Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
“ M andy, meet Zach Crane. He’s filling in for Jason.” Mandy had just walked into the kitchen the next day and this time wasn’t surprised to see Paul there.
Mandy smiled and held out her hand. “Welcome, Zach. Are you from Nantucket? You look familiar?”
He nodded. “I was a few years behind you both. My family moved off-island, retired to Florida. I stuck around.”
Zach was wiry, with longish wavy brown hair and dark stubble.
He was maybe five eight or so, and he didn’t smile when he shook Mandy’s hand.
He had an intense energy around him. Mandy vaguely recalled him from high school.
He hadn’t been into sports or arts. She’d seen him smoking outside with his friends who also rode motorcycles.
That wasn’t so common on Nantucket, so it stood out in her memory.
His voice was raspy, and she guessed he was still a smoker.
But as long as he didn’t smoke in the kitchen, she didn’t care about that.
She heard the front door open, and before she turned to go, she asked, “Any specials I should know about?”
Paul nodded. “Grilled swordfish, and Zach came up with the sandwich of the day.” He glanced at Zach, and at the mention of food, he smiled. “It’s a Brazilian chicken sandwich. Grilled chicken breast, avocado spread, green beans, cheddar, and hot sauce.”
“Oh, that sounds intriguing,” Mandy said.
“I’ll have Zach make you one so you can describe it,” Paul offered.
“I’ll get right on it.” Zach grabbed a soft roll and split it in half as Mandy headed out to the front desk.
It was only a quarter to twelve, a bit early for the lunch rush, and the customers who came in were just looking to buy gift certificates. She took care of that, and a few minutes after they left, Zach brought the sandwich out to her.
“Here you go. Hope you enjoy.” He set it on the desk and disappeared back into the kitchen.
Mandy took a picture of the sandwich before taking a bite.
It looked impressive. Paul occasionally picked up Portuguese sweet rolls from a local bakery, and Zach used them for this sandwich.
It was a six-inch or so soft bread that had been split and grilled in butter, then spread with avocado and warm grilled chicken.
The green beans added a little crunch, the cheese a bit of creaminess, and the hot sauce a welcome kick.
The flavors all worked together beautifully.
Mandy quickly posted the picture online on all social media, mentioning that it was today’s lunch special, along with the swordfish.
She tried to describe the sandwich in a way that would do it justice and hoped her enthusiasm would come through.
She inhaled the rest of it, returned the plate to the kitchen, and told Zach and Paul how much she’d enjoyed it.
The lunch rush began soon after noon and went for an hour and a half. Gina manned the bar, which was steady. They had a regular crowd that liked to come in for lunch. It was a mix of tourists and locals on their lunch break. At about one thirty, Gina came to the front desk.
“Mandy, can you keep an eye on the bar? I need to run out to my car for a minute. I just popped a button on my pants and have a safety pin in my glove compartment.”
Mandy tried not to laugh. “Of course, take your time. It’s slow now.”
Gina grinned. “Thanks, I’ll be back in a minute.”
There was no one waiting to be seated, so Mandy wandered over to the bar. There were just a few people sitting there, an older couple who were eating swordfish and a single guy with a soda and menu in front of him. He texted something, then set his phone down and glanced around the bar.
Mandy smiled. “Did you place your order with Gina yet?”
“Not yet. I got interrupted by a text message.” He grinned. “I’m not really sure what I’m in the mood for today. Any suggestions?”
“We have a really good special. Well, two actually. The grilled swordfish is always good, but there’s also a sandwich. I had one earlier for lunch.” She described it to him.
“Sold. I’ll have that.”
“Great.” Mandy took his menu and punched the order into the computer.
She recognized him as one of their lunch regulars.
He was about her age, and he came in once or twice a week, sometimes with a friend, sometimes alone.
She guessed that he worked nearby. He was a handsome man, with thick blondish-brown hair and a stocky build.
Not that she was looking, not that way. She shuddered at the thought.
“I’m Mandy,” she introduced herself. “I’ll let Gina know. She should be back in a minute.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Matt. Matt Flynn. You’re one of the new owners? Gina filled me in that there are a few of you now.”
“Yes, my sisters, Jill and Emma, and I and also Paul, the chef. Do you work nearby?”
He nodded. “I do. I have a boat business down at the wharf. Sightseeing, deep-sea fishing, and private charters mostly and some restoration work.”
“My grandfather used to be in that business. He always loved wooden boats especially.”
Matt’s eyes lit up at the mention of wooden boats, and they chatted for a few more minutes until Gina returned.
“Thanks so much, Mandy.”
“No problem. It was nice chatting with you, Matt.”