Page 62 of The Promise Of You

“I think you should go for it,” she says.

“For what?”

“The way he pulled you out of the walk-in?” She fans herself. “If I were you, I’d give anything to be working with him.”

“That’s—I just asked you to do that. As a favor for me.”

“But I’m not you.”

Okay, totally confused here. “Do you want to work with Justin or not on creating a dish for our town, gossip be damned?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because.” Her face crunches like that of a stubborn child.

I rub my eyes.

“Because he cares for you, and you should give him a chance. I know he said mean things to you, really mean things, and he should pay for that, but how is he ever going to be able to make it up to you if you keep pushing him away?”

Why is my sous-chef so informed about my would-be romantic life? “Where is this all coming from? It can’t be on Echoes!”

Full blush again. Her hands twist nervously in her apron now. “I really should get back. It’s getting late, and I’m not sure Chef will make it back on time tonight.”

“Right.” The poor girl is going to take over service tonight, and I’m bothering her with my silly nonsense. “You’ll do fine. I’ll tell Shoshana to turn walk-ins away tonight.”

She’s already half gone but she turns around. “I can handle… a certain number. I know we need to reach our goals.”

Thank god for Corine. “I’ll check in on you throughout the evening. I want you to let me know before it gets too much. And Corine? Do you go to these Game Nights? I hear there’s one tomorrow.”

Her face lights up. “I’m always pumped up after dinner service, and Mom has Theo, so yes, I always go. I catch the end of it, and it’s the most fun. The older ladies are tipsy by that time, and they always have the funniest stories. You should come!”

I beam my first big smile of the day. “I will.”

twenty

Justin

Idon’t want to be her problem.

And fuck if I’m going to let her put me on the same footing as that shithead Samuel.

But I get it. I need to stop messing with her. She has enough on her plate right now.

When she said she was going to be working on the dish, I knew where she was coming from. It was never about Shane. No. She knows her chef is a dud, and she cares about the restaurant’s reputation in this town.

She can’t trust him.

But fuck. She doesn’t even want to work with me. And no, I’m not talking to Haley. I don’t need romantic meddling. I need sound advice.

So I walk over to Cassandra’s.

It’s the second time in my life I go into her store. When I was younger, we’d linger around, elbow each other, peak inside.

Cassandra owns an internationally famous lingerie shop. By international, she means people come from Canada to shop there. That’s international. Even if it’s just half-an-hour or so away.

My first time there was not so long ago. I stopped by to pick up garlic scapes she grows at her home.

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