Yes Chef, No Chef

Yes Chef, No Chef - By Susan Willis

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.

The business unit manager for her department, David Shaw, stood up to speak next and boasted about the increase in his sections sales. “And, in particular, I’d like to mention the dessert section which has increased our sales this year by nearly 60% which is largely due to Katie Wilkinson and her team,” he said proudly smiling across at Katie.

Her heart soared with happiness and she could feel her cheeks flush as everyone turned to look at them and began to clap. Katie grinned back at everyone and then silently mouthed the words, ‘thank you’ at Francis, Harry, and Alice for all their hard work.

When the speeches were over she stood next to David, discussing some of his new ideas and while she was making sure he knew that she was one hundred per cent behind the campaign, the chief executive approached them with a young man she hadn’t seen before. He was tall and slim with a slick young Tom Cruise look about him and wore a ‘look at me I’m stinking rich and don’t I know it’, expression on his face.

“David!” the chief exec boomed in his loud penetrating voice and shook his hand vigorously, “I’d like to introduce my nephew, Alex.”

David’s face flushed with the recognition, and the friendly greeting - he shook Alex’s hand.

Katie gave the chief exec her warmest smile as David said in reply, “This is Katie Wilkinson, my product development team leader in the dessert section.”

Alex reached across his uncle to take her hand and grasped it so roughly that she almost squealed with shock. He was squeezing her hand so hard she felt her pearl ring digging into her little finger.

“Alexander Jennings,” he said staring intently at her and for one split-second Katie could see in his eyes that he knew just how much pain he was causing to her fingers. Defiantly she met his intense stare and without losing his eye contact she managed to slide her hand out of his vice-like grip. While David was talking to them both she put her hands behind her back and rubbed her stinging finger. Although she felt like wincing in pain, the smile she’d plastered to her face never flagged.

Alex asked. “So you must be the sweet stuff in the section, are you?”

Katie’s mind raced, who was this guy and what on earth was he doing here? She realised the chief exec was staring at her and David was staring at Alex with a mixture of puzzlement and apprehension.

“Sweet stuff. Dessert? Get it?” Alex asked and the three men laughed loudly at the pathetic pun. She could tell David’s laughter was mixed with relief that Katie hadn’t been affronted by the sexist connotations in the comment and that she hadn’t retaliated, and she knew the chef exec was probably too old and naïve to understand the hidden insult. As Alex bored them all with tales from his time at Cambridge University she wondered where he worked and why the chief exec had brought him - he looked more suited to posing in adverts for Calvin Klein boxer shorts than working in food retail. Maybe he worked for one of their competitors like Marks & Spencer or Waitrose she wondered, and found herself staring uncontrollably at him.

In between her and Alex a young waitress with trembling hands managed to topple two glasses of champagne on her tray, and while Katie smiled reassuringly at her and helped her upturn one of the glasses, she noticed Alex sneering arrogantly at the young girl as though she was a piece of dirt under his shoe.

Hmm, what an idiot he really was, she thought, and for the first time that night she was pleased Tim wasn’t with her because he wouldn’t have been able to hide his contempt for this guy. It wasn’t often she took an instant dislike to anyone but she had with Alex and was pleased when, with a joke from the chef exec about how he was trying to get Alex to join the company and make them all pots of lovely money, they said their farewells and moved away to talk to another group of managers. Katie and David were stunned into an uncomfortable silence with neither of them wanting to say exactly what was on their minds. So, mumbling about getting a proper drink of whisky, David headed off to the bar and she re-joined her friends at the table.

After dancing, drinking her fill of champagne, and smiling until her cheeks ached she said to Francis, “Gosh, it’s nearly midnight. I’m going to get a taxi and make a push for home. I don’t want too much of a hang-over in the morning. Can I drop you off first?”

Francis had just returned from the dance floor with Harry where she’d been trying to teach him a jive. Failing miserably they’d had everyone laughing hysterically. Her face was bright red with the exertion and she was sweating profusely, the sleeves on her flowing kaftan-style dress had ridden up exposing her fat puffy arms and Katie gently patted them back down into place.

Heaving in and out she tried to catch her breath. “No, Katie, I’m OK, thanks. Think I’ll cool down a little and have another drink,” she said gulping down a glass of water.

