Page 27 of Hotel Mallois

When they arrive at the place, Katherine is still on the phone and doesn't hang up until they enter the venue, decorated in a discrete but elegant manner. When they pass to the kitchen area, a boy dressed in white with long hair tied in a ponytail organizes some vegetables on the table with a concentrated expression, but as soon as he hears the click of Katherine's heels, he raises his head and observes the two women.

"Hi, I'm Donald," the young man says, approaching them and extending a hand to greet Katherine. "You must be Mrs. Taylor."

"And this is Jodie Sinclair," Katherine responds after shaking Donald's hand.

"If you tell me what you had planned, Donald, we'll get started with the food right away. By my calculations," Jodie looks at her watch, "we only have four hours to get the service out."

Katherine has to disguise her smile of genuine pleasure. She had noticed some nervousness in Jodie, but it has completely disappeared to let in this woman who she now knows is a force to be reckoned with.

"I'll be back at lunchtime," she whispers, and the blonde leaves because she needs to go to the Magnolis to check on the final touches that remain.

Time flies for Jodie, she feels in her element, comfortable giving orders in the kitchen and head-deep in cooking. Donald has served as her right hand, and between the two of them, they've managed to finish cooking the menu that consisted of various appetizers and a main course. Fortunately, the service was for a small group because otherwise, it would have been impossible for the two people to handle it. A group of waiters comes in and out of the kitchen with plates for the diners until they're only waiting for the present guests to finish their desserts and finally clear everything.

"Chef, they're asking for you in the vault," a waitress tells Jodie, and seeing her confused face, the girl hurries to explain. "It's an office back there."

Jodie nods and thanks her. She dries her hands with a cloth and walks nervously to the place, uncertain of what she'll find. As soon as she knocks twice on the door and enters, her eyes light up; Katherine Taylor is seated and in front of her are two empty plates and a wine glass.

"Come here," the Mallois owner asks, and Jodie obeys.

"I didn't know you'd arrived."

"A while ago, but you were finishing up some plates and I didn't want to disturb you," Katherine answers and gestures for Jodie to sit on her lap. "Congratulations, chef, the food was exquisite and from what I've heard, the diners think the same."

Katherine kisses her, so slowly that Jodie feels she might melt on her lap. There's no sexuality in the kiss, there's pride and an affection that seems inexplicable, but it's there and impossible to ignore.

"I'd like us to have the conversation in my penthouse, what do you think?" Katherine asks when the kiss ends and runs her thumb over Jodie's lip to wipe away the traces of saliva she left.

"Yes, but I need to finish the service," Jodie answers, looking into her eyes, "until we're done here I can't leave."

Katherine nods, unable to reproach her anything, she's equally responsible with her work.

"I'll tell Mike to pick you up when you let me know."

Chapter 16

"Mind if I sit up front?" Jodie asks Mike as she exits the private room.

He looks at her with surprise at first but immediately nods.

"Not at all, sit wherever you want."

The driver closes the back door and opens the passenger's side. Jodie can't get used to this gesture, but no matter how many times she asks him not to do it, Mike is so accustomed that he does it out of habit.

Jodie's knee starts bouncing as soon as the vehicle moves, jerking frantically while she twists her purse between her fingers, searching for a calmness she can't find. While she was in the kitchen, she didn't have time to think, she escaped like she hadn't in a long time, but now that the moment has come to have that conversation with Katherine that today's circumstances have kept postponing, she's a bundle of nerves.

"Is something wrong?" Mike decides to ask, stressed by all the compulsive movement.

Jodie stops her knee and hands to look at him for a long moment.

"Will this stay between us?" she asks, and Mike can't help but let out an amused laugh.

"If you mean Katherine, I won't tell her, unless you confess you're planning to kill her; in that case, I'll open the door and throw you out of the moving car."

The joke makes Jodie laugh and manages to relax her enough to feel comfortable explaining to her boss's right-hand man and now lover the reason for her nervousness.

"Let's say I'm about to have a very important conversation with her, and I'm very nervous because I don't know how it's going to go."

Mike glances at her sideways while nodding. Serious.

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