How To Bake The Perfect Apple Pie

Chapter Two

Bing. My email system alerts me that I have another email. It’s almost as if it’s taunting me. Like it knows that it’s yet another email from my mother. A wedding theme possibility, no doubt. I swear the moment Jack and I became engaged my mom went into full-on planning mode. I think she has even put off her annual Valentine’s Day cupids and hearts ceremony. It’s still January, but usually by this time she’s sent me several pins for her Valentine’s Day Extravaganza board so I too can appreciate all the possibilities of her decorating themes and parties, costumes and cards. When it comes to holiday planning my mom goes all in. All in. As in dressed from head to toe in…interesting décor.

I click on the message.

“Dearest Lauren,

I’ve created a Pinterest board for you and Jack. No need to thank me—it was a lot of fun to do. Well, actually I’ve created several Pinterest boards for you. Currently, there are ten different boards with various themes. I’ve pinned over a thousand pins in only a few hours! Anyways, I know you’re at work but when you get a chance, I think it would be a good idea to narrow down the theme so we can focus on building the best wedding for you and Jack.

All my love,

Mom”

I roll my eyes. I cannot believe…well I can believe it’s just ten Pinterest boards of wedding themes, but over a thousand pins? It’s just too much. We don’t even have a date yet. I would think picking a date and maybe even a location would be the starting place for planning a wedding, not the theme. But my mother, my dear sweet mother…she is a theme enthusiast.

I type back.

“Wow, Mom, that’s really impressive. I’ll have to check these out at home. Busy day here at the office.

Love,

Lauren”

I slide my chair back and lift the stack of chosen résumés off my desk. My fingers are tingling with excitement. I hope Javier will be pleased with my choices. I turn the knob of my office door and step out onto the grey carpet.

“Oh hey, Lauren, are you done interviewing for your team?” Leena, standing outside my office, raises her eyebrows at me.

“Leena, hi. Yes, I think so. How was your holiday?” I close the door to my office to cut our eye contact. My chest tightens. I hope Leena doesn’t ask why she wasn’t offered an interview. I don’t want to lie to her, but her sales and resolution time are not great. They don’t even compare to the stack of candidates in my hand.

“Uugh, it was horrible. I didn’t get any of the gifts I wanted and my boyfriend forgot to pay the gas bill so our heat was off until the twenty-sixth.” She rolls her eyes.

“Wow, I’m sorry. That must have been very cold.”

“Yeah…but we had each other to keep us warm.” Leena flips her shiny auburn hair over her face. “It must be tough for you to be alone over the holidays.” Leena’s eyebrows furrow together.

I’m not going to tell her about Jack. For one it’s none of her business and two, she will then know that we are engaged and will ask questions about where he lives and works. These answers will only fuel more questions from her, which again I have no interest in answering, and a lot of them I don’t have the answers to. My chest tightens further.

“I was with my family. Excuse me.” I force a smile and push past her. I don’t want to be late for my meeting with Javier. As I make it to his door it opens before I knock.

“Perfect timing, we are going to meet with Elaine for lunch. Do you have everything you need?” Javier cocks his head to the right.

“Oh…uh, let me go and grab my purse—just a minute.”

“Good idea, since you’re paying.” Javier lets out a loud barrel of a laugh.

My eyes bulge. “Ha, good one.” I turn and rush back to my office. Javier could be the figurehead for Dad Jokes.

I slip into my office and grab my purse from my drawer. I move the mouse over the pad and type in my password. I want to take one last peek at my inbox. I’m waiting on some stats from Q1. There’s only one email and it’s from my mom. Argh. I slam ctrl alt delete down so fast the keys stick a little.

I make my way back into the hallway and Javier is chatting with Leena. Great…no doubt she is questioning him about my team. I know Javier trusts my judgment but I wouldn’t put it past Leena to try and lean into his ear and offer up herself for one of the spots.

“Ready?” I raise my eyebrows at Javier.

“I’m starving. First day back from the holidays I’m always famished. Though I could stand to lose a few holiday pounds.” He pats his tummy and we head towards the elevator. As we turn the corner, Leena is still where we left her and her fake smile has been replaced by a scowl.

