17. Chapter 17
Chapter 17
J ules hadn’t heard it at all. She’d been in her own little world and zoned it out. Now, though, she could hear it ringing and saw Miles’ name flash across the screen. Jules picked it up.
“I’ll give you some privacy,” Grandma Rosa said, backing out of the room.
“Good morning?” Jules answered.
“Hi. Sorry to bother you so early. I hope I didn’t wake you,” Miles said in his morning voice that was so sexy a thrill swirled low in her belly. She did her best to ignore it. He’d only be calling this early if it were important.
“No, I’ve been up for a while.”
“Oh. Good,” he mumbled. “Well, Roxy asked me to call you. She went into labor last night—”
“What? Is she ok? Is the baby alright?”
“Yes, they are both great. Healthy little boy. They named him Oliver,” Miles informed her. “But that’s why I’m calling. She said you had volunteered to help her with the Bear Ball this week. She won’t be able to do it now. So I had suggested that, um, maybe you’d be interested in taking over for her? I know it’s a lot of work and you only have three days, but it would mean a lot to her, and I think you’d be great,” he rambled on.
Jules’ face scrunched in confusion. What was he asking her? To cook for the entire benefit? She’d never cooked for that many people, and never for an important event like this. When she volunteered to help, she expected Roxy to be there telling her what to do.
“Jules, you there?”
“Yeah, sorry. I’m just trying to get caught up. Is there no one else who’d be better at this?”
“No. I can’t cook, you know that. And Jax is even more hopeless in the kitchen, if you can believe it,” he explained. “They have a few high school kids scheduled to help, but no one who can take over. It would be a huge favor to them. And to me."
“Alright. Sure, why not? How hard can it be?”
She already felt in over her head.
Jules told Miles to get her all the information about the Bear Ball that he could. How many people would be there and had the food been ordered? Could he get the RSVPs so she could be prepared for allergies? There were so many details to sort out in just three short days; she needed reinforcements.
Jules rushed into the living room to get her grandma up to speed so they could decide what to serve for dinner. Roxy had a menu, but she didn’t get the order placed in time for the fish she planned for the main course. The fresh haddock wouldn’t arrive by Wednesday if they ordered it now; they needed a different plan.
Where to start, though? Jules flipped through the tin of organized recipe cards for inspiration. She was relieved to have her grandmother there to help. First, they worked to finalize a main dish they could build a cohesive menu around, which seemed like the hardest part. They’d also need a vegetarian plate based on the RSVP notes Jules now had in her email from Roxy.
As they discussed options, Grandma Rosa suggested chicken as the main protein because it would be easy to find in the quantity they needed for Wednesday and could be cooked in large batches. After considering a few recipes, they landed on roasted orange chicken thighs with artichoke and fennel. It was a hearty dish that had a lighter flavor profile, plus Jules had cooked it before.
They picked gnocchi alla sorrentina for the vegetarians, or non-vegetarians who preferred a pasta main. Her grandma cautioned her that people sometimes changed their minds the night of any preset dinner, so she should make extra.
For the appetizer, they went simple: a caprese salad. Dessert would be something Grandma Rosa could help Jules make ahead of time: strawberry honey mascarpone tart.
The menu focused on fresh ingredients and simple, yet beautiful presentation. This was not a time to overcomplicate things. They would just make good, satisfying food with the best ingredients they could get in time.
Satisfied with their selections, Jules thanked her grandma before stopping into the Golden Kernel. Roxy had emailed some instructions for Jules and had told her where to find a list of purveyors in the kitchen office that she should call to order whatever she needed. Knowing there was a possibility they might be able to get her everything in time, Jules thought she would start there and then head down to John’s Shoppe if all else failed. Micky would know how to help.
The gastropub’s kitchen wasn’t much different from the one at The Landing, just smaller and more intimate. The tables and cooktops were well used but kept clean. The shelves were full and organized with supplies. Jules did a quick inventory of the equipment, pantry, and walk-in cooler so she’d be familiar when it came time to cook.
