Crepe Workers (Crooked Bay Cozy Mysteries Book 4)

CREPE WORKERS CROOKED BAY COZY MYSTERIES, BOOK 4 PATTI BENNING SUMMER PRESCOTT BOOKS PUBLISHING Copyright 2023 Summer Prescott Books All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication nor any of the information herein may be quoted from, nor reproduced, in any form, including but not limited to: printing, scanning, photocopying, or any other printed, digital, or audio formats, without prior express written consent of the copyright holder. **This book is a work of fiction. Any similarities to persons, living or dead, places of business, or situations past or present, is completely unintentional. SIGN UP FOR THE SPBP NEWSLETTER Do you love Cozy Mysteries, Freebies, Contests and always being in the know? You'll love the Summer Prescott Books Newsletter! Click below for the best and most up to date info. Join the fun! Sign Up CONTENTS Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Epilogue Also by Patti Benning Author’s Note Contact Summer Prescott Books Publishing CHAPTER ONE Theresa Tremblay spooned hollandaise sauce over the freshly made crêpe, then set the plate on the tray near the others. After wiping down the griddle, she carried the tray over to the waiting table. “Two eggs Benedict crêpes and one strawberry and hazelnut spread crêpe,” she said, placing the plates on the table in front of the people who had ordered them. “Enjoy! Let me know if you need anything else.” She smiled as she walked away, hearing her guests ooh and ahh over the food. Her restaurant, The Crooked Crêperie, was the only crêperie anywhere near the small town of Crooked Bay, and quite a few of the people she served had never had a real, French crêpe before. Hearing and seeing her guests’ happiness at trying a new dish for the first time brought her joy. It made all of the effort and energy she put into the restaurant worth it. She might not be making a huge difference in the world, but she was making people happy. This was something she could do to make the world a better place, even if it only happened one crêpe at a time. Behind the counter, she set the tray down and waited for Josh, one of the two employees she had hired over a month ago, to finish taking an order so she could get started on it. For the first couple of months after she opened the crêperie, she had been the only one working in it, and actually having employees now made all of the difference in the world. She no longer felt like she was struggling just to keep up. “Look, boy, I told you what I wanted. I don’t know why it’s so hard for you to understand. I want a vegetarian crêpe, no cheese.” Theresa looked over at the man’s sharp voice. He was a regular named Bill Mason, and he wasn’t the most cheery person she had ever met. He came in a couple times a week, and always ordered his crêpes sans the sauce. He would get a banana hazelnut spread crêpe without the hazelnut spread, or chicken pesto crêpe without the pesto. He didn’t seem to like anything that made the food too moist or gooey. Josh, it seemed, took exception to that. “If you order a vegetarian crêpe without the cheese, you’re literally just getting vegetables—” “It’s okay,” Theresa interrupted. Josh was … well, in a lot of ways he was an okay employee. He showed up on time, he did what she asked without complaint, and she trusted him to mop a floor or cut vegetables. But when it came to actually interacting with the customers, she’d had to intercede a few times. He could get snippy, especially if there was a disagreement or misunderstanding between him and the customer. She had talked to him about it, but it hadn’t made any difference. Now, she stepped forward, smiling at Bill apologetically. “He knows what he wants, Josh. He’s been here before.” “Whatever,” Josh grumbled, typing the order in. Theresa returned to the griddle and ladled some fresh batter onto it. Josh told Bill the total, took his money, and counted out the change. As soon as the receipt was printed, Bill moved over to watch her prepare the food. As he walked away, Josh grumbled, “Ugly old fart.” Bill froze. Theresa turned slowly to look at her employee, a prickly mix of anger and embarrassment rising even as Bill stalked back over to the register. “What did you say?” Josh smirked. “Nothing.” “My hair might be grey, but I’m not that old. I can still hear. Is this the way you treat your customers?” “Josh, can you go into the kitchen?” Theresa asked, her voice tight. “Please.” For a second, she thought her employee was going to argue, but then he heaved a deep sigh and slouched away. Theresa turned her attention back to Bill. “I’m so sorry,” she said, already tapping the code to open the cash register. She counted cash and coins out and handed it over to him. “You’ll get your crêpe for free today, and next time you come in, you’ll get another one on the house. Josh was completely out of line. I can’t apologize enough.” Bill took the money, frowning. “I don’t know if I’ll be coming back.” She hesitated, then lowered her voice. “It won’t happen again. I promise. I hope you keep coming here. I value my regulars a lot.” He gave a brief nod and returned to the plastic divider in front of the griddle to wait for his food. She discarded the overcooked crêpe on top of it and started fresh, making sure the crêpe was perfect before she slipped it into a to-go box and handed it over. He gave a grunt of thanks and left. As soon as the door shut behind him, Theresa leaned against her stool and let out a long sigh.