Chapter 10
Ten
ADDIE
Ididn’t have enough wardrobe space. I couldn’t say that I was surprised that this was the case, because after Mum had confirmed my room set up more or less matched what I had in Montreal, I discovered I had been stashing clothes in places that weren’t drawers or my wardrobe.
Like the floor, both my bedroom desk chair and the armchair in the living room, and a kitchen cupboard.
By that point, it felt ridiculous to ask if I could have more storage—I already had quite a lot.
So, now there was a suitcase of clothes that I had no home for, and my patience to search for a solution had abandoned me.
Getting out of the flat felt like the best thing to do, which was how I found myself in the supermarket thinking about what I could make for dinner.
Eli was nice enough to leave me lunch, so I figured the least I could do was thank him with dinner.
The problem with my plan to cook was that Eli was a chef by trade, and I was getting stage fright.
I was a good cook. I found it soothing to get lost in the process of making a meal.
I had cooked so many fancy meals for Tori, and she had nothing but good things to say.
But suddenly, nothing seemed good enough for a chef.
Not to mention that I didn’t know what his dietary requirements were. I assumed he ate dairy because you didn’t get the balance that right in a pesto without tasting it. But that was nothing to go on. Not really.
What if he was one of those chefs who would cook anything, but actually followed a strict diet? Or was gluten free? I didn’t know.
Then I remembered where Eli was working, and more importantly, who he was working with.
Dad answered my panicked call before the dial tone had even rung once.
“Adrienne, my macaroon, how are you?” Dad said, following my strict instructions that the family had to speak English to me until I remembered to default to it again.
Dad always sounded overly happy to hear from me.
Even after all these years, he was still overcompensating for something that he had no real control over.
Either that, or he was just grateful that I still wanted to talk to him at all.
Watching your dad fall to the floor, clutching his chest mid-sentence, does have a way of scarring you in a way that no amount of therapy can save you from.
Clara always reassured me while I’d been gone that he was better at not doing so much these days, but I still couldn’t quite release the fear that sat deep in the pit of my stomach.
“I’m in a fight with my wardrobe space, or lack thereof, but otherwise, I’m fine.
Jet lag hasn’t kicked in yet, but I do feel a bit floaty.
Like all this isn’t real yet. It feels like I’m going to wake up in Montreal and go about my usual every day,” I answered slowly, suddenly feeling overwhelmingly tired now that I had said the words ‘jet lag’ out loud.
“That’s to be expected for the first few days as you readjust.”
“Yeah, I know. That’s not why I’ve called, though.
I want to cook Eli a sort of ‘hey, we’re living together’ dinner, but I don’t know what his food preferences are, and I was wondering if you had any insight?
” I started checking the ripeness of some avocados just to give my hand something to do while I stood in the middle of the supermarket.
“Oh, he seems pretty laid back when it comes to the food he eats. He’s changing the menu, and we’re trialling a lot of new dishes at the moment.
There is a lot of variety in his contenders, which suggests a wide palette.
I think he prefers chicken over red meat, but he seems pretty open to everything. ”
“Okay, that’s helpful.” I paused. Now I had an answer to my problem, my brain was catching up with everything else Dad had said.
“Is he changing everything on the menu?” I knew that Vivi’s worked seasonally, so some dishes changed, but some had been on the Vivi’s menu since the beginning.
It would be sad if some guy who thought he knew all there was to know about food decided to get rid of them all just because he was technically in charge now.
“No, he’s keeping the tried and true dishes that customers have come to rely on.
But some of the dishes are a bit tired and in need of a revamp.
Plus, he’s working on the seasonal dishes.
I think the biggest change will be in the dessert department.
He’s brought along this pastry chef, who is just as wonderful as he is, probably more so because she works with desserts.
” I laughed at the reminder of the sweet tooth I inherited from Dad, in addition to his eyes, and threw the avocados into my basket.
“She was out in Detroit for a while and had pretty much done what you’ve done, returned home for a good job. ”
“Oh, well, I love that for her. I look forward to trying everything out.”
“We are thinking of having a little launch in a couple of weeks. Just waiting for Eli to give the go-ahead, but he seems pretty happy with where everything is at today. I’m hoping it will be soon.”
“I will be there whenever that day comes. Thanks for the tip on the chicken. I think I know what I’m going to make for dinner now.”
My sisters and I had a go-to dish that got us out of most culinary situations, and I figured you couldn’t go wrong with chicken and potatoes.
“Happy to be of assistance. I hope the jet lag stays away,” Dad said.
“That makes two of us. Love you.” I signed off, hanging up after Dad returned the sentiment.