Page 68 of Faking It with the Off-Limits Doctor

“I came in for dinner when I knew you were working. I wanted to see how good you really were.”

Her eyebrows rise high on her head. “And?”

I smile. “You didn’t disappoint.”

“Does that mean you’ve been stalking me all this time?” she blurts, feigning astonishment.

“You’ll never know because I’ll never tell,” I reply with a grin.

An hour later, we sit down to eat, and it’s the best meal I’ve ever made. Of course, I can’t take all the credit, given I had a talented chef guiding my every move, but I’m still pleased with myself.

“This isn’t bad at all, Dr. Bennett,” Dara says after a forkful of food.

“Thank you, chef.”

A light laugh leaves her lips, and I lift a glass. “To second chances.”

She lifts her glass and adds, “And a little less lying.”

The two of us burst into laughter, and my heart leaps with the promise of where our path will take us. It’s not just a new chapter, it’s an entirely different book.

26

Epilogue

Dara

Six months later…

“Service,” I call out after putting two perfectly presented plates on the pass.

Beth beams a smile at me and grabs them, spinning on her heels and hurrying off to the waiting customers.

Yes, I stole her from Joe’s Diner. And no, I don’t care. Besides, I know she’s far happier working for me, even with the hour-and-a-half commute to and from Riverdale.

Dara’s has now been open and fully functional for about two months. My restaurant is not right in the heart of the city, but as word has spread, the restaurant’s location doesn’t seem to matter because bookings are getting fuller by the day.

I have my suspicions that Alex has a lot to do with that. Apart from telling all his clients about the restaurant, he has also hired a social media marketer who works relentlessly to put me on the map.

John is great at what he does and is usually in here at least twice a week, filming content to put up on all the usual socials. And so, Dara’s is off to a flying start.

I have two sous chefs I’m training up. Both fresh out of culinary school and both eager to learn. And while it’s all been a lot of hard work, what with learning about stock, orders, health regulations, and everything else that goes with running a restaurant, I couldn’t be happier.

Of course, it’s not just the fact that I now have and am running my own business that has me so delighted. Over the last six months, things have gone from great to fantastic.

Alex asked me to move in two months ago, something I think he sometimes regrets since I’ve revamped his apartment. It no longer looks like a showhouse and now has soft elements of a woman’s touch. Nothing drastic, just an ornament here, a plant there, and of course, a whole wall of shelves displaying my crazy teapots.

“One of these days, I’m going to come home and think I’ve walked into the wrong apartment,” he said a couple of weeks ago.

“And then you’ll see me,” I countered, “and know that you haven’t.”

Mark came to visit us last week. He and Alex got together shortly after I came to see Alex that night, and putting their male egos aside, they both apologized, and things swiftly got back to normal, thank goodness.

It would likely have never happened, but I would never want to be the catalyst that caused a rift between them. They’re my two favorite men. Both as protective over me as the other, though Mark has taken a step back now that Alex is by my side.

For the longest time, I found Mark’s behavior overbearing. But I’ve come to realize that he only ever did what he did because he loved me, and in that, I should count myself lucky. I’m his little sister, if only by a few years, and I don’t think there’ll ever be a time when he won’t be there if I need him. I’ve learned to be grateful for that.

The day flies by, and as night falls and the last customers leave, the staff and I spend another hour cleaning the kitchen. My days are long, but I don’t care. I get such a sense of fulfillment every day I come to work.

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