Sweet Love (NG5)

11 - Kitty Kat

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.