Page 26 of Things We Need to Say (Second Chance Love Stories #2)

Jay was puzzling over the sauce for his fish dish in the function kitchen at Diva’s on Monday afternoon.

He was meeting Liz here later so had decided to do a practice run before she arrived.

Maybe she could shed some light on the problem.

He looked up as the door opened, expecting it to be her.

Instead, he watched Tia enter the room. His heart sank.

He wasn’t in the mood for a wrangle with her this afternoon.

When they’d first taken on the contract and Liz had been having difficulties with Tia, Jay had confidently told her he would be the front for the function catering at Diva’s.

He had thought then that Tia would be a pussycat underneath her hard-nosed business persona.

Now he knew differently. If she were any kind of cat, she would be more like a jaguar than the average domestic moggy.

And she was very much a lady who needed to be in control.

Of everything. He didn’t know how Alex and Roberto put up with her being their business partner. They must have the patience of saints.

‘Tia, how nice to see you.’

‘I didn’t know anyone would be up here. There aren’t any functions on tonight, are there?’

‘No, not tonight, no, but—’

‘So what are you cooking there?’

‘I was...’ Jay stalled for time as he chose his words carefully. ‘Trying out a new idea for the function menu.’

‘I see.’ She pursed her lips. ‘And you’re doing that in our kitchen?’

‘Well, yes. That’s not a problem, is it?’

The door opened and Liz breezed in. She looked from Tia to Jay. ‘Is everything all right?’

Jay waited for Tia to reply. He wasn’t at all certain why she was being so frosty.

‘Jay was just telling me he was testing out a new dish for the menu.’

‘Oh, are you?’ Liz’s face brightened. ‘What is it?’

‘What it is, is irrelevant.’ Tia cut in before Jay could reply. ‘It’s the fact that you seem to be using this kitchen for your personal business purposes and not just for carrying out Diva’s own functions.’

‘Well, we do use the area for forward planning. And it makes more sense for us to do the ordering here as we can see what stocks and equipment we have on site. Testing out new dishes in the kitchen they will eventually be cooked in is also useful. And we do need to keep the menu fresh. Lots of your clients have guests within the same social circles, so it wouldn’t look good if we served up the same dishes time after time. ’

‘No, it wouldn’t,’ Tia said. ‘But are you using those dishes on your own private menu as well?’

‘We do try to keep them separate, but if someone asks for something similar it makes sense to provide what they want.’ Liz paused. ‘Tia, I really don’t understand what all this interrogation is about.’

Tia sighed and rolled her eyes. ‘Because, Liz, if you’re using Diva’s as your main business premises, then by rights we should be charging you rent.’

‘But we’re not!’ Liz said in protest. ‘We have our own kitchen for our private work.’

‘It doesn’t look that way to me. Take today for instance. There are no functions and yet you’re both here.’

‘To put the orders through for the functions next week,’ Liz said. ‘As I have explained.’

‘Be that as it may, but I’ve discussed it with the others. Perhaps it’s time we do start to charge you rent.’

Liz was quick to reply. ‘That’s not in our contract.’

‘No, but your contract is due for renewal in a few months, so perhaps we’ll need to take this into account when we renegotiate terms.’

Before either of them could reply, Tia turned on her heel and swished out of the room.

Liz stared at Jay, dumbfounded. ‘What was that all about?’

Jay pulled out a chair and sat down. ‘I have absolutely no idea. It came out of nowhere.’

‘She’s got a real bee in her bonnet about something and I don’t think it’s just about a little bit of rent.’

Liz sat down opposite Jay.

‘Neither do I,’ Jay said. ‘In fact, now I think about it, she’s been prickly for the last few weeks. I just put it down to her usual control freakery, but she has got worse.’

Liz tried to think what could have caused it. ‘She usually behaves like that when she’s not getting her own way about something, but I have no idea what that might be.’

‘And Alex hasn’t said anything?’

‘Not a thing. He’s more intent on me and the baby. Fussing around me like I don’t know what.’

‘Getting on your nerves, is he?’

‘Just a bit.’ Liz sighed. ‘I know I shouldn’t complain that he’s so concerned, especially as the morning sickness has been horrendous and considering what happened to him before, but he’s acting like I don’t have a mind of my own.’

‘You’ll just have to humour him until he gets used to the idea.’

‘I suppose I will.’ Liz was silent for a moment. ‘Just clarify something for me, Jay. Tia did say she’d discussed it with the others, didn’t she? I didn’t mishear that?’

‘She definitely did.’

‘So why hasn’t Alex told me, then?’

‘As you say, he’s probably trying to protect you. Maybe he thought it was just another of Tia’s passing fixations and it would all blow over.’

