Page 99 of The Promise Of You

The thing is, although Mom shouldn’t have said anything—but being Mom, how could she not?—she was right. My plan is—was—to take over the space.

“I don’t get it…Why did they bring you in?”

“Who? My aunt and cousin?”

“Yeah. As a restaurant manager.”

She pulls her hands from between her knees and crosses her arms. Squints through the window. Licks her lips. “The day… the day I found Tucker…”

The day she found her ex cheating. “Yeah?” I prompt her gently.

“I was coming home early because I’d been let go.” Fuck. What a shit day. She blinks and her eyelashes flutter. “Then it was the funeral, and uh… I guess my cousin found out everything that had gone down with me, and he asked for my help. He wanted to help me get out of my funk too. First I didn’t want to do it. I was already job hunting. But then I figured, you know what? They’re family, they need my help, and I could use a change. I should do this.”

“So they hired you—what? Full time?” What I really want to know is, if she’s staying here for good.

“Yeah, you could say that. The plan initially was for me to run the restaurant as they looked for a buyer. But then I convinced them to give me time to bring the restaurant in the black before putting it up for sale.”

So she’ll be leaving at some point? I want to punch something.

She continues, “I went to that conference in Boston to get some basic food industry knowledge and contacts.”

“What did you used to do?”

“Business development for a beverage company.”

“That’s not too far out,” I point out, my mind turning the phrase she said before, as they looked for a buyer. “Seems like you have exactly the skillset for the restaurant.”

“Yeah, I dunno.” She plays with the last button on her dress, distracting me from the conversation. “I’m used to corporate environments. This kitchen power play… too much bullshit for me.”

My knuckles tighten on the wheel. “Samuel giving you a hard time?”

She chuckles, but it’s a sad little sound that I hate for her. “Not that kind. He’s moved to mind games now.”

I hate that guy. I need to nail him stealing from her, get her rid of that asshole. “Fuck,” I growl. “How ’bout the rest of the crew? Those who came to the tasting seemed cool.”

“They’re great. I mean, they all have their quirks, right—we all have—but we’re a good team. I think they trust me, and I trust them. Abby and Shoshana kill it in the dining room. Corine and Eric do a great job in the kitchen. I mean, the nights that Samuel was out because of you-know-what,” she adds with another chuckle, a happy one this time, “they did fantastic. I’m actually thinking of promoting Corine to Chef de Cuisine.”

“You wanna get rid of Samuel?”

“Just thinking ahead. Anyway, my aunt wouldn’t back me if I decided to let Samuel go. But I opened up the conversation with Corine about it, and she freaked out. I just wanted her to have a nicer title when Samuel isn’t working, and I want her to build up her confidence. She’ll get there. I just want her to start thinking about it. Projecting herself.”

I love how she appreciates her staff. I used to think they were a lazy bunch, but all they needed was a better leader. Is it weird that I feel proud of Chloe for how she’s turned them around? I glance at her, the way she talks about the business and the people, the care she shows.

Shit. It’s making me hard. Not her naked legs and bare arms, not the cleavage she’s showing, not her dark hair and the memory of how it looked wrapped around my cock. What’s making my cock hard and my heart soft is the care and passion she’s putting into what she’s doing, although I know it’s not what she would choose to do if she could. She did it out of a sense of duty to her family.

She’s the kind of person who goes all in. Gives herself entirely.

Gives herself entirely.

I’m having trouble swallowing.

She’s still talking. “David keeps to himself, and I have to say, that’s kind of a relief. No drama. No questions. Last one out every evening. Does everything he’s asked to do.”

I bet he is. He’s smarter than Samuel. He knows better than to antagonize the boss when he’s stealing from her. I keep my thoughts to myself. Like Declan said, I need something specific, and proof.

thirty-one

Chloe

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