“So Chef de Cuisine translates to babysitter? Plus he gets all the glory for your hard work? That doesn’t sound fair at all. Then this is your time to shine.” She took a bite of pizza and raised the slice in the air. “You need to rock the rest of this competition.”

Seeing Francois through someone else was eye-opening. Andrew’s phone rang again.

“It’s him,” Lori said. “You can take it, but don’t mention the show. If you do, my hands are tied. I have to report it, and you’ll be disqualified.”

“I’m clear on that.” Andrew pressed the speaker button and answered. “Francois. I just got your messages.”

“I have fired that miserable excuse for a chef. I will not tolerate him changing things on my menu without my prior consent. It’s the last straw. I need you to come back and cover for him. They are in chaos in that kitchen. They are waiting on you.”

“I can’t be there tonight, Francois.” His excuse to leave wasn’t buying him the time he needed.

“What?” Francois became even more agitated. “What is it that could be so important that you can’t come back and take care of this tonight? You are my right hand. You are here to keep things running smoothly. Things are not running smoothly.”

“Francois, I told you I’d be gone. I wish you had let things lie until I got back. That’s not even my restaurant you’re having a problem with.”

“Your restaurant. None of them are yours. They are all mine. And you work for me. Where I need you.”

Andrew glanced over at Lori, who’d turned her head. He was embarrassed, and for the first time realizing how poorly Francois treated him for all he did for him. And had since the day he’d started working for him.

“Francois. I haven’t been totally honest with you. I’m off dealing with important personal affairs, and I’m back in the United States. If I could, I’d be there. As I’ve always been. But it’s not doable this time.” In five years, no matter what happened, when Francois called in a tizzy Andrew had dropped what he was doing and shifted gears to dig Francois out of a bind of his own doing.

“I had no idea,” Francois said.

He seemed to calm down a little bit.