Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 80986 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80986 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
“Nelson did.”
“Yeah, but isn’t he the stoner? I’ve heard that they’re always hungry.”
Theo laughed. “Okay, maybe so, but he wouldn’t have eaten it if it was awful. I liked the fish and the potatoes. Ian and Matt did, too.”
“I thought I did good by getting the trout,” I said, near tears. “That store was so overwhelming, but then I spotted the trout… my grandfather used to catch that for us all the time. And it was fresh. I thought that was better than something that was flown in. We’re not exactly near an ocean.”
“No, we’re not.” Theo took a few steps toward me, and I got the sense that he wanted to give me a hug. But that would’ve made me cry for sure, so I busied myself scraping food off plates and into the garbage.
Where my food belonged, evidently. Or at least Bennett and Grant thought so.
“Hailey, you just moved in yesterday, and today you cooked a meal for six. With dessert. Do you think any of us could’ve done that?”
I bit the inside of my lip and shook my head. Of course they couldn’t—but they didn’t have to. They had people to do that for them. People like me.
Theo walked over to the fridge, plucking a beer out of it. And squeezing my shoulder along the way. I was reminded of how Bennett had been so scornful when I offered coffee after dinner. My grandpa had always liked a cup after he was done eating.
“Tell me what I did wrong.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong.” Then he shook his head with a rueful grin. “Well, no, that’s not true. You took this job in the first place.”
“No, I’m serious. Please tell me what I did wrong so that I don’t do it again.”
Theo leaned against the fridge and looked me over, as if ascertaining whether I was serious. “Okay, I will… if you tell me why you took this job.”
I ran my hand through my hair in frustration. “To disappoint Bennett in every way, of course.”
He laughed but continued staring at me with those disconcertingly light gray eyes. Theo was obviously from the same upper-class world the rest of them were. Why would he want to know more about someone who was so far from that world that I was practically on another planet?
“Do we have a deal? You answer my question and then I answer yours.”
Men were so difficult sometimes. And a houseful of them—but I shouldn’t think that way. Theo had been nothing but kind and friendly. “All right. There’s not much to tell. I needed money and a place to stay.”
“Why?” he asked. “I mean, I get it about the money, but why did you need a place to stay?”
“I’m kind of between apartments right now.”
“Do you have family around here? You mentioned your grandfather.”
Now the tears were threatening to return. “He passed away five months ago.”
“I’m sorry, Hailey.”
I nodded and stepped away when he moved nearer. A hug would definitely undo me right now. “Your turn.” My gaze was on the dishes, not his face.
He sighed. “Okay. But for the record, I thought you did a great job. Cooking in an unfamiliar kitchen for six people—with no oversight or instructions from Bennett, apparently. I think you did well.”
“You’re the only one who does.”
“No, I’m not. Ian spoke up in your defense.” That was nice to hear, but on the other hand, it would be even better if I didn’t need defending. “Grant, too,” he continued.
I nearly dropped the plate I’d just picked up. “Grant?”
“Yep.”
That was too much for my brain to handle. “Please, I’m tired. Please tell me what I need to know.”
“All right. First off, you need to prepare the plates in here and then take them out, like a restaurant would. Not put the dishes out there for them to serve themselves.”
I nodded glumly. I should’ve figured out that people like Bennett wouldn’t even want to do that much for themselves. That was for the staff to do. “What else?”
“Different proteins. Don’t think about the price, think about what we might like to eat. In fact, I’ll make you a list. Salmon, obviously. Steak, but there are different kinds.”
“I don’t know how to cook those.” I’d never cooked salmon and only steak a time or two. We hadn’t been able to afford it. And the few times we had, I’d just cooked it like I would have a pork chop or cheaper meat.
“You can learn,” Theo insisted. If he knew how much I struggled in my classes, he might not say that. Then he gave a rueful shake of his head. “Or you could if these guys ever gave you any free time.”
“Yeah.” It seemed hopeless. “What else?”
He rattled off a few more things, about place settings, about serving etiquette—things that were all normal to him and the others, but not to me. I tried to take in what he was saying, but I was so damn tired. And I got completely lost when he started talking about white versus red wine.