Yes Chef, No Chef

chapter Seventeen



Katie’s mum stood next to her on the doorstep at her new flat on Grafton Road while she fiddled with excitement trying to get the key into the lock.

“Well, it’s a lovely street,” her mum muttered looking around her, while Katie finally managed to get the door open and they walked down the hall looking into each room.

Katie opened the door to the new kitchen-diner and her mum exclaimed with pleasure. “Oh, what a lovely light room. This’ll make a great kitchen for you to work in love,” she said grinning at her.

Katie agreed and walked straight to the French doors opening them with the smaller key attached to the key ring. “And, I have a small garden, too. Not that I know anything about gardening.”

“Well, I’ll help you with that,” she cried delightedly and wandered out tipping her head back to let the sun touch her face. “And, it’s south facing so you’ll get the sun all day and late into the evening.”

Smiling at the pleasure on her mum’s face, Katie went back to her car, unloading bags and boxes onto the pavement. Her mum was right she thought contentedly, it was a lovely street and in a well-looked after area of London. Nodding her head in satisfaction she returned with the first two boxes into the hall and her mum fished out the most important items; a kettle, mugs, coffee and milk. Drinking their coffee they made a plan together of which rooms to clean and paint first and Katie told her on which days her new bed and furniture would be arriving.

“So, if all goes according to plan I should be able to spend my first night here by Thursday at the latest. And the workmen are starting to install the new kitchen on Wednesday so I need to have the room painted and ready for them.”

Her mum nodded in agreement in the quiet room when a gentle tapping noise above them made her raise an eyebrow and look questioningly at her daughter.

“It’s the old lady upstairs I think. Apparently she’s lived there for years and is blind now. The estate agent said she has a white stick?”

“Ah, bless her. You see, love, there’s always someone worse off than yourself. Thank God, I’ve got my health,” she said. “But I hope the tapping isn’t going to irritate you?”

Katie smiled at her. “Not at all, Mum, I suppose it’ll be a noise like traffic that I’ll get so used to, I won’t notice after a while and maybe the day the tapping stops will be the day to worry. I might call up later to say hello and ask her if she needs any shopping.”

Her mum sipped her coffee then beamed at Katie dunking a chocolate biscuit into her mug.

“Did Michael say he would definitely come this afternoon?” Katie asked in between munching through the soggy biscuit. “I really need the light bulbs in and blinds hung as soon as possible and because I wobble anywhere near the top of the ladder…”

Her mum sighed. “Well, you know Michael; he’s always rushing around but I’m sure he won’t let us down.”

Katie grimaced; he won’t let you down she thought but if I’d asked him to come and help he’d be complaining and whinging from the minute he arrived. But she consoled herself with the knowledge that he would definitely come because mum had asked him and was the same as herself and Jack - none of them would ever say no to her or indeed refuse to do anything she asked of them – it was simply an unspoken law.

Katie started cleaning and sweeping the kitchen ready to paint while her mum worked hard cleaning the bedrooms, bathroom, and lounge and by the time Michael arrived and hung light shades and put blinds at the windows, the flat was beginning to look more homely.

“You know, I would much rather have these floorboards stained than laying a carpet,” she said standing in the lounge while Michael stood on the top of the ladder pushing a light bulb into the socket. “But I suppose it would be expensive?”

He climbed down and went to the switch on the wall to make sure it worked. “Well, it would be if you got a company to do it but you can hire sanding machines and buy the tins of wood stain quite cheaply.”

Her mum had come in behind the door. “Well, Michael you could do that for Katie, couldn’t you?” she asked. “I mean, you are off work this week?”

She could see his shoulders sag before he turned around to face their mum. “Yeah, I’m on holiday. You know, Mum, it actually means you take the week off work to have a rest,” he said sarcastically.

“Now, now,” her mum soothed, and Katie sloped off into the bathroom because she didn’t want to be involved in the discussion that would follow. Looking into the mirror she noticed a smudge of white emulsion smeared down her cheek and lathered a wet face cloth with soap to scrub it off. Smiling, she imagined how her mum would be working on Michael because she’d seen her in action many times before. She’d start with his conscience about helping his sister because she’d been left on her own and he’d eventually agree because at the end of the day he wouldn’t be able to say no to her, and so grinning in triumph she decided to have a rustic brown colour for the floorboards.

