Hearing Nathaniel shrug it off like that was just the reminder Ezra needed that all this ghost stuff was pure foolishness. Nathaniel was right. Ezra ran in literary circles, and it was common for them to look for the interesting tidbits and ideas among the more mundane aspects of life. When your head is absorbed by stories, it can change the filter in which you view the world. In good and bad ways.
“You’re right,” Ezra said. “I’m glad to hear you’re grounded in reality. That’s exactly what we need to make this work. I have a few dishes for us to try today. Feel free to throw out some suggestions or experiment a bit on your own. I’m open to anything that’ll make our first menu one that will keep people coming.”
They walked into the kitchen to go over what ingredients they had and started a list of ones they might need. Then, Ezra told Nathaniel about the dishes he already had in mind and listened to any feedback Nathaniel had to offer. Passions collided in wonderful ways as they discussed ideas. Finally, having found a place to start, they each chose a dish and got to work.
The next couple of weeks were going to be a process of trying out recipes, making alterations, pricing out dishes, and putting together a menu Ezra could be proud of. He couldn’t be any more excited to get started. His passion for this project overwhelmed any worry he’d found since arriving at this house.
They were tackling breakfast first, as that’s where their focus would be, especially starting out. Ezra started with a special stuffed toast recipe he had in mind with a homemade caramel sauce to give it that extra unique touch.
He started the caramel at a low heat, then turned to work on the other steps as the sauce simmered. He kept a close eye on it, but he’d made caramel so many times before that he had it down to a science. He knew exactly when to check it, stir it, and when it’d be finished.
He didn’t notice there’d been a disruption to his flow until an awful smell reached through his haze and alerted him to a problem. The smell of something burning replaced the sweet scent he started with.
He turned in time to see the pot blackening as the caramel scorched to its surface. A dangerous popping sound warned him to get it off the heat as soon as possible. Ezra listened to its call, removing the pot, and tossing it into the sink where it sizzled and steamed.
Flames leapt after him, grazing the skin on his arm. The burner had been turned on as high as it could go, which was absurd since it was an industrial fitted kitchen. Ezra quickly turned the stove off before it could catch the kitchen on fire.
“What’s going?” Nathaniel asked as he turned to him.
Ezra had to take a minute before he could speak. Anger was biting at the tip of his tongue, ready to lash out at Nathaniel. It was worse than usual because this wasn’t just any kitchen, it was one in his house. An accident here could have serious repercussions for his life. For his wife. He was furious, beyond furious. He certainly hadn’t turned the stove up that high, and there was only one other person here who could’ve.
“What were you thinking?” Ezra asked, trying to keep the anger out of his tone. He tempered it to some extent. It still took Nathaniel aback though.
“What do you mean?” he asked, looking genuinely confused. “Am I cooking the dish wrong?”
“I don’t know what you’re doing with your dish,” Ezra hissed. “Because I’ve been too busy focusing on my own work, which is exactly what you should’ve been doing. I’m sure you were probably trying to help me or something, but I’d rather you mention something to me if you think a change needs to be had with one of my dishes, rather than going ahead and doing it without mentioning anything to me.
“Furthermore, that burner should not be brought up that high to begin with, especially not with a caramel sauce. You could’ve started a fire in here, and that’s exactly what we don’t need right now. I really don’t get it.”
“I’m sorry,” Nathaniel paled. “But I truly don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t touch your dish. I’ve been working on my own food, and I certainly wouldn’t turn up your burner without talking to you first, unless you weren’t here. I may not be as experienced as you are, but I do know enough to know caramel shouldn’t be cooked on a high setting. I don’t know what happened, but I didn’t do it.”
Ezra had years of practice of puzzling out whether a cook was lying to him. His accuracy wasn’t at one hundred percent, but he did like to think he was decent at it. As he looked at Nathaniel, he didn’t pick up on any indications he was lying. In fact, he looked rather bewildered. He seemed worried as well, but not necessarily worried because he was hiding something. He seemed worried because Ezra was angry, and he didn’t know what to do about it.
“Sorry,” Ezra said, letting out a huge breath. “I have no proof it was you, so I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions. I just know I didn’t turn the burner up that high, so I don’t understand how it happened.”
“Me either,” Nathaniel replied. “Maybe there’s something wrong with the stove? It’s been a while since anyone was living here. Perhaps there’s been some wear and tear in the meantime.”
“You’re right. If that’s the case, it’s dangerous. I’ll have to keep an eye on it and have someone check it out if this happens again.” He took another deep breath to bring those high emotions
