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“Congratulations,” I say, and I mean it.
Petra says nothing. She simply stares at Callum and swallows hard.
“The problem is—or the good thing, depending on your point of view—she recently inherited a big old Victorian house down in Madison, Indiana that’s zoned for commercial and residential use, and that’s where she wants to do this.”
“How do you know she’s… ah… legitimate?” I ask. I sure don’t want Callum to give up his job and move away only to realize he’s been taken for a ride. Most people in Indiana are aware that Madison is known for its restaurants and culture. It’s a picturesque, historic city on the Ohio River in southern Indiana—and definitely too far away from Carmel for a daily commute. But what do we know about this woman? Is she interested in Callum for other reasons? I don’t want to ask him that because it would look as if I were distrusting her intentions and intimating that he’s more of a pretty face than an excellent chef and cooking teacher.
“She’s on the faculty at Vincennes where I studied culinary arts, and I’ve taken a couple of her classes. She found out where I was cooking and teaching in Carmel, so she’s been scoping me out. I guess I passed her inspection.”
“When would you need to be down there?” Petra asked quietly with a hitch in her voice.
“Sometime in January, I think. She’s having the kitchen renovated to get it up to code for commercial cooking, and the ground floor needs some remodeling. Her idea is to serve breakfast and lunch and then offer cooking classes in the afternoons. I mean, it sounds like a good idea, but I… don’t know. She’s promised me an attractive starting salary. And she even said I could use the upper floor to live in if I wanted.” He looks at us pleadingly. “I just don’t think I can leave the two of you to do this, and I’m not even sure I’m ready for a bigger responsibility than I have at my current job. I think it sounds like a great opportunity, and it’s quite flattering, but…” He trails off and looks down. “It’s scary. Maybe I’ll give up everything, and the place will be a flop. Restaurants come and go all the time down there because it’s such a touristy place. And maybe the people who frequent the restaurants won’t want to take classes. When I went to work at my current job, it was an established business that had been successful already for several years. Maybe this woman has terrible taste.”
“How badly do you want to advance your career, Callum?” I ask.
“Of course, I want to advance, but I’m not in a terrible rush to do something chancy.”
“How badly do you want to leave us?” Petra asks softly as a tear rolls down her face. She hastily lets go of my hand to swipe it away and then grabs me again.
“I don’t want to leave you two at all! I just don’t know how many times this kind of opportunity will come along, and will Iend up having to leave town eventually anyway?” Callum’s voice breaks, and he looks like his heart is breaking with it.
With her chin jutting out, Petra asks, “What if we all moved to Madison so we could stay together?” She looks at me pleadingly.
Callum shakes his head sadly. “I can’t ask you to do that. This is Weston’s house that he grew up in. I’m sure it means something to him.” He looks at me. “Right?”
I shrug a little. “It does, but houses aren’t as important as people. Petra and I have portable jobs. I just don’t know how it would work financially. We’d have to look into it. Maybe we could all buy a house together…”
“I’m not exactly rolling in dough right now,” Petra says with a glum look. “Thanks to my so-called mother.”
Taking a deep breath, Callum tells me, “I don’t have much yet in the way of savings either, but it’s very kind and generous of you to even consider it, Weston. Here’s the thing, though. I read the other day that sixty percent of all restaurants fail in the first year, and in the first five years, eighty percent fail. It’s not promising odds. If the new restaurant fails, then you’d be stuck in Madison, and you’d have sold your house for nothing.”
“You’re not nothing,” I protest. “And this isn’t just a restaurant. It’s a cooking school too. So if we did this it would be more like making an investment in you. But maybe you need to do some more research into the woman who’s asked you to join her. Does she have any business experience? Is she a hard worker? Trustworthy? Also, what are taxes and living expenses like in Madison compared to Carmel? Where is your salary coming from? Will it be based on the immediate profits from the business, or does she have money set aside already? And… ah, what did your parents say?”
“Not much. They basically said to decide on what I could live with when I make my decision.” He sighs. “Maybe I could justcome back here on my days off to be with you.” No one says anything to that, so he goes on to say, “That sounds awful.”
I think for a moment and then ask, “Would you consider asking her to come up here to meet with us? Maybe if Petra and I can talk to her along with you, it will help you form an opinion you can live with. Does she know you’re in a serious relationship? If she’s any kind of person at all, she ought to be sensitive to the feelings of your partners as well as to yours. I know we’re unconventional, but maybe she also needs to know that.” I let that sink in a moment and then ask, “What’s her name, anyway? I don’t like referring to her as ‘that woman’ all the time.”
“Her name is Professor Bates. I think her first name is Marsha.”
“Well, ask Marsha to join us for brunch next weekend. Or, if she doesn’t want to drive all the way up here, which is understandable, maybe we can meet her down in Bloomington or something and split the difference. That’s about halfway. Or—I have an even better idea! We could make a trip all the way to Madison and see the property with you. I assume you haven’t taken that trip yet, right?” Callum shakes his head, so I look at him with a satisfied grin. “Callum, you can’t make an informed decision without seeing what you’re getting into. We can stay overnight down there and make it a mini-vacation. Why don’t you call her right now and set it up? Is that okay with you, Petra?”
“It makes sense to me. Call her, Callum, and I’ll go figure out what to do with the dogs for one night. I think they’d be happier playing with other pooches instead of taking a long car ride.”
“And I’ll find us a place to stay,” I tell them with conviction. I wish I were happier about this, but at least we’ll be helping Callum make a momentous decision. Then I tell them both, “Let’s not worry or be sad about this until we know more,alright? This might be a great opportunity for all of us. You never know.” Then I look at Callum and tell him, “I love you,” and I give his hand a squeeze. “You’ve got this.”
Petra and I head out of the kitchen to find our laptops, leaving Callum staring at his phone like it’s going to bite his hand off. I’m proud of our man, but I don’t envy the decision he needs to make.
Thirty-Two
Callum
I scrollthrough my contacts until I find Professor Bates, but I don’t hit the call button right away. At the moment, I’m feeling fairly negative about her proposal, and I don’t want to project that in my voice. I’m almost ready to call when another thought goes through my head. Professor Bates is an attractive woman in a somewhat overblown way, but she’s given me a flirty vibe a few times that has me on alert. There is no way in hell I want to get involved with her, and I’m happily committed to Petra and Weston. But maybe she’s just friendly, and I’m overthinking. What would an older woman like that want with me anyway? I didn’t tell Petra and Weston about it because I didn’t want to sound silly or egotistical.
So I concentrate on the great opportunity this is offering me and on how much I love cooking, creating recipes, and teaching. Once I feel somewhat buoyed, I poke the button. The call goes instantly to voicemail. Terrific.
“Hi, um, Professor. This is Callum O’Malley. I was just thinking over your offer, and I was wondering if we couldcome down to Madison next weekend to see the property you’re renovating and ask you some questions. I’m off work on Saturday, so I hope you’re available then. Please call me and let me know at your earliest convenience. Um, thanks. Bye.”
I hope I didn’t sound too much like an idiot, and I hope she calls back soon.
