Chapter Thirty-Four
Kacie and Lillian
Kacie was greeted at the door of Community Kitchen by a heavyset woman in her fifties wearing a teal and purple Ankara dress and a teal dhuku. “I’m Madge,” she said. “You’re Chef Lee, right?”
“Uh huh. Wow, I love your dress.”
“Tell that to my husband,” said Madge. “The rest of your party is waiting. Follow me.”
Madge swayed through the narrow gaps between full tables. The delicious scent of fried fish intensified as Kacie followed her into the depths of the restaurant. At the back of the dining room a corridor ran past a server station and the kitchen on the right, and on the left was a doorway blocked by a floor to ceiling curtain of plastic beads. Madge eased the beads aside so that Kacie could enter. Toby and Lillian were waiting there at a round table covered with a checked tablecloth, with pictures on display of the clay-walled Great Mosque of Djenne-Djenno and a marketplace peopled with men and women in colorful trailing garments.
Seeing Lillian for only the second time, Kacie was impressed by the warmth of her smile, the crinkle at her eyes and the grace with which she bent forward to offer her hand. There was a scar on her cheek — Kacie hadn’t noticed that before. It didn’t harm her beauty. She was as gorgeous as her brother, or more so.
“This is an alcohol-free establishment, but I’ll bring you three some cider,” Madge said. “Alia just took a call, but she’ll be here in a few minutes.”
Lillian guided Kacie by the shoulders to a chair next to her and left her arm in place, touched her hair gently with her fingertips before raising her eyebrows and sitting again. “It’s so great to see you,” she said. Her voice wasn’t deep like Toby’s, but it had an adorable lilt.
A broad-shouldered black man in slacks and a collar shirt approached and gestured. “Welcome to chef’s table. My name is Shemar. I’ll be your server tonight.”
Alia came in behind him carrying a glass jug of golden cider. As Shemar poured four glasses of the fragrant beverage, they rose and she greeted them with hugs. “You must be Lillian.”
The two women shook hands. “Great to meet you,” said Lillian. “Congratulations on your win.”
“Thank you! But to tell the truth, being back to work here feels like the real reward. I’m going into TKN soon to start the media there, but I really love my own community kitchen.”
Shemar stepped to the curtain, where someone outside handed him a tray. He set it down on the table.
“Fresh-baked breadsticks and handmade aioli,” said Alia. “Bon appetit. You guys let Shemar know what you need. I’ll bring you hot apps in a little while.”
They enjoyed the hot bread and flavorful peppery mayonnaise with their cider.
“Go find out how she makes this aioli,” Lillian told Toby.
“Oh, I think I can tell you right off.”
“Sure, but go make sure.”
“Light, I can tell you right now.”
“Give us some alone time, Dark.”
Kacie smiled. She’d used that tone with Eunice before when her sister couldn’t take the hint.
Toby got up, a breadstick dangling from his mouth, and sauntered out. “I need to whiz,” he offered.
“Now we’re alone,” said Lillian. She looked at the beaded curtain. “Aren’t we, Dark? I don’t see your shadow outside, do I?”
“You’re imagining it,” he responded.
“Get going!”
“Yeah, g’wan,” Kacie added.
Several loud footsteps signaled that Toby had finally moved away.
“You’re okay?” Lillian asked. She put her hand on Kacie’s where it lay on the table. “Is my bro treating you all right? He can get moody.”
“Yeah, I really like him,” Kacie said. “I probably give him more shit than he gives me.”
“I’m so glad he found you. He needed something more in his life than just a stove.”
“So did I,” Kacie admitted.
“Have you guys figured out how you’ll get time together with your schedules?”
“Not really. Toby needs to get the permit for his truck, and he’s meeting Boris about some kind of business deal. I’m just back to my restaurant for now, but I’m meeting with Lou Morton tomorrow.”
“Great. What’s it about?”
“Business. I made him promise. He doesn’t seem like the type to try to make me his mistress.”
“No, he sure doesn’t. I looked at his background before Toby started the show. He built the network with money from his wife, and they have seven kids, three adopted. Not the profile for a philanderer. I think you’re safe. So, you liked being on TV?”
“Well, not all the time stuck in the dorm, but being on-camera and that kind of pressure, all that was easy.”
“But now it’s over.”
“Yeah, now it’s over. But I like being a restaurant chef. I’m assuming Morton offers me something stupid, like being a Hammer Chef’s prep cook, and then I say no and I go back to Koryo Burger and stand over the flattop twelve hours a day.”
“You’re sure?” Lillian looked deep into Kacie’s eyes.
“Well, who could know for sure? But most people on these reality chef shows never go anywhere when it’s over, so why should I?”
“Toby said you’re a natural in front of a camera, that you never showed any nerves.”
“No, I wasn’t nervous. When the cameras were on, I just did the same stuff I always did. It was away from the camera that I lost my shit, usually. Performing was easy.”
Lillian shook her head. “I was born with the talent to read people, honey. I think you’re at least a little bit reserved.”
“Yeah, I am. So? Shouldn’t I be?”
“Of course. A lot of public figures give everything they have to the public. They don’t keep much for themselves. I think it’s what makes them crazy.”
Lillian was being pretty aggressive, Kacie thought, but Toby had been that way also when they were new to each other. Maybe it ran in the family. Time to change the subject, though. “Did Toby tell you about that message your folks sent him while we were competing?”
“Uh huh. Smooth move, right?”
“I thought it was pretty awful. He took it badly. Are they as hard on you?”
“Oh, well, my mom fusses me about getting a boyfriend, but career-wise she doesn’t disapprove of what I do. I was always a people person, so she saw it coming. But they think culinary is a pretty hard life. Isn’t it?”
“I guess so, but it’s kind of like being an athlete. You’re born with the ability and you need to use it or you’ll go crazy.”
Lillian nodded. “Yep.”
“Will your parents come around?”
“I don’t know, really. I’ll keep working on them.”
Kacie asked, “How are you adjusting to New York?”
“Oh, fair to middling. I’m rolling with the punches. I like the energy of the city. I really like window shopping. I had a day off last Sunday and I just walked up and down Fifth Avenue looking at stores. You like window shopping?”
“No.”
“Great. I like it, too. We’re going together this Sunday. How early can you meet me at Macy’s Herald Square?”