Fuck.

I fucked up.

I thought I was being careful, only coming to The Local every week.

I’ve been holding myself back. I thought it would be enough to distance myself from Alice, enough to keep them away from her.

But now they know. They know she exists.

I have a plan. I just don’t know if it’ll work.

No, let me rephrase that.

I know for sure that it’ll work, but Alice will get hurt in the process.

God fucking damn it. How did I let things get this bad?

Driving all the way to the city every week, just to have dinner alone at the same restaurant? Sure, that’s not weird at all.

Fucking idiot.

I only realized it when I saw one of Walter’s men lurking in the shadows, but it was too late. I already had one foot inside the restaurant.

There’s a chance this is the first time he’s following me, but it’s unlikely. This is probably just the first time I notice him.

He would’ve seen—and reported to Walter—that I always come here and talk to the cute chef every week. He might’ve even seen her walk home with flowers, and he could’ve correctly concluded that they were from me.

Damn it, just thinking about that guy creeping on my Alice makes my skin crawl. I want to run out there, grab him by the collar, and hit him in the face until his brain erases whatever memory is stored there of Alice. Too bad that would risk our entire operation.

I sit at my usual spot and order the Chef’s Special, like I always do.

From here, when the door to the kitchen opens at the right time and at the right angle, I can catch a glimpse of her—my angel, doing what she does best in the kitchen, her face full of concentration. I can’t get enough of that laser focus, that absolute serenity on her face when she’s at work. She’s in her element.

She takes one look at the scrap of paper with my order on it, glances at the clock, and scans the restaurant for me. She has a strange expression on her face when she finds me.

She knows my routine by now. For five months, I’ve been coming here every Thursday night at seven sharp.

I remember the moment she first started to look for me when she’d get a single order of the Chef’s Special at around seven on a Thursday.

My heart stopped, then kicked back into gear with a vengeance.

At first, she looked annoyed to see me.

I don’t blame her. I probably made her life harder, with all the complaints I sent to the kitchen.

But I was just trying to improve her cooking. And, to be honest, I needed excuses to get her cute ass out here so we could talk.

One night, to my surprise, she started taking my suggestions. The food got even better and, best of all, I knew she wanted my approval.

That knowledge makes me want her more. I want to push her limits, see how far she’ll go to please me.

The kitchen door swings open and our eyes meet. She flashes me a quick, small smile.

I used to lament the fact that we could never be anything more than a chef and a diner. I used to wish we could spend more time together.

Well, be careful what you wish for—I should’ve learned that lesson a long time ago.

Now I’m going to spend more time with Alice, for sure. A lot more time. Probably way more time than she expects or wants, but she has no choice now, all because of my own carelessness.

The food arrives, and I try to live in the moment, to savor what Alice has prepared for me. Her cooking hits my palate at the right place, like it always does these days. It’s delicious, and there are moments when my taste buds pump so much delight into my system that I forget my problems.

But still, I don’t enjoy it as much as I usually do.

I’ve already made a plan in case something like this happens, always hoping I wouldn’t have to actually carry it out. As I continue to eat, in my head I play and replay the plan quietly, my heart pounding in my chest.

I can’t believe I’m actually about to do this to her.

At the end of the meal, Alice comes out to greet me as usual. This is our own secret routine now, our own private dance.

She looks radiant today, like there’s a spring in her step. We exchange the usual words. She asks me how the food is; I tell her it’s delicious; she tells me to enjoy the rest of the meal; then she says she has to go back to the kitchen.

That’s when I do something out of the ordinary.

“No, don’t go yet,” I say.

She stops in her tracks at my words. My heart races. Her obedience makes me want to order her to do other things, like getting on her knees and opening that pretty mouth for me.

I swallow, chasing away my dirty thoughts.

This is not the time.

“Can I help you with anything else?” Alice turns around to face me with a smile.

Yes, I’d like to order one blowjob, please, I think to myself.

Maybe she’s just being polite, but that smile makes me want to grab her and give her a kiss. I want to turn that smile into an open mouth, panting with desire.

Instead, I say the words I’ve been rehearsing in my head. “I’m looking for a new chef. Interested?”

“Oh, you own a restaurant?”

“No, but I’m very particular about what I eat, as you already know. I live about two hours outside the city. We have fresh air and great views there. It’ll be good for you to escape the city for once,” I say.

“That’s true. All this smoke and pollution must be killing me slowly, after all.” She grins, her nose crinkling as she does.

“Well, give it some thought. You’ll get a place to stay for free and you’ll get paid really well.”

“Oh, where will I be staying?”

“All my house staff live on the premises. There isn’t much going on in the area. Most of the people in the nearby town have lived there for generations, and they’re unlikely to have rooms to rent out.”

“It sounds good, but I don’t know…” Alice bites her bottom lip and her eyes flick to the side as she thinks.

“Like I said, I’ll make it worth your while. Feel free to say no, of course.” I lie. There’s no option for her to say no. This is not so much an offer as it is a necessity now. She has to come with me, for her own safety.

“I like the sound of that,” she says, smiling, completely unaware of the danger facing her.

“I’ll pay you twice whatever The Local is paying you,” I say.

Her eyes grow wide. “Are you serious?”

“Dead serious,” I say, telling the truth this time.

“I’m tempted,” she says, her teeth stabbing into her lower lip again.

“If you’re interested, call me.” I dig into my pocket and give her my business card.

I should stop this conversation before Walter’s guy gets suspicious. He’s probably still watching outside. And with the big windows surrounding us, anyone from outside can clearly see what’s happening inside the restaurant.

“Just think about it,” I say. “You can save up while you work for me. Even if you hate it and you quit after a few months, you’ll be in a much better financial situation by then.”

Alice smiles as she drops my business card into the little pocket in her white shirt, where the logo of the restaurant is embroidered.

I want to rip that logo off her chest and brand her with my name. I’ll get to do that, if she says yes. If she says no… Well, she’s still coming with me, only there probably won’t be any cooking involved, which would be a shame.

“I’ll definitely think about it,” she says.

“Don’t take too long. I’m free tomorrow, any time after five in the afternoon. Come see me at the address on the business card. We’ll sit down and talk. You’ll say yes within five minutes. You’ll regret it if you don’t.”

If you don’t, I’ll pick you up anyway tomorrow, I think quietly to myself. It’ll be a lot more pleasant for you if you come yourself, though.

“Got it. I’ll call you tomorrow,” Alice says.

“Good.” I smile. I watch her back as she walks away. Under my breath, I whisper, “I’m sorry.”

A few hours later, she texts me to say that she’ll come to see me tomorrow night. I heave a sigh of relief.

The situation is far from ideal. If I had my way, she’d stay far away from my problems. She’d continue working happily in the city. But now she’s involved, whether she likes it or not.

I’m just glad I don’t have to drag her kicking and screaming to my place.

No, at least the first few days will be nice. I’ll stretch it out as long as I can. Because after that, when she finds out, the kicking and screaming will start.