Page 27 of Filthy Chef

“And what?” I ask.

“Does he know how to put it in?”

The ground has suddenly become super interesting.

“He didn’t exactly put it in. Not all the way. We did other stuff. Lots and lots of other stuff.” That thigh move. God, that was hot.

“You mean to tell me this man didn’t even get to put it in you, but serviced you multiple times, bought your place of employment just to make sure he can be near you, and you’re…mad?”

I draw a sharp breath ready to make my case for being upset. I have many points to make. A presentation with illustrations in Google Slides has been considered.

But all I can do is think of how he made me feel last night.

And if I really think about it in the way Lola is saying—and this may be crazy—but a deep, dark part of me feels good knowing that Jason is in charge.

I try one weak argument on for size, just to see how it sounds out loud to someone besides Jason. “The worst part is, he decided to buy the restaurant after I told him I’d applied here, and he didn’t tell me. I didn’t know anything until you did this morning.”

A stray cat saunters by, its yellow eyes judging me.

“Fuck,” Lola says, shaking her head. “Big dick, goes down on you five times, buys you dinner, buys you dresses, puts you up at the fucking Ritz, and then buys out the contract of a known weirdo so he can surprise you at work the next day? What an asshole.”

“I know, right?”

“Girl. If you do not marry him right now, I will get a divorce so I can marry him.”

Lola stubs out her cigarette on the brick wall.

And that’s that.

thirteen

Jason

Dinner service goes about as well as can be expected when the sous chef is ruminating on something.

Me. I know she’s ruminating on me.

Journey is mostly silent other than communicating about the food and techniques and the plating.

Still, I can’t help but notice she gets much more animated with everyone else.

It’s now the tail end of service, and the expeditor is pushing dessert plates out the door. Overall, everyone works well here.

As things slow down, Journey takes a break before cleaning her station and heads to the ladies’ room.

Cash takes this opportunity to come over and check on me.

“So?”

“She’s not gonna quit. Said she’d give it a week. Rushmore liked his meal, I heard.”

Eyeing me skeptically, Cash asks, “Why did you want to get back on service? At all our other restaurants, we hire executive chefs. Why’d you put on the jacket for this one?”

No point in lying to my best friend. “Because I wanted to work with Journey.”

“You said before you just didn’t want her working for Richard.”

“That’s true. And I wanted to be with her in the kitchen.”

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