Page 21 of The Problem with Dating

Plus, now I could say I was using Nathan Pierce’s tomatoes, which seemed like an odd but grand flex. What I didn’t expect over the next few days was a ton of other small-town individuals to show up at my restaurant, pushing their products on me.

When I showed up after a busy day of doing paperwork, I found my new staff standing around at the bar with an older Asian gentleman pouring them all a few glasses of wine.

“You see the difference, right? The crisp hint of honey tones hits your tastebuds,” the guy explained as he set down the bottle of wine.

“What the heck is going on?” I barked, startling my staff. It had only been a few days, but it was clear I’d already placed a solid amount of fear in their spirits, which was a win in my book.

“Good afternoon, Chef,” they all said in unison, placing their wineglasses down.

I cocked an eyebrow. “Are you all drinking on the clock?”

“Technically, we’re working,” Eddie, the sommelier, mentioned. “Sammy was going over the menu with us all, and we were sampling the tapas with the wine when Mr. Yang stopped by with samples of his wine from the local winery.”

“You must be the owner! Alex Ramírez. I’ve heard great things.” Mr. Yang looked at me with a bright smile. His gray hair matched his beard as he grabbed a glass and poured a sample. He walked over toward me and extended it my way. “I’m Lee Yang, the owner of Honey Bee Winery, and I am excited to showcase a few of my best wines.”

“We already have our wine selection pulled,” I coldly said. “I’m not sure why Eddie hasn’t notified you of this.”

“Oh, he did,” Lee mentioned, forcing the wine stem into my grip. “I just have a way of being a bit pushy. Plus, Tatiana is a good friend and a long-time Honey Bee Winery supporter.”

Tatiana gave me that same smile she’d delivered during her interview. Though, looking back, it was more so that she interviewed me, not vice versa. “Lee is a gem. You’ll love his stuff. Trust me.”

I cleared my throat. “We already—”

Before I could finish my thought, Lee tilted the glass to my face, forcing me to take a sip, and then he grabbed one of the appetizers and shoved it into my mouth. After almost choking on the drink and food, I swallowed and was about to cuss him out for his aggression, but…I couldn’t get over how good the combination was. I narrowed my eyes and grunted as I took another sip of the wine.

What in the world did he put in this stuff?

I gestured toward the bottle of Merlot on the table. “What does that pair with?” I asked.

“The oxtail empanadas, chef,” Eddie replied, pouring me a glass. My head chef, Sammy, placed an empanada on a plate. They handed the items to me, and I grudgingly accepted the samples. As I tasted the pairing, I swore my soul entered a far, far away place filled with fireworks and happiness.

I grimaced and arched an eyebrow toward Lee. “How did you do this?”

“The Lang secrecy of wine. It has the Honey Creek special touch.”

My annoyance peaked because there was no way I could go without Lee’s wines in my shop. Beyond that, I knew I had to sign a deal with him to have his bottles in my other restaurants, too.

“Leave your business card,” I directed. “And everyone else, get back to work. We open in a few days.”

Tatiana smiled at Lee and nudged him. “That means he’s gonna say yes.”

“Tatiana,” I scolded.

She placed a hand on her hip and raised a brow. “Yes, young man?”

The strength of every mother in the world powered her hand on the hip. I didn’t have enough nerve to tell her to stop sending people to my restaurant for partnership. “A word alone.”

I walked over to a table and took a seat. She pulled out the chair across from me, sat, and combed her hair behind her ears. “Yes, chef?” she asked.

“You can’t keep doing this.”

“Doing what?”

“Telling everyone in this small town I can partner with them.”

“I’m not doing that. I’m only telling the ones I know you’ll partner with.”

I grumbled, “You don’t know that for a fact. And you’re creating false hope for these people.”

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