Let Them Eat Stake: A Vampire Chef Novel Read Online Free Page A

behind from the bride’s bouquet.
    That was the one Mrs. Alden picked up. She passed the sketch to Deanna, who gave a little shriek. “Oh. Em. Gee! That is awesome!” To emphasize this, she whipped out a smartphone and snapped a picture. “I’ve got to show Peri and Lo!” Her thumbs flew across the keyboard. For the moment, the rest of us ceased to exist.
    “Can you do this? In time?” Mrs. Alden asked Marie. Marie gave me a long, sideways, she’s-mine-now kind of glance and straightened her shoulders.
    “Unfortunately, with the plated dessert and other aspects of the dinner, I’d require extra staff…”
    “Whatever you think you will need.” Mrs. Alden gazed raptly at the sketch. “There’s some room in the budget still, isn’t there, Felicity?” Felicity was making notes on her BlackBerry, and I could practically hear the cash register ring.
    “Thank you, señora. I will do my very best for you.” Marie smiled. Now she also knew I had to give her a raise. “We will schedule a tasting as soon as possible.” Deanna gave a thumbs-up to this without looking away from her phone.
    “When can you start?” said Mrs. Alden, looking from Felicity to me. “The out-of-town members of the wedding party are arriving Saturday. We’re supposed to be having a welcome dinner, and absolutely nothing is done. It’s a mixed party…”
    “There’ll be vampires,” translated Deanna a shade too quickly. “Gabriel, Jacques and Henri, and some friends. Say fifteen all together.”
    “Any allergies I should know about? Any particular preferences?”
    “Something simple?” said Mrs. Alden. “My husband might appreciate a nice steak…”
    Which settled the question of whom I was going to bring in to back me up on this job. For a beef-loving household, I needed Reese.
    “We’llstart on the preparations immediately,” I said. “I’ll begin the shifts at the house with the Saturday dinner. We’ll have two staff here during the day to handle breakfast and lunch, and preparations for evening. I’ll come on to assist with dinner, and I’ll handle things overnight. Felicity and I will draw up the contract for you to review and approve.” Felicity nodded, all smiles. I snapped my book shut. “Perhaps we could see the kitchen?”
    “Of course.” Mrs. Alden got to her feet. “This way.”
    “Have fun.” Deanna waved while keeping her eyes on her phone screen. “Felicity, you stay put. We need to talk gift bags.”
    It turned out the Aldens’ home was stately enough to have an actual back staircase. This led down to the ground floor and, through a white door, to the kitchen. I was expecting that kitchen to be nice. I did not expect to want to set up a cot in the corner and never leave.
    Despite being on the first floor, the room got plenty of light from the windows over the sink and the French doors that led out to the patio and terraced garden. To the left as we came in was what amounted to the hot station; a six-burner cooktop with a built-in grill. Two wall ovens waited next to it. To the right was the cold station with a full-sized, brushed-steel fridge and a matching full-sized freezer. The counters were mostly stainless steel, a favorite choice of professional and practical cooks. The center island, however, had a white marble top, making an aesthetic statement as well as a separate space for pastry. Marie eyed it with approval. The cupboards and cabinets were all laid out so everything from pantry to utensils would be within easy reach. A swinging door led to the dining room. Another, smaller door led out to the sunken porch at the side of the house. Jackets on hooks, a Peg-Board for spare keys, and a line of boots said this was used by those who didn’t want to make the grand entrance through the front.
    “Do you have a regular cook?” I asked. This wasn’t thenormal showpiece of a big house. The appliances were all top-of-the-line, and the dishwasher was commercial grade. This kitchen belonged to