Javier pushes the button of the elevator. We’re on the fourth floor. Elaine rushes up to meet us. She reminds me of a value brand Lucy Liu.

“So glad I caught you. How about we ride together? I just got my car detailed over the weekend. I’ll drive,” Elaine says, as we enter through the open elevator doors.

“Fine by me,” Javier says.

“Me too.” I smile. Elaine is about the same age as me, but she transferred in from another division and has been a manager for a little over a year. We’ve exchanged general greetings in the walkways before but nothing more than that.

We make our way to Elaine’s car and the lights flash from the front and rear of her jet-black Mercedes XLS. Javier opens the passenger side and immediately I am a third wheel. I’m not entirely sure why Elaine is going with us.

“All right, where should we eat? I’m only eating clean this month, so how about En Salatas on 10th?” Elaine puts the car in reverse and steers the vehicle out of the garage.

Javier lets out a sigh. “I guess…I need to cut back on the calories, but a salad? Do they have anything else? I need something with meat.”

“Javier, you might want to consider a healthier lifestyle and go vegan…at the very least try for Meatless Monday.” Elaine stops the car at the red light in front of us.

Javier lets out another barrel of a laugh. “Elaine, not only are you ranking in every level as an ML Manager, you are funny to boot. I like it.” Javier runs his hand through his dark hair. “I do, but seriously do they serve meat?”

“I think they have grilled chicken there.” I offer. Even though I’m like a child in the back seat, I’m not going to sit back and be quiet while the adults chat. I fiddle with the straps on my purse.

“Hmm…grilled chicken. I guess I can try that.”

“Perfect, because we are here.” Elaine takes a right into the parking lot of En Salatas and finds a space in the very back of the parking lot.

“Why did you pass up those other spots?” Javier glances back at me with a raised eyebrow.

“We can use the exercise walking, don’t you think?” Elaine turns the car off and we all get out.

“I suppose a bit of a walk is healthy.” Javier kicks a chunk of gravel along the path.

“Lauren, have you been here before? They have several lighter calorie options.” Elaine blinks her eyelashes at me.

I alternate between biting my cheek and tongue. Is she insinuating that I need to opt for lighter calorie options? I did indulge over the holiday but it was a non-calorific item…Jack. I sigh. I can imagine him here. He would scoff at Elaine’s comments and definitely her lunch choice.

“Oh, great, do you have a favorite?” I beam back at her.

Elaine laughs. “I always opt for the lighter calorie options wherever I dine as it is the wiser choice, wouldn’t you agree?” She cocks her head to the right at me.

Javier pulls open the door and we step into the restaurant. I’m going to let her quasi-question sit there. Javier requests a table for three and we follow behind him as the host leads us to our table.

We all sit down as the host passes out menus to each of us. My stomach is clenched tight. I’m still not sure why Elaine is with us.

Javier raises his eyebrows as he inspects the menu. I can’t decide if I want to go with the lower calorie choice or find the most calorific dish possible. Maybe even order two. I might consider this if Javier wasn’t here, but I can’t act so silly in front of him. I close my menu knowing exactly what I’ll order and wait for the waiter to return.

The waiter strides over to our table. Javier nods at me.

“I’ll have the Caesar salad, and can you add spinach?”

“Absolutely.” The waiter turns to Elaine.

“Yes, I’ll get the kale salad and please add the goji berries and soy nuts, and the dressing on the side.”

Javier nods and makes a duck face. “I’ll get the Southwestern salad—extra chicken and bacon for me.”

The waiter nods and grabs our menus.

“Oh my heavens, Lauren, is that an engagement ring?” Elaine grabs my hand and inspects my ring as if she is a trained gemologist and trying to determine the four Cs.

I let out a slight laugh and retract my hand. I reach for my glass. “Yes, it is.” I take a sip of the water.

“Well come on, don’t be shy. We’re all professionals here. How did it happen and when?”

I laugh yet again and eye Javier. He has a pensive stare on his face. He’s reading the situation. I’ve seen this face in meetings when our company was determining if two separate divisions should merge.

“Uh well, over Christmas.” I take another sip of my water. It’s half empty. Yes, half empty because I’m about to empty it completely. Using it as a stalling tactic is going to be gone within three sips.

