Page 32 of The Marriage Mission

"What's going on with you two?"

"Ouch!" Noah banged his head against the fixture as he sat up too fast.

Fish stood in the doorway, a giant among men in the cramped space at the back of the kitchen. His old Army buddy had been an immovable force back in the service. He still was now. His broad shoulders were comically wide as they filled the entire frame of the door. The top of his head, adorned with a mop of thick, dark hair, brushed against the frame. His imposing figure was more suited to a battlefield than the tight workings within a kitchen. Yet there he was, an essential part of the restaurant's crew.

"I told you what's going on," Noah said, keeping his voice low. He didn't play dumb and ask who Fish was talking about. The only person he was hiding his true feelings from was his wife. "It was love at first sight. You were there."

Fish regarded his friend with the eyes of an interrogator. They'd gone through the same SERE training together. Noah knew that survival and evasion might be difficult when faced with someone equally adept at resistance and escape. Especially when that someone held a sharp paring knife in his large paw.

"There's something going on between you two." A pinging sound sliced through the air as Fish ran the blade over a sharpening stone.

"You think I'd kiss and tell about my wife?"

"Your wife." It wasn't a question. It was a statement. A definitive one.

"Yeah. My wife."

Packing up his tools, Noah felt Fish’s gaze on him. The look was pointed and unmistakably suspicious. It was a gaze that Noah knew well, one that they had shared often in the field when something didn’t add up. Fish’s eyes, sharp and assessing, bored into him, trying to decipher what Noah was up to with all the hurry in his actions.

In the Army, Fish’s size had always been an advantage, a visual deterrent as much as a physical one. Here, in the civilian life of a small town, it made him stand out, but not uncomfortably so.

"Just be careful with these Chou women. They're all fiercely independent. The kind that are prone to keep boys on the side."

Now Noah knew what this was about. He'd seen how Fish looked at Jules. "That's the thing, my friend. Neither one of us are boys. And neither one of us is small enough to fit on the side."

Noah met Fish’s scrutinizing look. There was a comfort in being understood so well by someone who had been through the same trials and tribulations, someone who knew all the facets of his character.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go find my wife and get her home for dinner. You, on the other hand, look like you need some sugar-free dessert."

ChapterTwenty-Two

Jacqui let out a long breath as she stepped out from the bustling kitchen into the main dining area, where the lively chatter of patrons mixed with the clinks of cutlery and the savory aromas of Chinese fusion dishes. Her demeanor transformed as soon as she crossed the threshold; the stern, demanding chef became a gracious hostess, her smile wide and genuine as she approached the first table of regulars.

"Evening, Bill, Anne," Jacqui greeted warmly, her eyes sparkling with recognition. "How are we enjoying the new pork belly bao buns tonight?"

Bill, a robust man with a hearty laugh, wiped his mouth with a napkin before answering. "Jacqui, these are out of this world. I swear, the way you fuse those flavors, it's like a dance on the taste buds."

Jacqui didn't correct him that she wasn't the one fusing the flavor. It had been her idea. But not her handiwork. The garnish Liam had chopped had gone into the dish, though, and was now being scarfed down by the ravenous diner.

Anne, ever the culinary enthusiast, chimed in, her voice animated. "And the slaw. It's got just the right kick. How do you balance it so perfectly?"

Even though she hadn't chopped, stir-fried, or sautéed any part of the meal, it still was her dish. She took pride in the hard work and critical eye that got it to the table. "It's all about finding the harmony, just like in a good song. A little bit of Yankee twang with a dash of Sichuan spice, and voilà." She gestured with a flourish, her hands expressive.

"We heard about your marriage. Is it true?"

"It… I… I have to welcome some new customers." Jacqui moved on to a table with new customers, her smile just as welcoming. "Welcome to Chow Town. I’m Jacqui, the chef. Is this your first time dining with us?"

The couple, clearly taken by the unique ambiance, nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, and everything looks so inviting," the woman said, her gaze sweeping over the menu.

"If you're looking for something truly unique, I'd recommend our blackened catfish with ginger-infused collard greens," Jacqui suggested, her voice laced with a hint of a challenge, as if daring them to dive into the culinary adventure she had crafted after one of her calls with Jami.

When Jami had called her from Beijing last year, she'd called to gush about the catfish dish with Jacqui while she was still inside the restaurant. Jami was excellent at describing dishes to such detail that the other person could imagine each spice. Only in Jacqui's imagination, the dish needed something American added to it. That's when the greens came in.

As she conversed with the young couple, Jacqui kept a watchful eye on the rest of the dining room, her senses sharply attuned to the needs of her guests. Many eyes were on her. She saw people talking from behind their menus, likely about her new marriage. She avoided those tables of people she knew, especially people she knew who gossiped behind their tea cups.

When Jacqui noticed a slight frown on a patron's face, she excused herself from the newcomers with a promise of returning shortly. Approaching the concerned diner, Jacqui softened her expression to one of concern. "Everything all right with your meal?"

"Oh, yes, it’s delicious." The man wore a pressed collar shirt that had seen better days. His jeans had a bit of a smudge on the knees. He was clearly a working class guy. He leaned in as he continued talking to Jacqui, his voice lowered as though he didn't want to offend. "But could we possibly get a little extra hoisin sauce?"

---