Yes Chef, No Chef Read online

  Yes Chef, No Chef

  Susan Willis

  © Susan Willis 2013

  Susan Willis has asserted her rights under the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work.

  First published 2013 by Endeavour Press Ltd.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Epilogue

  Extract from School Ties

  Chapter One

  Katie looked at her new black cocktail dress hanging on the wardrobe door and shivered with excitement - she couldn’t wait for the party tonight at The Savoy. It seemed forever since she’d spent any quality time with Tim and hugging herself with anticipation she did a little pirouette to reach the stool in front of her dressing table. Dreamily she thought of how the champagne would flow and how they’d dance the night away wrapped in each other’s arms - surely this would help to get them back on track, she mused, glancing at the bedside clock and praying he wasn’t going to be too late.

  Her mobile rang and when she saw his name on the screen she snatched it up. “Where are you?”

  With a note of wariness in his voice, he said, “I’m still at the restaurant.”

  “But you rang at five o’clock to say you were on your way, and the taxi will be here soon.” Katie exclaimed.

  Tim sighed with exasperation as though he was talking to a child, “I know, darling, and I’m so sorry but Jim phoned in sick at the last minute and I’m going to have to stay and cover service for him, and…”

  “What!” she yelled into the mobile, imagining him holding it away from his ear and pursing his lips with irritation. She could hear the clatter of pans from the kitchen and an electric whisk whirling, and then a girl’s voice calling for him which made her want to scream in frustration. “Shit, you can’t do this, Tim. Not tonight of all nights?”

  “Look, Kate, I can’t just leave the restaurant without a chef on duty. It’s my responsibility, you know that. You’ll be fine with all your work mates and friends,” he cajoled, “I know you’ll have a great time.”

  But the hurt and disappointment was raging though her and losing her usual control she snapped, “But it’s my big night and you promised me nothing would stop you from being there. I mean, it’s The Savoy and the tickets cost a fortune, and I have my new black cocktail dress…” she tailed off seething inside.

  “Bloody hell, Kate, I’ve more things on my mind than new dresses,” he shouted, “I’ll give you the money for the damn tickets!”

  Tears of dismay were pricking at the back of her eyes. She couldn’t believe he wasn’t coming and letting her down again.

  “Look, I’ll make it up to you later,” he crooned. “And keep your new dress on so I can see it when I get home.”

  Her mouth was dry with anxiety and she only managed to click her tongue in amazement at his patronising tone.

  The noise from the kitchen faded and he said softly, “Oh, come-on, you’ll still enjoy yourself. Just make an excuse about work pressures for me and then give them my apologies.”

  You can grovel as much as you want, she thought lifting her chin in defiance, but you’re not getting the upper hand. She managed to clear her throat and speak in a calm but detached voice. “I’m sick to death of making excuses for you, Tim,” she said clicking her mobile off.

  Her hand trembled while she poured herself a glass of wine. How could he, she raged, he’d actually gone back on his word again. The night had been planned for months and it was supposed to be her chance to impress the new management bosses from the company - everyone was making a special effort to attend the party to launch the new advertising campaign. Well, everyone except Tim of course. She’d imagined herself in the classy cocktail dress walking serenely with her arm through his, chatting confidently and making polite conversation whilst sipping champagne.

  But now she’d have to walk around on her own, she seethed and glared at his happy smiling face in the framed photograph on her dressing table. ‘You knew how important this night was to me,’ she hissed and slammed the photograph face down. She took another mouthful of wine for Dutch courage and felt a surge of determination sweep through her - she wasn’t going to let him ruin her night, by God, she wasn’t, she’d go to the party on her own and shine like she’d never shone before.

  Looking into the mirror she swept blusher majestically across her cheeks and admired the hairdresser’s handy-work with her usual brown mousey hair. The cut was excellent making the long bob swing effortlessly when she moved her head from side-to-side and the vibrant dark brown colour emphasised her hazel eyes. With a final nod of satisfaction she decided her make-up was as good as she was going to get it and swivelled around on the stool to look at the dress, remembering the day she’d bought it with her friend, Lisa.

  They’d been in Selfridges at the end of an exhausting four hour shopping trip and just when she was about to give up she’d spotted it. Plain black crepe in a sleeveless classic style, the dress fitted her figure perfectly from the moment she slipped it over her head and wriggled it down over her slim hips.

  “Even the two inch length above my knee is perfect for me,” she’d said to Lisa who’d nodded in agreement.

  “It’s just right, hon,” Lisa had said, “Because although you want to show off those lovely slim, tanned legs you don’t want to look like a slapper in a mini dress. Yep, it’s simple, yet chic, and just the thing to impress the bosses.”

  Katie had hugged her in thanks and then later when her other close friend, Sarah, joined them she had loaned her a fine string of pearls and pearl stud ear rings which complemented the outfit perfectly.