“Over Christmas?” Elaine jerks her head back. “This Christmas? As in just a week ago?”

“Yes, exactly.” I tug on my skirt underneath the table. And reach for my portfolio of résumés with the candidates I’ve chosen for my team. “Javier, would you like to go over these résumés?” I hold up my stack of papers. My throat is so dry and my water glass is empty.

Javier takes the stack and begins scanning through them. As he reads about each of their accomplishments he nods or shakes his head in agreement or disapproval over what they have listed.

“So when is the wedding?” Elaine asks.

“Oh, um I’m…we’re not sure. We have a lot of things to figure out.” I flat line my lips. I hope she can pick up on this cue and realize it’s the universal sign for not wanting to continue on with the current topic at hand.

“Like what? What does he do?” Elaine asks, as she takes a sip of her water.

“He has a few businesses.” I purse my lips to the side and nod.

“What kind of businesses?” Elaine inspects my face.

“He owns an architecture firm and a retirement home.” I glance at Javier. “What do you think about the candidates?” I would normally wait for him to speak first, but this Q & A with Elaine needs to come to an end. This lunch is not about my personal life and I’m not getting a good vibe from Javier about this topic either.

“This one here…Trent…his resolution stats are not impressive. Why would you want him?” Javier taps on the paper and passes it to Elaine.

“Yes, that number isn’t great, but if you look at his numbers from when he started to now his performance has nearly doubled. He’s on the right track.” I fold the napkin over in my lap. “Plus his sales are excellent.”

“I don’t know, Lauren, what about this gap in his employment?” Elaine points at the dates on his résumé.

“His mother died and he had to take some time off from work to settle her estate.” I roll my lips together.

“Oh,” they say in unison.

“Here, take a look over the rest of these, Elaine.” Javier hands the résumés to her and turns to me. “Let’s see what Elaine thinks. She was in the same spot as you a couple of years ago and now has the best team at Calstone Corp.” Javier takes a gulp from his water. “Even better than me.” Javier laughs. “I don’t know how I’m going keep up without you on my team, Lauren.”

I smile. “You’ve got a strong team, even without me.”

“What about Leena?” Elaine places the papers on the table. “Why isn’t she on the list?”

All eyes are on me. I don’t want to say the real reason. I laugh. “I can’t take her away from Javier.”

“Well, I don’t know about this, Lauren. It’s pretty good, but I’d like to see the rest of the candidates before making my decision. Did you bring the rest of the résumés with you?” Elaine raises her eyebrows at me.

Shiat. No I didn’t bring any of the other résumés. One, I thought Javier would only want to see the résumés of the candidates I had chosen and two, I didn’t think that Elaine would be with us.

“No, I didn’t.” I cross my legs underneath the table. The waiter arrives with our food and I’m thankful for the distraction.

Javier inspects his salad with his fork. “Excuse me, there should be bacon and chicken in this and I don’t see either.”

“There is. It’s those square chunks.” The waiter points to the small bits in Javier’s salad.

Javier semi-grunts.

The waiter presses his lips together. “Enjoy your lunch.” He turns on his heel and heads back towards the kitchen.

My Caesar salad is overflowing with faded lettuce and doused in dressing. Almost like this business meeting, my lunch had potential but is a bit disappointing. I pick up my fork and poke at a few pieces of lettuce.

I take a bite. It’s okay but definitely not worthy of a return visit. I glance at Javier. He is picking at his food like a child who doesn’t want to eat his vegetables. Elaine is chewing the same bite of her salad that I would have already digested by this point. I roll my eyes and immediately focus on my own salad. I don’t want anyone to think I have antagonistic feelings towards her.

“Your salad looks delicious, Javier. How amazing is it?” Elaine takes another bite of her salad and peers at Javier. Her jaw is working overtime. She must be one of those power-chewers who tries to break down their food before it even makes it to their stomach.

Javier shakes his head. “Elaine, you might have good team management skills but I’m going to demote you as far as choosing lunch spots goes.” Javier takes another bite of his less than appealing salad.

“Oh stop, this is one of the best salad places in the city.” Elaine sips some of her water.

Javier’s eyebrows furrow. “The best salad places? I doubt there is much competition.” He guffaws.

