Page 98 of Square Deal

“Running smoothly.”

Maddie looked skeptical.

I grabbed the permanent marker from the sleeve pocket of her chef’s coat and scribbled my name on the cup of water. “Hey, I may not work in restaurants, but I can kick a catering staff’s ass. Jess and I have this on lock.”

Maddie took my cup and set it beside hers on the shelf underneath the stainless-steel prep table.

There was chatter in my earpiece, and I shooed Jessica upstairs. Maddie gave me a curious look. “VIPs are being seated upstairs,” I said. “The Griffith family and some big names Luca invited.”

Maddie smiled knowingly, and I wondered just what it was that she was up to. “Be nice,” she sing-songed.

Weirdo.

I loved Maddie to death, but the girl was one French-fry short of a Happy Meal.

Jessica and I split up. She took the main dining room, and I oversaw the second-floor balcony.

The entire Griffith family had been seated together at a long row of tables. Luca sat toward the head of the table, in between two of the brothers, Chris and Nathan Griffith.

I dipped behind the servers’ station and pressed my hands against the countertop, rolling one ankle and then the other to ease the ache. My feet throbbed after working events all day at the inn and immediately driving to Raleigh for my flight to Texas. I had to sprint through the airport in my heels just to make it to the gate.

I would have slipped into something more comfortable, but something about a woman in a pair of high heels had the ability to strike fear into every man in the vicinity.

I could deal with the pain.

The red soles of my black heels complemented my red sheath dress. I fully embraced the Cruella vibes.

A young blonde hostess with a bright smile hurried up the stairs and showed a last-minute guest to the empty seat at the Griffith family table.

I pulled my phone out of the pocket of my dress and stood out of sight. Various food critics and influencers dined all around the family table, but Luca had asked me to snap a few candid pictures of the Griffith family’s first time sitting down for a meal in the new restaurant.

Luca stood up and raised his wine glass to begin his toast. Itapped the screen of my phone and captured everyone’s faces. Luca and Maddie, who had come upstairs to support her husband. Becks and Griff and their adorable daughter, Charlie. Chris Griffith and his girls, Bree and Gracie. Ray and Carson Griffith and their respective families. And?—

Him.

Isaac was sitting at the end of the table. Maddie walked over and hugged him. He kissed her cheek and grinned as they chatted.What the hell?

Maddie had a conspiratorial look in her eye. She leaned up from the hug and zeroed in on me in a laser focus. “HJ! There you are!” she squealed.

Isaac’s head snapped so hard I thought it was going to fly off of his neck and roll across the floor.No amount of intimidation could get the busboys to clean that up.His eyebrows shot up in surprise, but he quickly steeled his reaction.

Everyone seated at the table stopped what they were doing to see what Maddie was shrieking about.

I pocketed my phone and slipped out from behind the servers’ station. “Something you need a hand with? Maybe downstairs?”Please let it be something downstairs.

Just seeing Isaac’s face had my body ramping up, desperate with need. His fingers were curled around the tumbler of bourbon in his hand, strangling the glass. My heart ached. I had gone longer than I wanted without seeing him, and now here we were—together again.

It was like the universe was dead set on throwing us together at the most inopportune times.

I had a boyfriend I was crazy about, but I was too chickenshit to tell my best friends. I wanted to strut over there and plant a salacious kiss on his mouth. I wanted to sit in his damn lap and let him feed me dinner.

I wanted to be so grossly in love that we annoyed the hell out ofeveryone else in the room.

Isaac cleared his throat and flashed me a smile so potent that it made my knees wobble. “Miss Hayes.” His words were full of rough sex, unspoken promises, and the thrill of no one in the room knowing our secret.

“Mr. Lawson,” I replied demurely.

Isaac turned away without another word to me and made polite conversation with the table.

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