old suitcase slowly being filled with her clothes. All the chef uniforms were neatly folded, taking up most of the space. Folded and rolled T-shirts lined the edges, crammed in to utilize what was left. ‘I know it’s early.’
‘No, I’ve been up for an hour. The baby is fussy,’ Kat’s tired voice answered before she yawned. ‘What’s up?’
‘I’m going to South Carolina,’ Zoe said, still a little awed by it herself.
‘Things that bad? Did Contiello do something last night after we left?’
‘Nothing out of character.’ Zoe took a deep breath, shoving jeans in to make a new layer across the top of her pile. ‘I talked to Jackson last night and made a complete ass out of myself.’ Zoe quickly told her sister everything from him asking for a receipt to the strange interview, finishing with, ‘What do you think?’
‘I think you’re going to go down to South Carolina and wow the crap out of Mr Levy with your talent.’ She could practically hear her sister grinning. ‘How can he not be impressed with you? I even bet he offers you a bigger restaurant before everything is said and done. And I don’t want you to worry. I’ll take care of everything here. I’ll deal with your landlord and see about getting you out of your apartment so you don’t have to pay rent.’
‘But what if I fail?’ Zoe swallowed nervously.
‘You won’t fail,’ Kat said. ‘You’ll be great. Just make sure you call me as soon as you get there. If it looks dangerous, you call me and I’ll have the Richmond private jet down there within an hour.’
Zoe laughed. ‘Quit trying to find excuses to use the family jet. It’s Jackson Levy. I hardly think the job is going to be dangerous.’
‘I don’t know, sis. Jackson was pretty cute and that can always be dangerous. Feel free to mix business with pleasure, just call me after with the details if you do.’
Thoroughbred County, South Carolina
Zoe blinked rapidly, wondering how long she’d been asleep. Her head hurt from the rude awakening of hitting against the car window. Trees passed by her vision in a long blur of greens and silver. A thin veil of moss draped the limbs like long, tangled strands of gray-green hair drifting in a gentle breeze. Some reached as long as twenty feet and sprouted threadlike leaves. By the light, it was still morning, though how early was hard to tell. Because of her night schedule, she’d not slept well as she’d worried about making her six o’clock flight on time. Only after quitting her job and locking her apartment door for the last time did she realize she’d never really negotiated benefits and pay. She’d been so focused on becoming a chef. This opportunity was all that mattered to her.
‘I see you’re awake, ma’am. You were sawing logs there for awhile.’
Zoe sniffed loudly, embarrassed to be told she’d been snoring . At least it wasn’t moaning in sexual desire due to the very torrid dream she’d been having about Jackson. Though waking up took some of the dream from her, she remembered there being a lot of whipped cream and peaches involved.
She glanced at the driver, trying to remember the mumbled name he’d given her as she came from baggage claim to find him waiting with a cardboard sign with her name written on it in orange marker. Hands gnarled with arthritis gripped the wheel, as wrinkled as the old man’s face. Short, dark hair heavily peppered with gray covered all but the freckled balding spot at the crown of his head. ‘Where are we?’
‘About five miles outside of Dabery. Jacky boy asked me to drop you at Marta’s so you can get cleaned up before going to
Renée
.’
‘
Renée
?’
‘You’re the new cook, right?’
Zoe sighed, hit by just how little she knew about her new job. She told herself it didn’t matter. Any restaurant would do so long as she had a chance to run her own kitchen staff, make her own menus and prove herself to Jackson. He had asked her about Cajun food
‘No, I’ve been up for an hour. The baby is fussy,’ Kat’s tired voice answered before she yawned. ‘What’s up?’
‘I’m going to South Carolina,’ Zoe said, still a little awed by it herself.
‘Things that bad? Did Contiello do something last night after we left?’
‘Nothing out of character.’ Zoe took a deep breath, shoving jeans in to make a new layer across the top of her pile. ‘I talked to Jackson last night and made a complete ass out of myself.’ Zoe quickly told her sister everything from him asking for a receipt to the strange interview, finishing with, ‘What do you think?’
‘I think you’re going to go down to South Carolina and wow the crap out of Mr Levy with your talent.’ She could practically hear her sister grinning. ‘How can he not be impressed with you? I even bet he offers you a bigger restaurant before everything is said and done. And I don’t want you to worry. I’ll take care of everything here. I’ll deal with your landlord and see about getting you out of your apartment so you don’t have to pay rent.’
‘But what if I fail?’ Zoe swallowed nervously.
‘You won’t fail,’ Kat said. ‘You’ll be great. Just make sure you call me as soon as you get there. If it looks dangerous, you call me and I’ll have the Richmond private jet down there within an hour.’
Zoe laughed. ‘Quit trying to find excuses to use the family jet. It’s Jackson Levy. I hardly think the job is going to be dangerous.’
‘I don’t know, sis. Jackson was pretty cute and that can always be dangerous. Feel free to mix business with pleasure, just call me after with the details if you do.’
Thoroughbred County, South Carolina
Zoe blinked rapidly, wondering how long she’d been asleep. Her head hurt from the rude awakening of hitting against the car window. Trees passed by her vision in a long blur of greens and silver. A thin veil of moss draped the limbs like long, tangled strands of gray-green hair drifting in a gentle breeze. Some reached as long as twenty feet and sprouted threadlike leaves. By the light, it was still morning, though how early was hard to tell. Because of her night schedule, she’d not slept well as she’d worried about making her six o’clock flight on time. Only after quitting her job and locking her apartment door for the last time did she realize she’d never really negotiated benefits and pay. She’d been so focused on becoming a chef. This opportunity was all that mattered to her.
‘I see you’re awake, ma’am. You were sawing logs there for awhile.’
Zoe sniffed loudly, embarrassed to be told she’d been snoring . At least it wasn’t moaning in sexual desire due to the very torrid dream she’d been having about Jackson. Though waking up took some of the dream from her, she remembered there being a lot of whipped cream and peaches involved.
She glanced at the driver, trying to remember the mumbled name he’d given her as she came from baggage claim to find him waiting with a cardboard sign with her name written on it in orange marker. Hands gnarled with arthritis gripped the wheel, as wrinkled as the old man’s face. Short, dark hair heavily peppered with gray covered all but the freckled balding spot at the crown of his head. ‘Where are we?’
‘About five miles outside of Dabery. Jacky boy asked me to drop you at Marta’s so you can get cleaned up before going to
Renée
.’
‘
Renée
?’
‘You’re the new cook, right?’
Zoe sighed, hit by just how little she knew about her new job. She told herself it didn’t matter. Any restaurant would do so long as she had a chance to run her own kitchen staff, make her own menus and prove herself to Jackson. He had asked her about Cajun food
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