Page 53 of Pity Pact

The club manager is not one known for theatrics, so I quickly ask, “What’s wrong?”

“Bart’s kid got Norovirus and he gave it to the whole family, which means we don’t have a chef tonight.”

I don’t see that as the end of the world. “I’m sure Jenna can handle things. She’s done so in the past.”

“Jenna is still in Mexico,” he reminds me.

“Oh.” Having a chef and a sous chef out on a normal night might be doable, but on the same night we’re responsible for feeding everyone fromMidwestern Matchmaker?That’s a different story entirely. “Let me find Trina and talk to her. Maybe we can streamline their menu for tonight.”

Terry runs his hands through his hair like he’s trying to rip half of it out. “Call me as soon as you know. In the meantime, I’ll see if Candy can come in and help.”

Terry’s wife is hands down the worst cook I’ve ever met. The night they had me for dinner she made boxed mac and cheese andserved it with boiled hotdogs. She can’t even make Rice Krispies treats, and they only have three ingredients.

I know this because I nearly broke a tooth trying to get one down.

“Don’t call Candy,” I say, unable to keep the panic out of my voice. “I’m sure we’ll work something out.” Heck,I’llcook before letting her into the kitchen.

Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I call Trina. “Are you at the club yet?” I ask.

“I’m in Conference Room A. What’s up?”

I lift my hand and cross my fingers for Terry’s benefit before saying, “I’m on my way.”

I hate having to tell Trina what’s going on, but I also don’t want to wind up in the weeds tonight. As I walk into the conference room, I’m once again surprised by how the crew has turned it into such a convincing restaurant set.

Trina stands up and waves when she sees me. As soon as I sit down with her, she flips through a packet of papers. “The supper buffet for tonight’s mixer looks great. The only thing I’m wondering is if we can change out the ribs for something less messy. I’d hate to film a bunch of people wearing BBQ sauce.”

“About that …” I inhale a deep breath before telling her, “My chef and sous chef are both out tonight.”

She tips her head to the side waiting for me to continue. “We’re short staffed,” I tell her.

“How does that affect us?” She doesn’t sound worried, yet.

“I think we might have to alter the menu slightly,” I tell her.

Trina does not look pleased. “How?”

“It might be best to serve things that don’t have to be made at the last minute. That way we can work on them this afternoon and not hold anything up later.”

When she finally responds, she says, “What kinds of food do you suggest?”

“I’d have to check with the kitchen, but off the cuff I’m thinking maybe a pasta bake or jambalaya.”

Tapping her pen against the table, she excitedly declares, “I have an idea!” She picks up her phone and places a call. “Jake, can you get to the club right away?”

Whoever this Jake is, he must be on board because the next thing she says is, “Great!” Then she hangs up.

“Who’s Jake?” I ask.

“He’s one of the single guys on the show.”

“And you’re going to ask him to cook?”

“He’s a chef.”

I’m suddenly full of questions.What kind of chef is he? Is he any good? What if Jake burns the kitchen down?I finally realize Trina is offering a solution to my problem, so I tell her, “Why not?”

“Good. We like to spotlight people’s talents when we can. And what better way to do that than to have someone cook for us?”

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