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That growl of his caerous Even Eeny started to look nervous

Deadly quiet, he said, "Everyone Out Now If she fires you, I’ll pay you each a year’s salary and find you other jobs"

That offer proved to be too much for my employees to resist I watched in red-faced fury as one by one they silently filed out in a single line, avoiding ed and otten a painful lesson in the power ofback the string of vile curses boiling on ue, I folded ht back at me Boy, did he ever The Beast had a Look of his own Truth be told, it would give mine a run for its money

I said, "We open in ten ht"

He said, "You look tired"

I had to close ain When I opened the out of my head If I’d had a e at him with it

"And you look like you were raised in the woods by a tribe of cannibals All you’reis a bone in your beard"

That sone He ran a hand over his face, staring at ht spontaneously co to have to call the police to get you to leave?"

"The chief of police and I serve together on the board of the Peace Officers Association I’m sure Gavin would be happy to take your call"

At my sides, my hands curled to fists "You enjoy this, don’t you?"

"What?"

"Throwing your weight around"

He took several slow steps toward ot so close I could sain, the hint of war down attold what to do, I think"

"I don’t take orders"

"Neither do I And for the record, I don’t enjoy throwing ht around, but every once in a while it’s the et what I want And I want you" His pause burned, and so did his eyes "To come to work for me"

I found it impossible to speak for a , and that look in his eyes

"I don’t want to work for you I don’t need to work for you And even if I did, I couldn’t Look around--I’ in a patronizing, irritated voice, like he was a judge and I’d just violateda benefit dinner and auction at my home for a charity, and I need someone to create the menu and oversee the food and wine for the event And cook, of course You’d be in charge of the entire thing You can bring in whatever staff you need to assist you There will be press A lot of press I’d give you and your restaurant full credit in the eventwas an area I wanted to get into, not only because the ood, but because it was fun At a restaurant, theonly with the seasons or the arrival of a new chef, but catering opened up a whole neorld of creative possibilities Each event was unique, an opportunity for a chef to stretch himself To show off his skills, really

And an event at Jackson Boudreaux’s horave;me of Louisiana society I could reach a whole new clientele, one that didn’t come to dine in the touristy French Quarter I’d be a liar if I didn’t ad

My brain started i who I was dealing with If he aggravated me as ine how bad it’d be through the time it would take to plan an entire event I could end up with a stroke