Her hands shook with adrenaline as she lifted various pots and pans to get a better look at the cook range. Everything seemed in order, but anxious energy coursed through her body. She didn’t know if she could pull this off, and there was a lot of pressure to get it right. Roxy and Jax were counting on her. Miles was counting on her. The Golden Kernel was just starting to plant roots in Riverbend, but Jules had a sense it was still on shaky ground.
Before leaving the house earlier, Grandma Rosa gave Jules her version of a pep talk.
“Now don’t go listening to those pesky voices in your head telling you that you can’t do this. Of course you can. This isn’t brain surgery. It’s just cooking,” she’d said. Oddly, it was just the right thing to calm her down. This isn’t brain surgery was a familiar refrain to Jules; she’d often repeat it to herself in stressful situations, just as her grandma had advised her over the years. A reminder that nothing was as serious as it felt, unless it was brain surgery, of course.
Over the next few hours, Jules hunkered down in the office, making lists of everything she needed and placing orders over the phone. She was relieved to discover everything could be delivered in time except for the artichokes, which John’s Shoppe carried. She’d never seen the store without them. Around her, the restaurant whirred to life for the lunch and dinner crowds, and without warning, Jax popped his mohawked head into the small office to say hello.
“You shouldn’t be here!” she protested.
“Nah, it’s all good. Roxy and the baby are taking a much-deserved nap, so I thought I’d stop by to talk to the staff. We have a few ‘assistant managers’ who will keep things running, but I have my doubts,” he said with air quotes. “We’re going to stick to the pared-down menu Roxy had arranged for her maternity leave. It’ll be alright.”
“Ok, well, if you need any help with things today, just let me know.”
“You’re already doing enough for the benefit. Thank you so much for jumping in with such little notice. You’re a lifesaver. I can see why Miles loves you,” he said before disappearing back into the dark hallway.
Jules’ breath caught in her throat. The comment took her by surprise, leaving her frozen, staring at the beige bulletin board on the wall in front of her. Had Miles told Jax he loved her? What did he mean? Did he mean it like a ‘friend’? Was it an offhand comment, or was it more than that?
Shaking herself back to reality, she lifted her shoulders and placed her hands in her lap, preparing for the serious talk she was about to have with herself. Out loud, she said, “All that matters right now is getting through the benefit. You have zero time to waste thinking about anything else for the next three days. Now focus, Jules. Worry later.”
With the stern self-talk over, Jules looked at her to-do list. It was long.
Later, on her way to John’s Shoppe, she called Winnie to enlist her help for Wednesday night. Although Roxy had already booked a staff for the Bear Ball, Jules knew she’d want a few familiar faces in the trenches. Of course, Miles would be there, but given their current situation, she doubted that would be much of a comfort. She was already battling the urge to interrogate Winnie about the woman Miles had brought to the play the other night. It took a mountain of strength to not bring it up yesterday.
At the promise of a free meal and the chance to witness the benefit in person, Winnie jumped at the opportunity to support Jules. Emily would join, too. The Bear Ball was known as the most exclusive event in town. Its invitee list included only Riverbend’s top influential and wealthy families, so being able to attend, even as staff, was exciting.
Jules spent the rest of the afternoon drafting a schedule for the next three days, along with going over the attendee list and run of show for the event. In total, more than one hundred people had RSVPed yes, including Mayor Maria Billingsworth and guest of honor Governor Matt Kash, who grew up in Riverbend. According to Roxy, it was the largest benefit dinner in the school district’s forty-year history. The pressure kept mounting, but now that Jules had a plan, she felt more motivated than anxious. Her determination propelled her forward. She didn’t want to slow down.
Jules emailed Benjamin from WaPo to postpone her follow-up call with the editor until Thursday after the dinner. Her faculties needed to remain focused. In all of the chaos, Jules had forgotten about the special dinner she’d planned to make for her grandma that evening until she was lying in bed, spent. Disappointed in herself, she made a silent promise to do it later that week, when she could give it her undivided attention.
