Chapter 1 #2
Cassidy patted my arm before turning to Persephone. “Liza has been with us for years now. She really is a lifesaver in the kitchen.” She chuckled. “I don’t know what I would do without her.”
I eyed Cassidy again, still wondering what she was up to and if I could skip the pleasantries.
If it were up to me, I would’ve turned and sprinted to the kitchen like an Olympic runner.
I had important work to do, and being in a crowd dressed as I was among all of Cassidy’s high-profile friends made my stomach queasy with nerves.
I couldn’t relate to any of them. As a child, I’d been on the outside, watching from afar.
The children from well-off families stuck together through our days as children, then as teenagers and well into adulthood.
I had nothing to talk to them about. I was fairly certain they didn’t want to hear about my newest recipes or the moon-shaped burn I’d received from my cast-iron skillet.
Cassidy raised her eyebrows and spoke like this was any other conversation with any other woman in the pack. “The Keller Pack will be hosting the lunar mate ceremony this year, and Persephone was just saying how she needs a caterer for the event.”
Oh. This was business. That made my presence more reasonable.
Persephone finally looked directly at me. For all of her status and nobility, she wasn’t a woman who chose words carefully. She cocked her head to the side, sizing me up.
After a moment, she nodded. “Cassidy speaks very highly of you and your skills. Some of my other friends have mentioned your professionalism, as well. Would you like to cater the event?”
Holy shit.
I clamped my lips together. No way was I going to allow them to flop open in shock in front of the queen of the south.
Was this really happening? If I catered the lunar mate ceremony, it would be, by far, the largest event I’d ever been hired to work.
I’d catered weddings for many of the pack members, but this would be an event that would bring hundreds of shifters from all over the country, and they would be eating my food.
Not only was it a huge undertaking, it was also an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.
It went without saying—although I would have to say it—that I was more than willing to take it on.
I wanted to accept gracefully, promise to do a good job, and thank Persephone for the opportunity. This was for my business, and it would elevate me to another level, but instead of managing any of those things, I could only muster a simple sentence: “I’d be honored,” which was also true.
Persephone nodded and smiled as if she’d just won the lottery. “Wonderful.”
I cleared my throat and nodded, too, now back to business. It was time to put my admiration away and do the job I needed to do. “If you have a moment, we can discuss the budget and I can create a couple of mock-up menus for you to review.”
I glanced at Cassidy, who was smiling from ear to ear. Certainly, if it went well, she would take all the credit for recommending me, and if it went badly, she would lament how she’d given me a chance. Either way, she would come out smelling like a rose.
Persephone waved her hand through the air dismissively.
“There’s no budget.” She narrowed her eyes as if she couldn’t imagine such a concept as budgeting.
It felt a bit as if I’d made my first mistake, but I bounced back with a smile as she continued.
“Just put together a quote and I’ll pay whatever. ”
Wow. I shouldn’t have been surprised but I was. These people, the ones throwing the mating event, were shifter royalty, and they had a level of wealth I’d never understand.
No budget. I repeated the words again in my head. I was grateful, though. Having an unlimited budget would make my job catering for the ceremony a lot less stressful.
“Okay. I’ll need a couple of days to draw up a contract for you, then I can get to work.” I curtsied again, though I wasn’t sure it was necessary. “Thank you.”
As I turned to leave, I mouthed thank you to Cassidy. She responded with a wink and returned her attention to the multiple guests who were seated around the large brunch table. “All right, ladies. Who’s ready to begin?”
I stumbled into the kitchen, almost unable to believe what had just happened. I’d met Persephone Keller, been offered a job, and in the space of one short encounter, my business had been drastically elevated because, against all odds, Persephone Keller had taken a chance on me.
This was the opportunity of a lifetime, and I planned to make the most of it. I was busy spinning ideas in my head: filet mignon in a creamy mushroom sauce—meat was always a hit with the packs—a brisket seasoned with au jus and the secret blend of herbs and spices that I always used.
By the time I returned to the kitchen, my cheeks ached from the smile I couldn’t have wiped away with foaming soap and a squeegee.
But then it occurred to me that Cassidy was a lot sneakier than I’d given her credit for.
She’d found a way to ensure that I would have to attend the ceremony I mostly wanted to avoid like the fucking plague.
Of course, I’d be in the kitchen managing my staff, but it would have the distinction of being the first mating ceremony I’d actually attended.
The whole concept disgusted me, and I shivered at the idea of even being in the same city as one of those ceremonies.
I had many goals in life, but finding a mate wasn’t one of them.
The thought that I would find the one person I was destined to be with at this ceremony was absolute idiocy.
Prior to this moment, whenever someone suggested that they’d found true love at one of these things, I rolled my eyes and laughed out loud. Much the same as this moment.
I surveyed the kitchen, grateful my catering staff had already left for the day.
It took about an hour to finish prepping meals for Cassidy’s family, but she had enough meals to last the week by the time I was done and could hang up my apron, so to speak.
I was exhausted, but as I headed out of the kitchen, my mind was still buzzing with ideas for the lunar mate ceremony. I had a real chance to get my name out there with this thing and I wasn’t going to blow it.
This is it. A now or never moment. I’d spent years working my fingers to the bones, learning, trying new things, taking chances—some panned out, some didn’t—and it was finally paying off.
The future was mine for the taking. I had a quality product and extraordinary, professional staff.
Most of all, I had talent. Those were all things I could control.
I could cook in my sleep. I would just be doing it on a much larger scale.
I hopped in my car and headed back to the office to start drafting a contract for Persephone.
This was the kind of thing that couldn’t wait.
I wanted to have the details locked in, the budget—or lack of one, in this case—in writing and approved so I could start working.
Plus, punctuality and timeliness were signs of professionalism, and I certainly didn’t want Persephone to doubt that I was at the top of my game—the kind of professional who could be counted on to deliver with efficiency.
As I drove, the idea of a fated mate continued to float around my mind.
I just didn’t buy that there was a person in the world who would stir something so potent inside me I’d never been aware existed, that it would lead to the great love of my life.
At least those were the words Cassidy had used to describe her mate.
I’d heard others describe fated mates as soulmates connected by some unbreakable bond. Someone who could supposedly bring the best out in their mate and unlock passionate emotions that transcended time and space.
I hadn’t bought it then, and my mind wasn’t easily changed.