The Secret Ingredient (7 page)

‘So you haven't said, Tash, what's the special occasion?'

Tasha had dragged her best friend to her favourite lingerie shop in their lunchbreak. She was planning a spree.

‘Well, there's going to be a lot of special occasions, now that Ross is going to be free most nights.'

Kylie's eyes grew wide. ‘Why, what happened? Did he ditch the bitch finally?'

‘Not yet, but he did get her a job in a restaurant, which means she'll be working probably five nights a week, at least.'

‘I thought they were, like, mega-rich and she didn't have to work?' said Kylie. ‘Why would she want to be a cook, and work nights?'

‘Oh, she was working already, when she felt like it,' said Tasha. ‘Flitting about in the gourmet deli Ross bought for her, remember I told you?'

‘Yeah, you said it was a place she just hung out with her friends?'

‘Totes. But anyways, she used to be a chef, I told you that, didn't I? So somehow Ross got it into her head to get back into it. Maybe she's a fan of
MasterChef
, I dunno. I think it helped that he told her he'd find her a swanky restaurant to work in.'

‘And did he?'

‘Absolutely. Ross is, like, so highly connected. She starts next week at Viande.'

‘La de da,' Kylie chanted.

‘Hm . . .' Tasha slid the hangers along the rack, inspecting the lace baby dolls. ‘I'm only worried it's out of her league. Let's just hope she doesn't fuck it up.'

‘Wouldn't it be easier for him just to leave her?' said Kylie.

‘Don't I wish,' Tasha sighed. ‘But he has to play this very carefully, or he could end up financially screwed, again.'

‘So how's this gonna help?'

‘Well, you see, the courts have to divide up Ross's assets according to her future income. While she's doing nothing but working in a shop, she gets a big chunk of everything to make up for her “loss of lifestyle”.' Tasha rolled her eyes.

‘Seriously? They do that here? I thought you only have to pay alimony in America.'

‘It's not alimony, it's just the way they divide up everything when you divorce. That's why we have to be patient. If things work out at the restaurant, she'll be less dependent on him. Then Ross said it'll be our time. You know, he's really a decent guy, he wants her to be okay.'

She lifted one of the hangers off the rack. ‘Some of the baby dolls look a bit, well, baby doll. I don't want to be cute, I want to be hot. Maybe I should go for a corset.' She walked over to another rack and started flicking through. ‘Have you ever worn one of these?' she asked Kylie.

‘Nuh.'

‘I wonder how hard they are to get off?' she mused, picking up a black corset laced all the way up the front. She checked the price tag. ‘O-M-G!'

Kylie looked over her shoulder and gasped. ‘You're not going to pay that just for undies, are you?'

‘I think of it as an investment,' Tasha said with a sly grin, but Kylie was frowning. ‘What's wrong?'

‘Okay, I'm just gonna say it, I'm worried about you, Tash.'

‘Oh, Kyles, you're the best. But you don't have to worry, I know what I'm doing.'

‘But what if he decides to stay with his wife after all this?' Kylie persisted. ‘Married guys do that all the time.'

‘That's a myth,' Tasha returned. ‘More people get divorced than get married these days.'

‘Really?'

‘Ye-ah,' she said, as though the word had two syllables. ‘It's in the statistics. I told you, I know what I'm doing. If we can hold out just a bit longer, well, we can have it all.'

‘Do you need it all but? I mean, as long as you're together . . .'

Tasha looked at her. ‘Okay, Kyles, I'm going to explain something to you. Ross is rich because he's smart and he's powerful and he works hard. That is who he is, it's his appeal. I'm not saying I love him for his money, but it's part of the package, and I love the whole package. It's, like, I don't think Ross loves me for my body, but I know he really loves my body, and if I got fat, I wouldn't expect him to feel the same way about me.'

‘Hm, that's true.'

‘And what do you think I'm doing here?' she added. ‘Enhancing my assets. I know what Ross likes, and I give it to him. Don't you think I deserve the same in return?'

‘Totes.'

‘See Kyles, we're both bringing something to the table. Ross gets this,' she said, picking up another corset that was almost entirely see-through. ‘And I get everything that comes with Ross. It's only fair.'

‘I'm so not looking forward to this.'

Donna sighed. ‘Toby, we're five minutes from the restaurant, buck up, okay?'

When Andie asked them out to dinner to celebrate her new job, Donna knew it wasn't going to play well with Toby. But Andie was so excited that Donna went ahead and made all the arrangements, lining up Max's favourite babysitter before she even mentioned it to Toby. And when she did mention it, she tried to do it by stealth. In the middle of a conversation she casually dropped, ‘Oh and we have dinner with Andie and everyone that weekend.'

Toby had not missed her trick, unfortunately. The number of times things went in one ear and out the other with that man, but not this time.

‘Who's everyone?' he'd asked immediately.

‘Oh, Jess . . . Ross, of course.'

It went down like a lead balloon then, and he was still grizzling now.

‘And you're absolutely sure Jess is coming?'

‘As sure as I was last time you asked,' said Donna. ‘And if she can put on a good face for Andie's sake, then so can you.'

He shrugged. ‘I guess.'

‘This is for Andie, Toby. Don't you want to celebrate her new job with her?'

‘Yeah, of course I do. Just not with Ross.'

‘Well, Ross is the one who got her the job,' Donna reminded him. ‘It's a really great thing he's done for her. She's so excited, she's going to be working at Viande. This is a fantastic opportunity for her.'

‘There has to be something in it for him.'

‘What could be in it for Ross?' said Donna. ‘She's going to have to work most nights —'

‘Maybe that's it,' said Toby, as though he'd just hit on something.

‘What's it?'

‘Maybe he wants to keep her busy at nights.'

‘Toby!' she groaned.

