“Karl?” Adam’s voice catches my attention, and I whip around to see him standing in the doorway of the kitchen. “What are you doing here?” I swallow my pride and walk up to him, trying not to show my embarrassment. “You’ve got a minute? I need to ask you something.” Adam nods and gestures fo
Abby “Okay, John, pass me the truffle oil,” I call out, my focus entirely on the pan in front of me. “Got it,” John replies, handing me the small, dark bottle. The kitchen is close to closing time, and John and I have been spending every free moment today trying to get this recipe right.
“You know,” I chuckle, wiping the sweat from my brow with the back of my hand, “when I first went to culinary school, I thought I would be facing all of these obstacles. Older men not taking me seriously, financial issues, critics.” “And you have faced all of that and then some,” John teases.
Abby The shock of seeing Karl drenched and out of breath still hangs in the air as my mind races, trying to piece together why he’s in this state, why he’s been missing all day. “Karl, what happened? Where the hell have you been? Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been? We needed you toda
“So, what now?” he asks softly. “About the competition, I mean.” I sigh, my mind racing back to the hours John and I spent in the kitchen, the relentless pursuit of a perfection that now seems so utterly… pointless. “I think I just have to accept that I can’t practice this recipe the right w
Abby The morning sun is barely peeking over the horizon, casting a soft glow on the deserted streets as I race toward the restaurant. Despite my exhaustion, I couldn’t sleep, and am currently running off of several cups of coffee. My mind races, replaying last night's accidental revelation l
His eyes are intense, unwavering as they lock onto mine. “If getting close means putting you in danger, then yes. We have to let it go. I’m sorry, Abby.” I exhale, a shuddering breath that does nothing to quell the turmoil inside me. The tension between us could be sliced with a knife. Part
Abby My heart’s practically pounding out of my chest as we park the car, hidden behind a veil of trees. The forest feels even more thick and suffocating now than it did on the day that we came here to go mushroom hunting, now that I know what actually lies behind the mist. Karl takes a momen