Page 69 of Faking It with the Off-Limits Doctor

It’s taken years to reach my goal, but here I am, and as we finally close up and bid each other goodnight, I still have a smile on my face. An exhausted smile, but a smile all the same.

Tomorrow is Monday, and until I get more staff trained up, I’ve decided it’s the only day we don’t open. I need at least one day’s rest, and climbing into my car, I can tell you, I’m truly looking forward to it. The wonderful thing is, Alex has rearranged his surgeries so we get to spend at least one day of the week together.

The next morning, Alex finds me in the kitchen, leaning over the island, perusing the newspaper.

“Morning,” he says, brushing by me and kissing my cheek on his way to the coffee machine.

“Morning,” I say, smiling as I follow his pajama-clad bottom across the kitchen.

“So, what’re our plans today?” he says, waiting for the coffee machine to fill his cup. “A museum? A stroll? Going out for lunch?”

I sigh. “Or we could just stay in and lounge all day.”

“How about a compromise? We lounge all morning, and then I take you out for a late lunch.”

“Deal,” I say, turning the page and looking back down at the paper.

My eyes fly wide at an article that pops out at me, and I gasp as I scan the words.

“What?” he says, sauntering over to me.

“Opulento has been closed on a health violation,” I exclaim.

Alex comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist, and I begin reading the article out loud.

“There was a major blow to three-star Michelin chef Dino Cabrini’s restaurant this week after health concerns were brought to the USDA’s attention. Mr. Cabrini was forced to close the restaurant for a month while the USDA continues its investigation.”

“Holy cow,” I gasp. “I can’t believe it.”

“How terrible for him,” Alex says sarcastically. “And perhaps, had a customer not found a cockroach in their dinner, none of that would have happened.”

I can hear the smile in his voice, and suddenly, I push myself from leaning on the island and spin around to look at him. He’s gazing at me with obvious delight, while grinning from ear to ear.

“No!” I gasp, flinging a hand to my mouth.

Alex lifts his eyebrows and shrugs. “Karma always gets you in the end.”

“But this wasn’t karma,” I cry.

“Maybe karma needed a little help this time,” he says with a smirk.

I laugh then because I know he did it for me. Since I told him the story of what Dino did to me, I know it’s been irking him. On a few occasions, he’s mentioned going to the restaurant and having a word with the man, but I’ve always put him off.

Yes, I was utterly devastated that he stole my signature dish, but I have a wonderfully creative mind and have since come up with another one that’s just as good. Besides, it’s not worth it. I don’t want Alex caught up in some scandal over something so trivial. He has his own reputation to worry about.

“You didn’t need to do that,” I say, secretly delighted that he’s done something so drastic just for little old me.

“I did. The man deserves to pay for what he did. Besides, it’s only caused him a minor inconvenience, and no doubt, he won’t learn any lessons from it. But still. He made you suffer, Dara. Not just by stealing your property, but by forcing you to leave.”

“I didn’t have to leave.”

He gives me a look. “We both know you couldn’t have stayed.”

“True. But if I hadn’t left, then we wouldn’t be where we are now.”

“Standing in this kitchen?” he says, pretending to look confused as he looks around.

I roll my eyes and throw my arms around his neck. “Thank you. I adore you, you know.”

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