FEBRUARY
Kat Cousins smiled as she unlocked the door to her restaurant. She had worked hard and beat the odds. They had a wait most nights and their Yelp and OpenTable reviews were all favorable.
Her mind was on the specials she had planned for the day, but first she had to bake. George, her sous cook, would be in later to start getting ready for dinner. She hummed to her playlist as she rolled out the pasty dough for tarts.
It surprised her to see George. Time flew as she was putting finishing touches on the desserts. He looked at the list she prepared for the prep. George disappeared into the walk-in refrigerator and came out empty-handed. "Where's the zucchini?"
"I ordered them. They must be in there." She sighed as she stepped into the large cooler. No zucchinis. She stepped out with her hands on her hips. "Who checked the order?"
"I didn't. You didn't, so Bryce."
Kat sighed. Bryce was her business partner and boyfriend. He ran the business and the front of the house. She was happy not to deal with paying bills, taking reservations and scheduling the waitstaff.
"I'll go buy some."
"Where is your guy, anyway?"
She shrugged. When she left, he was sound asleep. She went home and crashed after the last plates went out and didn't know what time he got home.
She had to go to two grocery stores to get enough zucchinis. She paid for them using her own credit card.
When she returned, Bryce was at the host stand. She walked towards him with purpose. "Hey."
He grabbed her waist. "Hey yourself."
"Why didn't you mention we didn't get the zucchinis?"
He shrugged. "I must have forgotten."
"I had to buy them. I paid for them. Here." She handed him the receipts.
Before she turned away, he pulled her in his arms. "Smile babe."
She forced a smile, and his lips descended on hers. She gave into them. It was Friday. They were closed on Sundays and Mondays. Even though they work together, they didn't have time for their relationship Tuesday through Saturday.
She pulled back. "I'm running behind."
With her and George's hard work, she was ready when the first guests were seated. Hard work had never phased Kat. She started in her first kitchen at age fourteen busing and washing dishes. Throughout school, she had a part-time job. Her family was firmly middle class which meant a mortgage and credit card bills kept them behind each month. Kat never wanted to have debt, so she worked hard, saved, and bought only what she could afford.
Because she attended an inexpensive two-year program, she used her college fund from Pops, her Grandfather Cousins, to fund the restaurant along with the savings she and Bryce had accumulated. He had made great money waiting tables while she had sweated in the kitchen, loving every moment.
On Sunday morning, she awoke with Bryce asleep beside her. Once again, she had crashed before he came home. She got up to pee, and he didn't move. She longed for leisurely mornings making love, but she woke early and he stayed up late.
In the kitchen of their small apartment, she took out some butter and flour. Even on her day off she loved to bake. Cooking was her career, but baking was her passion. When she popped the turnovers in the oven, she sat down to plan her menu for the week. They offered only a handful of choices and it changed weekly with one new entrée daily. There were some popular favorites which reappeared every few weeks. She added the pepper steak to the list and scallops. Last week featured shrimp. She decided on maple salmon although it was still February. She could feature it again in March. Pleased with her plan, it was complete by the time the timer dinged for her turnovers. She would take them when she visited Pops at the skilled nursing facility later.
After showering, she stood over Bryce who was still dead to the world. He often had a drink after the dining room closed. Not wanting to waste the day, she set out to Pops's place on her own. The air was nippy with the wind. Winters in Boston were cold. She loved living close enough to walk to see her grandfather and to the restaurant, although she only walked on Mondays when she went in to place her orders. After work it was too dark to walk home alone. If Bryce left with her, she could get some fresh air before falling asleep. Some nights she sat on the balcony for a few minutes after her shower. Because of her wet hair, she didn't stay out long in the winter.
She braided her hair damp at night and let it out in the morning. It gave it a wave even though her typical style was a ponytail. She wore her light brown hair down on her day off. After having short hair for years, she had grown it out to reach just below her shoulders. It needed a trim, but she didn't have the time. Even her days off required work.
