Children of the Sea 02 - Sea Fever Read Online Free PDF Page B
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and the grandkids. We’re having a big party. And I want you to cater it.”
Regina felt a spurt of satisfaction, warm and sweet as biting into pastry filling. She knew her food was good. But she didn’t get many opportunities to show what she could do. “Um, I’m not really set up for—”
“We don’t do catering here,” Antonia said from the kitchen pass through. “We do take-out. You can look at a menu, if you want.”
35
“Oh.” Jane’s face folded. “Well . . .”
“How many guests?” Regina asked.
“I don’t— thirty?” Jane guessed.
She could do thirty, Regina thought, excitement balling in her stomach. She could feed thirty in her sleep. As long as Margred was willing to help with setup . . .
“Talk to the inn,” Antonia said. “The chef there can probably—”
“I already asked at the inn. Forty-eight dollars a head, he wanted, and twenty-four for the kids, who won’t eat nothing but chocolate milk and hot dogs anyway.” Jane’s soft jaw set. “I want you to do it.”
“So take a menu,” Antonia said.
“Frank really liked those little crab cakes,” Jane said to Regina.
He liked her food.
She could do this.
“Why don’t I put together some ideas,” Regina said, already reviewing appetizers in her head. Tiny grilled sausages, that was easy, the kids could snack on those. Canapes. Maybe Gorgonzola with pine nuts?
Roasted asparagus wrapped in proscuitto. “I can come by the shop later to talk. Thursday?” Thursdays she worked from lunch until close.
“Thursday morning?”
Jane beamed, relieved and triumphant. “Thursday morning, sure.”
“Is that all you came in for?” Antonia asked.
“Yes.” Jane’s gaze flickered to Margred; lingered on her belly. “And to see the bride, of course.”
“Well, you’ve seen her. Now we can all get back to work. Real work,” Antonia added as Jane sailed out the door. “Not wasting time and money on Frank Ivey’s birthday party.”
36
“It’s not a waste,” Regina argued. “We can do this. We should do this.”
“We don’t have the staff,” Antonia said.
It was an old argument, one that started the headache behind Regina’s eyes. They alternated shifts now, mornings and evenings, both of them on during the lunch and dinner hours and Margred filling in as needed. “So we hire—”
“Who?” Antonia demanded. “Anybody around here wants to pick up extra cash, they get it working the stern on a lobster boat, not scrubbing pots or serving fancy appetizers.”
“I’m just saying if we developed a catering business— just as a sideline—”
“We’re doing fine without it.”
“We could do better.”
Catering would give her a shot at an expanded menu and more flexible hours. But what Regina saw as an opportunity, her mother saw as a rejection of everything she’d worked for.
“So now you have a problem with the way I’m running the restaurant?”
Regina’s head pulsed. “No, Ma. It’s business.”
“It’s bullshit. Jane only came in here because she wanted to get a good look at Maggie.”
Regina pressed her fingers to her temples. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“I’m only telling you what everybody’s saying.”
“What are they saying?” Margred asked.
“You got married in an awful hurry. Could be—” Antonia paused uncharacteristically before plunging on. “Some folks figure you must be pregnant.”
37
“Ma!” Regina protested. Instinctively, she looked for Nick, but he was upstairs in the apartment they had shared since she brought him home over seven years ago: four small rooms with mice in the walls and the smell of garlic and red sauce rising from the kitchen below.
“What?” Antonia folded her arms across her chest. “Some people find out they’re expecting, they actually marry their baby’s
Regina felt a spurt of satisfaction, warm and sweet as biting into pastry filling. She knew her food was good. But she didn’t get many opportunities to show what she could do. “Um, I’m not really set up for—”
“We don’t do catering here,” Antonia said from the kitchen pass through. “We do take-out. You can look at a menu, if you want.”
35
“Oh.” Jane’s face folded. “Well . . .”
“How many guests?” Regina asked.
“I don’t— thirty?” Jane guessed.
She could do thirty, Regina thought, excitement balling in her stomach. She could feed thirty in her sleep. As long as Margred was willing to help with setup . . .
“Talk to the inn,” Antonia said. “The chef there can probably—”
“I already asked at the inn. Forty-eight dollars a head, he wanted, and twenty-four for the kids, who won’t eat nothing but chocolate milk and hot dogs anyway.” Jane’s soft jaw set. “I want you to do it.”
“So take a menu,” Antonia said.
“Frank really liked those little crab cakes,” Jane said to Regina.
He liked her food.
She could do this.
“Why don’t I put together some ideas,” Regina said, already reviewing appetizers in her head. Tiny grilled sausages, that was easy, the kids could snack on those. Canapes. Maybe Gorgonzola with pine nuts?
Roasted asparagus wrapped in proscuitto. “I can come by the shop later to talk. Thursday?” Thursdays she worked from lunch until close.
“Thursday morning?”
Jane beamed, relieved and triumphant. “Thursday morning, sure.”
“Is that all you came in for?” Antonia asked.
“Yes.” Jane’s gaze flickered to Margred; lingered on her belly. “And to see the bride, of course.”
“Well, you’ve seen her. Now we can all get back to work. Real work,” Antonia added as Jane sailed out the door. “Not wasting time and money on Frank Ivey’s birthday party.”
36
“It’s not a waste,” Regina argued. “We can do this. We should do this.”
“We don’t have the staff,” Antonia said.
It was an old argument, one that started the headache behind Regina’s eyes. They alternated shifts now, mornings and evenings, both of them on during the lunch and dinner hours and Margred filling in as needed. “So we hire—”
“Who?” Antonia demanded. “Anybody around here wants to pick up extra cash, they get it working the stern on a lobster boat, not scrubbing pots or serving fancy appetizers.”
“I’m just saying if we developed a catering business— just as a sideline—”
“We’re doing fine without it.”
“We could do better.”
Catering would give her a shot at an expanded menu and more flexible hours. But what Regina saw as an opportunity, her mother saw as a rejection of everything she’d worked for.
“So now you have a problem with the way I’m running the restaurant?”
Regina’s head pulsed. “No, Ma. It’s business.”
“It’s bullshit. Jane only came in here because she wanted to get a good look at Maggie.”
Regina pressed her fingers to her temples. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“I’m only telling you what everybody’s saying.”
“What are they saying?” Margred asked.
“You got married in an awful hurry. Could be—” Antonia paused uncharacteristically before plunging on. “Some folks figure you must be pregnant.”
37
“Ma!” Regina protested. Instinctively, she looked for Nick, but he was upstairs in the apartment they had shared since she brought him home over seven years ago: four small rooms with mice in the walls and the smell of garlic and red sauce rising from the kitchen below.
“What?” Antonia folded her arms across her chest. “Some people find out they’re expecting, they actually marry their baby’s
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