Chapter 25 #2
“Speaking of…Daniel, we should get going and let the Oks get back to their dinner.”
He nods, agreeing with her. “Wouldn’t want to keep you from it.” He inhales deeply. “Whatever it is, it’s making my mouth water.”
“You should join us. We have more than enough food,” Gavin offers. Mom and Dad seem mortified by the suggestion at first. Then Mom warms up to the idea.
“Yes, please join us.” Mom gestures to Mayor Beecham and Dr. Blaire to sit.
Before they can refuse, I pull out two plates and place them in front of the extra chairs.
“It seems it’s decided. You must stay,” Dad says, changing his tune.
“If you’re sure it won’t be any trouble,” Dr. Blaire says hesitantly.
“At this point it would be rude to refuse,” Mayor Beecham says. He’s already sitting down, making himself comfortable at the table.
Gavin goes into the kitchen to retrieve the burgers that were previously hidden.
When he sets the plate down on the table, I can’t help but notice how the now-cooled burgers are deflated and the buns are flattened.
Maybe it was because Mom made the point that people eat with their eyes, but they seem unappealing, even to me.
Mayor Beecham blanches. A nervous look washes over Mom and Dad, as if the thing they feared the most is coming true.
“They taste better than they look, I promise—” Gavin starts.
“What? No, I’m sure they taste delicious. It’s just…” Dr. Blaire’s glance cuts to her husband.
“From what we’re smelling, I’m surprised to see that they’re burgers.” Mayor Beecham inhales deeply. He shakes his head. “Yeah, no. I’m not getting burger smell at all.”
“It’s because I used a different recipe. I mixed a bulgogi marinade in the patties and then grilled them with onions topped with a kimchi aioli.”
Dr. Blaire and Mayor Beecham exchange an aha glance. “That sounds more like what we’re smelling,” Dr. Blaire says.
“And more to the point, what we’re about to eat.” Mayor Beecham takes a bite. “Oh my God, this is heaven,” he says with his mouth full.
“Daniel Beecham, manners,” Dr. Blaire chastises him playfully. But when she takes her first bite, she does the same. “Sorry, it can’t be helped,” she says.
The four of us collectively sigh and are able to eat now that our fears are put to rest.
“I’ll let you in on a little secret,” Mayor Beecham says, and we lean in. “Being the mayor of this town comes with its perks. Many residents of Blaire have us over, and I was hoping to be invited to a meal one day here.”
“Daniel!” Dr. Blaire says, equal parts horrified and amused.
“Oh, honey, it’s fine. The Oks don’t seem like the judgmental type.
” Mayor Beecham gestures to us. Even though that’s exactly the type of people we thought they were, I’m relieved to discover that neither of us is being judgmental.
I look at Mom and Dad, and they, like me, seem relieved to hear it. Like it’s a compliment.
“What a delight,” Mayor Beecham says after finishing his last bite. “One of the best meals I’ve had.”
“Me too. The cafe tries to keep things interesting by changing its menu options frequently. But nothing as interesting as these burgers.” Suddenly Dr. Blaire’s face lights up. “You should work with the chef there to put this item on the menu.”
“What a great idea,” Mayor Beecham says.
“What? Is that possible?” Gavin perks up at the suggestion.
“Of course it is. Don’t you know who you’re talking to? I’m the mayor of this town.” Mayor Beecham puffs his chest out.
Dr. Blaire rolls her eyes. “Even so, you don’t need his approval. Just submit your recipe to Justine, the manager at the cafe. She’ll know what to do with it.”
“And make sure to share this recipe with the chef too. This aioli is tangy and spicy.” Mayor Beecham dabs his finger in the aioli drippings on his plate and puts it in his mouth. “I can’t get enough of it.”
“I can’t take all the credit,” Gavin says. “That’s my mom’s kimchi.”
“You made this?” Dr. Blaire marvels. “I just love kimchi, but, as you can guess, we don’t get much of it here. Every time Danny goes into town for business, it’s one of the items I ask him to bring back.”
“Really?” Dad asks, surprised.
“I just made a batch. I can give you a jar if you want,” Mom offers.
“I’d love a jar,” Dr. Blaire says.
I can’t help but notice Mom’s smile stretches wider than I’ve seen it in the past few weeks—in the past few years.
And it’s all because Dr. Blaire showed appreciation for something Mom values in herself.
Making kimchi, as I’ve recently learned, is her way of providing for the people she cares about most. In fact, as I look around the table, I notice Gavin’s more at ease than I’ve seen him before in a group setting, and Dad is laughing louder than I’m used to hearing.
I can even feel myself engaging more in this dinner party than any other party I’ve attended.
When the evening winds down, Mayor Beecham and Dr. Blaire thank us before they leave, taking a jar of Mom’s kimchi with them.
After we clear the table, I open the cooler of ice cream Dr. Blaire left behind.
Inside is a small metal canister with enough ice cream for a petite scoop, which is all we can manage after the burgers.
At the table, we each take a spoon and decide to eat right out of the container.
“Oh my God,” I moan. The richness of the ice cream and the crunchy bits of sweet, candied honey are sinfully decadent.
“This…is ice cream?” Mom seems unconvinced. “The texture is smooth, more like Greek yogurt.”
“That’s because Dr. Blaire keeps her cows happy,” Dad tries to explain, but it only confuses Mom more.
“It kind of tastes like the one Van Leeuwen makes,” Gavin observes.
“Right? That’s what I had in mind when I suggested the idea, but this is way better,” I say.
“No, definitely better,” Gavin agrees.
“I’m sure it’ll be a hit at the next farmer’s market.” Mom smiles at me.
“You know what else I think would be a hit?” I say, thinking aloud. “Your kimchi.”
“What?” Mom blanches, unsure that she heard me correctly.
Instead of explaining, I look to Dad to take over. When he meets my gaze, he seems to understand.
“After the meeting with the farming co-op, Elena got me to see what this town needs.” Dad smiles at me. “What the town is looking for are things they don’t have, and today Dr. Blaire pointed out that kimchi is one of those things.”
“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Mom’s eyes light up.
“I’m saying I hope you’re ready to work tomorrow. Because we’ll be spending all day planting cabbage, radish, cucumber, and whatever spices you need to make kimchi.”
Mom literally jumps for joy, clapping her hands with unbridled excitement. “Dale, I’m so glad you came around to the idea.”
“Thank Elena. She got me to see what the town really needs.”
“Elena.” Mom reaches out and pulls me in for a hug. It feels warm and comfy, like I imagine a mug would feel with one of Hal’s cozies wrapped around it.
“Knew you could do it.” Gavin gives me a nod of approval.
My time as a public figure has made me the object of envy and desire to many. But the look in Mom’s, Dad’s, and Gavin’s eyes makes that pale by comparison.
I thought we were fish out of water in Blaire, but maybe I was wrong.
Gavin’s cooking, Dad’s farming, Mom’s kimchi-making, and my contribution to the town’s beautification are making me think we’re more in our element here than we were in LA.
They’re also making me realize we do have something in common.
We all want to be recognized for our talents.
And more importantly, we want that recognition from one another.