As Katie waited in the foyer overlooking the spectacular view of the Thames she felt her exuberant mood flatten, thinking about Tim, and when she climbed into the back of the taxi it dawned upon her that probably for the first time since they’d met she wasn’t actually looking forward to seeing him. She sank gratefully into the seat and rested her head back, silently groaning at the thought of the inevitable argument that would take place later where she’d accuse him of letting her down again and he’d chant out the same old excuses. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be and it certainly wasn’t like this in all the chick-lit novels she read. The heroines in the books were full of spirit and determination to fight for their men, and a couple of months ago she too had been like that. But now, after trying to hang-on in there, all she felt was bone-weary. Pep talks from Lisa and Sarah about how Bridget Jones wouldn’t roll over and accept Tim’s bad behaviour made her smile and when the taxi pulled up outside their apartment she took a deep breath to bolster herself for what lay ahead, paid the driver and entered their front door.

They always kept their keys in the glass bowl on the small hall table and because it was empty she knew he wasn’t home from the restaurant. She decided to go straight to bed and try to fall asleep before he got back. This way, she decided, they wouldn’t continue the argument where they’d left off earlier. Then, remembering his words about keeping the dress on, she slipped it over her head and chucked it rebelliously into the laundry basket before climbing under the soft white duvet.

Closing her eyes, she tried to empty her mind, hoping sleep would take over but thoughts about Tim and their relationship tumbled around mercilessly. How could things have gone so badly wrong in a couple of months? And, although he was making it damned hard for her with his dreadful behaviour, compared to when they’d first moved in together, she still loved him to bits. Or did she? And, was it just the memory of the former Tim that she was still in love with?

Knowing it wasn’t just her that he was being horrible to helped a little as his family were also complaining about his attitude. She remembered last week when his sister, Jenny, had called him an arrogant, selfish prat, and his father, who was a man of few words, had sadly shook his head in disappointment at him. But when they’d got home and she’d wanted to talk about it, because secretly she agreed with Jenny, he’d simply shrugged his shoulders and denied any wrong doing. At the moment it seemed to be everyone else’s fault in Tim’s eyes.

Turning onto her side, and in an attempt to pin-point exactly when it had started she thought over the last few months week by week and decided the changes had begun more or less from the first week in his new job as head chef at the restaurant, and although she knew how hard he’d worked for the promotion and certainly deserved it, she hated the way the pressure of work seemed to be changing his personality. And he’d had such a lovely personality when they’d first met she thought dreamily, sinking her cheek further into the duck-down, soft pillow.

She let her mind wander through the first week they’d got together, remembering how lovely, kind, and down to earth he’d been. They’d met through Frances at work and it had been, if not love, then lust at first sight, and by the end of their first date when he’d stared at her with those penetrating green eyes and devoured her mouth with the most passionate snog she’d ever had, she’d known he was going to be very special. She’d never kissed anyone like that before and remembered how her lips had felt on fire, and how she’d wanted to go on kissing him forever. In fact, she’d been so engrossed in the kiss that without realising it she’d started to slide from the edge of the leather settee and he’d caught her just in time to stop her falling. Afterwards, she couldn’t remember how or when she’d wrapped her legs around his body, because her mind had stopped thinking altogether and she’d been so completely caught up in the exquisite pleasure of feeling that she was part of him and he was part of her.

But now, although the sex was still fantastic, it was the loving tenderness that seemed to be missing. Was this what happened to couples when they’d lived together for a while? Maybe it was a classic case of the honeymoon period being well and truly over. Deciding this was definitely a question for Sarah and Lisa on Saturday, she heard his key in the door.

“Hey, gorgeous, thought you’d be wearing your little black dress for me,” he whispered into her ear while she felt him cradle her back with his body. His feet were cold when he selfishly wrapped them around hers, and she could smell red wine on his breath, so she lay very still, breathing deeply and hoped he would think she was asleep. It worked and she felt him pull her further into his body and start to lightly snore. Christ, if anyone would have told her six months ago that she’d be doing this she’d have laughed in their faces. But she wasn’t laughing now; she moaned softly and felt a tear leak out of the side of her eye.