  Picking her mobile up she pressed Lisa’s number.

  “Hey, there,” Lisa said. “How’s the dress look?”

  Katie moaned and told her what had happened, and then held the mobile at a distance ready for the blast of derisory comments.

  “The bastard!” Lisa fumed. “What the hell is going on with this guy?”

  In the past she would have defended Tim to the end of her days but now she simply couldn’t find the strength anymore. “I don’t know,” she said. “Within the last two months alone he’s missed his parent’s silver wedding, my cousins’ engagement, and Sarah’s thirtieth birthday party, and that’s without arrangements to meet after work to see a film or go to the quiz nights at the pub.”

  She could hear the pathetic whine in her voice and struggled to keep the lump in the back of her throat down. She pleaded, “What am I going to do, Lisa?”

  Lisa’s voice changed instantly as she went into full support mode. “OK. At the moment you’ll do nothing. You’re going to get to that party and knock the socks off them. And then on Saturday we’ll meet with Sarah for lunch and talk it through together and try to
sort this crap out.”

  Katie swallowed hard and took a deep breath. “You, know, I could kill him for doing this to me at such short notice, Lisa, and what makes it worse is that if I’d known he wasn’t coming earlier, either you or Sarah could have come instead of wasting £150 for the ticket.”

  Lisa giggled. “Oh, sweetheart, I would have done but I have a hot date with this gorgeous guy who’s just to-die-for…”

  Katie smiled. “And Sarah is out with Mark, too,” she said. “So, I’ll just have to go to the ball like Cinderella and make the best of it.”

  “Tsk,” Lisa tutted. “But you don’t need him. I’ll admit he would have been an asset to have by your side because he is so passionate about food and it does make him charming to talk to but you’ll be fine on your own, won’t you?”

  Katie took another deep breath and reassured with Lisa’s support she agreed she’d be OK with as much conviction as she could muster.

  “Of course, you will,” Lisa replied firmly, “I mean, you’ve slogged for eight years since you joined the company as a junior and now look at you, a fantastic team leader ready to step up to the project manager’s position. You can do this job standing on your head and as for selling yourself, well…”

  Katie grinned at her friend’s confidence in her. Lisa Harding worked in PR and everyone they knew reckoned she was the best at what she did. Lack of confidence wasn’t even on Lisa’s radar and if anyone knew how to pitch themselves it was her. Katie wished her luck with the new guy and then listened to another round of instructions: shoulders back, smile on your face, and knock ‘em dead.

  Draining her glass of wine she thought fondly of Lisa who had the knack of turning a bad situation around so that you always came away feeling better, and then realising the taxi was due she slipped the dress on. She smoothed her hands over her hips and for a moment saw herself how she hoped Tim would have seen her, generous breasts with a tiny waist and slim shapely legs. But sadly that wasn’t going to happen tonight. A sudden idea of charging into the restaurant’s kitchen and showing him exactly what he was missing and then throwing his tuxedo at him or into a pan of boiling soup flashed into her mind, but this would only make her look foolish. Grinning with the thought of how much it would embarrass him though she grabbed her clutch bag, pushed her feet into black patent heels and ran out of the apartment.

  Daylight was fading and the bright street lights heralded the start of London’s busy night-life as the taxi manoeuvred its way along the Strand. Throngs of people spilled out of restaurants and hotels onto the pavements as the juggling mixture of buses, cars, and bicycles fought their way into positions. The window of the taxi was pulled half-way down and the noise of people laughing and shouting filled Katie’s quiet space while she shuffled trying to pull her dress further down because her legs were sticking to the plastic cover on the seat. She thought of how much Tim would have enjoyed the buzz and laid her hand on the empty space on the seat – she missed him being next to her.

  What was she going to do about their relationship? She groaned silently, it was petering-out fast and she didn’t know how to get it back on track. They’d been so happy living together in the apartment for nearly fourteen months now, or at least she had. But, maybe he wasn’t and wanted something more or someone else? Shaking the bad vibes from her mind she promised herself she wouldn’t think of it again until she got home.

  The party was held in The Lancaster Room at the Savoy and Katie marvelled at the interior. The website had described it’s décor as ‘sparkling with timeless elegance and glamour’ and when she walked into the room she decided they had it in a nutshell. Although it was a large room with high ceilings, it was warm and she gazed upwards at the glittering lights from four huge chandeliers while listening to the quiet soft notes of Gershwin’s music. It was the ideal choice for the party because it had a clear floor space for dancing and even a small stage where the chief executive would make his speech to open the new advertising campaign. She walked through the room from the tall white Art Deco doors and spotted her two junior technologists, Harry and Alice who were looking at the seating plan pinned to a clip board and she called out a greeting.

  Alice smiled sheepishly at her with excited bright eyes. “Is my dress OK?” she asked Katie nervously.

