Grandmother Left Half the Onsen Inn to the Chef novel · Chapter 7 of 24

Chapter 7: The Card

On Monday morning the inn telephone rang at the front desk.

The head maid held out the receiver to Sakura with her whole face carefully empty.

"It's the hotel man," she said. "He asked for the chef."

Sakura took the receiver.

"Mizuno speaking."

"Mizuno-san." The voice was smooth and pleased. "Forgive me. I understand Hayashi-san is occupied. Please tell her I received her message this morning, and that I understand her position completely."

"Her message?"

"At six o'clock. She was very clear." A small polite pause. "The offer remains open regardless. Good day."

The line clicked.

Sakura set the receiver down in its cradle without a sound.

At six o'clock that morning she had been asleep in the attendant room with Yuzu's arm over her waist.

At six o'clock that morning, Yuzu had slipped away to start the stove, with a kiss on her hair.

Sakura walked into the laundry room at the back of the service hall and shut the door.

The room was warm and smelled of steam and clean cotton.

Wire shelves of white yukata reached to the ceiling.

Yuzu was standing at the folding table with a basket of napkins, humming under her breath.

"You called him," Sakura said.

Yuzu stopped humming.

"This morning. At six."

"Yes."

"You told me nothing."

"You asked me nothing." Yuzu set down the napkin. "You've asked me nothing for three days."

Sakura's voice came out very quiet and very polite.

"You took his card. You kept it in your apron. You called him on the inn's phone behind my back. If you wanted to sell, you could have said so, and I would have." She stopped. Her throat hurt. "I would have let you go."

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