Page 23 of The Flirt

I hurried back to the restaurant, and to my surprise, I was still the first one to arrive. I quickly changed into my chef’s getup and was about to start my day when someone knocked at the employees’ door. I opened it right away.

"Miss Scarlett?" the guy asked.

"Yeah, that's me."

"I have this for you." He gave me a small package.

"What is it?"

"A beignet."

"I don't understand."

He shrugged. "Just a delivery for you. That's all I know."

"All right, thank you."

I got a beignet? What is this magic happening right now?

I went back to the kitchen and inspected the box. My heart started to beat faster as I opened it. Indeed, there was a beignet inside.

I took out my phone with trembling hands and snapped a picture. Knowing exactly where this came from, I texted Chad right away.

Scarlett: Thank you. To what do I owe the pleasure?

He replied as I tasted my treat. Oh, this is great.

Chad: You said you wanted to taste more beignets in the city. I'm here to fulfill that wish.

I licked my lips, sighing. How could this be real?

Chad: Just so you know, you'll be getting beignets from a different bakery each day.

Scarlett: Even the competition?

Chad: Of course. This is all about finding the best beignet for the lady. And please send me your parents’ address.

My stomach fluttered as I sent it to him. I’d forgotten to do that after the meeting. I sighed and decided to simply enjoy the beignet. I wondered if he took pity on me because he'd overheard that shitty voice message. But I didn't think so.

Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Just enjoy it, Scarlett.

***

The next morning, I managed to find Genaro. Everyone was right. He was a bit cantankerous, but he was also completely adorable. We hit it off right away. I informed Joel before I even arrived at the restaurant that I’d managed to strike a deal with Genaro. Obviously, I wouldn't be discussing contracts and pricing and so on. But I’d gotten a yes from him, and his admin team was in charge of the rest.

The beignet that was delivered today was even better than yesterday’s. I texted Chad before I even finished it.

Scarlett: This is giving Café Du Monde a run for their money.

Chad: I agree. I can just imagine you eating this. You look adorable when you’re enjoying food, so go ahead and make a list of what else you’d like to taste.

Oh, oh, oh.

Until now, I’d thought he might just be trying to ease in a new employee. In the back of my mind, I knew this was far too much effort for that, but I figured he liked to go the extra mile. But now it was obvious that we were flirting, and instead of completely changing the tone or the subject, I simply... flirted back.

Scarlett: Careful, I might get feisty.

Chad: That’s exactly what I want.

---