On Saturday morning Katie ran through the doors of the bistro and searched the room for Sarah and Lisa. They were sitting at a table in the corner; heads bent studying the menu and both looked up quickly when she called out a greeting.

"Sorry I’m running late," she said breathlessly, "I got caught up with the finishing touches to the new kitchen."

"Oh, does it look good?" Lisa asked smiling affectionately.

Sitting down she draped her denim jacket around the back of the chair. "Fantastic – it’s worth every penny of my hard earned cash."

Sarah looked concerned. "I think you look tired, Katie?" she said and looked at Lisa who nodded her head in agreement.

Lisa said, "I suppose it’s bound to take its toll. I mean, starting a new business on top of buying the flat? Well honey, these are what the shrinks call major life changes."

"Look, its cool," she said reassuringly. "I know I’ve been rushing about for the last two weeks or so but now I’m through the thick of it I can start and chill-out a bit. Really, it’s all going to work out just fine."

“Hmm,” Lisa queried.

She put her hand over Lisa’s hand and squeezed it. "I’m just so grateful we managed to complete on time and it all went through without any hiccups.”

"Well, I hope you do start to chill-out soon because men don’t like tired looking gals,” Lisa said warily.

Katie clicked her tongue in disbelief and slowly shook her head as if to say what utter rubbish. "Can we order now, please,” Katie begged. “I’m starving!"

Shrugging her shoulders in resignation, Lisa smiled across at the young waiter who was hovering near their table. He hurried across to them with his gelled, spiked hair, clean white shirt, and an eager to please grin. Lisa elegantly tossed her hair back over her shoulder and he pulled his pad out of the pocket of the slim hipped jeans he wore and stood poised with pen in hand.

"OK, I’m going to have a seafood pizza and salad," Lisa purred seductively, "And we’ll have a bottle of Chardonnay."

Katie stifled the giggles when Sarah looked at her, raised an eyebrow and mouthed the words, "Oh, puh-lease!"

When the waiter had taken their orders and Lisa had fawned and simpered over him he hurried off to the kitchen.

Sarah complained primly, "Really, Lisa, he’s young enough to be your son!"

"Rubbish!" she retorted crossing her long legs that were clad in black, leggings and tucked into thigh-high boots. "Anyway, even if he is I’m only having a bit of fun." Sarah begrudgingly laughed at her because it was hard to be affronted by anything Lisa said or did and shrugging her shoulders Katie gave her a ‘que sera’ expression.

She looked around the bistro wondering if she looked as tired as the girls said she did, just as the waiter arrived with the wine and opened the bottle to fill their glasses. Katie grinned at him as he managed to tear his eyes away from leering down Lisa’s cleavage which, falsely enhanced by a wonder bra, made the most of her small breasts in a low cut vest. His face flushed with embarrassment when he realised he’d been caught in the act and Katie mused, God, but they start young these days, and once again was appalled at how much like her mother she sounded.

Lisa said, “The guys at work are trying out a new diet which seems to include copious amounts of broccoli, beetroot, and hard boiled eggs. Two of them have lost quite a few pounds already.”

Sarah gently shook her head in disbelief and her girlish face twisted in puzzlement. “Jeez, how can professional women be so gullible to believe that such a food plan will actually make them lose weight?”

Lisa sipped her wine and visibly relaxed with pleasure. “I know, I told them to follow my example and eat grilled mackerel.” She said smiling proudly. “Of which, I’ll have you know I’ve now managed to cook twice on the grill pan without it sticking.”

Sarah giggled at her. “Hey, Lisa, that’s great. I’m soooo proud of you.”

Sarah started to tell her how to cook salmon in the oven and they both giggled at the look of horror on Lisa’s face at the mention of actually using her oven, and Katie slipped her feet out of her stiletto heels, which were pinching, to wiggle her toes, relishing the relief of pressure.

Their food arrived just as Sarah was asking about plans for the weekend and Katie smiled in pleasure at the sight of her salad. She told them she would be finishing sorting cupboards in the new kitchen and then burst out laughing when the waiter unfolded Lisa’s napkin and with an exaggerated flourish and placed it somewhat intimately over her lap. She tucked into her chicken Caesar salad with relish because the mornings activities had given her a huge appetite. The green cos leaves were crisp and the croutons crunchy, the strips of white, tender cooked chicken made her mouth water with pleasure and the parmesan shavings and Caesar dressing were the perfect compliment.

