Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 81113 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81113 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
“Stevie how many times have I told you—just call me Michael.” The slightly commanding tone in his voice had me shivering.
“Michael,” I corrected. “I always do what I set out to do. You were the one who inspired me, actually.”
“Oh?”
I smiled at him. “You remember, you taught me how to cook when I slept over. You instilled in me that love for cooking and inspired me so much. I just knew that when I graduated I had to work with the person who made it all possible in my head.”
Michael gave me another warm smile that had my toes curling a little. “You have no idea how much it means to me to hear you say that.”
Especially right now, I was sure, but I didn’t say that out loud. I didn’t want to wound Michael’s pride or make him feel anything less than successful. The bullshit going on in his life at that moment wasn’t his fault. Not at all.
“Unfortunately,” Michael continued, “I just can’t hire you at the moment.”
“What?” I blurted out before I could stop myself.
He leaned in across the desk a little. “Stevie, you’ve always been a hard worker and a smart person, top of your classes, dedicated - but you just got out of culinary school. You’re too young and inexperienced to be a head chef. You’ll want to ride with the training wheels first, get yourself a good sous chef job or as a line cook at a prestigious restaurant.”
“This is a prestigious restaurant,” I replied. “And Theo Summers was my age and right out of culinary school when you took him on.”
I knew it was a risk to bring Theo up. He screwed Michael over professionally and personally. Stole his goddamn wife. I might have been in love with Michael since I was sixteen but I never wanted him to end up single because his wife hurt him that way. I’d always pictured it in my head as a mutual, amicable divorce, the two of them just naturally falling out of love with each other.
But cheating on him and abandoning him? No. No way. That wasn’t right.
Theo hitting a sore spot or no, though, I was right. And I knew I was right.
“You gave Theo a chance when he was right out of school because you knew that he had the talent and the vision, he just needed a chance to prove himself. Well, I’ve got that. I have a plan to turn this business around, and I know it’s a good one.”
And I’m not going to sleep with your wife, I thought, but didn’t say out loud. I won’t betray you.
“I appreciate your confidence. You’ve always had a lot of it.” Michael looked at me fondly, as though remembering specific times. I hadn’t realized that he would remember anything in particular about me, and my stomach melted a little. “But I don’t think you realize how tough this business is.”
“The business may be tough but I’m tougher. Once I want something, I don’t give up. Not ever.” I squared my shoulders. “Besides, what have you got to lose at this point? Give me a month to get your business to pick up. If it doesn’t pick up then we’ll go our separate ways. I’ll follow your advice and get more of a starter job. But if I’m right…”
I let the sentence trail off, cocking my head and smirking at him.
Michael looked at me ruefully. “You’re incorrigible.”
“So I’ve been told. By you, in fact, before. You always used to say my mouth was too smart for me.”
“And it’s still true.” Michael’s smile faded as he sighed. “All right, here’s what we’ll do. You’re right, I don’t have anything to lose. And you are my daughter’s best friend and a good kid.”
I’m not a kid, I wanted to yell, but I doubted that would help my chances.
“I’ll take you on and give you a shot. But I’m not sure that the restaurant will be open in another month. You give it your best and if you can’t turn this place around, don’t be hard on yourself. You just go and I’ll put in a good word for you at some other place, get you a good recommendation. Fair?”
“Fair.” I stood up and held out my hand. “But this place will be open in a month. It’ll be bustling.”
Michael gave me a rueful look, like he wanted to believe me but wasn’t sure if he could. Then he reached out and shook my hand - and I felt myself melt. His grip was firm, his hands large, larger than I had remembered, his fingers long and curling so easily around my own hand, touching my wrist…
“I look forward to you proving me wrong,” he told me, holding onto my hand as my legs trembled.
If this was all a handshake did for me, then what could his hands, his mouth, moving all over my body, tasting me, teasing me…what could possibly happen then?