Another Opening of Another Show

Posted on Wed 14th Sep, 2016 @ 11:29pm by

721 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Prologue
Location: Deck 600: Orchids & Jazz
Timeline: Mid-day

Wearing jeans and a red, scoop-necked blouse, Jade Lantz walked through Orchids & Jazz with a small PADD in hand, making notes of things that weren't up to standard. They had one more afternoon, and then the doors opened on this, her fifth Orchids & Jazz. She stopped for a moment and looked around. It was a different base, a different setting, but she still had her restaurant on Deck 600, and a few of her friends were somewhere on the Promenade with her, in their own shops and restaurants.

Thanks to Flavia Smith, owner of Scent of Love, she'd managed to get enough of the right kind of orchids for opening. They were protected by glass environments from customers who might think they'd be improved by touching. Jade smiled and gave a slight shake of her head. There was no telling what people would do. Her restaurant was on the upscale end, and she had a great doorman who also served to escort rowdy customers out, when needed.

Looking around, she saw him standing by the bar, watching her. "Is everything up to your standards?" Reon Velasquez asked.

"For the most part," she answered. "For the rest, I don't think we can fix too many more things. Have you seen Serena?"

Reon rolled his eyes, "Oh, yeah, and I personally don't plan to seek her out for at least two more hours. She and that new cook were having quite an argument about 10 minutes ago."

"Umm ... disagreement about food?"

"I think it was more basic than that. Disagreement about whether the chef was going to survive the encounter is more like it."

Jade laughed, "Yes, well she can get a little heated, can't she?" Reon just smiled slightly.

"Would you check upstairs for the things on my list, please?" Lantz asked, walking over and handing him the device she held. "I think I might need to see if the chef is still alive, make sure I don't have a last minute hiring disaster."

Walking toward the kitchen, Jade wondered how Serena and Jason Boyd had come head to head this time. There seemed to be something on which to disagree every couple of days. As an El Aurian, she wasn't given to too much speculation, mostly listening and keeping her own counsel. Now and then, though, something would catch her attention. The thing she noticed about Jason and Serena was that they sneaked looks at each other when they thought they were unobserved. And when they did, both had a lovely green-blue hue at the center of their auras.

As she pushed through the first door, and then the second that led into the kitchen, she heard laughter, and relaxed. Whatever it was had passed. She rounded one of the long metal counters and saw Jason and Serena standing close together, but not touching.

"Serena, do you have a few minutes?" Jade was the owner and the boss, but she didn't order her employees around. Serena Alia had been with her since the beginning, and Reon Velasquez almost as long. She ruled through requests.

Her assistant jumped slightly and turned to face Jade. "Sure. Last minute ideas for tonight?"

"Not really, more of a final walk-through to make sure everything is in place." She checked the time keeper on the wall. "We have two hours still. Chef Boyd, how are your preparations coming along?"

"Tip top. The sous chef, the dessert chef, and all the line chefs are taking a short break, but everything is ready right now, if you want to open early." He grinned at her, not the least discomfited or upset at having her in his kitchen.

When she'd hired him, Jade had made it clear that the kitchen was his domain and anything within certain parameters was solely his decision. She'd also made it clear that she would walk through the kitchen without notice. He'd had no problems with that, and they'd worked together well as they worked out the menu for this new Orchids & Jazz. She almost didn't miss her old kitchen crew.

"Excellent. I'll leave the kitchen in your capable hands, then, with thanks and gratitude that you aren't temperamental," she said. As she followed her assistant out of the kitchen, she reflected that, of course, she wouldn't have hired him if he had been.

 

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