Personal Chef

Chapter 48

I waited for Shawn to contact me to talk about the photos and the big reveal about his impending fatherhood. Days passed and I heard nothing. In the meantime, several new photos of Shawn and Kat surfaced, probably because the paparazzi were stalking them since they were the hot story of the moment.

His fandom went nuts, and it wasn't pretty. The whole scenario cast me in a bad light, since the generally accepted theory was that I'd lured him away from sweet pregnant Kat. He'd eventually come to his senses and left me, the evil other woman, and returned to his rightful place with the mother of his child. Very few people remained on team #shelsea.

I knew logically that I shouldn't care because the speculation was incorrect, and his fans weren't people I actually knew. Those close to me knew the truth. It still hurt, though. I didn't like being represented unfairly.

With the opening looming near, I focused on my bistro. The day before the grand opening, I was having a 'soft opening' for friends and family. This gave my staff and cooks a chance to practice before we opened for real. Because the event was free, I felt like it was the perfect way to thank everyone who had supported me.

I'd had pretty invitations printed up with the option to RSVP online for three different arrival times. It wasn't realistic for everyone to arrive at once, since I'd never have enough seating. The responses had been immediate, and I was excited that there'd be a good turnout. I was counting on the people who attended to help my business thrive by the tried and true method of word of mouth.

Much of the time leading up to the opening was spent training my employees. I was acting as head chef for now, and I had two other cooks in my kitchen. One of them had worked for my parents' catering company. The other was a recent culinary school graduate. We spent days together preparing the breakfast items we were rolling out with. The key was for each item to be consistent in size and taste. I didn't want the stuffed French toast prepared by one cook to taste different from the same item prepared by me or the other cook.

My waitstaff all had experience, but I wanted them to be very familiar with each food item, which wasn't hard with a small menu. When a customer asked what their server recommended, the server should be able to answer honestly based on having eaten all the dishes. On the days the cooks and I perfected the menu items, the waitstaff came in to eat them.

I didn't expect crowds at first, so people could seat themselves at any of the mismatched two to six person tables. Paige was working as a barista at the coffee bar, which also offered seating for eight. She'd also be overseeing the dining room since I'd be in the kitchen.

The days flew by as we worked to get ready. Before I knew it, it was the day before the soft opening.

I stayed late making sure everything was perfect. I'd spent hours cleaning the place from top to bottom so that it was spotless. Each table had a vase of fresh flowers. The bar had flowers, too, which were pink to match the pretty pink chandelier that hung over it. The kitchen was stocked and ready, and the counters and appliances sparkled.

Before I left that night, I walked around the room feeling such pride. This had been my dream, and I'd made it come true. Thinking of this inevitably made me think of Shawn, because none of it would have been possible without the high-paying personal chef job he'd hired me for. I sometimes regretted falling for my kind, loving, handsome boss, but I could never regret taking that job.

The next morning, Paige and I arrived before everyone else. It was a frigidly cold November Saturday, and I hoped that wouldn't make anyone decide not to come. My cooks and waitstaff showed up earlier than needed, obviously excited about the day.

The first wave of guests were expected at 8:00 AM. We were all standing around nervously when the door opened. Manny, Karen, and Aaliyah were my very first customers. I hurried over and hugged them.