Page 3 of Kiss Me

They’re still warm.

“Thank yo— Wait, cookies aren’t on your meal plan,” Liza chimes as she starts to reach across the table.

“Don’t even think about it.” I bite off the left leg of my gingerbread man and savor the spiciness of the ginger mixed with the sweet cinnamon taste of the cookie. My body warms with fond, childhood memories of this time of year.

“If your dad finds out …” She trails off as I level a glare at her.

“He won’t find out. Will he?”

She firms her lips together. I rarely put Liza in between battles between my father and me. Mostly, because I go along with whatever my father wants.

Which is also why Liza doesn’t know anything about the secret I’m keeping from her.

And my father.

“I suppose a cookie or two won’t ruin anything,” she mumbles, her eyes going back to her phone screen.

My assistant doesn’t notice the hot waiter staring at her.

“Please thank the chef on Tania’s behalf,” she tells him, finally looking up at him. I don’t miss the way her eyes widen slightly. Her lips twitch but the full smile doesn’t emerge.

“Also, can you make sure he has the meal plan that was sent over? Ms. Casey is a professional athlete, on a very strict meal plan, and with the X Games?—”

“Everything was wonderful. Please send our compliments to the chef,” I cut off Liza.

He nods. “Please let me know if there’s anything else you need, Ms. Casey …” He pauses, as if hesitating, before finishing with, “I’m a huge fan, by the way. That back-to-back backside1980 you landed at the last Olympics to win gold was sick,” he compliments.

“They say you’re the best female to ever snowboard. Maybe even best snowboarder ever,” he continues.

My stomach tightens with that feeling I’ve been experiencing over the past few months. My breathing becomes shallow, and I have to remind myself to deepen my breaths.

“Th-Thank you.” I clear my throat.

His eyes light up, but not in the same way they did when he looked at Liza. “Do you think you’ll try it again in next month’s X Games?”

I nod, my chest tightening. “Um, we’ll see.”

His gaze returns to Liza, who’s back on her phone. I knew I shouldn’t have given her that damn thing before lunch was over.

“I’ll give your compliments to the chef.” He nods and then heads off in the direction of the kitchen.

“He’s cute,” I say, watching the waiter who looks to be about my same age of twenty-five walk away.

“Hmm?” Liza asks, her attention still on the phone in her hands.

“He was totally checking you out,” I tell her.

She peeks up at me with a furrow between her eyebrows. “Someone was checking you out? Should I call security?”

With a shake of my head, I ask, “Are you serious? Do you even notice anything that’s going on around you?”

Liza’s the most serious twenty-three year old I’ve ever met.

“Yes, but I need to respond to this email your father just sent. There’s a new snowboard company interested in sponsoring you.”

I hold up my hand. “We agreed to no work during lunch, didn’t we?”

Her shoulders slump before she slowly places her phone onto the table, face down. “Sorry.”

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