Yes Chef, No Chef - By Susan Willis Page 0,11
unchecked is that after a while it begins to seem like the norm and escalates. And boy oh boy, she sighed, it had certainly escalated today. Cringing with the thought of what was to come she went inside.
Briefly she remembered her earlier intention of talking in a calm and reasonable manner but since the episode at lunch time she knew that wasn’t going to happen – and even though she often shied away from confrontation deep down she knew the girls were right and it had to be sorted out.
He was sitting in the middle of the leather settee watching football highlights on TV with a bottle of wine and one glass on the coffee table which he now took a long swig from. Bringing herself a glass from the kitchen it fleetingly crossed her mind that because he’d had a lot to drink it might be better left until the morning. But the only outcome from that would be another sleepless night for her and he would crash out drunk and sleep like a baby.
Filling the glass with wine she stood in front of him. “Well?” she asked quietly.
“Well, what?” he answered sullenly. “Look it’s my night off - just leave it.”
She took a large gulp of wine and then a deep breath to steady herself. “We need to talk, Tim. What’s wrong with you? Is it work or is it something I’ve done?”
He raised an eyebrow. “You had the chance to talk this morning but you didn’t want to.”
She stared at him and couldn’t understand why he was being so horrible to her. Although he wasn’t a conventionally good looking man he did have a certain something that Lisa once said was devilishly attractive. But now his bright green eyes were piercing into her and she decided he didn’t look very attractive at all; in fact he actually looked quite ugly as he sneered at her.
“How could you say that in front of your parents?” she demanded angrily. “Have you any idea how embarrassing that was for me?”
Arrogantly, he sighed heavily. “It was the truth, Kate. You cut me off on your mobile. So, I figured…”
There it is, she raged, that was the look on his face that up until a few months ago she’d never seen before. It was a supercilious grin he gave people if he thought them inferior. She was furious and glared at him.
“Look,” he said, “I’ve got loads of shit happening at work and I don’t need this at home. I’ve just had a belly-full from dad so I don’t need it from you as well. I’ve already apologised twice, how many more times do I have to say it?”
She gulped more wine. “Christ, it’s not just about last night,” she said. “If it was just one night I would understand but it’s time and time again, you keep letting me down. I mean, what’s happening to you? You weren’t like this when we first met.”
“Kate, I’m a chef, I work long hours,” he said shrugging his shoulders. “You knew that when we got together so I can’t see why you’re having such a problem with it now.”
Her heart thumped in trepidation but she desperately wanted to get her point across. “Oh Tim, I’m used to your long hours but I just can’t understand why you’re behaving like this?” she said drying her sweating palms anxiously down her skirt. “Sometimes I don’t even know who you are anymore…”
“Join the club, sweetie,” he drawled.
“You arrogant prick. Who the hell do you think you are?” she yelled. “And don’t you dare speak to me like that! I’m not one of your bloody kitchen assistants.”
He stood up abruptly and knocked the bottle over which crashed to the wood floor. “I wouldn’t have you in my bloody kitchen!”
That was it she thought, this wasn’t the man she’d fallen in love with and she couldn’t stand any more. All the months of pent-up frustration raged through her. Slowly and deliberately she hissed, “You. Godforsaken. Bastard…”
Turning, she stormed into the bedroom and dragged a holdall from the top of the wardrobe. Her body was shaking from head to foot and she knew she had to get out of the apartment and as far away from him as possible because right now, she hated him.
Slamming the front door shut with tears streaming down her face she walked onto the path and towards her car. Throwing the holdall onto the back seat she felt a moment of panic. Who would she