  Katie knew this was Alice’s first big function with the company and was determined to enjoy herself but at the same time didn’t want to let the department down in any way.

  “It’s perfect, Alice,” she said hugging her warmly.

  Harry stepped forward and kissed Katie’s cheek. “And will I do?” he asked her, grinning broadly in his black tuxedo and freshly gel-spiked hair. He was only twenty one and fresh out of University but she loved his open, sincere personality and eagerness to learn.

  “It’ll do very nicely,” she said beaming back at him.

  Waitresses and waiters in the obligatory black skirts and trousers with clean white shirts wandered amongst groups of people with trays of champagne flutes and Katie inhaled the heady mixture of strong female perfumes.

  “I think we are sitting at table six,” Harry said as they helped themselves to a glass of champagne and manoeuvred their way in between round tables covered with white tablecloths and gilded chairs with cream upholstery. Table six was towards the back of the room and they found their names on place cards propped up in front of white linen napkins, and silver and blue decorations. A silver candelabrum stood in the centre of the table with three white candles and Harry lit them while Alice delightedly fingered her card which had a blue background and her name in silver print.

  Excitedly Alice squeezed Katie’s arm and looked in wonderment around the table. “Oh, isn’t it all just beautiful?”

  “It certainly is,” Katie agreed while counting ten tables strategically placed around the room. “I just wish we could have been on a table nearer the front.”

  Awestruck, Alice whispered, “Well, we couldn’t expect to be sitting at the management tables.”

  Katie sipped her champagne thoughtfully. “Of course we couldn’t,” she said, but looked longingly at table three where ten of the company’s project managers were seated and gritted her teeth in determination - she would get her name card onto that table next year if it was the last thing she did.

  The room buzzed now with more colleagues arriving and loud greetings with the expected air kissing of cheeks, and by eight o’clock there was only one remaining empty seat at their table, which of course was the seat meant for Tim.

  Oh, God, here we go again, she thought smiling brightly and explaining Tim’s absence for the third time in only fifteen minutes. Irritatingly, she knew as long as the chair remained empty it would continue all night - and then as if she’d been sent a gift from heaven her senior food technologist, Frances, arrived.

  Frances was an old hippie. She was nearly forty with wild, uncontrollable, frizzy ginger hair, protruding grey eyes that often looked as if they were standing out on stalks, and was very overweight.

  “Hiya,” Katie said pulling out the spare chair for her, “I thought you would be sitting with your sister on the other table?”

  “Oh, I’m supposed to be but she’s driving me mad already and they’re all such boring farts in HR and finance…”

  Katie laughed at her when she explained again how Tim couldn’t make it, Francis plonked herself down onto the empty chair. “Great, I can sit here with you guys and have a laugh,” she said winking at Harry and Alice.

  Katie likened Frances to a whirlwind in the office where she worked in complete and utter chaos. Her area was always in a mess and Katie often had to beg her to tidy up to which Frances would inevitably throw a big squashy arm around Katie, guffaw with laughter and tell her to chill out. Frances was without a doubt the kindest, most sincere person Katie had ever met and she knew she gave the team an older but steadying balance that it needed.

  Frances tapped her arm. “Pass that bottle of champagne, Katie,” she said laughing. “And
let’s get this party really started.”

  Giggling, Katie filled Francis’s glass and watched her knock back half the wine in one go, while young Alice stared at her in surprise.

  “Now,” Frances said. “Before I get too inebriated I have to tell you something I found out about the project manager’s role.”

  Katie leaned towards her in anticipation. Her CV and application form were already submitted for the job and Francis’s sister, Susan, who worked in personnel might know how many other candidates had applied.

  Francis licked her lips and then hiccupped. “Well, apparently there’s only one other applicant who will be asked for interview and she’s only got four years of experience,” she said squeezing Katie’s hand with encouragement.

  Digesting the news Katie said excitedly, “But I’ve got twice as much as that!”

  “Yep, I think you’re going to walk it, my lovely,” Francis said grinning. “And I can’t think of anyone else that deserves it more - sounds like a done-deal to me.”

  “Oh, I hope so, Francis,” she said, “I know I’ll be a good project manager. And I want it so much I can just about taste it!”

  Francis laughed. “Well, here comes our starter, let’s taste these fabulous prawns instead.”

  The fresh seafood smell was divine and Katie’s mouth watered in anticipation. “These prawns are delicious, they’re so succulent and sweet,” she exclaimed. Francis nodded her head in agreement with her mouth full and then lapsed into contented silence while she gave the food her undivided attention.

  Once the meal was finished the chief executive stood on the stage and an automatic respectful silence fell upon the room. He was a chubby man in his late fifties with a bald head that the light seemed to twinkle on, almost as though it had been polished for the special occasion. He explained how well they were doing against their retail competitors and the layout of the new campaign while Katie listened avidly hanging upon his every word. It was all very exciting and ideas started to race around in her mind.