At the welcome desk, Louise greeted her when she walked. "Kat, you look fresh this morning. I went to dinner last night. The shrimp was delicious."
Kat frowned. "I wish I had known."
"I could see you working. You were so busy. I greeted Bryce."
"We were busy last night, which was wonderful." Still Bryce could have told her, like the zucchini. She took the lid off her plastic container. "I made these this morning. Take one."
The older woman's face lit up. "Thanks. You are so talented."
Kat's heart sang. Pleasing people with food brought her joy like a mother watching her kid on Christmas. Someday the restaurant would be successful enough so she and Bryce could have a baby. Long-term goal, she was only twenty-eight, but Bryce was thirty-one.
She made her way down the hall to Pops's room. It surprised her to see him still in bed. "Hey Pops. What're you lazy?"
"Tired. What did you bring?"
She smiled. "Turnovers, but no eating in bed."
"Leave 'em then. I'll eat them later."
"I can help you sit up."
"No." He gritted his teeth.
Feisty. "Okay, but you'll miss the boys at lunch."
Ever since a series of strokes his mobility had declined. He used a wheelchair and had to be pushed to the room down the hall where meals were served. He sat around with other men, some couldn't feed themselves while others were like him, limited but still capable. Three of them talked about the Red Sox even in the middle of the offseason. "Remember that game in '86 when they came back to win two to one. Oil Can pitched and Boggs and Rice had hits."
Kat would shake her head. The old men had trouble remembering their grandkids' names but they remember Marty Barrett hitting one in September, 1986. Of course that was the closest the Sox came to winning it all until the heartbreak of 2003. Don't get them started on Grady Little leaving Pedro in too long.
Grasping at straws, she said, "Spring training started."
"They're no good anymore. Traded everyone away."
She couldn't argue with him. "Come on Pops. I'll take you for a spin and maybe we'll pop a wheelie."
"Too tired, kitty Kat."
Before she could argue, her parents arrived. Her mother frowned at the man in the bed, but said nothing.
"Hey Kat, Dad. Did we miss the party?" Her father put his arm around her and gave her a squeeze.
Pops complained, "No party in this godforsaken place."
Pop had moved up to the higher level of care after his mobility declined. He had been happy in the assisted living wing attending activities and eating in a big dining room. Unfortunately, he needed more help with his daily routines.
Ramona Cousins asked, "Where's Bryce?"
Kat shrugged. "At home." She didn't dare mention he was still in bed. Cousins were always early risers.
Pops perked up. "She can do better than him."
Seth Cousins squeezed her again. "Dad, you've forgotten. She loves him."
"I haven't forgotten. I just think she should know better."
Kat wasn't sure if she should laugh at Pops's honesty. It hurt that her father didn't sing Bryce's praises. They had been together for ten years.
She had less of a bounce in her step on the way home although her load was lighter without the sweets. Bryce was glued to his laptop screen when she came in. As she walked closer, she saw he wasn't working but watching guys compete in some video game.
He looked up. "Hey, babe. The turnovers were great. How's Pops?"
She shrugged, not wanting to tell about him in bed. "You didn't tell me Louise came in for dinner."
"Who?"
"Louise from the front desk."
"Oh, I didn't remember who she was." He forgot a lot of things. "Come 'ere. It's our day off."
She stepped towards him and his hand went straight for her breast, but she didn't mind because she was feeling the need too. When she put her lips on his, all her worries floated away. It didn't take long before she was pleading for him to take her over the edge.
Panting the two lay side-by-side on their bed. She rolled towards him and kissed his chest. "I love you."
"Me too, babe. What's for dinner?"
She laughed and swatted him. "I'm not cooking. We can get takeout."
"I'm broke. Everything we make goes back to the restaurant."
"We should turn a profit soon."
He smiled. "With your kick ass food we have to."
Kat smiled. He always cheered her up.
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