Tuesday evening, Apt 7134, Emily.
The morning of her day off had been spent working on test cakes for Spencer and Roxy's wedding, and taking photos of the cat lapping whipped cream. Then she had received a surprise guest - Gregori Rushenko all the way from California! He really had not been kidding about staying in contact and coming to visit her. The real surprise had been, however, why he had come to see her. Afterwards, that meeting heavy in her mind, Emily had then went on the weekly dance class with Vincenzo.
When Vincenzo had asked about Gregori, the explanation had gotten stuck in her throat in a strangling sensation. Emily had not told him why he had come by. She didn't really know why - she just couldn't. All she had said was that Greg was in the City on business and had come see her. She hadn't been exactly lying. The truth was Gregori had come to see Emily with a great purpose. As they had been sitting in her kitchen having coffee and tasting cakes, he had handed her a USB memory stick and told her about his new TV production. It was going to be a cooking show set in California near San Francisco. He had the filming crew, he had the set, he had the concept and the go ahead. All he needed was a chef to star in it.
The morning had been like any other for Emily but by the evening the day had been one of the most remarkable in Emily's life. She had been offered a job. And not just any old job - as a TV chef, in a new show that would be spread accross the nation, with guest appearances in other shows and even talk shows. It would be huge. It would be life changing. It would mean fame, and money, and a whole new set of opportunities. It would be a serious career move. It would also mean moving back to California.
On principle, Emily was alright with the idea of moving. She was used to it anyway. She had lived in several states as well as in the United Kingdom and France, and she had traveled quite extensively. She was more than used to changing jobs and moving every year or two since she was a teenager - she had worked her way up in the kitchen and now that she had been working as the executive chef and had her own column in the leading cooking magazine, a step forward from there would certainly be becoming a TV chef.
After an eventful day - the meeting with Gregori, the surprising job offer, the thus rather tense dance class with Vincenzo - Emily had made an excuse from Vincenzo's company and returned back home alone. She was sitting on her yellow couch with her laptop on her knees and browsing the files on the USB stick Gregori had given her. It had the details about the job and by the looks of it, it was marvellous. It was almost a miracle that Emily had not said yes right away.
Instead she had told him she needed time to think and sort things out. She was in a relationship, afterall, and she had a good job in La Fee Verte. Gregori had been fine with that in a smugly confident manner, given her his contact details and told her that he was staying for a while in the Empress hotel in the City. Emily had promised to get in touch with an answer as soon as she had one.