A Table for Two by Janet Albert Page A

of the customers from the soup to the nuts, so to speak."
    "I feel strongly that every part of the meal has to be excellent," Dana said. "I won't have it any other way. I hate when a restaurant serves a good main course but has bad side dishes or when they put little or no effort into their salads and desserts."
    "Even our bread is the best around," Tracy added.
    "And Dana's nice to work for. She gets excited sometimes but it doesn't make her irritable or mean. She's nice to everyone."
    Dana put her arm around Tracy and drew her in for a side hug. "You're not so bad yourself, you know. How could I do all this without you?"
    "Speaking of which...," Tracy said, addressing Ridley. "I'd better get back to work. I hope I see you again, sometime soon."
    "Yeah, me too," Ridley said. "It was nice talking to you."
    Dana grabbed Ridley's wrist. "Come on, I'll introduce you to the others."

    AFTER THE INTRODUCTIONS and a brief tour of the kitchen, Dana left Ridley perched on a stool to observe as she and the other chefs plated their culinary creations in a controlled frenzy of practiced synchronicity. Like twin conductors who had memorized every note of the music and knew every nuance of the melody, Dana and Tracy orchestrated everything that went on in the kitchen and every now and then, one of them handed Ridley a small plate with a sample sized portion of one of the dishes. She tasted puffy apple French toast drizzled with a cinnamon infused cranberry syrup, a small serving of moist and creamy scrambled eggs garnished with herbs and goat cheese and accompanied by the most delicious hash browns she'd ever eaten.
    "No more after this," Ridley said when Dana handed her a small pecan pancake topped with hot maple syrup and a pinch of orange zest. "Everything is delicious and I want to try it all, but I'm afraid I can't eat anymore."
    "That means you'll have to come again," Dana said.
    "I'd love to. The food is fantastic, but I'd come here just for the smells." The kitchen was permeated with the most wonderful sweet and savory aromas and every one of them made Ridley's mouth water. She could identify onions, garlic and peppers sautéing in butter and the salty smokiness of bacon. Now and then, little scented pockets of air floated by her carrying spicy scents like rosemary, thyme and nutmeg or sweet smells like apples caramelizing in brown sugar and butter. No matter what smells drifted by Ridley's nose, the essence of lemons, oranges and cinnamon were always present and she wondered if they'd become permanently imbedded in the kitchen's walls and counters.
    Before long, the last customers were served and brunch was over. Dana removed her apron and hung it over a hook on the wall. After she washed and dried her hands, she said goodbye to Tracy and the kitchen staff and came over to Ridley. "Are you in a hurry to get somewhere?"
    "No. I don't have to be anywhere," Ridley replied.
    "Why don't you come upstairs and see where I live?"
    "I'd love to." Ridley waved her farewell to Tracy and followed Dana through the back door and up a flight of stairs to the second floor apartment. "Laurie and Karen never told me you lived on top of your restaurant. I had no idea where you lived."
    "It's very convenient and I love that I don't have to drive to work." Dana kicked off her clogs on a mat near the front door and pointed to the sofa. "Why don't you sit down? Would you like something to drink? I'm going to have some iced tea."
    Ridley sat on one end of the sofa. "That sounds good to me."
    Dana returned with two glasses of iced tea. She handed one to Ridley and then she sat down on the opposite end of the sofa and drank half of hers. "That's so refreshing. I didn't realize how thirsty I was." She propped her feet up on the coffee table. "It feels good to get off my feet. You have to stand all day in my line of work."
    "Your place is nice. I love the wall color."
    "Thanks. They called it "solitude" and I thought it was cool and soothing. The painters