Martha had Wednesday off, so Kat was on the early morning shift. The day started with the fishing and lobster crews. Some wanted coffee, others bought sandwiches to eat at lunch. Next the residents of The Point trickled in before they set off for work and school.
A good-looking man (weren't they all) smiled at her as she put his coffee down. "I heard you ran a kitchen."
"I, um, needed a change."
He smiled warmly. "It's okay, your secret's safe with me."
Her eyes bore into him. How could he know? "We haven't met. I'm Kat."
He stuck out his hand. "Oliver Barton. Rumor around the place is you need an oven."
"We're working on a proposal. Do you know who the investors are?"
"Nope. But I have an oven or two you can use on Monday and Thursday mornings until you work something out here."
"An oven?" She looked at him questioningly.
He handed her his business card. Chef. Owner. "We're closed on Mondays and my partner and pastry chef is off on Thursdays."
"Why would you offer?"
He smiled. "I'm a sucker for a good muffin. Bring your own supplies. Clean up after yourself."
The logistics of baking off-site didn't make it ideal, not with lugging flour and all the ingredients. She needed containers to bring the baked items back to sell or freeze. Kat winced. Baking only two days a week wasn't her goal, but it was better than nothing.
Kat looked at Oliver and saw him on the calendar wearing a white chef's toque. Hoping not to blush, she blurted, "Your reputation."
He paused for a moment as her words suspended in air. "I got lucky. Hard work and skill was only part of the equation. I have Boston connections and heard rumors. It angers me. Anyone of us could have failed."
"Will you hire me for your kitchen?"
He smiled. "My kitchen is fully staffed and I'm too young to retire. I need to go, but I'll meet you here tomorrow morning. You can follow me."
Kat frowned. She needed supplies and a plan. She also had to find someone to work for her. With her baking, she would need another hourly employee. Would her investor let her hire one? Maybe Will would be interested until the weather turned warmer. When did the lifeguards start at the beach?
When Ivy arrived, she agreed to open with Martha the next day. "I'll be back before lunch."
Ivy shrugged. "No prob. Do what you have to do?"
Kat would work over twelve hours, but it was no different from what she had done at her own restaurant. Nick and Finley, a high school student, could cover the dinner rush. Finley was a good kid who everyone thought was a boy. The female box was checked on the employment application, but there wasn't an 'other' box. That was something Kat should change. Often Nick called his coworker dude. It made Kat chuckle.
Kat had asked Finley directly what pronouns she used. "Any. It doesn't matter. I'm comfortable being a work in progress."
"So, um, you won't be offended when a customer gets it wrong?"
Finley smiled. "There is no right or wrong. I'm not trying to make a statement. I'm just trying to be me."
Kat nodded. "So you don't mind dude?"
Finley laughed. "Nah, it's Nick's way of letting me know I belong."
Kat didn't think she was that mature at sixteen although she worked just as hard. She had never questioned her identity. Given the opportunity and the wardrobe, she would dress up like a girl, but worked hard enough to prove there were no gender disparities in the kitchen. When an older customer called her sweetie or honey she smiled. It didn't offend her, especially since they intended it as a compliment.
Kat had tucked the woman part of her away. Bryce ruined it. Except for appreciating the calendar line up, she wasn't interested in waking up her sensual side.
With her car packed after a trip to the warehouse store, Kat hoped her invisible boss wouldn't mind the expense. She intended to use the supplies to prove baking was more profitable than buying wholesale muffins.
Parking her car behind the building, she brought her perishable items inside. Nick poked his head in the storeroom. "Do you need help?"
She shook her head. "I'm almost done. "
"That's a lot of eggs." He winked.
"Don't worry. I'm not baking here. That's why I need Ivy to cover for me."
"Cover? Does she know who the invisible man is?"
Smiling, she shook her head. "I mean she's taking my early morning shift. I'm planning to ask if we can hire at least one more person."
"Next summer, you can hire my sister."
"Why not this summer?"
He chuckled. "She's only fourteen. Sophie and I started at fifteen."
"I got my first job at fifteen too."
The bell above the door rang, and Nick sprinted out front. She heard him laughing and talking to whoever it was. When the phone rang, she went out front to answer.
