Just a Taste (7 page)

“Why are you here?”

“I came to visit. See what you're up to.”

“And?”

“And I fought with my mom. I needed to get out of there. She's just so picky.” Rosa slipped into a heavy accent. “Rosa, you wear too much makeup. Rosa, put on more clothes. Rosa, you need a better job. Find a good man, Rosa.”

Carmen smiled at her cousin. “You should take that act on stage. You've got her down.”

“Ugh. I always wished your mom was mine. She was so cool. I miss her.”

“So do I. But she wasn't always cool. She nagged too. Just about different things.” Carmen sat next to Rosa. “Maybe your mom wouldn't yell so much if you were a good girl like me.”

Rosa snorted. Sometimes Carmen had a hard time believing there was only two years between them. Rosa always seemed so much younger. Or maybe Carmen just felt old.

“So who were you talking to?”

“Huh?”

Rosa pointed to the phone that Carmen still gripped. “Oh. Liam called. He decided to quit his job so he can run the food truck.”

“What?”

Carmen shook her head as she spoke as if to force everything to make sense. “We share ownership, so we discussed hiring someone to run it. But he called to tell me he's ready for a change and wants to take over.”

“Fuck that shit. That's your business, Carmen. You should fight the will. What was your dad thinking?”

“He was thinking that I'm not a chef, and I don't want to be. Liam offered to sign over his half to me, but that wouldn't be right. My dad wanted him to have it. I already have everything else and it's too much.” She set her phone on the table and leaned back into the couch, unable to get comfortable.

Rosa still looked angry on her behalf. “What's his story? He just shows up out of nowhere and takes half your business?”

“He moved on after working at the restaurant. He finished school and became a chef. Dad kept in touch with him. Liam was like a son to him.”

“He didn't need a son. He had you.”

“But I never wanted to cook with him. I did everything I could to get out of the kitchen. Liam loved being there, even if all he did was wash dishes.” She didn't really know how she knew that because she'd never had a conversation with Liam about it. Maybe she was just making an assumption, but she didn't think so. It wasn't like he came into work skipping with excitement. It was more that he intently watched everything so he could learn. People didn't do that unless they were invested.

“Still think it's crazy. What's Wonder Bread know about making tacos?”

Carmen felt the need to defend Liam and her father's choice. “He went to culinary school. He's a chef. He learned from my dad. I'm sure he's capable.”

Rosa sighed. “I worry about you. You're always putting everyone else first. I don't want him to take advantage.”

Carmen felt the laugh bubbling up. “Trust me. He's not.”

“Okay.” She rolled her eyes. “I'm bored with this conversation. Let's do something.”

“Like what? I have work to do around here.”

Rosa stood. “I'll help. Let's go.”

Carmen joined her cousin and explained that she needed to get rid of her parents' bed and decide what to do with the rest of the furniture. As usual, Rosa only half-listened because she was already turning the radio on, blaring music for them to dance to while they worked.

As stressed as she'd been, dancing through the house with Rosa felt right. They worked and laughed and at the end of the night, Carmen began to feel like she would be able to find her way back to being herself. She needed to discover who she was after the grief lifted and she only had herself to care for.

Liam walked into Porter's earlier than usual so he would have time to talk with Jonathan before the rest of the staff showed. He quickly changed and then knocked on Jonathan's office door.

“Come in.”

Liam entered the cramped office, suddenly nervous. He'd been so sure of this move earlier, but now, his stomach sank. “Hi, Jonathan. I need to talk to you.” He reached out and handed him the paper.

“What's this?”

“My resignation. I have the opportunity to do something a little different. I inherited a food truck.”

Jonathan laughed as he read the letter. Then he looked up. “You're serious?”

“Yes.” When had Liam ever joked with Jonathan?

“You're leaving here, leaving being a chef, for a food truck?”

“I'm still a chef. Just a different location.”

“You're going to run a roach coach. That's not being a chef. You'll have no real opportunity.”

Liam took a deep breath. “With all respect, I don't feel I have much opportunity here either.”

Jonathan stood, dropping the resignation on the desk. “Then go.”

“I'll give you two weeks. I'm not trying to screw you and leave you with no chef.”

Jonathan pointed to his chest. “
I
am a chef. You want out, pack your shit and go.”

Liam strode out of the office before he did something he would regret. He didn't want to get a reputation as a troublemaker. If the food truck failed, he'd need to find a new job and couldn't afford to have Jonathan saying anything negative about him. Back in the kitchen, he packed his knives.

For almost three years, this had been his home. No, not really home. It had never been his place, but he'd spent more time here than anywhere. He would miss it. He thought about staying until the rest of the staff arrived so he could say good-bye, but then Jonathan slammed out of his office.

“Still here?”

Staying any longer wouldn't be welcome. Maybe he'd stop by the bar they liked to go to after service to say his good-byes. He'd have the added benefit of not having to do it in front of Jonathan; he never joined them for a drink.

With his knives rolled and his change of clothes in hand, Liam walked out the back door. Instead of the continued sinking feeling he'd had in the office, he felt lighter, less stressed. In his car, he called Moira to invite her to dinner. Unfortunately, she didn't answer. Busy again. That girl had a social calendar that would rival any celebrity's.