“So, Lauren, since you didn’t bring the rest of the list, why don’t you stop by my office when we get back so I can check them out?” Elaine inspects my face and gives me a condescending glare.

“All right, that’s a good plan, but I want the five chosen today.” Javier waves for the waiter. “Can I get the check?”

The waiter hands him a black folder. Javier eyes the paper and hands it back to him with his corporate card.

“Lauren, you can get it next time.” Javier raises an eyebrow at me. “On your company card.” He hands me an envelope.

I open it to find a platinum corporate Visa card inside with my name on it. I bite my inner cheek to refrain from making a silly “I’m going shopping” statement.

“Thanks, Javier.” I put the envelope in my purse.

Javier signs the slip the waiter has placed in front of him. “Elaine, you’re going to have to swing by a drive-thru on the way back. That salad…” Javier shakes his head. “I just need something more.”

Elaine’s lips form two straight lines before she twists them into a flashy smile. “Sure thing, Javier, let’s hurry. I’ve got my work cut out for me with Lauren’s team to figure out.”

For the second time I have to bite my cheek, except it’s not to make a silly joke, it’s to keep myself from saying something not so pleasant. This is going to be a long day.

Chapter Three

My head is pounding an uneven rhythm, most likely from the multiple causes of it. One, I’m starving. Two, stress, which also includes number three, Elaine. It’s five after seven as I pull into my garage. My shoulders are heavy and there is a gnawing pain in the back of my neck. I hit the remote on my garage door to close it and climb out of my car. My legs are like overcooked spaghetti noodles. I wobble my way to the stairs. I never imagined being a manager would be this difficult. The idea of more power equals more work or decision-making was always something I understood or assumed, but dealing with Elaine today was beyond difficult. Every candidate I chose, she found something wrong with.

We finally agreed on five people, two from her pile, two from mine and one we both were iffy about but I suppose we were ready to call it a day. Prior to my Christmas holiday, Javier had not mentioned Elaine helping me. He had made it clear that it was my choice. So the lunch meeting really threw me for a loop. I’m not sure if Elaine coming along was his idea or one forced on him by her? Maybe he doesn’t think I can choose people on my own? Maybe he is regretting his decision in promoting me? My airway constricts; I let out a breath from my lips.

I inch my way up the stairs to my townhouse. It’s a three-story colonial-style home. I bought it several years ago and fortunately for me the previous owners did some pretty amazing renovations. Reaching the top of the stairs is like winning an award. There is a prize waiting inside for me, a liquid kind and I cannot wait to pop open the bottle of wine and unwind. Ha! I unlock my door and put my purse on the side table. I’m extremely safety-conscious so I immediately lock my door again.

The 2005 Shiraz is glaring at me from my wine rack. I bought this one a while ago. It’s been on my rack for at least a few years. Normally, I would wait to share a bottle like this with someone special, but today is my first day as a manager and this calls for a celebration. Besides, I’m supposed to be video chatting with Jack at any moment. I wish we were talking in person. My stomach is empty and a wrecking ball of nerves is swinging around inside. This long-distance thing is really a drag, especially after the day I’ve had. If only he were here when I got home tonight, waiting for me, so we could celebrate this moment together. The idea of talking to a computer screen makes my stomach churn.

I texted Jack from the bathroom at work to let him know I was still working on my team list with Elaine. I roll my eyes. I argued with myself about whether or not to text him in front of her, but then opted for the privacy of my bathroom stall. It was not my most prideful moment.

I pop the cork of the bottle and let the burgundy liquid fill up the glass. Well, not fill up…I like to keep my glass half full… It’s better for aerating and a much tastier sip. I lift the glass and take a long swig. My shoulders drop. Ah, definitely worth the wait. It’s woodsy. I sigh. Anything woodsy reminds me of Jack and his delicious scent. It’s sandalwood and apples and makes me want to take a long walk in the forest with no hope of ever leaving.

Which is what I signed up for when I said yes to his proposal. But now…now I’m lost. I’m spinning around in this forest of so many different paths and I’m not sure if Jack and I will ever meet up to join in our journey of life together. I know it’s only been a day. But…I miss him. After these last twelve hours, it would be so great to fall into his arms and take in his scent—forget about Elaine and her overstepping. I shake my head.