"The Menu"

“The Menu”

Marcella Winston had come from Argentina to the United States this past spring of 2007, to serve as the head cook for Brighton Mendenhall , CEO for Mendez Enterprises. Before leaving Argentina, she had been employed by the Internacional Hotel Mendoza and had gained much experience in the culinary world. The Internacional is a Limited First Class Hotel with amenities that comfortably accommodate their visitors; and Mr. Mendenhall was renown among the men about town in Argentina and had known the management of the Internacional quite well. He had placed a verbal advertisement for his desire for one graced in the expertise of ménage, and to his amazement, Carmella became his without the allurements of bouleversement between himself and the staff. The bewitchment of the transaction had made his trip all the more pleasurable.

Carmella had her belongings from her apartment compartmentalized among her many family members. Concernments regarding the attachment she had felt toward her family had to be set aside, for contentment would later prove to have made her decision the right one. The elementary process of adaptation though, would just have to intervene on her behalf, for this opportunity was one for which she had longed. The fundamentals of the governmental issues regarding her citizenship were taken care of upon their arrival back to the states before she had begun the immense undertaking of the management of Mr. Mendenhall’s household. He had never married but his solitary lifestyle had become an instrument of socialization. People had become an investment for him and it had certainly proven to have been a worthy one at that.

But Mr. Mendenhall had made a strange request of Marcella for the Thanksgiving holiday; a holiday with which she was not familiar. He had asked her to prepare an evening dinner just for the two of them. What a lovely sentiment! The years of having diligently worked at the hotel had proven to have been quite an accomplishment; for Mr. Mendenhall was a man of refinement and strong character, unlike many of the menagerie of gentlemen whom she had seen at the hotel. To say that she was excited about what she thought might take place would be an understatement. Her feelings were beyond excitement!! She busily began to prepare the menu. One amendment after the other kept her busy for hours. She wanted this to be a most momentous occasion, and every little detail must be to his liking and not her Argentine preference.

Finally! She had finished. She printed off a copy of the menu for him and had left it atop the breakfast bar on Thanksgiving Eve. The next morning she found a small box with a card on top of the menu that said:

Do not open until dinner tonight. Love, Brighton…

Menu

Appetizer

Stuffed Mushrooms with Crab Meat

Salad

Tomato & Green Bean Salad

Entrée

Maple Orange Baked Ham

Side Dishes

Roasted Asparagus

Crunch-Topped Sweet Potato Casserole

Breads

Boston Brown Bread

Angel Biscuits

Desserts

Apple/Black Walnut Cake

with

Lemon Butter Frosting

Beverages

Coffee

Perrier Mineral Water

Ginger Ale/Cranberry Drink

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