Next, he called Carmen to let her know his schedule had opened up.

“That can't be good,” she said. “He told you to get out?”

“He was mad. Don't worry about it. Bottom line, I'm free to get the feel of working on the truck.”

“I have the information you need. I have the regulations for you to read. I also have the rest of the books.”

“What time works for you?”

“Any time.”

“I'll come over at nine tomorrow?”

“How about I come to you? I've been cooped up in the house and it'll do me good to get out.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. You're always coming here.”

“I don't mind.”

“I know. I'll bring coffee. How do you take yours?”

“Black.”

“Okay. See you at nine.” She disconnected, and he didn't know what to think about her wanting to come to his apartment.

He brushed aside the thought. She probably did need to get out of her house.

Driving back home, the edgy feeling returned. The added free time with nothing to do got to him, so he decided to cook. He could've called any of his other siblings and he'd probably find someone who was free for dinner, but instead he called Lily. She rarely worked the dinner shift at the diner and she was always up for a cooking lesson.

“Hey, Liam. What's up?”

“You want to come over and cook dinner with me?”

“I thought you had to work.”

“I'll explain when you get here.”

“Who said I was free?”

He heard the playfulness in her voice. “You always have time for me and a cooking lesson.”

“You don't have to be cocky about it. I'll be there soon. Want me to bring anything?”

“Nope. I have it covered.”

Thirty minutes later, Lily stood at his door with a bottle of wine and a package. He took the wine and asked, “What's that?”

“A present.” In the living room, she opened the box and pulled out a bunch of pillows and a blanket. “I'm tired of your living room looking like you don't even live here. I tried to figure out what you would like, and I thought you needed something to make the place more inviting, more comfortable.”

She tossed two purple pillows on his black couch and then threw a red one on his recliner. The blanket had the Chicago Bears logo on it, so at least she got that much right. He loved a good football game. Hell, he loved a bad football game.

“I thought this would be good for curling up and watching the game.” She folded it in half and laid it across the back of the couch.

“Thanks. That was really thoughtful.” He turned toward the kitchen. “I was thinking we could make some pork tonight if you're up for something new.”

“Ooo . . . I don't really like pork. Unless it's bacon. Everyone loves bacon.”

He set the bottle of wine on the counter. “There's more to pork than breakfast.”

She went to the sink to wash her hands, but looked at him like she didn't quite buy it.

“What kind of pork have you tried?”

“Fried pork chops. My mom makes them at the diner.”

“I thought we agreed we wouldn't compare our cooking to what's served at the diner. I know you love your mom, and diner food has its place, but don't go there.”

“Okay, I'm game. What are we making?”

“Carnitas.”

“What?”

“Mexican pork tacos.” He pulled the meat from the refrigerator. He figured he needed to brush up on his Mexican cooking. “It ties into the news I have.”

“You mean the news about why you're not working?”

“I quit.”

She dropped the towel she'd been drying her hands on. “You quit? Porter's? Why?”

“I have a new offer.”

“That's so exciting.” She jumped at him and threw her arms around him in a hug, squeezing tightly. “Where is it? I didn't even know you were looking.”

“I wasn't looking. This kind of fell into my lap.”

She released him and he got the remaining ingredients out. Then he told her about Gus and the food truck.

Lily still needed guidance on her knife skills, so Liam instructed her again, showing her how to hold the knife and the vegetables. He curled his fingertips in on top of the pepper and sliced the knife down in front of them, slowing his motions for her to observe how he moved.

She sighed. “I don't think I'm ever going to get this.”

In truth, he was starting to doubt it too. “Here.” He walked behind her and picked up the pepper and handed her the knife.

He placed his hand on top of hers, protecting her fingers, and guided her chopping. Once she had the rhythm, he stepped back and went to his own knife. He felt her gaze on him. From the corner of his eye, he looked at her. “Pay attention before you slice a finger.”

“Yes, sir,” she said with a smirk. “So what made you decide to take over the food truck?”

“It's something Gus would've wanted. His daughter, Carmen, has a lot to handle right now.”

Lily set her knife down. “Look at you, going all white knight. When does this new adventure start?”

He finished chopping while he spoke. “I'm not sure. The truck is ready. It's an established business, so it's just a matter of getting back on the road. Before I start, I'm going to work with Carmen to understand everything.”

The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. It had been a long time since he'd felt the eagerness of something new. He put the pork in the pan to cook. “We have about an hour for the meat to be done.”

“Then let's open the wine to celebrate.”

“A little early for wine, don't you think?”

“It's fine.” She reached for the bottle, but he grabbed it first.

While he worked the corkscrew, Lily brought glasses from the cabinet. He filled their glasses and they took the drinks, along with the bottle, to the living room. Lily drank her first glass quickly and poured a second. If she kept up that pace, she wouldn't make it to dinner.

After one big gulp of her second glass, she inhaled and blurted, “I think I want to go to culinary school.”

The admission didn't shock him. Lily had shown an interest in cooking the entire time he'd known her. “Congratulations?”

She rolled her eyes. “How did that sound? I've decided to tell my mom.”