Page 16 of The Strawberry Patch Pancake House
‘Bye!’
Iris stood in her nearly empty apartment and couldn’t help but smile. She had people who loved her and a new plan. And if there was one thing Iris loved, it was a new start. Maybe that was why she changed jobs so often. She loved a fresh start and spring was just the time to do it! Iris was ready to bloom like all the little buds on the trees still hiding from the chill.
Whatever the reason (certainly not the hotness of her new boss) Iris was excited for something new (or so she planned to keep telling herself).
ChapterSeven
Archer stood in the middle of the diner kitchen, assessing his staff. Maribel, Jess, and Cyrus stood to attention in front of him. Two waitresses and a cook. Maribel was probably in her mid-thirties, a mom with kids who Archer should probably pay attention to if he wanted to figure out this parenting thing, though so far, the woman had been unnervingly quiet, following his directions without complaint. Jess looked like she was just out of high school. Too chatty, too clumsy, but the customers seemed to like her. And Cyrus, well, Cyrus had worked here forever.
They’d closed the diner for the morning in order to get some much-needed cleaning and organizing done. The space still wasn’t up to his standards and the trio looked exhausted. And the kitchen still looked like a mess.
Archer cursed under his breath and rubbed the back of his neck. How would he ever turn this diner into something resembling a place he’d have pride in? How could he ever call thishiskitchen?
He couldn’t.
And he wouldn’t. This diner gig was just a temporary fix until he could find something better. Or until this whole custody thing was sorted and he could go back to his career in Paris. He pushed thoughts of the pristine kitchen in his old restaurant out of his mind. Crying in front of his staff wouldn’t help anything.
It had been nearly two weeks since he’d moved here, and Olive had still only spoken about ten words to him. And all he could think was that she hated him and he was failing her.
But failing was not an option. It never had been for him.
When he hadn’t made his middle-school soccer team in sixth grade, he’d practiced every night until it got too dark to see the ball in front of him, and he’d sure as hell made the team the following year. When he’d gotten a C in sophomore geometry, he’d convinced the teacher to give him enough extra credit to bring his grade up to an A by the end of the semester. And when he’d decided he wanted to be a chef, he’d attended four grueling years of culinary school, worked for years in kitchens doing every menial task available: washing dishes, preparing vegetables, working his way slowly up the entire brigade hierarchy. He had no time for anything else. He cooked and he slept.
But he sure as hell didn’t fail.
When he’d taken this absurd diner job, the owner, Gladys, had promised him he could re-imagine the menu and have full run of the kitchen. The kitchen that was a complete disaster. Honestly, Archer didn’t know how the place had passed its health inspections all these years.
But he was in charge now. He’d get the diner in good working order. He’d get his daughter to speak to him. And once he convinced the lawyers that he was a capable father and he gained full custody, he’d bring her to France with him and continue on the path he’d laid out for himself years ago.
‘Tomorrow, we work on cleaning out the walk-in freezer,’ he announced, and the three visibly slumped, but no one protested. ‘And we need to get more food prepped before opening. It will make the breakfast rush go smoother.’
Cyrus nodded. The old man had been working here as a line cook since the place opened in the seventies. And with that level of seniority, he had pushed back against Archer’s ideas all day.
‘Hey boss?’
‘Yes, Cyrus?’ Archer wiped the sweat from his brow with his forearm.
‘Gladys says we’re changing the menu.’
‘That’s right.’
Cyrus shook his head with a laugh. ‘The town ain’t gonna like that.’
Archer frowned. ‘The town will like it. Elevated comfort food. What’s not to like about that?’
‘The elevated part,’ Cyrus said with a chuckle.
Jess started to laugh, too, but caught herself and clapped a hand over her mouth. It was possible Archer had raised his voice one too many times today.
‘People will like it. Trust me. I know what I’m doing.’ Maybe he didn’t know anything about raising a child, but he sure as hell knew food. He knew the menu would be delicious. People would like it. ‘I’ve worked in restaurants all over Europe. I think I can handle a new diner menu.’
Cyrus’s bushy white brows rose. ‘You might know what those European folks like, but I know Dream Harbor. If you take away people’s favorite pancakes, especially the mayor’s, well…’ He let the threat trail off, just shaking his head in pity for the man that took away the town’s pancakes.
Archer scoffed. They were diner pancakes. How could there be anything special about them? ‘You leave the menu to me.’
The old man shrugged. ‘It’s your funeral.’
Jess giggled again and even Maribel cracked a smile.
