Chapter 16: Part 4 - Ruby’s Crush

Fresh chef's coats and sanitary shoe coverings were provided at the doors to the kitchens, and once I had gotten dressed in the appropriate work attire, it was 2 am, and Ruby assembled us all in the main kitchen to delegate tasks to each chef that worked on each chef's strengths.

Marylin was a Pastry Chef, so she was assigned the work of prepping the ingredients for the café's pasties and baked goods while I was set to work on the main courses with Ms Satō and Mr Nakamura, who were on shift with me.

Working with the other two chefs was such a breeze. Mr. Nakamura had a refined taste and specialized in working with fermented products that needed a lot of time and care, so the food he produced was always light and delicate, despite how much time and effort he put into cultivating and preparing the ingredients. His Kimchi and as to die for as well as his sake, it was like he was born with blessed hands that could ferment anything to perfection. Even the yeast for the bread station was prepared by Mr. Nakamura because his golden touch made the bread rise just a little more than everyone else's attempts.

Ms Satō, on the other hand, had an eye for meats. Her cuts were swift and precise, and she didn't waste even a sliver of meat in the process of preparing the ingredients for the day's meal. I had great fun observing her and her techniques, and as I worked on preparing the fried ingredients, such as the tempura and the croquettes, I had a chance to ask a real pro how to improve my knife skills, and she was more than happy to give me advice.

I felt as if the midnight shift flew by, and before I knew it, it was already 6 am and the work was done for the day. The three of us had neatly organized and prepared all the ingredients in easy-to-reach and access containers for the day chefs to use for the orders that would come in throughout the day.

"Chris! Come, I have prepared the tasting spread for my latest cake!" Ruby said just as I was leaving the kitchen and entering the staff canteen.

I turned towards the sound of Ruby's voice, and she was at a table at the far side of the canteen, bellowing as she waved her hands, beckoning me over.

I sighed as I pulled off my chef's coat and hung it over my arm as I walked over. It seemed that Ruby had cut up several small samples and placed them on tiny side plates, ready for me to try each one.

"Did you say this was from your latest cake?" I asked, looking at the multi-colored slices" I asked suspiciously.

"Well, I kind of used the same batter, but dyed it five different colors. I wanted to make a sort of rainbow cake. However, it turns out the dye was flavored, so I have a few different flavors in this one cake attempt," Ruby replied sheepishly.

I sighed. The only person I knew who experimented without reading the labels was Ruby. When it came to the food prepared in-house, she was incredibly meticulous, but when it came to her own stuff, she was so careless it really didn't make sense.

I placed the used chef coat on the table, reached for one of the many colored cake slices, and popped it into my mouth. The texture was soft and the cake was moist. A deep bourbon mixed with chocolate hit me immediately, and I was glad I asked her to provide small portions as this little piece was already equivalent to a shot.

"Oh, cake!" I heard Marylyn say out of nowhere, and before Ruby and I could warn her, the attractive chef flounced over and popped one of the pieces of cake into her mouth, chewing it thoughtfully.

I looked up at Ruby, who looked surprisingly pale for someone who usually forced cake upon just about everyone in a one-meter radius.

"Ah, Marylin, I'm not sure if it's suitable for you –" Ruby said cautiously.

"Nonsense. Ruby, you have to stop being so shy about sharing your cake creations. Was I, not the first one who introduced you to my rum and raisin specialty?" Marylin smiled as she tapped her lips, "It needs a bit of cardamon to offset the bourbon. I'm guessing you were going for a black forest bourbon, not quite there yet, but a good start," Marylin beamed and, as quickly as she appeared, disappeared back into the pastry station area to go talk to her colleagues over there.

I turned to Ruby, really confused.

"I've never seen you so put out by someone trying your cake, is something wrong?" I asked, curious.

Ruby let out a loud sigh and walked away. She grabbed a trash can and returned, sweeping everything, including the plates, off the table and into the dustbin.

"Well, how would you feel if your crush told you that your food sucked. Just spit it out; if she thinks it sucks, it must suck" Ruby sighed and sat down heavily on the table bench.

"After all these years, trying to get better at making cakes with alcohol, I still haven't gotten a single cake recipe just right. I wish I had a little more time. Heather didn't tell me Marylin would be the third intern for this batch; how was I to know she, of all people, would be here? Maybe a few more attempts and –" Ruby started to ramble.

I walked over to Ruby and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hold on, calm down. Are you saying all these years, you've been making your cakes, to impress…. Marylin?" I asked, surprised.