Page 92 of Finding Lexie
“You don’t enjoy cooking anymore?” Lexie asked.
“It’s not that. I do. I mean, I had a great time cooking for tonight, but it was for you guys. Not a bunch of strangers. And I love hanging out with Scott and the rest of the guys and grilling and stuff. But I’ve struggled to figure out what I want to do with my life. Obviously being a charter fishing guide is out…since being out on the ocean hasn’t been that good to me,” Elodie said.
“I’ve been thinking…” Ashlyn started.
“Oh, Lord,” Lexie blurted.
“No, seriously. You know how many people we help at Food For All. But there is so much more food that gets wasted. Grocery stores throw away expired bread and wilted vegetables. And cans that are dented get tossed as well. Restaurants throw away tons of food. We try to get some of that stuff to give away, but we’re only talking to the places close to where we are. And think about all the families who travel down from the North Shore or out east, to where we are, just to get food. It has to be expensive, not to mention how much time it takes to drive all the way downtown.”
“What are you saying?” Elodie asked. “And what does it have to do with me?”
“I was thinking of talking to Natalie about starting up a satellite location of Food For All, but with a slightly different focus,” Ashlyn said. “And while it’s not exactly cooking, many of the lunches we put together aren’t that healthy. It’s just chips and an apple thrown in with a not-very-appetizing sandwich. What if we could tap into more stores to get food they’re going to throw away? Restaurants too. It would help if we had someone who could turn those donations into more appealing and nutritious meals.”
“How old are you again?” Elodie asked.
“Twenty-eight. Why?” Ashlyn asked.
“Because you seem a lot older. And…that sounds like a huge challenge,” Elodie said. “And a lot of hard work.”
Ashlyn merely lifted an eyebrow. Then she turned to Lexie. “I was thinking there are probably a lot of military families who live here who could use some assistance. And elderly people. I’d considered maybe starting my own charitable organization, but I like working for Food For All, and there’s some comfort in working for such a well-known and established organization. The Barbers Point area would be a good location to start with. To see if we can make this work. And if I could convince Natalie to talk to the Food For All people, and if they gave me the go-ahead, I’d need help. You know, with getting it up and running, talking to managers at stores and restaurants, getting the word out. And I know for a fact that it’s a hell of a drive for your man every morning to bring you to work downtown.”
Lexie felt excitement well up inside her. She loved helping people, and the idea of being able to bring assistance to more of those in need seriously appealed.
“Shit, she’s good,” Elodie whispered.
“So, you in?” Ashlyn pushed. “We could use a professionally trained chef to help us.”
“I’m in,” Elodie said with a smile.
“Lex?”
“You know I’m in too,” Lexie promised.
“This calls for a toast!” Ashlyn said, lifting her bottle.
They all clinked their drinks together and took long sips.
Then Elodie asked, “So what’s up with this Theo guy?”
“Jeez, you’re taking lessons from Midas with the abrupt change of topic,” Lexie said wryly.
“Not really. I was thinking about Food For All and the people we could help, which made me think about the homeless men and women around here, and how many are on the streets through no fault of their own. Which made me think about Theo. Scott told me about him after the altercation the other week. Is he still around?”
“He is,” Ashlyn said. “And he watches Lexie like a hawk.”
“No, he doesn’t,” Lexie protested, trying to downplay the issue.
“He does,” Ashlyn insisted. “The only reason Jack and Pika haven’t kicked him out is because that’s all he does. He hasn’t said anything derogatory about you or tried to talk to you. But he definitely has his eyes on you whenever you guys are there at the same time.”
“Is he dangerous?” Elodie asked.
“No,” Lexie said. At the same time, Ashlyn shrugged.
“He’s just…different,” Lexie said. “Sometimes he seems pretty lucid, and other times he just sits in a corner and talks to himself. He seems more on edge since those guys started shit though.”
“He does,” Ashlyn agreed.
“You need to be super careful,” Elodie told her.
