Page 32 of The Billionaire's Fortunate Accident
I stood there for a moment, watching him walk away from me.Nice butt. Why hadn’t I noticed that before?
Chapter Seventeen
Stone
“It’s sourdough,” I told Jessa as I gave her the brown bag lunch, which I called the brown bag special.
“This is different from what you’ve been bringing me this past week.” She sat down and opened it, pulling out the sandwich, chips, pickle, and a snack packet. Holding up the sandwich, she asked, “I thought bread wasn’t good for you?”
“I found out that out of all the bread, sourdough is helpful to the body in ways that others aren’t. It’s full of prebiotics, which keeps your tummy happy. Plus, in most people, it doesn’t cause blood sugar spikes. So, I went to the deli to find out what meat was on special. I bought it and a sliced cheese, which was also on special at the deli. I made homemade sweet potato chips, fried in coconut oil, and zested lightly with kosher salt. I added one of my homemade fermented pickles to spice things up and give added nutrition to the digestive system. And the snack packet that comes is made up of cheaper items, but they still pack some punch in the nutrition department. It has some coconut flakes and some type of chip, albeit chocolate, vanilla, or even butterscotch, peanuts for the main nut, and a few pecans and cashews. You get plenty of nutrition for a little money with the brown bag special.”
“You haven’t sat down,” she pointed out.
I didn’t want to disappoint her, but the fact was that I was getting pretty busy with this thing. “I’ve gotta get to the resort to meet with my brother Cohen. He’s found some information on getting some grants.”
Holding up a finger, she swallowed the bite of the sandwich she’d taken. “First, this is the most amazing sandwich I’ve ever had the good fortune to taste. When my lips felt the room temperature bread, I didn’t expect warm meat and melty cheese.”
“I put the meat and cheese on a tray, keeping them in individual piles, then heated them until the cheese melted a bit. I didn’t heat the entire sandwich, so the bread could remain soft, and the mayonnaise doesn’t get warm. Plus, you can add the fresh veggies without them getting wilted.” I knew that techniques like that would make my food stand out in the crowd.
“This is mayonnaise?” She looked at me with narrowed, disbelieving eyes.
“I made it myself.” I’d found that I could make most condiments for less money than buying them in bulk. Plus, they all tasted better. “You’ve got to keep in mind that this is for the special. It’s not the same as the premium mayo that I make for other things. In this one, I mix a cheaper olive oil with the egg whites. Since the special at the deli was roast beef, I used balsamic vinegar as the acid to enhance the flavor. You like it?”
“I love it. I could eat this mayo alone.” She took another bite — a dollop of the creamy white stuff dropping on her chin.
Grabbing a napkin, I quickly wiped it off. “Lost some.”
Her cheeks went pink as she ducked her head. “Thanks for getting it for me. And since you have plenty of money to make this happen, why are you looking at trying to get grants?”
“Well, I’ve got an idea in mind that would benefit some people if I could get a grant. As my brothers have taught me, you can’t give things away all the time. You have to watch that bottom line. So, I’m trying to find a way to do some giving while still making something for my bistro.”
“Ah, you’ve decided to call it a bistro then?” she asked with a sly smile.
“Maybe. I’m still kicking things around. But I like the way you said the word. It’s sort of stuck in my head now.”
“Glad I got something stuck in there.” Picking up the pickle, she looked at it reluctantly. “You called this a fermented pickle, right?”
“All that means is that I brined it in a saltwater solution instead of vinegar. And it can’t be stored on a shelf. It must be stored in the fridge after it’s set out a number of days to get the fermentation process started. In the fridge, the pickles continue to ferment, but at a much slower rate.” I knew I had to get going but hated to leave her. We had so little time together as it was, and now that things seemed to be about to ramp up, I felt uneasy about our future. “It’s much better for you than any other pickle. You know, gut-friendly.” I leaned in, kissing her cheek. “Baby, I’ve gotta jet. I’ve got a million things to do. If I’m scarce for the next bit, it’s not because of you — it’s work. But shoot me a text now and then, and I’ll shoot them back to you as soon as I get a chance.”
A crease in her brow had me a little worried until she said, “I like seeing you this driven, Stone — I really do. Keep following that passion, and you’re sure to make something spectacular. You know where I’ll be. I’m not going anywhere. But does this mean I’m gonna miss out on your great lunches?”
I felt awful. “Yeah, for a while. I’ve gotta get things rolling. Time is a real witch, isn’t it?”
“It sure is.” She reached up, pulling me back to her, leaving a kiss on my cheek. “I’ll text you to let you know I haven’t forgotten about you.”
“And I’ll do the same.”
Hurrying off to meet with Cohen, it dawned on me that I hadn’t ever felt this way. It was like I had a real purpose. He was at his desk when I entered his office. “I’m late, I know. I had to stop by the hospital to give Jessa something. But I’ve told her that I will no longer have time to do that. So, let’s see what you’ve found.”
“You know, I’m glad you’re making this a priority, Stone. But keep the girl in the loop. Don’t lose her over this.” He pulled up a website on his computer. “Anyway, sage advice over. Here’s the deal on the grants. There are some that help feed different kinds of people. Students mostly.”
“Can’t interns be called students?” I thought that was essentially what they were. “They get paid damn little, I’d expect.”
“You mean to tell me that you’re seeing an intern, and you haven’t asked her how they get paid?” He shook his head. “Well, thanks to me, you won’t need to ask her that. Interns who work at hospitals are paid by the Department of Health and Human Services. What they make is low enough to make them eligible for some of these grants that I’ve found.”
I slapped him on the back, my body heating with excitement. “Fantastic! We’re gonna make this happen!”
“We can make it happen. But the only thing in the way right now is that you don’t have an established restaurant or other food service businesses. So you, my little brother, need to make up your mind about several things here. The menu. The venue. And then you’ve got a whole lot of other things you have to decide upon.”
