Yes Chef, No Chef - By Susan Willis Page 0,35
had ever happened to him and of course, he was always right.
But now she was gone, he moaned silently and it was probably all he deserved after the way he’d behaved lately. He supposed there was only so much one person could cope with but he had thought she was with him for the long haul and was still amazed she’d run out at the first sign of trouble. Had he really been that foul, he wondered, and although he’d racked his brains, he had to admit that because of the alcohol he couldn’t remember too much of the actual argument, which in itself was disgusting. Maybe when she’d had time to calm down she’d get in touch and they could talk – he knew now that he should have told her about the trouble in the restaurant but hell, it was all so embarrassing and he’d wanted to sort it out without telling anyone.
He heard Simon call out the first order for service and he strode more purposefully back into the kitchen and lost himself in cooking and running the service to perfection. When the last plate left the kitchen and it had all gone without a hitch he breathed deeply, feeling more self-assured. He was good at his job and he would make a success of this he determined, heading back to the office to sort out a meat supplier who was trying to cheat him with poor quality meat.
The restaurant was only open for lunch on Mondays and he usually arrived home around four o’clock to make a nice meal for him and Kate but when he walked into the lounge and began to think of what to cook the realisation that she wouldn’t be happily breezing in from work tore at his guts and the silence in the kitchen seemed to deafen him.
He rang Luke and told him about the fight and how Kate had left. “So, I’m home now and don’t know what to do with myself. Ordinarily I’d cook and open a bottle of wine ready for our dinner. But, I don’t want to open a bottle tonight or I’ll end up drinking it all myself…”
“It’s a tricky one,” Luke said, “I feel the same some nights after a stressful day. And I have to fight the urge to nip into the pub as I walk past it every night because I know if I do I won’t be able to stop at just one pint.”
Tim sighed heavily. “Do you think lots of other guys have the same problem?”
“Well, they must do,” Luke said. “There’s a high instance of alcoholism in young men and women that work in the city and also recreational drug abuse.”
Tim paced with his mobile to his ear, from the kitchen into the lounge and back again. “Maybe I should go out for a run and try to keep my mind off it?”
“Yeah, sounds like a plan,” Luke said, “And look, I might try and get down to London in a few weeks for a visit.”
Tim smiled at the thought of seeing Luke. “Aah, that would be great, Luke. And thanks,” he said ending the call.
After cooking a solitary dinner and ignoring calls from his mother he crawled into bed missing Kate like crazy. The sheet on other side of the bed was cold when involuntarily he stretched out his long legs which he usually did to wrap around her small body and he silently prayed she’d be missing him as much as he was her and would soon come to her senses and get in touch. Fitfully he drifted into sleep.
The restaurant was very busy over the next few days and he decided to stay all day and late into the night cooking until his brain, hands and back ached. He interviewed and employed another two chefs with excellent CV’s and threw himself into his work which in the past had always been the best remedy for upset. He hoped this time wouldn’t be any different because he could never have imagined missing anyone as much as he missed his Kate.
On the morning he saw her email address pop onto the screen of his mobile he wondered why she hadn’t rang or come to talk as there wasn’t a great deal you could discuss in an email. It was short, impersonal and straight to the point. Christ, what did she want from him, he pouted, running his hand through his thick hair. Did she want him to go begging