Where does the good go?

Chapter 7

'STOP SHOUTING AT HER!', screams Andrew.

I have learned every cuss word invented and rephrased in the English language in the past five minutes which seems like half an hour. I would be jumping with joy in learning the sailor's language if I wasn't the one at the receiving end. He has called me everything from being an irresponsible child to a fit for nothing adult, and just when he started calling me a bitch or whatever else he was trying to imply, Andrew stepped in.

I haven't started crying but my eyes are ready to break the dam and my heart feels like it's been through a shredder.

Urgh.

Why did I have to come and stand in front of him?

Why did I want to help?

Everyone is looking at us and there's nothing but pity in their eyes. 

Except for Noah.

Is he smiling? Woah. 

Rude much?

His eyes meet mine and he has the decency to look down.

Good.

"DON'T YOU DARE DEFEND HER! THAT SAUCE TOOK ME THREE HOURS TO MAKE AND SHE JUST RUINED IT!", he shouts in return.

Oh crap. What have I done?

He throws me a murderous glance and I feel my dam break. Suddenly someone pulls my hand and drags me to the office and pushes the door close. I look up to see Andrew waiting with his arms crossed.

I wait for him to scold me and pull back the tears welled up in my eyes to stop showing.

"Are you okay?", he asks softly. Not expecting kindness, I nod my head, "Yes."

"I am supposed to be shouting at you," he smiles.

"I know", I whisper

"We cannot make that sauce now Bella. We have the local critic coming in today and that businessman from India. Now, Adrian is going to refuse to work. How are you going to fix this?"

"Does this sauce have to with the langoustines?"

"No. But do you want to use it?", he asks me with a little surprise, and shock?

What can I do? We really need a sauce, and I ruined the original. The restaurant's reputation is on the line and I need to pull it off in less than two hours. If I mess this up, I risk the restaurant, my job, and I cannot afford either of those.

I close my eyes and I let the stress of the past couple of days not get to me and push it to the back of my mind.

I need to prove to my colleagues I deserve to be here. I need to let myself showcase my savory talents and pull myself out of the comfort zone I set for myself. And I need to prove to Adrian that I am not all those things he called me and that I belong here as much as he does.

"Can I see the other elements first, chef?"

***

The next two hours were spent in one of the most focused cooks of my life.

I plug in my earphones and cook for my place in this kitchen. The recipe Adrian was following was his own and when I tasted the remainder of his pizzaiola sauce, I was blown. The moment he mentioned he used overnight dried olives though, I wanted to jump from the rooftop and kill myself for ruining his hard work and something so amazing.

But I decided to pull myself together. If I had to make a dish in two hours for thirty important people, I was not going to waste time in fear or guilt. I have time for that later.

I grab almost every seafood I could see and prep them, clams, mussels, gurnard, monkfish, red snapper, octopus, squids, and of course, the already prepped langoustines. I start cleaning them and just when I regret my decision on grabbing so many, someone taps my shoulder, and asks, "How can I help?"

"Chef I-", I stutter and pull out my earphones.

"It's no problem. Adrian is taking over the desert. He knows it better than me. Now let me help." Andrew sends me a smile and takes the pan from my hand. I smile gratefully that he decided to help me out in this misery and thank him. I tell him what I need and turn to get the fire started and notice Adrian throwing daggers at me and gulp.

Can't give up now Bells.

I pick up some strong spices and celery, sage, onions, passata, and fish stock. I get a pan and start with chili flakes and fennel seeds. Andrew looks up curiously from the smell and raises an eyebrow. I meet his eyes and beg him to trust me. He nods slightly and continues with the squids.

I cook the octopus and squid on the side since they need a lot more time. I look at the ingredients and notice I need some wine and quickly run to the cellar and almost crash into Addison, the hostess. "Bella! What's wrong?", she asks. She's my mother's age but she deserves to be in a beauty pageant. "I need red wine", I answer panicking a little about the pan in the kitchen. She grabs me 95' edition and pushes it into my hands and smiles, "Only the best for cooking."

Grateful, I rush back to cooking and notice the water that came out of the octopus and squids have now evaporated. Great. Not wasting any time, I add the cooked vegetables with sage and the red wine. I let it reduce to half and wait for the wine to work its magic into the veggies and the seafood. When it's done, (finally phew!) I add the passata and fish stock and let it simmer.

It takes me an hour to get the octopus tender and just when I am about to add more stock, Andrew shouts for the kitchen to start service.

Oh crap. 

I have about half an hour before the mains need to go out and I still haven't cooked the fish! I start working at express speed, my music helping me keep my tempo and I add just the tail of the snapper. Once I feel confident to put in the langoustines, I pray to the Universe to let it cook just the right amount and put them inside.

"Is it done?", a cold voice asks me and surprise surprise, who is it? It's our favorite devil Chef Adrian. "Yes sir", I blurt, pulling out my earphones.

"Then what about the clams and mussels? Haven't you wasted enough produce today?" He barks.

I am not one to cry easily, but. His voice was just so cruel and had so much malice, I would rather be swallowed by the ground than look at his eyes. "Leave her alone, Adrian", Andrew speaks and stands behind me. He puts his hands on my shoulder and turns me around, "Don't give up now sweet Belle. You can do it. Trust your gut"

I wasn't paying attention to his words, but his blue eyes were enough for me to be my old self. The temperature of the kitchen suddenly rose by ten degrees and I felt all the seafood I picked, swim in my stomach. "Okay Bella?", he asks and I just nod, not knowing what I was agreeing to.

I turn to my sauce and add in the clams and the mussels. I wait for them to open when the last plate of entre goes out. Suddenly Noah and Lucas are at my side and asking how they could be of help. I ask them to get the garlic bread Jasper had been toasting and plate them up. I get parsley chopped and wait for the magical moment for the clams and mussels to open up.

As soon as it happens I and Lucas add them on top of the crispy bread while Noah garnishes it with parsley. We call out for Levi and Zoe, the waiters, who have been anxiously waiting for the next dish to take out and I breathe in a huge sigh of relief.

I look up and smile at these two boys who have helped me and just when I am about to thank them, Addison walks into the kitchen with the most dreadful face, "She says she wants to meet the one who prepared the langoustine stew."

The temperature drops down and I have chills up my spine. And for the second time in the day, everyone stops what they are doing to look at me. 

Both Adrian and Andrew stare at me, one with a murderous glare and the other in panic.

Why is the Universe messing with me?