Chapter 15

A Force Of Nature

In the kitchen of Bartholomew's restaurant, in San Francisco's financial district, a female Raccoon in chefs' whites was standing near the stoves while on her cell phone.

"That's right Eric, I'm off to Seattle tomorrow...Uh-huh, I'm trying for at leasta week this time. Just make sure he doesn't set fire to my kitchen again...I don't care if he said it needed to be flambéed, No, just make sure he sticks to what I have written out. So? So he has his own cooking show, that's no excuse to burn down my kitchen! Oh don't give me that! If he wasa professional, he wouldn't have started the fire in the first place!" She spied an otter in whites waiting patiently for her attention. "Eh? Hold on Eric...Yes Kirk, what do you need?" she asked the otter sou chef.

"Excuse me, Miss Coona, but you asked me to let you know when the truffles arrived." she nodded to him holding up a finger to have him wait a moment and turning back to her call.

"Okay, Okay I gotta go, delivery's here. Just keep him on a short leash and I mean choke chain here, or I swear I'm gonna dice him, soak him in buttermilk and ship him back to Baton Rogue postage due...okay? Right...bye." She switched off her phone and turned to the otter.

"Thanks Kirk, and please, call me KC okay?" She liked Kirk Otterman; he was her number two chef. "You got it, Boss!" he grinned as they made their way to the delivery area.

"So, you going to visit your brother?" he asked, looking over the pallet.

"Uh-huh..."KC nodded as she reviewed the purchase order invoice. "Wait a sec, where's the Beluga?" She quickly scanned the pallet of foodstuffs in the receiving area.

"Oh, um...here under the bushel of Oly's" Kirk indicated a wooden crate with red Cyrillic lettering under a bushel of small oysters.

"Okay, great...looks like everything is here." KC flashed the delivery fur a toothy grin as she signed off on the invoice and nodding to a pair of squirrels waiting to put stuff away.

"Kirk, I want you to ride hard on this guy they have subbing for me. Let him know in no uncertain terms that if he goes anywhere near my knife rack again I will soak him in milk and serve him up with a side of grits!" KC growled. "You are my number two guy here, I want you to know I put in for you to take my place, Oh don't give me that look, You could do great, but Eric wanted some hot-shot "Name" the Raccoon fem said placing a paw on his shoulder, a warm smile on her muzzle.

"So, who did he get?" Kirk asked but suspected he knew all ready.

"The Deep-Fried Cajun King" she said with a growl.

"What! That possum's coming back? Kirk exclaimed.

KC nodded. "I thought the fire marshal banned him from stepping foot in the city! Didn't he declare him some sort of public menace?" the otter joked.

"Oh I wish..." KC laughed.

"Don't worry about it boss," Kirk assured her "I'll have James follow him around with a fire extinguisher."the otter nodded at one of the Squirrels. KC shook her head. "Thank god we have that Halon system. You saved the day my friend when you popped it when "Mr. Flambé" went overboard with his damn moonshine. Well, I'll be back in a week, hopefully there will still bea kitchen here when I get back..."

"Have a great time, KC, I'll keep him in line."

"Thanks my friend." KC smiled, genuine admiration in her eyes. The otter waved as KC disappeared out the back doors thinking Kirk Otterman was one good Fur.

Kirk thought back to the last time the possum was here. Thank god KC wasn't here or she'd have eviscerated the pompous fool. What the heck was Eric thinking bringing that train wreck back here after all the damage he did the last time? With a resigned sigh he had to admit, KC was right, Eric had more money than sense. But what was a fur to do.

#