Licking her lips she sighed with contentment. "Oh God, this salad is fab! How’s the seafood?" she asked Lisa in between mouthfuls.

Lisa grinned mischievously. "As fresh and tasty as the waiter who brought it!" she said, winking at her with a sly look at Sarah as they both waited for her reproach.

But Sarah didn't even look up from her bowl. She continued to push the fettuccini pasta around with her fork looking miserable as if she’d just had an upsetting memory flash back into her mind.

"Sarah?" Katie asked gently. "You OK?"

She looked up and forced a false bright smile onto her face. "Oh sorry, yes I'm fine."

Lisa looked at Katie over Sarah’s bent head with a quizzical expression on her face in obvious ignorance of the problem. Lisa asked, "Is the pasta OK? Because it looks to me as though you're just moving it around the bowl."

"It’s fine, Lisa," she said, "I'm just not that hungry." In an obvious effort to change the subject and shift the attention away from herself, she asked Katie, "So, what colour is the new kitchen? When we were there on Monday night it was still all in boxes."

Obviously, Sarah didn’t want to talk about whatever was upsetting her and she knew her well enough to back off and wait until later. So, she described the black granite work tops, the island in the centre, the huge American fridge which would be a godsend when the business was up and running, and the set of orange Le Creuset pots her mum had bought for a moving-in present.

"Didn’t you used to have that range?" Lisa asked draining her glass of wine.

Katie shifted awkwardly. "Tim and I did. I mean, it was one of the things from the apartment that I always loved to cook with," she said.

Sarah tilted her head compassionately. "You know, you shouldn’t have left without splitting your things up fairly. Why couldn’t he have offered you some of the household things?"

"Because he’s a selfish bastard, that’s why!" Lisa railed, topping her glass up with wine.

Suddenly, she felt a lump in the back of her throat. "Well, at the time I thought because his dad had given me so much money it would seem calculating of me to ask for some of the household essentials. But I wish I had because it’s all the little bits and pieces that are costing a fortune to stock the kitchen with,” she said and breathed deeply. Sometimes it still hurt just to hear or say his name and decided she might have PMT today because she did feel a little over wrought, unless of course it was the tiredness suddenly hitting her.

Tetchily she said, “And, I was still in my technologist’s job at the time and I suppose he wasn’t to know that I’m setting up my own business. He probably thinks he’ll have greater need of them, after all he is the chef!"

She’d stressed the word chef in an exaggerated arrogant voice, mimicking Tim’s manner of speech.

Lisa snorted. "Yeah, he maybe a head chef at that restaurant but as a man he’s some frigging arsehole!" she exploded.

"Lisa!" Sarah hissed. "Keep your voice down or we’ll get thrown out!"

"Well, I can’t help it," she snapped. "When I think of how arrogant, and up his own backside he is, well, I could just scream!"

Katie gathered some inner strength and fixed her shoulders back remembering her new resolve to look forwards and not backwards. "Yeah, I know. But I don’t want this turning into another we-hate-Tim session," Katie warned, but squeezed Lisa's arm appreciatively. "That’s been done to death. I'm moving on now and the break up is in the past where it belongs."

"Well good onya," Sarah said encouragingly.

The past she thought, he’s all in the past now, and a sudden image of how they’d made love to each other came into her mind and how it had felt to have his firm but tender hands roving up and down her body. An ache of longing so deep and painful swept through her that she found it difficult to catch her breath.

"Katie!" Lisa hissed.

Hearing her name she realised she was daydreaming and simultaneously released the salt cellar she’d been fiddling with. She looked up to see them both staring at her.

"Sorry," she said. "I was miles away."

Sarah laid her fork in the bowl of half eaten pasta. "I have something to tell you and I know it will upset you, but if I don’t..."

Katie looked questioningly at Lisa as if to ask what was coming next but Lisa simply raised an eyebrow beneath her heavy fringe and shrugged her shoulders in ignorance while they both stared at Sarah’s worried expression.

Sarah started tearing the red paper napkin into little pieces now and floundered. "I mean, if someone else tells you and then you find out that I’d known and not said anything..."

