no one wanted to go.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, you should talk to Marcella. She might have some more info on that or let you know if it’s even still an option.”

“When was it they wanted people?”

“A few months ago.”

Ali’s heart started racing slightly. She walked to Marcella’s table in the far end of the kitchen.

“Marcella, do you have a minute?”

“Hmm,” was all she said not looking up.

“April just told me about how your sister restaurant is looking for pastry chefs out in California. In San Francisco.”

“You ain’t no pastry chef. Not yet, anyway.”

“Uh, yeah, I know, but I was wondering…”

“You want to know if we can transfer you out there, huh?”

“Yeah. “

Marcella sighed. “I know they’re still looking. They really want Jenny, but she won’t budge. Whole family is here. They won’t take John, but you…”

Ali raised her eyebrows hopefully.

“Let me check into it. You haven’t been here long enough to really qualify as much help out there, but let me see.”

“Thanks, Marcella” said Ali. She wanted to hug her but thought better of it. Marcella didn’t look like the hugging type.

***

Two days later it was official. Ali would finish school here in Chicago, continuing to train in the pastry kitchen and then if prepared, would likely have a job at the Golden Palm West in her dream city of San Francisco.

“Can you believe it, Ben? I can’t believe how great that is.”

“It’s awesome,” said Ben. He was again amazed at the good luck Ali was finally having. He knew she deserved it.

“I’m glad I went to that baking competition,” she said. “I didn’t win, but I kind of feel like I did, you know what I mean?”

“Yeah, I do. You must have really impressed someone.”

“Actually Adolphe, the Master Pastry Chef, was at the competition. He goes every year to sample baked goods and see the local competition and possible talent,” said Ali. “I just found out that it was he that wanted to recruit me.”

“That’s amazing, Ali,” said Ben. He was grateful for the call and the break from his latest corporate case. He was again finding himself dragging to work and getting through the day. His mind kept going to his friend, Jason and his offer.

“So…” Ali began. “Do you think that if I go out to California, you would want to go, too?” Since their confessions in the sushi restaurant, she and Ben had been stealing every free moment to be together and each was riding on a high. They had agreed not to tell anyone. Not just yet. They wanted it to be a secret they shared.

Ben brightened somewhat. The dream was again becoming a possibility. He would call Jason and see. “What time do you get off today?”