“You barely ate at noon and are probably hungry now, so I brought you some freshly baked treats. It was made by the chef who applied for the job today. We’ve all tried it and think he isn’t bad.”Isabella turned around and walked back to her desk.Tati followed suit.“I’m sick of eating the same thing and didn’t have much of an appetite at noon, so I wasn’t full. I do feel hungry now.” Isabella leaned against her desk and reached for the bag Tati brought to retrieve a box. The treats were meticulously shaped into flowers, fruits, and animals.“These are quite delicate. Were they good? You said the chef who applied today made these, right?”Tati replied, “Yeah. He’s from out of state. He does look very young—not even in his thirties. Isa, I’m telling you, if you don’t hire him, I will. He’s as handsome as a celebrity.“But he’s much manlier than them. Oh, he hasn’t yet let us try his specialties though. He only made these treats for us. He said he would prepare his best for you on
Tati watched Isabella carefully.She actually felt relieved when Isabella did not immediately spit out the food.She was really worried Isabella would do that.The young chef stood no chance if so.Isabella ate the other half of the treat.“Isn’t it yummy, Isa?”Isabella hummed in acknowledgment.“It’s meticulously done. Not bad—it’s just a little dry.”Tati immediately poured a glass of water for Isabella and handed it to her, smiling. “It is. Maybe making treats isn’t his specialty, but it’s pretty good if you don’t mind eating them.“I asked him and he said that he started helping out in the kitchen ever since he was at the age of six or seven and started learning how to cook after. He might not be thirty yet, but he’s had over a decade of experience cooking.”“Does he come from a family of cooks?” Isabella had already finished the second treat and was moving on to the next.Perhaps she was truly hungry, or perhaps the treats really were good enough for a second helping.
Whether it was cooking—oh, right. Tati had not tried his cooking yet. After all, she had only tried the treats.The particular treats might have been his specialty and his cooking was just a little better than regular chefs. There might still be a huge difference between his cooking and the O’Connor chefs’.If he was not at the very least as good as their current chef, he was not going to get hired.Isabella said, “I’ll tell Dominic to arrange for the young applicant to come back for an interview tomorrow afternoon. I’ll be back for dinner tomorrow and I’ll try his cooking then. No one’s allowed to help him. He has to do it all by himself.”Anything edible had to be made with his own hands, not just the main dishes.Tati smiled. “We’ll all come back for dinner tomorrow to try his cooking then.”Although it was Isabella who wanted to hire a new chef, her cousins were all foodies too and often ate at her home. The new chef’s skills were directly related to their happiness and they
“You’re hiring a chef, not looking for a husband, so that doesn’t matter,” Tati tittered. “All that matters is that his cooking is delicious enough for you to eat them and not get bored.”Isabella did not think much of Austin. She had not even met him yet, anyway.She was only astonished that Austin was from Wiltspoon as it was very far from Satbury.“I wish I had a chef whose cooking I didn’t get bored of too, and didn’t have to change my chef so often.”Isabella tapped her own mouth mockingly. “I don’t know why I have such a picky mouth either.”“Do you want more?” Tati asked when she saw Isabella had stopped eating.“I’m not hungry anymore, so no.” Isabella took a look at the time and said, “I have a meeting that’s about to start. Come with me.”“Alright.” Tati took the box from Isabella. “If you’re not eating the rest, I’ll finish them. I think they’re pretty yummy. This Austin York probably has some skill. He says he’s not very good at making treats, but you ate quite a f
Then, Austin went and slumped himself on the sofa while wondering what he should make tomorrow to conquer Isabella O’Connor’s tastebuds and become her family’s private chef.Should he cook his best dish or something that he rarely made?As he savored his tea, he made up his mind to make some regular dishes. If he cooked his best dish right away, there would be nothing to show off later.Those signature dishes would be saved for the grand finale.However, it should be emphasized that his regular dishes were gourmet to ordinary people, stemming from his love of cooking and the vast experience that came with it. For example, the treats he had made today were not what he was best at, but Isabella could stomach them.That was his guess anyway.Otherwise, she would not have asked Dominic to call him back.He wondered if he had any competition for the role.Austin had just arrived in Satbury today and had no time to inquire about any competitors yet.He did not think Isabella would
Zachary laughed. “Then I wish you the best of luck, and I hope you’ll bring Ms. O’Connor back to meet us soon.”Austin grimaced. “It’s still too early to say that. Anyway, I’ll still be spending this holiday season single.”“Christmas is right around the corner. I definitely don’t expect you to get a girlfriend before the year ends. It’ll be great if you do next year though. Even Dylan and Peter haven’t gotten girlfriends this year either.”Dylan kept everything about his pursuit tightly under wraps. Even Zachary knew little about it.Of course, it was also because Zachary did not want to meddle in their private affairs.He said before that unless they needed something or shared with him of their own volition, he would not stick his nose into their personal lives.He was not Josh, whose entire job involved being nosy. Josh was the right person if you’re looking for the hottest tea.“I’m busy, so I won’t disturb you any longer. Call us if you need anything. By the way, have you let Mom
“Mr. York, I’m the person who went to the O’Connors residence for the interview with you.”Someone who went to the interview with him?Austin remembered that he had gone by taxi to the O’Connors alone. When he arrived, he registered his information and entered the manor in the car arranged by the butler. The manor was huge. Although it could not compare to Wildridge Manor, the time needed to travel from the entrance to the main house by foot was still pretty long.That was why the butler would arrange for cars to shuttle their guests.At that moment, Austin remembered something. It was not someone who traveled to the O’Connors’ manor with him but his competitor. It seemed like that person was pretty capable, seeing that he could obtain Austin’s information, probably determined to be the family’s private chef. Austin walked over and opened the door. A man and a woman were standing before his room. The man was middle-aged, most likely in his forties whereas the woman was yo
Austin did not want to invite the father and daughter into his room. He told them, “Please wait for a moment, Mr. Abbot. I’ll get my phone, and we can have a nice chat with a cup of coffee at the cafe on the first floor.”Weston smiled. “Sure.”Austin returned to his room and took his phone before heading out again. “Let’s go. The coffee’s on me.”After closing the door, Austin led the way with Weston and Jovanne behind him. Weston caught up to him and said apologetically, “Coffee should be on us. I’m the one intruding on your time, so I should be the one paying.”Austin smiled. “A cup of coffee doesn’t cost much. You don’t have to fight with me over this.”Weston smiled. His young competitor was pretty nice. He wondered how well Austin could cook. Weston had a strong desire to be the O’Connor family’s chef. It was for the money and fame. After graduating, he had been refining his cooking skills and worked in the industry for over twenty years. He thought of himsel