Henry Appleby has an appetite for life. As a recent high school graduate and the son of a wealthy family in one of Chicago’s affluent North Shore suburbs, his life is laid out for him. Unfortunately, though, he’s being forced to follow in the footsteps of his successful attorney father instead of living his dream of being a chef. When an opportunity comes his way to work in a real kitchen the summer after graduation, at a little Italian joint called Fiorello’s, Henry jumps at the chance, putting his future in jeopardy.<br><br>Years ago, life was a plentiful buffet for Vito Carelli. But a tragic turn of events now keeps the young chef at Fiorello’s quiet and secretive, preferring to let his amazing Italian peasant cuisine do his talking.<br><br>When the two cooks meet over an open flame, sparks fly. Both need a taste of something more -- something real, something true -- to separate the good from the bad and find the love -- and the hope -- that just might be their salvation.

Dinner at Fiorello's

Rosalie tapped her watch. “You got five minutes, tops. Go.”


Henry swallowed and realized he didn’t really have a clue as to what to say. He knew he had a burning desire to work in a professional kitchen, to eventually become a chef and infuse what he thought of as “magic” into his food, just like Maxine managed to. He could tell her he would work hard, learn fast, and be indispensable within a matter of days. But what job seeker didn’t claim those attributes?


This was a time when Henry wished he did possess some lawyerly powers of persuasion.


“Give me just a couple months. I’ll stay for three. That last month, I will help you in any way I can to find my replacement, but I will also work hard to train them, so you won’t even notice the transition.”


Rosalie smirked. “So then I’d have to pay, at least for a few weeks, two people instead of one? To do the same job. How does that make sense?”


Chapter 26