CHAPTER THIRTEEN - LUKE
Two weeks later, I gathered the brigade in the kitchen for an announcement. They stood in a semicircle around me, waiting for me to speak. I looked them over, trying my hardest not to stare too much at Amber, or make a goofy face when our eyes met.
Things between us had been good. Better than good, really. We’d managed to spend some time together after work, when we had the energy to do more than just sleep. Amber still wouldn’t stay all night. It bothered me a little, but everything else between us was so good, I figured it wasn’t the end of the world.
But even though things were going well, I wasn’t ready to let the rest of the staff know we were dating. Things were still too new and too uncertain. Amber and I hadn’t really put a label on us either. The issue had never come up, and I wasn’t going to force anything. And until then, there was nothing to tell really.
Besides, there was too much baggage with letting the staff know what was going on. It was the same reason I kept us a secret thus far. The other cooks would resent her. They’d judge her. And no matter how well she cooked, they’d assume she was sleeping with the boss to get ahead.
I wouldn’t put her through that, not unless I knew this relationship was really going somewhere.
So that was not the announcement I was going to make.
“Tomorrow is a big day for all of us here at Emery. Some pretty important people will be dining here and we have to make sure everything goes just right.”
“Like celebrities?” Danny asked.
“If you consider Tom Maddox, Sheila Grimes, and Kaitlin Owens celebrities, then yes,” I said.
“Holy shit,” Danny said.
I nodded. “Exactly. Three of the top food critics in the country will be here. They’re in town for the Food and Wine Festival, and they want to eat here before they leave. It’s a great opportunity for us, as long as we don’t fuck it up.”
I scanned their faces for their reactions. Some of them nodded, some of them looked nervous. Amber had a look of intense determination on her face.
“We can do this, Chef,” she said. “We won’t let you down.”
“I know you won’t,” I said, meaning the statement for her. “I know none of you will. You wouldn’t be here if you couldn’t get the job done. Every day I expect perfection out of you. Tomorrow is no different. Perfect plates, every time. The only reason I’m telling you, at all, is so there are no surprises tomorrow when they show up. All right, start prepping for lunch.”
The brigade scattered to their various stations to get things ready. They seemed to move with a sense of focus, which was good. I needed all of them trying their very best tomorrow.
I went back to my office and Amber followed me in. She closed the door behind her. “Why didn’t you tell me about the food critics coming in?”
She didn’t seem upset. Just curious.
“I just found out myself this morning.”
She shook her head. “That’s a lot of critics for one day. Are you freaking out?”
I leaned back in my chair, studying her. “We have a good team. Everything’s been running smoothly since you showed up. And our food is excellent.”
She grinned. “You didn’t answer my question.”
I laughed despite myself. “Okay, yes. I’m freaking out a little bit.”
I was surprised to hear the words come out of my mouth. It wasn’t the kind of thing I’d ever admit to anyone, but this wasn’t just anyone. This was Amber. My woman.
“I’m not worried about the food, really,” I said. “I won’t let anything go out that isn’t top quality, critics or not. It’s just having them here all at once. One slip up, one mistake, and it’s not just one critic giving us a bad review, it’s three of them. If they slam us, it could put the restaurant out of business.”
Amber came over to me and gave me a reassuring squeeze on the arm. It was the most physical we’d ever gotten at the restaurant. Both of us made it a point to act purely professional when we were there. It would be too easy to get caught, even behind closed doors.
Still, I appreciated her comforting touch.
“We’re going to kick ass tomorrow,” she said. “You know I have your back. Anything that needs to get done, I’ll be on top of it.”
“I need to get done. Will you get on top of me?” I took another risk and reached up to touched her face. She had my body burning with desire, and I knew my heart was hers too. There was no denying it, I was falling in love.
She laughed, the sound filling up the office. “It’s cheesy, but I love it.”
I looked up at her, my eyes locking with hers. The steady confidence in her light blue eyes filled me with optimism. “Thank you, Amber. It feels good to know you’ll be at my side tomorrow.” She swelled with pride. “But don’t let it go to your head.”
She smiled and nodded. “Of course not, Chef.”
“Now get back out there before people start talking.” I let my eyes move across her as I took a shaky breath. “Before I close the door and give them plenty to talk about.”