Page 80 of Havoc

“Ha! We just both have good taste. You had nothing to do with it.” Leo laughed, and the rest joined in. As we laughed, Grim looked at me in a way that brought a small blush to my face. A warm prickle of something went through my chest.

Jesse stood a few feet away and caught our attention. He signaled our company had arrived.

“Is everyone ready?” I asked as I shifted my head back to work mode.

“It’s like you’re going into battle.” Paige giggled, and I shot her a look that now wasn’t the time to play around. This was important to all of us, especially Grim.

Chef Trahan arrived with four men, as well as his latest girlfriend, who clung to his arm. I had done some research on her and knew she was merely the latest in a string of women for him. She’d have very little influence on any decision he’d make. However, the fourth man was a mystery. I was caught off guard for a moment. I quickly searched my memory for his face on social media, but he didn’t seem familiar. I caught myself and readjusted my mind quickly; this was where I shined. I would just have to work extra hard to figure him out.

“Mr. Gates, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Chef Trahan shook Grim’s hand as he stood. “This is my girlfriend, Fleur.”

“Mr. Gates, I see the rumors are true,” she breathed in her deep southern accent. She flipped her long, dark hair and batted her lashes at Grim. The way she blocked my view with her shoulder told me she was a pro. “You do take the breath away at first glance,” she drawled. Yup, didn’t take a lot to figure the girl could sniff out money a mile away.

Note number one, Grim can be a distraction for Fleur.

“Need to keep the ladies on their toes.” Grim winked, and I thought Fleur just got pregnant. I grinned at my thought, and Grim glanced at me. “Fleur, this is Kenna Lodge. She’s a host at my hotel.”

“A host?” She turned to look me up and down. “As in at a little restaurant host?”

Okay, I see your game.Act all innocent, but rude enough to keep the attention on you. I was fine with that; I’d been up against a lot worse than this little money hungry girl.

“No,” I chuckled politely, “I work closely with the high rollers in the casino and make sure everyone’s stay is as pleasant as can be.”

“So why on Earth are you here?” She made an overly dramatic face at her friends. “We’re not high rollers.”

“She’s here,” Grim stepped in, “because Kenna will ensure Chef Trahan gets whatever he needs, should he decide to accept our offer.”

“Seems like that’s something you all would do.” She turned away from me and eyed Grim.

“Now, now, Fleur. Don’t you go worrying about Miss Kenna here. She’s all right.” Chef Trahan patted her hand and urged her into a chair next to him.

Isn’t she pleasant.

Introductions were made as the others found their way to their chairs. Conrad Leopold was our mystery guest, and the moment the waiters swooped in to take our drink orders, I took the opportunity to do a quick Google search.

Trahan and Grim talked quietly, and I heard him thank Grim for the opportunity. The two men seemed to hit it off.

“Kenna, how did you enjoy the food last night?” Trahan asked me once the drinks arrived. Seems the staff must have told him we had dined there.

“It was lovely.” I sipped my wine and took a moment to think. “As someone who hasn’t spent much time here, I appreciated the descriptions on the menu.” He nodded. “The presentation of each dish was wonderful, but the flavors,” I put my fingers to my lips, “simply delicious. The way the sauce complimented the scallops was divine, and there was just the right amount of heat from the rice and sweet from the peppers. It was like a symphony to my palate.”

“Could you say that in a Yelp review?” Peter joked, and the table chuckled.

“Already submitted.” I was one step ahead of them. It was one thing to tell them what I thought, but it was another to back it up.

“Seriously?” Brent pulled out his phone, and I glanced at Leo, who grinned ear to ear. “Well, shit, she did it.”

“Brent,” Trahan scowled at his choice of words, but he smiled at his friend all the same.

“I sure as shit did.” That granted me a belly laugh from Trahan and an approving look from his buddy, Brent. Okay, I was making a little progress.

“Thank you, Kenna. That’s quite a compliment.” Trahan patted his chest.

“It was quite the experience.” I tipped my glass at him.

On cue, Leo set his still open phone on the table. It displayed the home screen of him on Mammoth Mountain. Of course, Doug, who was conveniently next to him, glanced down at the screen.

“Is that Mammoth?”

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