‘What can I say? I just don't trust the guy.'

‘Well, you're way off base. The whole reason Andie gave up being a chef in the first place was that Ross didn't want her to work nights, because they wouldn't get enough time together.'

‘Then why is it okay now?' Toby put to her.

Donna didn't know how to answer that. ‘You have such a devious mind,' she said finally as they turned a corner. The restaurant was on the next block. ‘Please, Toby, you will behave yourself tonight, won't you?'

‘When do I ever not behave myself?' he said, as he manoeuvred the car into place for a reverse park.

He had a point. Toby did always behave himself, he was wonderful company when they went out, charming and affable . . . with other people. But Ross just rubbed him the wrong way. Always had, and, Donna feared, always would.

‘Don't worry,' he tried to assure her. ‘Jess'll be there to share the pain. We can get drunk together.'

They were shown to their table, where they found Andie and Ross already seated, waiting. Toby was happy to see Andie at least, he was always happy to see Andie. Though it was bittersweet as well, she reminded him so much of Brendan. When they were kids, people often thought the two of them were twins. They were only a year apart, and physically they shared the same features, the blond hair, the striking green eyes. But it was the mannerisms that always got Toby – they laughed the same, at the same kind of jokes, they had the same expressions. Whenever he was around Andie, Toby was catapulted back to when the three of them would hang out together. As kids Andie was always included. Brendan never made a thing about it, but if they were going to kick a ball down at the local oval, Andie came too; if they caught a bus to the beach in the holidays, she was always with them. As they grew older, Toby and Brendan were her unofficial escorts to every school dance – or maybe bodyguards was more appropriate. With Brendan around, no guy would dare approach Andie, though there were plenty who wanted to. They shared their first illicit drink together, tried their first cigarettes, which they all found disgusting and promptly gave up. But as much as Brendan was protective of Andie, she was just as protective of her brother, in a different way, keeping a watchful eye on proceedings and always knowing the best time to leave. She'd tried to get him to leave the club the night he died, and she was devastated, blaming herself for not being there. But Toby had been there, and yet Andie had never blamed him. Despite her own grief she comforted him more than anyone else could. They drew together, trying to close the gap where Brendan had been. She was part of Brendan that would be with him always.

Andie jumped to her feet, her face lighting up as soon as she saw them coming. Then Ross stood up behind her, the trademark smarmy smile planted across his face. Toby wished he could like the guy, for Andie's sake, but he knew in his heart that Brendan would never have approved of Ross. And he felt certain that Andie wouldn't have ended up with him had Brendan still been here. But all he could do was watch over her now, and be there for her if – or when – it all fell apart.

‘Hi guys,' Andie beamed. ‘I'm so glad you could make it!'

She threw her arms around Toby's neck, and he gave her a warm hug, glancing at the table settings over her shoulder.

‘Jess on her way?' he asked, drawing back.

‘Ah no, unfortunately,' said Andie. ‘She phoned earlier, she's been asked to stand in at Dalgety's. She could hardly refuse.'

‘You don't turn down Dalgety's,' Donna agreed with a nervous laugh. She glanced sideways at Toby – his jaw was clenched so tightly a vein was pulsing in his neck.

Ross reached across the table to shake Toby's hand. ‘So it's just the four of us,' he said, smiling broadly as he beckoned the waiter. ‘How about we start with champagne?'

Toby felt Donna's hand on his arm, applying gentle downward pressure, in case he bolted. As if he'd do that to Andie. He was just going to have to make the most of this, focus on Andie, it was her night, after all. Ross always made a show about wanting to pay, so this time Toby would let him, and he'd order the most expensive dishes on the menu. He turned to Andie as they took their seats. ‘So, tell me about the new job.'

‘Well, I guess you've heard of Viande?' she said, bubbling over.

‘Everyone's heard of Viande,' said Toby. ‘Even a pleb like me.'

Viande was a longstanding Sydney establishment, like the grand old dame of fine dining. But over the last decade or so it had been usurped by all the new kids on the block, and it had gone from three hats down to one, and was in danger of dropping off the list altogether. There'd been some hullabaloo a few years ago when management had brought in a new executive chef at great expense; apparently the guy had been working in some of the most famous restaurants across Europe. Last year Viande had its three hats restored, and management was vindicated.

‘So how did you land the job?' Toby asked, as the waiter returned with a bottle of champagne and proceeded to open it.

Andie turned to look at Ross, smiling. ‘It was all his doing.'

‘The owner is a client of mine, we've been handling his business for years,' Ross said, taking the floor, like he always did. ‘He has a substantial portfolio of restaurants and hotels across the country, so I gave him a call, asked if he couldn't find something here in Sydney for Andie. The kitchen at Viande is big enough that they can certainly give someone a tryout.'

‘So this isn't an actual job?' Toby asked. He hated to think Andie was getting her hopes up and this was just a furphy Ross had created, so that he could say, well, you tried . . .

‘You don't just hand someone a job in a prestigious restaurant like this, Toby,' said Andie. ‘Particularly when I have hardly any experience – I'm going to have to earn it.'

‘Oh, you'll do great,' he said, giving her hand a squeeze.

‘I don't know, it feels like it's going to be a very long interview.'

‘That's exactly what it is, darling,' said Ross, taking her other hand possessively. ‘The owner told me the executive chef likes to try people out on the job. He feels that just because someone's good in an interview doesn't make them good in a kitchen. So his philosophy is to throw them in at the deep end.'

‘The deep end?' said Donna. ‘That sounds ominous.'

‘I know,' Andie agreed with a grimace.

‘Nup,' Toby declared. ‘You're going to knock 'em dead,' he said, raising his glass. ‘To Andie!'

‘To Andie!' everyone echoed.

‘So when's your first shift?' Toby asked her.

‘Thursday.'