‘Maybe,’ Liz said, getting up from her chair. ‘All the same, it would have been good to have been forewarned about that little ambush. I’ll have to have a word with him tonight. Try to find out what this is really all about. I’m going to make a cup of tea. Do you want one?’

‘Please.’ As Liz put the kettle on, Jay went over to the hob and lit the gas to reheat the sauce. As he did so, Liz turned to face him. ‘So what’s this new dish you’re planning for our menu?’

Jay blushed. ‘Ah. When I told Tia it was for the function menu, I wasn’t exactly telling the truth. It’s a dish I’m experimenting with for the competition.’

Liz burst out laughing. ‘It’s a good job you managed to think on your feet. If you’d told her what you were really doing, she’d have blown a gasket.’

Liz noticed that Jay had started to look around the room nervously. ‘What’s the matter?’

Jay frowned. ‘You’ll probably think I’m letting my imagination run away with me, but I’m starting to wonder if she’s planted hidden cameras or had us bugged. Maybe she’s sat in her office listening to every word we’re saying.’

‘I hate to say it, Jay, but that’s not actually as daft as it sounds.’

‘You’re not mad at me, then?’

‘Of course I’m not. I do think we need to take this seriously, though. But first things first — what is this dish you’re creating?’

‘Well, the brief is a fish dish so I’m working on a poshed-up version of fish and chips.

But not fish in batter. So I’m going to do pan-fried white fish of some variety.

I thought about doing a champagne velouté sauce with it, but Nan suggested a sparkling white wine from Kent to make it more of a regional dish. ’

‘Good old Nan. How is she?’

‘She’s great. As usual. I hope you don’t mind, but I told her about the baby and she said to give you her congratulations. I will warn you, though, she’s getting her knitting needles out.’

‘Oh, how lovely.’ Liz added a splash of milk to the tea. ‘I do like hand-knitted baby clothes.’

‘Do you? I thought you’d be more into designer these days.’

‘Jay! You forget that I come from good old-fashioned farming stock. Mind you, I can’t imagine Mum knitting anything, but Ruth, my stepmum, is a dab hand with the knitting needles, so you’d better warn your nan she’ll have competition.’

Jay chuckled. ‘I will. That will really spur her on.’

‘So is that the sauce, then?’ Liz nodded to the pan Jay was stirring.

‘It is. There’s something missing from it, but I can’t quite put my finger on what it is.’

‘Let me have a taste.’

Jay picked up a clean teaspoon, dipped it in the sauce and handed it to her. When she tasted it, she frowned. ‘Yes, I see what you mean. It’s got quite a good depth of flavour, but I think it’s missing a little bit of acidity to cut through it. Would a splash of lemon juice help?’

Jay immediately cut a fresh lemon in half, squeezed some into the sauce, stirred and re-tasted. ‘Bloody hell, Liz, you’re a genius. Why didn’t I think of that?’

Liz smiled and said, ‘Let me try it again.’

He handed her another spoon and she nodded as she let it roll around her tongue. ‘Yes, much better. But I was also wondering what fish stock you used?’

‘Just the standard one we often use.’

‘Could you make it fresh? That way you might be able to create even more depth of flavour.’

‘Mm, probably not in the time allowed.’

‘And you couldn’t make it yourself beforehand and take it in with you as a pre-prepared stock?’

‘I don’t know. I’d have to check, but it would be good if I could. Thanks for your help, Liz. I really do appreciate it.’

‘Not a problem. We want you to win this after all.’

‘Well, I’m going to do my best.’

‘I’m sure you will.’ She paused. ‘So what do we do about Tia, then?’

‘I don’t know.’ Jay turned the heat off the sauce and poured it into a plastic container. ‘Stay out of her way as much as possible, I suppose.’

‘Good plan. We’ll have to start using the kitchen below your flat more, though it is rather small so it’s not ideal.’

‘But best not to give her any ammunition, at least until after the contract renewal.’

‘Agreed. The timing’s not great, though. If she does get her way and they charge us rent, it will come right at the beginning of my maternity leave.’

‘And we’ll already be out of pocket because we’ll be employing staff to cover you.’

Liz took a sip of tea. ‘How would you feel if we didn’t renew our contract at the end of the term?’

Jay sat down with a bump. ‘Gosh, I don’t know. I’ve never really thought about it.’

‘If we just had our own business to concentrate on, we’d have more control over our workload. Less profit admittedly, but less expense too.’

‘And we wouldn’t have to kowtow to Tia.’

Liz laughed. ‘Now, that would be a bonus.’

‘How do you think Alex would feel about us ending our contract?’