Burn, Baby, Burn by Michael Seale (Chapter 10)

Chapter 10

Liar, liar

I was back to work a few days later. I had called in sick the last couple of days; I couldn’t face Kimber. She had tried to call; she even came by my apartment. I just ignored her until she left. What could I have said, that would make her believe what I had seen? I didn’t even know what I had seen, really. I mean, how could there have been thousands of burnt bodies, how could I have watched her burn to death? None of this made any sense to me, so how should I explain it. I just wanted it all to end, I had no relief. I needed to get over myself and realize that I am just too stressed lately. That and my weed and alcohol consumption are not helping to dull the nightmares anymore. My rent was due, so facing Kimber was my only option. I needed to work; I needed money.  

***

Bill was setting up the meat station, Ribeye, NY Strips, Tenderloin, Rosemary Jus, White Polenta discs, Quail, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Fried Shallots and Black Olive Pesto; business as usual. 

Tom had every Thursday off, so I was running his station. First on my list was our creamy mascarpone rich risotto. Chopped onions, garlic, bay leaves cooked in extra virgin olive oil until translucent, add the rice and let it toast a little. Deglaze the pan with white wine and cook it until all the liquid has evaporated. Little by little I add the boiling veal stock, constantly stirring, drawing out the starches that hide in the grains of rice. It takes about 20 minutes. We don’t season it until we finish it during service. I spread it out on the sheet pans that I have ready and then put it in the walk-in to cool. The steam instantly sucked into the fans and blown around the cold room. 

Onto the roasted vegetables, carrots, butternut squash, beets and parsnips washed but never peeled, cut into cubes tossed in olive oil and seasoned, then roasted in the blasting convection oven until cooked through. 

Bill was unusually quiet; he seemed to be beside himself. Small talk didn’t seem to work, cussing about Ollie didn’t get the normal smile, and telling him about my latest conquest didn’t either, nothing worked. After a long time of no one talking, he finally spoke.

“Trish told me,” was all he said. 

“Oh, ok.” I was too nervous to say anything else.

“I was going to fire you; hell, I was going to beat the shit out of you. But…” He stopped.

I waited. I tried not to look up from my work; I didn’t want to make eye contact with him. He fidgeted and mumbled under his breath. 

“Shit, man. I didn’t think that I was going to fall in love with her. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have, but I did.” Bill rambled.

“Bill, I’m not sure I follow you.”

“I hooked up with Callie that night that we all got shit faced at the Cat a few weeks ago. I was there with Trish, but I was about to go out back to smoke a cigarette. Then she walked by, I always thought she was hot and we had flirted. I was drunk, she was drunk.”

“Wait, wait, wait… You hooked up with Callie that night?”

“Yeah, I knew that you had been with her the night before, but I was drunk. So anyway, we had a quickie right there in the storage area. After that she went out back and left, I guess.”

“When I was out back. I saw her.” Not telling him I had kissed her, let alone that I went home with her.

“Did she tell you? God, I was so scared that she would tell Trish. And then I found out that you guys hooked up.” 

“Ok,” that was all I said. I kept waiting for the moment that he’d flip out. 

“Actually, the day that you went nut job on us on the phone, I overheard you two talking downstairs. I was sure then that you were trying, but I didn’t know that you had already.” He paused. “I didn’t think that I would fall in love her, I felt terrible knowing that I did what I did, but she did it too. That’s why I can forgive her.”

My mind was racing. How much did he know? We had hooked up way more times than just once, but there was no way in hell I was going to admit that. 

“Well, Bill, just so you know after that one time she told me that there was nothing between us and that you were everything. I’m sorry, man. I didn’t think that you guys were in it for the long haul.”

“Shut the fuck up. You don’t get to talk your way out; you mother fucking asshole.”

It took me back. I had thought that this was going in another direction. I stood there at my station, not three feet between us. On one side the stove with its ten burners and the other side the pass with our knives and mise en place. 

He sighed. “I can forgive her. And I will forget that this happened between us. But if I ever have even the slightest feeling that you are trying to talk to her or look at her or anything beyond our daily business here, I will cut you. I will finish you.”

He walked away without another word. His cigarette was lit before he walked out and let the backdoor slam. Red Hot Chili Peppers, Aeroplane, blasted on the CD player. I was shaking; I was sure he was going to beat the shit out of me. 

Ollie walked around the corner from the hallway, smiling.

“Dude, you fucked Trish? That’s crazy shit!” he laughed with delight.

“Shut the fuck, Ollie, you fucking dipshit.” I snapped. Until that moment, I was the only one in the kitchen and tried to treat him with at least a bit of respect. There others treated him like shit all the time. At that moment, I understood. He is just an idiot.

Pushing past him and walked up to the bar. I poured myself a large bourbon, downing in it in one swallow. I could hear Ollie muttering to himself as he continued his prep work.