Worth the Risk

get teased about having to take insulin,” Amber said in a sharp tone. “I just ignore them.”
    “That’s what I did. I developed my own interests.”
    “Cooking?” Lexi asked.
    Brad shook his head. “No. Like I told the class when I did the demo, I didn’t get interested in cooking until I was put on mess duty in the service. I was interested in stamp collecting. My grandfather had left me a dozen boxes of loose stamps that he’d purchased but had never sorted and put into collector’s books.”
    “Fascinating,” Lexi said, and she meant it.
    Brad focused his blue eyes on her with a penetrating gaze. “After I went into the service, discovered my interest in cooking and lost the flab, I sold the stamp collection to finance my first restaurant.”
    Wow, Lexi thought. Brad had a depth to him that she hadn’t suspected. It gave her new respect for him and his accomplishments. The information also made him seem more accessible somehow. He wasn’t as perfect as she’d imagined.
    “Let’s order,” said Brad. “While we’re waiting for our meals, I’ll show you around the kitchen.” He signaled to the waitress and she approached with a practiced smile to tell them the specials.
    “We’re featuring an awesome red wave lettuce salad. That’s a really unusual but yummy Asian lettuce that’s in limited supply. We serve it with grilled chicken on top.”
    The server rattled off a few more specials. Lexi and Amber went for the special, but Brad ordered a grilled-vegetable salad.
    “What?” cried Amber. “You’re not having the red wave salad you created?”
    Brad winked at her. “Nope. Coming up with a new dish means lots of combinations, lots of tasting. I’ve had more than my share of the special. Let’s see what you two think.”
    “What if we don’t like it?” Amber asked.
    Brad shrugged. “Be honest. Let me know. I haven’t been serving it that long. I’m still evaluating it.”
    “It’s a deal,” Amber said.
    Brad rose. “Let’s tour the kitchen while they’re preparing our lunch.”

Chapter 5
    “We’re in the beverage center,” Brad informed them as they walked into an alcove where built-in stainless-steel coffee urns were marked Decaf and Regular. A wall-mounted unit dispensed soft drinks, and pitchers marked Tropical Iced Tea were nearby. A huge ice machine dominated the corner. Off to one side was a computer terminal.
    “The server inputs the drinks ordered and the table number,” Brad explained, pointing to the computer, “then serves the beverages except for alcohol. That has to come out of the bar.”
    They moved through swinging doors into what Brad called the lion’s den. It was a fitting description for the hurricane of activity in the huge commercial kitchen. Everyone seemed to be moving at once without—miraculously—bumping into each other. Most of them were shouting at someone else.
    A mist of steam from the simmering pots and smoke from the nearby grill filled the air. A thousand different, delicious smells swirled around Lexi. She couldn’t help wondering if there was some order in this chaos.
    If any of the crew noticed Brad, none of them showed an interest. Everyone seemed to have a job to do, and by all appearances, they were behind schedule and frantically attempting to catch up.
    The three of them stood there a moment, watching in amazement. Lexi caught Brad’s eye and he smiled, lifting his chin just slightly to indicate Amber. The girl was gazing awestruck at the scene before her. Like Lexi, Amber had naturally curly hair. A few minutes in this kitchen and she would look like Frankenstein’s bride, but Amber didn’t seem to notice. She stood, silent and trancelike.
    And loving every second, Lexi would bet.
    “Looks pretty high-tech,” Lexi said to Brad. “Aren’t those minicomputer terminals above each station?”
    “That’s right,” he said. “The server enters the selection at a terminal just outside the kitchen and it appears in front of the chef. That way we don’t have any extra people in the cooking area, creating a traffic jam. The completed dishes are put on the ledge for the server to pick up.”
    “Doesn’t the heat and steam make the computers short out or something?” Lexi asked.
    “Nah. These are special computers.”
    “It’s a miracle a meal comes out of here,” Lexi said.
    “Everyone has a job,” Brad assured her, “and they’re doing it. As long as food’s not backed up, the kitchen is running smoothly.