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“So, I hear Moroni quit,” Bailey said. “Is that true?”
I glanced at her quickly. It was as if she read my mind.
“Bailey, I don’t mean to be rude, but I’ve got a lot on my mind right now. And I have other errands to run. Can you make this quick?” I asked. “Fishing season starts soon, and I have a slew of things to prepare, especially without Moroni.”
“I know. Hear me out. Two seconds,” Bailey said. “I have a friend in Chicago who is a chef by trade. She went to culinary school, has experience with everything, even fine dining.”
I frowned, and Bailey took a step forward.
“Look, I’m telling you she’s good. And she’s looking for a new job.”
I nearly dropped the relish. If she knew someone who was willing to come to Waterfront as soon as possible if I liked the interview, then perhaps the other errands could wait.
“A chef?” I turned to look at her. “Wait, did I hear that right? She’s in Chicago?”
“Long story, and not my place to share, but she’s looking to get out of Chicago,” Bailey explained. “I don’t know if you’d like her for the job, but she’s interested. Wanted to know if there was any way I could help her arrange an interview in Chicago. She’d probably be up for a phone or video conference, as I know she would hate to inconvenience you just to interview her so soon to the start of fishing season.”
I pursed my lips.
“And, have you tried her cooking? That’s part of the interview, usually. Cook me a dish,” I said. “I can’t do that over the phone.”
“I lived with her in college. She’s a fantastic cook,” Bailey replied. “Absolutely fantastic, and she has the résumé to back it up. I don’t know the details, but I could easily give you her phone number, if you wish.”
“Yes, please. Can you text it to me? I really do have other errands to run, but this was actually a helpful conversation.”
“Of course.” Bailey smiled, clearly suppressing an amused eye roll. “Thanks for taking time out of your relish hunt to hear me out.”
“Of course. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
I walked towards the registers. My phone buzzed once in my pocket. I pulled it out just to confirm that Bailey had sent me the number of her friend: Laurel Pennington, it read, followed by a phone number.
I hoped that she lived up to the expectations that Bailey had set, but my expectations weren’t insane as far as the food that she had to cook. The people who came to stay at my lodge preferred simple food that they could either eat in the dining room or take with them to eat in the wilderness. It didn’t have to be any of this fancy dining stuff.
Once I was done checking out, I headed to the lodge. When everything was put away, I did a mental check of everything else I had to do. What could be passed off to Rick while I conducted a phone interview?
“What has you so deep in thought?” Rick’s voice startled me, and I jumped. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Think you can handle setting up a couple of interviews for me while I conduct one on the phone?” I looked at him. “I came across a lead for a new cook at the grocery store, and I’d like to follow up on it before I forget.”
“Of course. When should I schedule them for?”
“Tomorrow. Or as soon as humanly possible. We need this chef by the end of the week if we’re going to have any chance of keeping up with the season’s demands,” I replied.
He nodded and hurried off. In the meantime, I pulled my phone out of my pocket. I added ‘Laurel Pennington—new cook???’ into my contacts so I didn’t lose her number.
After I did that, I simply called her. There was no better chance to have the interview than now on my end, and if she lived in Chicago, then she’d already be off work if she wasn’t working at an odd hour tonight.
“Hello?”
“Is this Laurel Pennington?”
“This is she. May I ask who’s calling?” The voice on the other side was pleasantly feminine, and rather cheery.
I was glad I had the right number, but it had not been what I was expecting.
“My name is Luke Delaney. I got your name and number from a mutual friend. Said you’d be interested in the job I have available at my fishing lodge,” I started.
This appeared to be enough to kickstart her memory as there was a soft ‘oh’ from the other end as I spoke.
