Page 25 of The Billionaire's Fortunate Accident
I’d done the impossible. I’d calmed her down. Me. The person who couldn’t calm any baby down.
Wow. This is amazing.
Chapter Thirteen
Stone
After putting the finishing touches on the stuffed red and yellow bell peppers, I headed to Hamburger Hut to see what Jessa thought of my healthy creation. A mix of Indonesian black rice, farm-raised, antibiotic, and steroid-free chicken thighs, along with chickpeas, turned the pepper’s filling into an amazingly delicious and awesomely nutritious meal. Of course, I was biased, since I’d concocted the recipe. I needed Jessa’s true opinion before I added it to the menu I’d begun creating.
I still wasn’t exactly sure of the size of the restaurant I wanted to open, but I did know one thing — I was going to make healthy foods that tasted great. It was a start, and that was better than no ideas at all.
With the covered tray in hand, I couldn’t believe the excitement I felt as I walked into Hamburger Hut. Tammy actually smiled at me as I walked in. “You’re back.”
“Iamback.” I held up the bag. “I’ve brought your boss something to eat. Can you tell her that I’m here?”
“We do serve food here, you know.”
“This is better, though.” I took a seat in a booth in the back, placing the tray on the other side of the table for Jessa. Tension now crept into my body as I grew a little worried that she might not care for what I’d made.
Tammy came out of the back, shouting across the dining room, “She’s working on some reports right now. And she said she’s not hungry.”
My brows rose as confusion set in. “Not hungry? I told her not to eat anything. How can she not be hungry?”
Tammy came out from behind the counter to take a peek at what I’d made for Jessa. “What is it, anyway?”
“It’s stuffed bell peppers. It’s a recipe full of superfoods.” I’d brought four of the peppers, so I thought I should offer her some since Jessa wasn’t hungry. “Bring a plate, and I’ll scoop one up for you to try.”
Her eyes lit up. “Really?”
“Sure. Jessa probably won’t eat them all anyway.” I wasn’t exactly happy with the way Jessa seemed to be blowing me off. But I’d told her over and over again how patient I would be about her work schedule. I was finding that it was easier said than done.
Racing away, Tammy soon returned with a plastic plate and fork. “Here ya go.”
I scooped one of the peppers out of the tray, placed it on her plate, then handed it to her. “Have a seat. I’d like to get your honest opinion on this.”
Cutting into it, she inhaled. “It smells delicious.”
“Thanks.” I waited, watching her without blinking as she took the first bite. I’d made plenty of food for family and friends, but this was different somehow. This might become a part of a menu that I’d serve in a restaurant of my own.
She put the bite into her mouth, chewing slowly. When her eyes closed, I knew she loved it. “Wow.” Opening her eyes, she went for another bite. “The way the flavors combine is phenomenal.”
I let out the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. “It is?” I mean, I knew the taste was great, but she’s used the word phenomenal, and that was even better.
Swallowing the next bite, she nodded. “I know I’m only a couple of bites into this, but I like the light feeling it has to it. You know, it’s not heavy. But I do feel like it’ll fill me up.”
“It should. The rice and beans are high in fiber. The fiber is what fills you up. But it breaks down in the best possible way, so you won’t feel that uncomfortable full feeling. You know, the way you feel after you eat a hamburger.”
“I do know that uncomfortable feeling.” She lifted up a forkful of the filling, checking it out. “What’s the purple-ish stuff?”
“That’s Indonesian black rice. It’s sometimes called forbidden rice because of the purple color it turns to when it’s cooked. Purple used to be exclusive to royalty, so it was forbidden to normal people and reserved for the Chinese royals.” I couldn’t believe how excited I was to tell her all about the dish. It felt odd, but in a great way. “Out of all the varieties of rice, that one has the highest antioxidants. I’ve been reading about a condition in humans called oxidative stress. And that rice helps alleviate it.”
“Bet it’s expensive,” she said with a nod.
“Not too bad. It goes for around seventy-five cents an ounce. To stuff six peppers, I used one ounce of rice. The sixteen-ounce bag cost me a little over ten bucks. I think it’s worth the price. Sure, white rice is a little over a dollar or two for sixteen ounces, but it has nothing nutritious about it.” Using ingredients with high nutritional value was my main goal.
The door opened with a ding, and Tammy’s face fell. “Crap.”
“Take it with you,” I said as I put the lid back on the tray. “I’m gonna sneak back to give this to Jessa. I can’t wait for her to try it.”
