Quality Ingredients

Chapter 22

"I suppose there's no use dancing around it and we should dive right in," Lisa began after they had ordered drinks and starter courses. Jennie kept her eyes on Lisa. The two of them were across from one another in the center of the table. Jennie had Jisoo, a long time best friend, on her left and Indra, a new friend and mentor she instantly trusted that had already taught her so much about food and about herself, on her right. Lisa across from her had Sana, her lifelong ally, on her left and Roseanne, her new lover, on her right.

It was a heavy setting.

Everyone was dressed nice. It didn't get past Jennie. They were all prepared for something that had Jisoo in a trendy top and Indra wearing eyeliner at a restaurant Jennie had always wanted to go to but couldn't afford.

"I'd say that's wise," Jennie half warned.

"Indra and I are starting our next venture. I'm sure you've heard various buzz and rumors," Lisa nodded her head at Indra. Jennie glanced to her right. Indra didn't budge, didn't move, didn't emote. She wasn't even positive Indra was still breathing she was so calm.

"Are you off to Chicago after all?" Jennie raised a cautious brow. "Is this a farewell dinner?" She tossed a quick glance at Roseanne who swallowed her reactions in a glass of water and suddenly found her napkin totally fascinating and wouldn't look at anyone.

"No," Lisa chuckled. "We want to make your idea a reality. The collaborative space here in Portland. The one we talked about. Live music. Multiple kitchens. Crossovers. A food truck pop up hub. High end gourmet pub food. The spot where stuff happens. We want to bring that vision to life."

"No shit?" Jennie did everything she could not to show that her heart was sinking. She had the rug of her own restaurant ripped out from under her last week and now Lisa Woods, local millionaire, was going to steal her idea and tell her all about it in detail over an expensive dinner. "Have you run out of your own ideas? You want to flip to casual dining and see how the other half lives?" Jennie asked with a sour expression she couldn't mask. Lisa realized the misunderstanding instantly.

"We want you as the head chef and the creative director," Lisa said quickly before Jennie said something she couldn't take back. Roseanne and Sana let out sighs of relief. Sana's was for the fact that Lisa was keeping her ice cold exterior intact. Roseanne's was because the secret was finally, finally officially out. "I'll be the exec, Indra will be head chef and director of operations and we want you to be head of creative. We want you as a partner."

Jennie sat back in her chair very slowly and folded her arms across her chest. No one spoke. They all waited for Jennie to say something first. The entire table held their breath.

The big restaurant suddenly felt stuffy and hot. The large barn wood tables felt tight. The dim lighting felt suffocating. The rod iron fixtures were closing in. The exposed beam ceilings suddenly felt lower. The huge floor to ceiling windows that looked out over the harbor felt like they were getting closer in the moments that passed while Jennie decided what to say.

"Judging by the fact that Sana has an eight-inch stack of paperwork in front of her and you ordered us three bottles of expensive wine," Jennie cleared her throat. Her voice was even and low. "I'm going to assume this must come with an awful lot of catches."

"I told you she was too smart for us, Commander," Indra joked to lighten the mood. It didn't work.

"I heard about the situation with your building. Let me start off by saying I'm truly sorry to hear about it," Lisa's business voice arrived. She sat up straighter and rested her elbows on the table. She knew how to move and knew how her clothes would behave with every gesture. She never fidgeted with her blouse or blazer. She folded her hands neatly. It wreaked of practice but appeared casual. "It's extremely unfortunate, and I imagine very stressful. Jisoo, Indra, Sana and I have been talking about your current situation and the offer we want to make you on partnering with us for the new project. We've come up with a pretty solid plan that works mostly in your favor."