Chapter 5

Nathan summoned me to Summers & Co. on his very first day on the job.

His reasoning was plain. He needed to get familiar with the store-front menu items and had heard I knew my way around a kitchen, so he asked me to come help.

Emily blew up over the phone. "Who does he think he is? Andrew, don't go."

I was out on the balcony hanging up my apron to dry.

Charlotte stood in the doorway holding the car keys. "Andrew, you should go."

"Do you really think I ought to?" I asked.

She avoided my eyes. "Nathan just got back and still has a lot to learn. Out of everyone at the company, he specifically asked for you."

I clipped the apron into place. "Alright."

Emily came charging down the stairs with her hair uncombed. "Charlotte, are you sending Andrew to act as Nathan's errand boy?"

"He's only cooperating with Nathan's work," Charlotte said.

Emily let out a bitter laugh. "Do you hear how that sounds?"

Charlotte frowned. "Emily—"

"Don't talk to me. I don't want to speak to you," Emily cut her off.

Linda stepped out from the kitchen carrying a cup of milk. "Andrew, you don't have to go if you don't want to."

I took the car keys. "It's fine. I'll go take a look."

Charlotte studied my face. "Are you really fine with this?"

"If I said I wasn't, would you change your mind?" I asked.

She fell silent.

Emily hurled a throw pillow onto the floor in frustration. "Andrew, you might as well bring that bucket along. Give them a good shock all at once."

Charlotte's expression darkened. "Don't bring up the bucket."

I looked straight at her. "Why can't we talk about it?"

She gave no reply.

*****

When the car pulled up outside Summers & Co., Nathan was already waiting out front.

Several department heads stood beside him.

When I climbed out of the passenger seat, a few of them wore looks of open curiosity.

Nathan came forward with a smile. "Mr. Sinclair, thank you for coming."

"It's okay," I said.

Jane Miller, a female department head in a blue dress, murmured, "So this is Ms. Summers's husband."

The man next to her chimed in. "Word is this guy stays home and cooks all the time."

"Mr. Goodwin gets Ms. Summers's husband helping him on his very first day. It must mean he has quite some special connection with Ms. Summers," Jane said.

Charlotte overheard every word but said nothing.

Nathan chided them, though not in earnest. "Don't talk nonsense. After all, Mr. Sinclair is Charlotte's husband."

Jane ducked her head at once. "My apologies, Mr. Goodwin."

She had not apologized to me. If Emily had been there, she would have ripped Jane's hair out.

I followed them into the conference room.

More than a dozen new dishes sat on the table, all slated for launch at Summers & Co.'s restaurant chain.

Nathan took the head of the table. Charlotte sat beside him, while I remained on my feet.

Nathan gestured toward the plates. "Mr. Sinclair, please taste these. Tell us which dishes are fit for the menu and which are not."

I picked up a fork.

Jane laughed. "Mr. Goodwin sure knows how to make good use of people. A house-husband would understand this sort of thing best."

Nathan did nothing to stop her.

Charlotte shot Jane a glance. "Watch your words."

Jane fell silent right away.

I sampled the first dish, a fish preparation. "This one can't go on the menu."

"What's the reason?" Nathan asked.

"The fish has a fishy aftertaste," I replied.

The head chef's expression soured. "Our kitchen staff tested this three times. Nobody mentioned any fishiness."

Nathan turned to Charlotte. "Charlotte, it seems Mr. Sinclair sets quite high standards."

I prodded the fish belly with my fork. "The blood-vein wasn't removed when the fish was butchered. The seasonings can't mask the off-flavor. Only a small group sampled it today. Once the restaurant gets busy, the whole batch will pick up that bad taste."

The head chef was unconvinced. "How can you be so sure it will turn bad?"

I set my fork down. "There's another half-portion left in the kitchen. Have someone heat it for three minutes."

Nathan smiled. "Do as he says."

Three minutes later, the fish was brought back in.

Jane lifted the lid and immediately clapped a hand over her nose.

The head chef's face turned dark.

Some of the amusement faded from Nathan's eyes.

"Let's move on to the second dish," he said.

I tasted the second dish, shrimp this time. "This one can't go up either."

The head chef's voice turned sharp. "And what is wrong with this one?"

"The shrimp aren't fresh. Sugar has been used to cover up the poor flavor," I said.

The procurement manager stood up at once. "Don't make wild accusations. This shipment arrived first thing this morning."

Nathan's gaze settled on me. "Mr. Sinclair, you need to stand behind those claims."

Charlotte added, "Andrew, don't go by your gut feeling."

I picked up one shrimp and peeled it. "The intestinal tract is black, and the shell pulls away from the flesh easily. Arriving this morning doesn't mean they were caught this morning."

The procurement manager grew agitated. "What would somebody who only cooks know about this?"

I looked him in the eye. "Would you eat three of these right here, on the spot?"

The procurement manager said nothing.

Some people in the conference room stared down at their documents. Others stole glances at Nathan.

Nathan rapped his knuckles against the table. "I will look into the procurement issues."

Charlotte finally looked at me. "Keep going."