"Just tell us, Sarah," Katie said quietly, and took a deep breath to brace herself. Katie had known from the minute the waiter put her bowl of pasta in front of her that Sarah was troubled about something and now her mind was racing imagining the worst. Maybe she was ill, a breast lump or a dodgy smear test?

Sarah shuffled uncomfortably and stuttered, "Well, how do I say..."

Lisa’s patience snapped. "JESUS CHRIST, Sarah! Just say the f*cking words. What is it?"

Katie’s heart was thumping with trepidation now and Lisa’s face looked red and sweaty, she was obviously thinking along the same lines as her - something was horribly wrong.

"I saw your Tim out last night with a blonde girl. And before either of you say it could have just been dinner as a friend, it wasn’t. Because by the time I left the restaurant he was outside and kissing her. And, I don’t mean a peck on the cheek," she stuttered, "H...he practically had his tongue down her throat!"

Katie heard the audible release of breath Lisa had been holding in and she did the same, and for one split second felt overwhelming relief that Sarah was OK. But this was immediately replaced with the words screaming in her brain. Oh my God, he had his tongue down her throat! And it was only a couple of months since they’d split up. Did she mean so little to him that he could go with the first bimbo that fluttered her eyelashes at him she railed, and of course she knew men usually got over things quicker than women; they were hard-wired like that, but for Christ’s sake how could he do that? And, who the hell was she?

Sarah looked pleadingly at her as if to say, 'please don’t shoot the messenger, and Lisa comfortingly stroked the side of Sarah’s arm.

"You were right to tell us, Sarah," she quietly reassured her. "Wasn’t she, Katie?"

But it was taking much longer for Katie to get her brain into gear; her mind felt all foggy as though she was wandering around lost in a strange place.

Absentmindedly she muttered, "Yes, yes, of course."

Sarah babbled, "I...I’ve wrestled with my conscience all night about whether to tell you or not in case it really upset you. But then before, when you said he was in the past and you were moving forward, well..." She looked wildly between Katie and Lisa.

Lisa had started already with insults and Tim-the-bastard comments but Katie hadn’t said a word.

"Honey?" Lisa probed Katie gently. "Are we OK about this?"

Katie could see the worried expressions on both their faces and she gave herself a shake, park it up she thought, and deal with it later.

"Oh sorry," she muttered. "It’s a hellish shock of course, but I’m fine."

Sarah’s eyes were watery and it looked like tears were imminent and Katie knew she wouldn’t be able to cope with Sarah’s tears so she put an arm along her shoulder. "Thanks, Sarah. You’re a true friend."

"Really?" she pleaded.

Sensing the situation Lisa tried to help out. "Of course you did the right thing! If a guy was cheating on me I’d want to know about it and its far better to hear it from a friend than some smug bitch that’d break her neck to tell you."

Sarah looked perplexed and Katie butted in to reassure her even further, "But he’s not cheating on me," she said, "It’s all over between us now and he’s a free agent. I suppose he can go out with whoever he likes."

The waiter arrived with the bill and Sarah split it three ways while they automatically looked for their purses to give her the money. Katie wanted to run. Suddenly what had previously seemed a warm relaxing atmosphere was now unbearably hot and intense - her heart began to race, her mouth dried, and she felt as if the walls were closing in around her. She had to get outside into the fresh air.

"Coffee at mine?" Sarah asked as she pushed her chair back.

But Katie couldn’t wait to get home and be on her own. "You two go ahead but I’m off home. I’ve a beef bourguignon to cook ready for a booking tomorrow," she said and started to head towards the door.

"You all right?” Lisa asked pulling up the zip on her leather jacket and falling into step behind her as they snaked their way between the tables towards the door.

While Sarah paid the waiter inside, Katie stood at the doorway taking deep breaths. "I’m fine," she lied.

Lisa stared into her face. "Sure? Because I can come back with you if you want me to?"

"No, Lisa, but thanks," she said. "I just want to be on my own to do some cooking."

"He’s an effing wanker," she said hugging her tightly. "You certainly made the right decision kicking him into touch."

She felt Lisa’s thin arms gripping her protectively and had to fight to keep the tears at bay. "Don’t say another word or I’ll crack and I don’t want to do that in front of Sarah. She feels bad enough already."

"Fair do’s," she said, and watched Katie shove both her hands down into her jacket pockets, and stride off down the road to her car. "I’ll ring you tonight," she called after her.