Hanging up, she caught Nick's eye as he worked at the sandwich board. "I just took an order for eighteen sandwiches."
Nick turned his gaze towards a group of four including Ivy. "I have these and the gang over there."
Her eyes roamed and stopped on Will and his friends. "Why is it so busy on a Wednesday night?"
"Everyone is watching Sam's special."
She met Sam when he moved her furniture. He spent most of Rick's party taking pictures with his expensive looking camera. "What's his special?"
"It's about the top picks for the draft on NSPN."
"Draft?"
"The NFL. Football."
"Right. You'll miss it."
"Not really. It starts at seven. I'll watch while we close up." He pointed to the TV on the wall.
Mostly it had only been on for baseball which felt bittersweet to Kat. She didn't need a screen to remind her to miss her grandfather.
"I'll help with this order."
He wink. "Just like Rick already."
She chuckled and looked up. Will had been looking in her direction but looked away. She couldn't figure him out. "Let's divide and conquer. I'll do the grill. Nick, the board. Finley, finish them and serve."
They worked in unison, each confident in their tasks. The in-house people were served and the large order sat ready when a person she didn't recognize came to pick it up. She handed over the bags. "We can help get them to your car."
"I've got it, but thanks. They said this place was great."
Kat smiled. "Big party?"
The customer chuckled. "Not quite. We're on a push to meet a deadline at O&C."
She turned to Nick. "What's O&C?"
"It's a biotech company. I wouldn't mind working there one day. The owner lives around the corner."
She shook her head. "This place." The people who lived on The Point were impressive. "I'll be out there if you need me." She pointed to the dining area.
Casually, she strolled towards Will and his friends. "Hi. Nick was telling me about a special tonight."
The blonde guy patted Sam's back. "My brother is talented. The footage he films is amazing."
"I get to know the guys and film their story. Then the network puts it together. I'm excited to see the finished product."
"Sam flies out on Monday to start over again." Rory looked proudly at Sam.
"First Sam leaves. Next WR will be gone." The blonde said.
Kat looked at Will. "Gone? WR? What's your middle name?"
Sam laughed, but Will shrugged. "I go back to Buffalo in July."
"For how long?" She had gotten used to him coming in. Apparently, she knew nothing about him.
"Until February."
She looked around. "I thought you stayed here in the summer. Everyone keeps saying summer at The Point is the best."
"I, um,..."
Before he responded, two men came in. Mike, the Coffeehouse guy, said, "Hey, Will. No nerves for you tonight."
The other guy said, "Just Sammy."
Sam laughed. "I'm excited, not nervous, Dad. I want my guys to do well."
Will nodded. "They will. It's hard not to feel excited. I wouldn't want to go through it again."
Kat felt like she was watching a debate in a foreign language. She looked at Will who cocked his head smiling. She felt deceived, but didn't know how. "Can I talk to you?"
Will nodded and stood. He was tall and looked fit in his performance tee. The guy wore workout clothes all the time. "What's up?"
"Since you were listening to my complaints, I thought you might like to know I have a temporary way to bake."
"Really? How?" His eyes widened.
"Oliver. Do you know him?"
He smiled. "He lives next to our cottage."
"He offered his kitchen on Monday and Thursday mornings. I had to rearrange some shifts, but I'm excited. Come by at noon tomorrow for a treat."
"I'm trying to give up simple carbs."
With a tilt of her head, she looked him in the eye. "You aren't a lifeguard are you?"
He shook his head. "To be fair, I said something like one. I work seasonally and it requires extreme physical conditioning."
"Not using your finance degree."
He shrugged. "Not directly, but I give advice to my teammates."
"Teammates. The draft. You play football?"
He nodded. "For Buffalo."
"Aren't they rival to New England?"
He chuckled. "Yeah, but I'm not giving up my chance because of my hometown team."
"Yeah, I get it. But why did you hide it? I feel like a fool."
"It wasn't my intent. When I'm here, I try to be Will, the kid who ran barefoot on these streets. Everyone knows. I wanted you to meet me like everyone else did, before I made the team."
Deceit reminded her of the loss Bryce caused. Will hadn't stolen her money, and he was barely even a friend. She had a trunkful of secrets she kept hidden. Technically, she shaded the truth in her interview. Rick wouldn't care but the invisible boss might.
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