A Kitchen Affair Read online

  A Kitchen Affair

  Title Page

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Epilogue

  A Kitchen Affair

  Carol Preflatish

  Smashwords Edition

  Copyright © 2013 Carol Preflatish

  Second Edition 2015

  This book is available in print at most online retailers.

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  ALL RIGHT RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic, in whole or in part, without written permission of the copyright holder.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  Cover Art Layout: DusktilDawn Designs

  Cover Artist: Dawné Dominique

  Back Cover Design: Mysti Parker

  Chapter One

  "Thank you, and come back again." Jenny Marshall watched as the customer walked out the door of the Sweet Tooth Bakery. "I can't believe the Thanksgiving rush has started already. The holiday is still weeks away."

  "This is just the beginning, I'm afraid," Becky Temple told her. "I've owned this bakery for ten years and next week is when everyone realizes they need more pies and rolls."

  "I understand that several companies have their company dinners about now too."

  "That's right and all their orders are in there baking right now. How are your classes going? Is culinary school all you thought it would be?"

  Jenny carried a rack of bread to the display case and placed them inside. "It's not too bad. I wish I could attend full time, but I can't afford to pay rent and tuition without working."

  Another customer came in and Becky waited on her. "Thank you. Enjoy your pies. I don't suppose you could give me a few more hours a week here at the bakery, could you? I could sure use the extra money."

  "I wish I could, but the budget won't allow it. Why don't you try catering some holiday parties?"

  "There's too many state regulations involved with catering. You aren't allowed to use your own kitchen—things like that."

  "Wait, I know what you can do and it would be perfect for you." Becky looked through some magazines that were stacked under the counter and finally pulled out Professional Cook Monthly. She fumbled through the pages until she found the article she was looking for. "Here it is. You could be a personal chef."

  Jenny took the magazine and began reading the article while Becky waited on another customer.

  "Thank you. Have a great Thanksgiving," she said, as the customer left the store. "Well, what do you think?"

  "I don't know. It sounds good. You do all the cooking at the client's home, use their pots and pans, and...."

  "Collect the money and go home," Becky said, finishing Jenny's sentence.

  "But, would there be enough business in River Bluff, Ohio with only fifteen-thousand people in town?"

  "I've always heard that there are ten millionaires living in River Bluff. That would be a good start. And, we're only an hour from Cincinnati. Once you get established here, you could expand into the city."

  Din-a-ling "Speak of the devil," Becky whispered. "There's one of our millionaires right now."

  Derek James, one of the town's most eligible bachelors, walked in and stood in front of the display case. His dark eyes gazed at all the sweets and every strand of his black wavy hair was in place. It looked like he hadn't shaven yet today and she thought that was so sexy.

  Jenny stepped back and let Becky wait on the handsome man. The James family had always been well known in the area. They owned the biggest company in town and were responsible for employing about a third of the residents. She had often daydreamed about living in his huge mansion and having as much money as him. The daydream often ended with Derek's arms around her.

  "Can I help you?" Becky asked.

  "Yes. My housekeeper left a message for me to pick up four pies here," he said.

  "I just baked your pies this morning, so I know they're ready. Jenny, would you get Mr. James' order from the back?"

  Startled at Becky's request, Jenny rushed to get the boxes of pies and brought them right out. She sat them down on the counter without saying a word and went back into the kitchen to listen through the window.

  "That will be twenty-four dollars and fifty-nine cents," Becky said, after pushing some keys on the cash register. He handed her his credit card. "Looks like you’re having a party with all these pies." She swiped his card through the reader and waited for the authorization.

  "I'm supposed to have a Thanksgiving dinner for my executive staff this weekend, but it looks like I'm going to have to cancel."

  "Cancel? Why?" Becky asked.

  "My housekeeper, who is also my cook, had a family emergency out of state and left this morning. I don't think she will be back."

  Becky pulled the receipt from the credit card machine and handed it to him with a pen. "There's several caterers in town. I'm sure one of them could help you."

  Derek signed the slip of paper and handed it back to Becky. "I've called every caterer in town and they're all booked. I even offered to pay extra, but they couldn't work my dinner in. You don't have any other suggestions, do you?"

  Jenny knew exactly what Becky was going to say next.

  "Have you ever thought of hiring a personal chef?"

  Oh my God, I can't believe she said that. Panic flushed throughout Jenny's body and she thought her knees were going to buckle.

  "I don't have time to go through the process of interviewing and hiring someone to replace my housekeeper."

  "No, a personal chef is someone you hire on a job-by-job basis. They come to your home, cook your meal, clean up and leave. I know someone who does this and I'm sure she's available," Becky said.

