Page 20 of Coral Memories

“Even with Heather’s help, it won’t happen overnight.” Marina shrugged away from Kai, appalled at her sister’s actions. She formed the salmon patties, drizzled olive oil in a sauté pan, and adjusted the flame. “I’m super busy right now. The loan went through for another food truck. It will be outfitted, and I need to hire and train staff.”

“People only want to know if they can reserve copies of your upcoming cookbook. I think you should take preorders.”

“You put all that in the video?”

“People love the behind-the-scenes clips,” Kai replied. “And the bloopers. But the best one is when Jack sweeps you off your feet. He’s their new heartthrob.”

Marina placed the patties into the sizzling oil. “Wait until Jack hears about this.”

“Are you kidding? He loves it.”

“You showed it to him already?”

“I was waiting for the cafe to slow down. He and Leo were there, so I sat with them. When I opened my phone, he asked what I was laughing about. I couldn’t stop checking because it was blowing up with comments.”

“I don’t want to see any of them.” Those on her video that went viral had lodged in her mind. Even though she’d developed a thick skin from working in the news, she was still human and had feelings. She had no idea how celebrities lived with people’s insensitive comments about them.

Kai made a face. “I thought you’d be happy. You have no idea how big this is. You’re going viral again.”

Marina shuddered. “I hope it’s better than last time.”

“Oh, it is. You can take this one to the bank.” Kai wiggled her fingers. “Cha-ching, cha-ching.”

It wasn’t a bad idea. Marina grinned at Kai’s enthusiasm. “All I have to do is write an entire book.”

“Get Ginger to help you test recipes,” Kai said, doing a little shimmy. “She’d love to have a project.”

Just then, Ginger entered the kitchen. She wore wide-legged cotton trousers, a matching taupe jacket, and pearls. Marina knew this was one of her grandmother’s vintage outfits, but it was still a lovely classic.

“Did I just hear my name bandied about?” Ginger asked.

Marina flipped the salmon, then jotted a note in her food notebook. “My sister is making more work for me and threatening to pull you into it. Be careful; it’s hot in here.”

Kai spread her hands. “So, I posted a few video clips from the shoot. People are going wild over the idea that Marina is writing a cookbook and are eager to preorder. The publicity for the cafe would be huge.”

“It sounds like a marvelous idea,” Ginger said.

Marina lifted the pan from the burner. “Except that I have very little time to start another project. That’s when Kai served you up for the task.”

“I would be delighted,” Ginger said. “Challenge accepted. I have so many recipes we could include.”

Marina smiled at her enthusiasm. “Heather volunteered to organize my recipes and draft new material. All the recipes should be dishes we serve at the cafe. I’ve changed many of your original ones. I use less butter and oil and more fresh ingredients. People want healthier food options today than those of the 1960s.”

“Many, yes, but you’re generalizing,” Ginger said. “You’ve already done the hard work. You could even dictate the text.”

Ginger’s eyes blazed with such happiness that Marina couldn’t deny her this project. She’d meant to write a cookbook someday with recipes from the cafe, but something had always come up.

“Are you sure you’d have time?” Marina squinted at Ginger. “You’re already working with Jack on your biography.”

Ginger waved a hand. “My dear, I do very little. I tell him stories and show him a few photographs. Jack is piecing it all together and writing. Creating a cookbook with you and Heather would be a welcome treat.”

Marina plated the sliders and passed them around. This may be the right time. Her grandmother was in excellent health. Ginger could live to be a hundred or more given her healthy lifestyle.

Still, Marina couldn’t take her for granted, and the years had a way of barreling along like a freight train. It seemed only yesterday that her twins were toddlers.

“I’ll print some recipes from the current menu that Cruise uses,” Marina said. “We’ll have to adjust the amounts for home cooking.”

Ginger’s eyes glittered. “Fortunately, you have a writing partner who is also a mathematician. I will make the adjustments and test the recipes.”

---