all upset that she didn’t get a cooking certificate today. I’m not sure why since she never gave a shit to begin with. But even after I gave Monica the certificate to give to Maggie, Maggie didn’t want it. She just stopped by to return it.”
“Really?” Zach asks, and I can see that he doesn’t entirely believe me.
I shrug in response. I suppose my version of the story might be a little one-sided, but I don’t really care.
Zach leans back in his chair, looking almost as exhausted as me. “We’ll get back to Maggie. Who was the blond woman I saw leaving the kitchen thirty minutes ago? She didn’t look like your typical student.”
“You saw her? You should have come said hi.”
Zach chuckles. “Nah, I’m good.”
“You sure? Because she’s pitching our new television show to her network executives at Good Eats. She’s already talking about filming a pilot.”
Zach’s jaw falls. “Don’t tell me that was—”
“Five-Star Faye. In the flesh.”
“She came back?”
I nod with a huge grin for two reasons. One, he sounds impressed. Two, I might have just distracted him from the whole Maggie issue.
“What is she offering you now besides a ticket to the mile-high club?”
“Dude. You mean, what is she offering us? You and me. We’re in this together. She thinks Edible Desire deserves its own television show, a behind-the-scenes look at how we run our scratch kitchen and school, or something like that. She hasn’t sorted out all the details.”
“And you’re sure that’s a good idea? You’re already busy enough as it is between classes, catering, and the private parties.” His head swings left and right. “Speaking of being busy, where’s Gretta?”
I can’t hide the annoyance that washes over my face. “Not here, which shouldn’t surprise anyone lately. I think I’m going to have to let her go.”
“Oh, man. Really?”
“I don’t see any other way around it. She has too many conflicts lately. I applaud her passion for school and all, but she left me high and dry again today.”
Zach sighs, and I know he understands. We go through part-time employees as fast as I go through laundry detergent. “Maybe it’s time we hire someone for you full-time. Take some of the burden off of you, especially since this television thing seems like something you really want to do.”
Now my jaw drops. “Wait a second. I was fully prepared for you to argue with me about the whole Faye conversation. You’re okay with the show?”
Zach rubs the back of his neck when he gets all bent out of shape, and he’s doing it now. “To be honest, I don’t think I should get much of a say. You’ve been responsible for this place for the past four years. I come and go as I please, but none of this would still be running if it weren’t for you.”
“Thanks, dude.” My chest goes all warm over my best friend’s confidence. I never deserved Zach’s friendship after the way I treated him when we were younger, but I haven’t stopped making up for that time.
“As long as you continue to keep twenty percent of the proceeds going to the charities of our choosing, then I’m happy to leave these decisions in your hands.”
There’s no question that our charity donations continue. That was part of our whole reason for going into business together. “That means a lot, Zach. Thank you.”
He throws up his hand. I knew it couldn’t have been that easy. “But I won’t back down about Maggie. You need to make this right with her.”
“How do you propose I do that? You know she has a problem with Coach, therefore she a problem with me.”
“Yeah, well, she has every right to be pissed at him. He is her dad, and he did a real shitty thing.”
“But Monica got over it.”
“Monica will never get over it, Des, never. But she’s figured out how to start forgiving him, and that has to happen in her own time, just like with Maggie.” Zach stands. “Anyway, just consider going easy on her, please. She’s family.”
My eyes widen as I look at my best friend. “Family, huh? You proposing to Monica any time soon?”
Zach chuckles. “One day, bro. She’s it for me—you know that—which makes Maggie family. Besides, she’s Coach’s daughter, which makes her family already.”
I wrinkle my face. “When you put it like that, you’re dating your sister.”
Zach grabs a decorative pillow from the couch and tosses it at me with his best throwing arm. Only Zach could cause pain with a