  Jenny quickly sat down on the stool next to her so as not to fall to the floor.

  "That would be perfect. Could I have her number?" he asked.

  "I can do better than that." Becky turned called for Jenny. She took a deep breath and stepped sheepishly out from the kitchen.

  "You're the chef?" Derek asked.

  His gorgeous eyes stared right at her. "I-I guess so," she stuttered.

  "She's being modest. She's a wonderful cook and currently a student at the Cincinnati Culinary School," Becky boosted.

  "You would save my life, if you could do this. I know this is short notice, but are you available for hire on Saturday night? I'd be willing to pay very well."

  His smile could melt ice and she found herself mesmerized by him. She had to think fast. Could she do this job? Would she look like an absolute fool if the food came out bad? Would working that close to him make her mind start to daydream about him and end up burning the food? How could she not do this? This was Derek James standing in front of her, handsome sexy Derek James.

  "If you need to check your calendar, I could call you later," he suggested.

  "No! I mean, no need for that. I am available this Sa
turday."

  "Great. Can we go over a menu?"

  "Excuse me," Becky interrupted. "I'm afraid you'll have to do that after she gets off work from here. Her personal chef work is her own and not affiliated with the bakery."

  "Of course, I understand." He looked at Jenny. "Could I have your card and I'll call you tonight."

  Cards? "I don't have any with me right now, but I'll give you my name and number." She scribbled her contact information on a piece of paper and handed it to him. "The best time to call is after 5:30 tonight."

  "Thank you so much. I had no idea what I was going to do, but you may have solved my problem. I'm expecting around twenty people. Thank you. I'll call tonight." He turned to leave.

  "Mr. James, you forgot your pies," Becky called.

  With a blushing face, he returned to the counter to get his pies and credit card receipt. "Thanks."

  As soon as he walked out the door, Jenny turned to Becky. "Are you crazy? I have no idea how to be a personal chef."

  "Then, you should've said no to him."

  "Say no to Derek James? Are you kidding?"

  Becky rolled with laughter. "Your shift is almost over. You better go home and figure out the menu."

  "Oh my gosh, a menu. Who buys the food? I won't have enough money to buy food for a dinner party for twenty!"

  "Relax, take the magazine home and read that article. It tells all about it. Figure out a menu and how much it will cost for the food and then tell him you'll need a deposit. It'll be fine and you'll do great. You can do this, Jenny."

  During the drive home from the bakery, Jenny made a mental list of things she needed to do before talking with Derek about his party. Number one on the list was making business cards.

  Once home and sitting at her computer, she finally decided on:

  Jennifer Marshall

  Personal Chef

  555-5507

  After fixing herself one of her special blends of coffee, she laid down on the couch with the magazine article and made some notes about her new venture.

  At five-thirty on the dot, her phone rang. Her heart skipped a beat just knowing it was him. After taking a deep breath, she answered, "Hello."

  "Miss Marshall?"

  "Yes."

  "This is Derek James. I spoke with you at the bakery today about cooking for my dinner party this weekend."

  "I remember."

  "Good. I was wondering if we could meet in person tonight to go over some menus ideas?"

  "Tonight? I-I suppose we could. Where do you want to meet?"

  "How about right now at my home? You could bring some sample menus and quote me a price. Although I will tell you, I would pay just about anything for you to do this for me." He laughed.

  "I could be there in an hour," she said.

  "Great. Let me give you directions to my home."

  "Oh, I know where you live."

  "You know where I live?"

  "I think most people in town know where you live. You're a very well-known person."

  "Really? And, you knew who I was when I came in the bakery today?" he asked.

  "Yes. I've seen your picture in the paper many times. I really should leave soon and I need to gather my things together for our meeting."

  "Of course, I'll see you in a little bit."

  The phone clicked and she realized she wasn't prepared for this. "He wants sample menus. I don't have time to make up any menus." She then thought about some of her classes at school and the papers she had done for them. She searched through her computer files until she found the documents she needed.

  "This will have to do for now." She printed off the menus, slipped them into a file folder, put it inside a soft black leather bag along with the business cards she had made, and headed out the door.

  Twenty minutes later, she turned onto the driveway of Derek's huge home. Through the gates, she followed the long winding hill up to the two-story brick home. Her stomach felt like it did when she rode the roller coaster at Kings Island Amusement Park. To say she was nervous was an understatement.

  As she approached the front door, Derek stepped out and greeted her. "Welcome," he said with a smile. He had changed into jeans and a black sweater, but that sexy stubble was still there.

  "Thank you. Your home is beautiful," she said as she entered.

  "With the early winter hitting, I'm afraid the grounds look rather drab right now. The spring and fall seasons are much better to see all the foliage. Let me take your coat." He helped her remove her jacket and laid it on the loveseat next to the front door.

