Chapter 30
I'd been thinking about going to New York—yes, I wanted to see Emma and get a more detailed explanation of everything that happened.
I felt like there was a lot she hadn't told me.
I talked to Owen and he agreed to come with me—he also wanted to check out my new restaurant—when I got a call from my manager requesting a meeting.
So I decided to combine business with pleasure, took my jet, and left without a second thought.
First, I'd handle the restaurant business, and then I'd have plenty of time to talk to Emma. Running a restaurant chain alone isn't easy—there was always some problem, and I had to rush off to help solve it.
When we arrived in New York, it was Sunday night.
I'd left everything in order back in Italy since I didn't know how long I'd be staying.
There was the restaurant issue to deal with, and then I wanted some time with Emma.
I ordered dinner to be delivered to my apartment, and while we waited, I took a shower.
We settled on the living room sofa with glasses of wine and chatted until our food finally arrived. I set the table and we sat down to eat.
“So, what's the plan?”
“I don't know. I'm thinking about stopping by Carter's company tomorrow before heading to the restaurant, since it's on the way.”
“You really are dying to see Emma.”
“I really am. But I want to have a calm conversation with her, so I'll stop by her place or try to set up a dinner.”
“Well, right now I'm thinking about this food and the bed that's waiting for me. I'm exhausted.”
“Still studying the case?”
“Yes, I'll use everything the law has in my favor, so I need to study hard.”
“Well, you know my opinion on that, but I respect yours too, since you're the one who lived through it and knows better than anyone what you went through.”
“That's right, my friend. You finally get it.”
We had dinner and then each went to our own room.
I lay down in my bed, thinking. Should I really go after her after everything she said?
Should I ask for an explanation? My heart said yes, because everything that happened didn't match what she'd said.
I decided to leave the matter for another time—I needed to rest.
I woke up early the next day and went to the gym.
I got on the treadmill, started running, and only stopped when I was exhausted.
I returned to the apartment and went straight to the shower, then made breakfast and got ready.
I had a meeting scheduled with my manager at ten.
I found Owen sitting on the sofa waiting for me so we could leave together, and that's exactly what we did.
I decided to go straight there without stopping at Carter's. I'd visit another time.
“Good morning, Mattia. How are you?”
“This is my friend, Owen Blake. And this is my restaurant manager, James Colin.”
“Nice to meet you. So, let's get started.”
We went to one of the private rooms for our meeting—I still didn't know what it was about—when James began to speak.
“Mattia, I know you stick to a certain menu style in your restaurants. However, I've been getting a somewhat specific request lately. Not just once, but several times, from various customers.”
“Go on.”
“Your chain follows an Italian menu—of course, here you've included some local cuisine—but we're in New York.”
“You're saying you want to change my menu?”
“Not change it—just add a few more dishes.”
“And what do you propose?”
“I talked to our chef, and he said there's no problem adding new cuisines, as long as you approve.”
“We can think about it, but first, I need to see what dishes they're asking for.”
“That would be great, Mattia. As delicious as Italian cuisine is, it's good to have other options.”
“Yes, we get a lot of tourists here from all over the world, not to mention all the people who come here for work.”
“Okay, put together a plan for me—typical dishes and how they'd be plated.
I'll choose some and try them. If I like them and they fit the restaurant's style, we can definitely add them to the menu.
And I appreciate the idea. Even though we already have some dishes that are popular beyond Italy, it's good to bring in some from other cultures.”
“That's what I thought. After all, we're here to please the customers, and too often we don't have an answer when someone asks for something different.”
“You're right. We have to adapt to the culture of the countries we're in, and this really is the most populous city in the United States. We get tons of tourists, so yes, let's adapt to them.”
“I'm glad you liked my idea. I wasn't sure about it, but knowing you, I figured you'd give us a chance. Our chef has already selected some dishes—if you'd like, I can ask him to present them tonight.”
“Perfect. I'll be here at eight tonight to taste them. I'll bring a couple of friends with me, so ask him to prepare enough for everyone to sample.”
“Of course. As for the staff meeting, I scheduled it for tomorrow mid-afternoon, when it's quieter. And for our meeting, I'm finishing up the financials to get you everything in order. I think I'll need about two more days—after all, I wasn't expecting you to arrive so soon.”
“No problem. I'll be here for a few more days, so there's time. If there's nothing else, I'm going to walk around the restaurant and check on the kitchen.”
“Of course. I'll be in my office if you need me.”
I leave the room and walk to the stairs.
As I descend, I take in the city through the glass wall—Emma's idea, and it turned out spectacular.
The view from here is beautiful, especially at night when the city lights are on.
I reach the dining room and see the waiters working.
I watch from a distance so they don't notice me.
Today it's packed, as always, and that's a good sign—it means we've been well-received.
I'm walking toward the kitchen when I hear someone call my name.
“Mattia, I didn't know you were here.” I look back and see Carter walking toward me.
“Hey, Carter, how are you? Yeah, I arrived yesterday to take care of some things here. Are you having lunch?”
“Yes, we're working on a big project with Henry and Nicola, and we came here for lunch today since it's closer.”
“Nicola Williams?” Owen chimes in from behind me.
“Yes, the one and only.”
“Owen Blake,” he says, extending his hand to Carter. “I'm a friend of Nicola's.”
“Come have lunch with us, then. We haven't ordered yet.”
“Sure, I was going to eat alone. Now I have company.”
“I'm going to take care of a few things. We'll talk later.”
I leave, heading straight to the kitchen—my favorite place. When I arrive, I greet all the staff, who work hard and keep orders moving on time. I'm pleased to see the restaurant running so smoothly. Now we're going to make some adjustments to the menu, and I hope they'll be well received.