Rituals for Love (9781476761893) (21 page)

Riley entered the dining room balancing three dishes, two on her arm one in her hand. “I thought you were coming back in the kitchen to sample these dishes,” she said, placing them on the bar in front of me.

“Oh, man,” I uttered apologetically. “I got wrapped up talking to the customers and it slipped my mind. What do we have here?”

She sat in the bar chair. “I have prepared three dishes using a few of the spices we tried on Sunday. First, we have a broiled branzino with olive oil, long pepper, artichoke hearts, and roasted cherry tomatoes. Next is a thinly sliced roasted duck breast with a fennel pollen glaze, and lastly, filet mignon grilled with a garlic and fresh avocado leaves paste.”

“Riley, this looks delicious.”

“I wanted to experiment with the flavors for you. If you like how they taste, maybe you can add them to the menu at Genesis.”

I asked one of the busboys to bring over utensils. He placed a
set in front of me and handed one to Riley. I tried the fish first. “This is very moist. The artichokes are tender and the olive oil, long pepper, and tomatoes give the branzino a rich flavor.”

She stuck her fork into a piece of artichoke, tomato and then fish. She closed her eyes when she tasted it. “That's gooood.” A smile spread across her lips as she nodded. “Right?”

I laughed. “I can see you enjoyed that.”

“I'm not only a chef, I'm true a foodie. I get carried away when I eat something good. Try the duck. It's medium well.”

I cut a slice in half and sampled it. “Tastes a little citrusy.”

“The fennel pollen has citrus notes, but I also used a bit of fresh-squeezed orange juice in the glaze.” She ate the other half of my slice. “I'm getting hints of honey, as well. It's really fresh on the palate.”

“Let's see what you've done with the beef.” I cut two pieces and pushed one to the side of the plate closest to her. I put the filet in my mouth, and this time I was the one closing my eyes. “All three of these dishes are delicious, but this one may be my favorite. Maybe it's the garlic with the avocado leaves, but it gives the beef depth.”

“I think fennel pollen on the duck and the avocado leaves on the beef also have a similar anise flavor.” She took another bite of the fish. “This one is my favorite.”

“Do you want a drink?” I asked.

“Why not.”

“What can I get you?”

“A glass of sauvignon blanc will be fine.”

I poured the wine, placed it on a coaster and slid the glass in front of her. “I'm going to share these ideas with Jade. Any or all of them would be perfect for our menu.”

I ate the rest of the beef while she finished off the fish. We both worked on the duck breast, eating off of the same plate.

“I'm always experimenting with new tastes. I know you don't want to tinker too much with the menu, but I'm hoping we can do some exciting things with our specials in the future.”

“Oh, we can definitely do some things. Let me know your ideas and we'll make it happen.”

“It'll be nice to try out recipes on the guys in the kitchen. It's different getting the opinions of other culinary professionals. I'm usually forcing my family to give me feedback. It's tough to get people who aren't skilled in the trade to be able to make distinctions on alternate preparations or which herbs and spices are complementary to one another.”

“So that means you took my feedback with a grain of salt.”

She laughed. “No, that's not what I was saying.”

“Yeah, sure. I heard you loud and clear.”

“You're not the average person I was referring to. You own two restaurants. Your brother is a chef. You're dating a chef. I'm sure you know more than most.”

“That's right. I know good food,” I kidded. “What does your family think about your new job?” I asked, switching gears.

“They were surprised at first because they know how much I enjoy working for myself. But after I explained how it was an opportunity to grow in my craft, they understood the transition.”

“Do you have a big family?”

“My immediate family is small. Just my mom and my sister.” She looked down. “My dad passed when I was in high school.”

“Sorry to hear that. I lost my mother to breast cancer when I was sixteen.”

“Then you know how it is.” She sipped her wine. “I do have lots
of aunts and uncles and tons of cousins. In that respect, I have a big family.”

“Do you have anyone special?”

“You mean a man?”

“A man… A woman… These days you can't assume.”

“No, I guess you can't. I'm seeing someone. I'm not sure how serious it is or if I even want it to get to that point.”

“How long are you together? If you don't mind me asking.”

“Almost six months.”

“Ah, you're in that critical stage when you either let go or go for it.”

“I know,” she said, with knitted brows. “I'm trying to figure that out now. I'm not sure if he's as supportive as I need him to be.”

“I would imagine that could potentially be a deal breaker.”

“Absolutely. Especially because it's second nature for me to support someone I care about. I don't want to have to convince someone to be there for me when I need them.”

I poured more scotch in my glass. “Do you want a refill?”

“Why not. I can't let you drink alone.”

One of the busboys asked if we were finished with our dishes since they were wrapping up in the kitchen. I handed him the empty plates and utensils. “We'll take care of the glasses.”

Riley tapped her refilled glass against mine and took a sip. “If you don't mind
me
asking, how long have you been in your relationship?”

“Over a year, but we knew each other before we started dating.”

“You were friends first?”

“More like acquaintances. We had been to each other's restaurants and had a cordially competitive relationship.”

“That's interesting.”

“Well, Jade was probably more competitive than me.” I chuckled at the thought. “She liked to tell me she had the best restaurant in Long Island and mine was a distant second.”

Riley gasped. “Ouch.”

“Of course she was kidding about the distant part, but she was serious about Rituals being the best.”

“What do you think about that?”

“I don't think it matters. As long as we're both winning.”

“That's sweet, but you mean to tell me that you don't have an opinion on which restaurant is better?”

“I didn't say I didn't have an opinion. I said it doesn't matter. We're going to support each other either way and help one another to make sure our businesses continue to prosper.”

“I can respect that. I'll just have to pay Rituals a visit the next time I'm in New York and judge for myself, since you won't answer.”

