Alpha & Omega (Alpha's Rejects #4)

After mixing the Caesar salad dressing, I put it in the refrigerator to chill. Then I grabbed the bag of mussels I purchased at the harbor this morning, put them into a strainer, and rinsed them in cold water before I scrubbed them. A few weren’t fully closed, so I tossed those.

I loved cooking, which was why I chose to be a chef. I hadn’t attended the best culinary school because they were expensive, but I learned enough to allow me to be creative and finally open my own restaurant and bar six months ago, which had been a dream of mine. It took forever to get it designed exactly as I wanted it. Admittedly, I was proud of myself. Not bad for only being thirty-four.

Fine dining wasn’t really my style, but I tried to create something unique in my cooking. I wanted it to be casual, with delicious fusion recipes and a fun atmosphere. Already, the place had become a hit, and my success looked promising, but I couldn’t slack off. Competition among restaurants could be fierce as hell. You had to add your own style and flair and then pray it was catchy enough and the food delicious enough to keep the crowd coming back for more.

Owning a restaurant and dealing with people went against my introverted nature, but as long as I was in the kitchen creating, I was in my zone and happy.