  "Do you decorate your lawn for the holidays?" she asked.

  "Decorate? No, I never have."

  "It's probably too late for this party, but if you're planning some later holiday parties, it could add a little more festive spirit if your guests were treated to some decorations as they drive up from your gate."

  "That's a good idea. I don't suppose decorating is included in your chef services, is it?" he joked.

  "No, I'm afraid not, but I'm sure I can find someone to do that for you."

  "Let me show you to the kitchen. Since that's where you'll be working, I thought we could meet in there."

  She followed him down a hallway toward the rear of the house. Jenny felt as though she was walking through one of the homes she had seen in House Beautiful magazine. Everything had its place. Actually, she thought, it looked too perfect, almost as if no lived there.

  "Here we are. This is the kitchen."

  "Wow," she said, before realizing how impressed she sounded.

  Derek chuckled. "I've never heard that reaction to a kitchen before."

  "I'm sorry, but your kitchen is wonderful. I wish I had this much space in mine," she said.

  "Let's sit over here and we can discuss my dinner." He walked over to a small breakfast table in the corner next to the window and held the chair for her to sit.

  "Thank you."

  He sat to her left and immediately started in with questions. "Do you have some sample menus I could see?"

  Jenny brought out some of her homework documents for him to look over. "Here are some ideas I've come up with in the past." She handed him a folder. When she did, one of her computer-made business cards fell out.

  He picked it up and looked at it. "I guess this is for me?" and placed it in his shirt pocket.

  He then opened the folder and began looking through it. "I don't understand what I am looking at," he said. "This looks like homework."

  Jenny closed her eyes. "It is homework." She opened her eyes back up and found him staring at her. "I'm so sorry Mr. James, I have to be honest with you. I'm not a Personal Chef, not yet anyway. I work part-time at the bakery and go to culinary school part time." The little voice in her head told her to stop talking, but she couldn't. "Becky, the owner of the bakery, and I had just discussed being a personal chef right before you walked in today. It was a way for me to make a little extra money and you mentioned needing a cook for a party and Becky suggested me, and...."

  "Whoa, slow down, stop." He held his hand up. "So, you aren't a Personal Chef and you've never done this before?"

  "No, I never have." She felt so ashamed.

  "But, you are going to culinary school, so I assume you do know how to cook, right?"

  "Yes. I'm a very good cook," she said.

  "Do you think you can cook a dinner for my party?"

  "Yes."

  "Well, it's either that or cancel my dinner and I really don't want to do that."

  "So, you're not mad?"

  "No, I'm not mad."

  Relief. "You still want me to cook for your dinner?"

  "Yes, if you think you can."

  "I know I can fix a dinner that your guest will enjoy."

  "Then, I think we should discuss the particulars," he said.

  She pulled out one of the menus from the stack of papers he held. "This is a holiday dinner I planned for one of my classes. I can change anything you don't like."

 
Derek looked over the lists of food ideas and immediately made a comment. "I don't need the pies. I bought them today, remember?"

  "Okay, I'll strike the pies." She wrote that down on a pad of paper.

  He continued to study the menu. She liked the way he concentrated on it, taking an interest in what would be served.

  "I like the rest of it. It's a traditional Thanksgiving dinner."

  "May I make one suggestion?" she asked.

  "Of course."

  "I think you need another dessert in addition to the pumpkin pies you already have."

  "Why do you think that? My housekeeper ordered four pies."

  "Having something else will give your guests an option, especially if they don't like pumpkin pie."

  "I suppose you have something else in mind?" he asked.

  "I make a wonderful Toffee Cheesecake and I've never had any complaints about it."

  She saw his eyes light up. "That does sound good. Okay, add that to the menu."

  "Great. Now, how many guests will be coming?" she asked.

  "It will be my executive staff and their wives or girlfriends. Nineteen in all?"

  "Nineteen? Is someone not bringing date?"

  After a brief hesitation, Derek answered her question. "That would be me."

  "Oh." She felt her face flush with embarrassment and she changed the subject. "Did your cook already have the turkeys purchased?"

  "I don't know." He got up and Jenny followed him to the pantry where there was a large deep freezer located along the back walk. He opened it and both looked inside for the turkeys.

  "I don't see any," she said.

  "I have a problem then, don't I?" He lowered the door on the freezer and they walked back into the kitchen.

  "Not necessarily," she said. "Do you have an account at any of the markets in town?"

  "I have no idea. Louise did all the shopping."

  "But, you paid the bills. You must know if you have an account that you're paying on."

  "She always used my credit card," he said, finally remembering. "Can you take care of getting the groceries you will need for the party?"