“That's fine. Just make sure you buy the most expensive item on the menu.”

We talked some more while we finished our drinks. The last of the staff was leaving. Riley checked her watch. “I should probably get home.”

“Let me take these glasses to the kitchen and lock up my office. I'll walk out with you.”

Riley waited by the front door as I turned down the lights and set the alarm. We exited the restaurant together. Our cars were the only two left in the lot, and hers was parked one row over from mine. “I'll wait until you get in your car,” I said.

She crossed the lot, digging in her purse at the same time. She stood next to the driver's side door but didn't get in. I figured she was looking for her car keys in her bag. She bent down for a moment as if she dropped something. A moment passed and she was still
kneeling beside the vehicle. I headed over to her car and called out to her as I approached. “Is everything all right?”

“I have a flat tire.” She stood up. “I see a nail sticking in it.”

“I can change it for you real quick.”

“I don't have a spare.”

“No spare?” I asked in disbelief.

“It's a long story.”

“Well, it's a little late to call roadside assistance. I can give you a ride home.”

“No, I don't want to put you out. I can call my sister.”

“It's no problem at all.”

Riley gave me directions to her house and entertained me on the ride with a story about needing extra room in the trunk for catering supplies. Out went the spare and in went her mobile kitchen supply cabinet.

I pulled into her driveway and put the car in park. “You should probably call to see if you can get roadside assistance to meet you at the restaurant first thing in the morning.”

“I will. Thanks for the ride.”

“I told you it was no problem.”

Riley reached for the door handle and then hesitated. “Thanks, again. I really appreciate it.” She leaned over and gave me a one-arm hug and kissed me on the cheek.

“You're welcome,” I said quietly. “Goodnight.”

She got out of the car and walked to her front door. She turned and waved before disappearing inside. I backed out of the driveway and headed down the street. I looked in the rearview mirror and shook my head. “No room for a spare…”

T
he cocktail waitress handed me a second vanillatini. I thanked both her and Omar and sipped my drink. He had asked me if I wanted to meet for happy hour at Club Blaze. I was finishing up at Genesis and decided why the heck not. After a day of meeting with suppliers, reviewing resumes, and working on my menu, I could use a drink. Blaze was Ernest's club. He had a grown and sexy clientele, and I enjoyed myself every time I went. My first time was with my brother and cousin, Fitz. It also happened to be the night Omar and I met.

“I'm surprised you agreed to meet me,” Omar said.

“I don't know why that would surprise you. I was still in the city and I happen to like Blaze. Not to mention, with the day I had, happy hour was right on time.”

“Basically, I'm lucky the stars were in alignment.”

I lifted my glass. “Basically, I needed one of these.”

Omar was about to respond when Ernest came over to where we were sitting in the lounge area. “My dude, what's good?” Ernest gave Omar a brotherly handshake.

“Jade, I'm surprised to see you.”

“That's what I said, too,” Omar chimed in.

I stood to give the teddy bear a hug. “I know it's shocking,” I replied facetiously. “I was in need of a good happy hour and Omar asked me to meet him.”

“How's my man, Terrence?”

“My brother's good. He's planning his wedding and working hard.”

“I have to catch up with him soon.” Ernest looked from Omar to me. “It's good to see you. Whatever you need, I got you. The next round is on me. Omar, we'll holla later.”

Omar nodded.

“What was that about?” I asked.

“He probably wants to talk to me about his portfolio.”

“It didn't sound like that to me.”

“I'm sure it's nothing.” He took a long swig of his beer. “Your brother and Ernest were in the service together, right?”

“Marines.”

“That's right. It's small world. We may have never met if they didn't know each other.”

“You mean if you weren't trying to pick me up.”

“You were watching me just as much as I was watching you that night.”

“That is not true.” I laughed. “If you recall, I was up in the VIP section looking down on the main level. I was looking at everyone. You were staring at just me.”

“I won't deny that. However, when I motioned for you to come down to the bar, you didn't say no.”

“I was thirsty.”

He burst out laughing. “That's cold.”

“I have to make sure you get the story right because it's funny how people remember the same event in different ways.”

“That's why it's better to focus on the here and now,” he said, looking into my eyes. “What did you think of the picture I sent you?”

“What were you expecting me to think when you sent it?”

“That my eight-by-two looked good.”

“You do realize I've seen a penis before?”

“You hadn't seen mine.”

“I didn't ask to see yours. My man has a penis that I can look at any time I like. I think you should reserve the penis pics for the next woman you try to woo.”

“You think I'm wooing you?”

“I don't really know what you're trying to do. You broke up with Damaris, and you're single now, but I'm not.”

“You can't blame me for testing the waters.”

“Your boat is about to tip over. Stop testing.”

He chuckled. “I'm capsizing?”

I started to laugh, too. “Yes.”

“I don't want that to happen.”

The waitress came over with another round of drinks. “These are on the house.”

Omar tipped her and handed me another vanillatini.

“I'm barely finished with my last one.”

“Welcome to happy hour.”

I finished my second drink and began sipping on the next one. I bopped my head to the music as the deejay played a hot song by Usher.

Omar leaned against the backrest and smiled. “Damn, our timing was off.”

“Didn't you just say we need to focus on the here and now?”

“That's exactly what I'm going to do. Come on, let's dance.”

“No,” I shook my head emphatically, “no, no.”

“Friends dance together. Come on.” He held out his hand.

I shook my head again.

“You came out, you might as well enjoy yourself,” he pressed.

I reluctantly got up and went with him to the dance floor. He was moving before we even made it. I had to laugh. He knew how to have a good time. The music was jamming and we fell into a laid-back two-step. As I moved from side to side, my sway felt a little slow. I was starting to feel the effect of the vanillatinis. They were sweet, but they were strong.