As Joseph told his staff, "Tonight, you will listen to Ms. Louis. She will be your boss. Any problems, any questions, you go to her until I give further notice." He looked askance at St. Stephen and nodded.
Helen set to work straight away. The normal chatter of the cook's line was lost on Joseph as he focused his eyes on Helen's kitchen mannerisms. She delegated well, not barking but insinuating her orders from chef to waiter alike.
"What's the special tonight?" Helen did not look up from the pink slab of French cut pork loin she was inspecting. "Stephen, I believe I asked you a question."
Forearms addressed across his monogrammed chef's jacket, St. Stephen smirked. "We were saving this for tomorrow, but for you Joseph is making an exception. Braised rabbit breast served with a goat cheese and beet salad. The apricot marmalade we made yesterday would normally suffice, but it appears that someone's consumed it during our lunch service."
"Excellent. I trust the rabbit has been freshly dressed?"
St. Stephen's smirk evolved into a snicker and he gestured towards the butcher's closet. "Unfortunately, the second sous chef would be prepping the rabbit." Helen followed him through the foggy glass doors. "Since Laurent is no longer with us, I'd more than likely dress it myself."
"But…?" Helen knew her question was simply rhetoric.
"Unfortunately, again, I'm prepping the usual special for tonight, and you will have to dress the majority of the hippity-hops yourself, Ms. Louis." The refrigerator light drew a yellow scar across a single shelf, lined with the casualties of a French veldt.
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