As Monday morning rolled around, Jules worried she'd bit off more than she could chew with the benefit and her commitment to cook dinner at The Landing. Not wanting to let the ladies down, she tried to use their dinner as a test run for the benefit dinner on Wednesday. Rosa and Jules went to retirement village early together that afternoon to work out the recipe, perfecting it. With everything happening so fast, it was nice to slow down and focus on one task.
All of the excitement of the past few days kept her mind and body busy, leaving little time to think about the looming decisions she’d need to make soon about her future. Avoidance was a skill you didn’t need until you needed it, and Jules was now becoming a master. She didn’t care if it were a slippery slope to disarray, it was helping her in this moment. If she couldn’t control her future, she sure as hell would control this benefit dinner.
The world and all its noise faded as Jules and Grandma Rosa worked for hours in the kitchen at The Landing, cooking test batch after test batch of the roasted chicken and gnocchi until they felt confident Jules could pull it off in her sleep. It took a few earnest tries to get the timing right on the roast and the perfect consistency for the potato gnocchi to sit well in the sauce, but the dishes were simple yet beautiful when they came together.
“I only wish I could see their faces when those fancy people taste what you’ve made,” Rosa said as they sent out the last dinner plates at The Landing that evening.
They’d talked about Grandma Rosa helping Wednesday, but both agreed it would be too much for her. While she could get around plenty fine on her own now, she still had a hard time standing for long periods and needed frequent breaks. It was enough that she’d be helping prepare the desserts on Tuesday, which was a lot of work on its own.
The next few days seemed to be on fast-forward as Jules and Rosa did all they could to be ready for Wednesday night. They made the desserts, prepped as many of the ingredients as they could, and confirmed every detail of the service with the staff and Roxy via telephone.
Jules didn’t hear at all from Miles, and her thoughts ran away with questions in her rare few minutes alone.
Was he thinking about her? Or was he with that other woman? And would she be able to act ‘normal’ around him on Wednesday?
Each time she caught herself in this familiar loop, she only had to glance at the never-ending to-do list to jolt her back to awareness. Her inner monologue played tug-of-war all day long.
Tuesday evening, Jax came back around to check on things. Jules seized the opportunity to ask him a question that had been lingering all day during a quiet moment in the office, “Umm, Jax, I know the attendee list for the benefit is set, but…do you think it would be possible to invite my grandma as a guest? She’s been helping me so much the past few days, and I know it’d mean a lot to her.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, he replied, “It’d be an honor. Tell you what, I’ll print out an official invitation for you to give to her. I can’t wait to meet her.”
Jules’ heart swelled with joy. Grandma Rosa had never attended the Bear Ball, but Jules knew she’d always wanted to, even if she wouldn’t admit it.
That evening, neither of them could muster the energy to cook much more than macaroni and cheese from a box. As they ate, Jules took the invitation Jax had given her from her purse and slid it over to her grandma.
“I know you won’t be in the kitchen tomorrow, but I was hoping you’d come as a guest instead?” she asked. “You’ve done so much to help. You deserve to be there.”
Grandma Rosa picked up the invitation, reading it over.
“You know, your grandpa always wanted to go to one of these,” she said in a quiet voice.
Jules chuckled to herself. She knew that was code for, “I’ve always wanted to go to one of these.”
“I think I might just have the perfect dress."
“You’ll look beautiful in whatever you decide to wear. I’m glad you’ll be there. Just knowing you’re close will help keep me calm.”
“Oh, honey, you don’t need me for that. Look at everything you’ve done on your own. I’m so proud of you,” she said, grabbing Jules’ wrist. As Jules’ eyes welled up, she knew it was time for bed.
“Thanks, Grandma, but I couldn’t have done anything without you,” she said, picking up their bowls to rinse in the sink. They both knew it was true. But as Jules laid in bed that night, she couldn’t shake a sinking feeling in her gut.