Buchanan: Delicious Part 39

Penny half turned in her seat at the counter, fully expecting to see a large alien hovering behind her.

"What?" Penny asked.

"What happened?" Naomi demanded as she walked toward her. "There's something. I can tell." Her friend started to laugh. "You did it. You had s.e.x!"

Penny glanced around and was grateful when she didn't see Edouard. None of their cooks were due in until later, which meant there was time to do damage control.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Penny told her, not sure it worked, what with her inability to stop smiling.

"Oh, please. You're glowing, and not in a pregnant way. This is far more earthy. I can't believe it. And after all this time. But who? You-"

Naomi froze. Her eyes widened, her mouth dropped open. "Holy s.h.i.t. You had s.e.x with Cal."

"Because I needed to know that?" Reid asked as he stepped into the kitchen. He walked over and leaned against the counter. "Say it isn't so."

Penny returned her attention to her menu. "I have no idea what either of you are talking about but if you're not going to do work, then get out of my way because I'm busy."

"It's true," Naomi said. "Look at her. The half smile. The fact that she hasn't showered."

Reid leaned on the counter next to his former lover. "What do you bet Cal spent the night at her house?"

"You think they did it there? They could have done it at his house."

"I don't know if Penny could. You haven't seen his kitchen, but it's bright red and she'd really hate that."

Penny slammed down her pen. "Would you two please stop it? I'm right here."

"We know that," Naomi said. "Having this conversation when you weren't here wouldn't be nearly as much fun."

Penny stood. "My private life is just that. Private. So I'm not going to talk about it."

Naomi raised her eyebrows. "Did you see that? She's not denying the s.e.x thing."

"I know. You think they're getting back together?" Reid asked.

Penny groaned. "Fine. Talk about me. I'm going to my office where I will-"

She froze, barely daring to breathe. Naomi was at her side in a heartbeat.

"What happened? Are you okay?"

"Shhh."

Penny waved her hands and waited. Seconds later, she felt it again. A fluttering on the inside of her stomach, followed by a definite jab.

The menu and pen fell from her fingers. She grabbed Naomi's arms. "I felt the baby!" she cried. "I felt the baby move."

The two women jumped around together. Reid got pulled into the group hug. Penny pressed both hands against her stomach.

"Do it again," she said. "I want to feel it again."

The baby obliged with a slight stirring.

"Good job," Reid said with a grin.

"Thanks. I'm excited. Wow. Movement. I'll have to get out my baby book, but I think I'm right on schedule." Penny laughed. "It's really a baby."

"Did you think it was gas?" Naomi asked.

Penny grinned. "No." She bent down and picked up her paper and pen. "Okay. Now I have to do the menu." Even though she wasn't in the mood. "Maybe I'll call my mom first," she said. "She'll want to hear."

Penny walked into her office and reached for the phone. Oddly enough, the person who came to mind wasn't her mother. Instead she found herself wanting to call Cal and tell him the good news.

"Bad idea," she told herself. Cal didn't want children and three years ago, he'd made it clear he didn't want her. So expecting him to share in this was foolish.

So why was that the first place her mind went?

PENNY CHECKED the bandage on her hand. The bleeding had stopped, proving her theory that she didn't need st.i.tches. It was Friday night and the kitchen was moving at top speed. Nothing less than a severed limb was going to get her out of the restaurant until the orders were through.

"The table for eight has been seated," she yelled. "You know they're going to want the special so brace yourself."

Edouard glared at her. "Did you have to offer two different reductions? On a Friday?"

Penny shrugged. "I thought you were up to it."

She offered bravado to her staff because it was expected, but on the inside, she winced. She hadn't been thinking when she'd planned the specials for that evening. Unfortunately, they required too many burners. Which meant if several came in at the same time, there was a delicate dance to be performed, along with a strong-armed game of "who gets the open burner."

She wanted to make a general announcement that the baby had moved and that had distracted her, but she doubted anyone would care. So she put up with the complaints and vowed not to screw up again.

Naomi blew into the kitchen looking like she was ready to choke someone.

"The wine inventory is wrong," she announced. "I can't believe it. On the tasting dinner, they're out of the pinot. Just like that. Randy just announced it in hushed tones, as if by whispering no one would notice." She stood in the middle of the kitchen and raised both her fists. "Where the h.e.l.l is Cal? I want him dead. I mean that. Seriously, not breathing, dead."

Penny stared at her. "What do you mean, we're out of pinot? We can't be out of pinot. Next to my fish and chips, the tasting menu is the most popular item. Dammit all to h.e.l.l, I told Cal we needed to double-check the wine inventory. Did he have Randy do it?"

"That's what I'm guessing."

"And Cal's not here?"

Naomi shook her head. "I haven't seen him in about an hour."

Great. It was a Friday night. The restaurant was packed, they were out of wine and Cal was missing.

"n.o.body screws with my tasting menu," Penny muttered as she headed for her office.

The tasting menu-a five-course prix fixe meal that offered everything from appetizers to dessert-came either with or without wine. The "with wine" selection offered a different gla.s.s of wine with each course, including a very nice Pinot Noir with the salmon.