Page 3 of In Good Company

Lucy pulls her eyes from mine and focuses her attention on Laurent. “It’s Lucy, Mr. Hughes. Was the meal okay?”

I’m surprisingly annoyed that she won’t look back at me. Instead, she just stares at Laurent, waiting for him to answer her. I fight the urge to ask how she ended up being a private chef. If my memory doesn’t betray me, which it shouldn’t because I typically have excellent recollection, she was adamant about being a business major in college.

“The meal was spectacular.” Ida—Warren’s wife, who has been a little too touchy-feely tonight—beats Laurent to the answer. “I’d love to get your information.”

Thomas Boucher clears his throat. “Do you have a permanent job for the summer?”

Lucy pulls her lip between her teeth. “Um…” A nervous laugh bubbles from her chest as she looks from Ida to Thomas. “No, not really. I’ve just been taking private parties as they come in and working my shifts at Pembroke.”

My head cocks to the side. How have I missed her at Pembroke? I only flew in for the season last week, but I’ve been at the club almost every day since returning. It’s possible I just missed her. Besides, we’ve only met a few times, and it was years ago. But with her standing a few feet away from me, I know I’m staring at my little brother’s ex-girlfriend.

And for some reason, she’s pretending not to recognize me.

Rina, Thomas’s wife, leans forward. “I feel like I’ve spent months doing different tastings with different chefs, and nothing’s felt right for the summer. But your food tonight was delectable. I’d love to talk more about you being our chef this summer if you’re up for it.”

I frown, my finger tracing my top lip as Lucy’s face breaks into a wide smile.

“Really?” Lucy questions, her voice full of doubt. Her fingers fiddle with the bow tied around her waist that’s holding her apron in place.

Both Thomas and Rina nod. “Of course. Maybe I could get your number from Laurent, and we could set up a meeting?”

I watch the interaction, unable to stifle my curiosity about what brought her to the Hamptons and how long she’s been working as a private chef. I haven’t seen her since Ollie broke up with her. I don’t remember the exact reason why he ended things, but it was right after that he started dating Sophia, who he’s still with today.

I’ve always had the suspicion he cheated on Lucy, but I’m not confident about that. Just how quickly he moved on was odd. I still don’t understand how he could choose someone like Sophia over Lucy. Our family loved Lucy the few times Olliebrought her home; it’s been years, and my familystillisn’t sure about Sophia.

Lucy was easy to like. Even though I’d only met her a handful of times in the year she dated Ollie, I liked her. Who my family was didn’t seem to matter to her at all, and that doesn’t happen often. I’ll never forget coming inside after taking a phone call and finding her casually talking business with my father at the kitchen counter. Sophia can’t be bothered to have a conversation with any of us at any family gathering. My eavesdropping on the conversation between my dad and Lucy years ago is the only reason I remember her major being business. She’d told my dad all about how she was set to help her family business one day.

That’s why it’s such a shock to see her here cooking instead.

What’s more of a shock is the fact that she’s acting like she has no idea who I am. We met enough times that there’s no way she wouldn’t recognize me this close-up.

“Callahan?” Laurent’s stern voice as he practically barks my name pulls me from my thoughts. I lift an eyebrow as I slowly drag my gaze to focus on him, unamused that he thinks he can talk to me in that tone.

“Do the two of you know each other?” Laurent asks, but I’m still too stuck on the brash way he spoke to me to even bother with giving him an answer. No one talks to me like that. I could buy his company out from under him, and it wouldn’t even make a dent in my accounts.

“No,” Lucy answers.

A corner of my mouth lifts as I look in her direction. I cock my head to the side. Oh, this is a fun twist.Why is she lying?

Ida taps her nails against the wood table in curiosity. “Then how did you know her name, Cal?”

My back straightens as I turn to face her. “It’s Callahan,” I say coolly. “And I guess you could say it was just a lucky guess.”

I look back at Lucy, finding her wide eyes pinned on me. I’m not sure why she looks so confused by me playing along with her little lie. She started it.

“The meal was superb,” I continue, picking up my bourbon and taking a drink. Laurent is cheap and doesn’t stock the good stuff, so I try to hold back a grimace as I swallow it down. I manage another sip before I pull the glass from my lips and hold it in front of me. I stare at the amber liquid, twirling the glass in my fingers. “ItwasLucy, correct?” I ask, suddenly finding myself enjoying this dinner party after all.

She twists her hands in front of her. “Yes. Lucy. And thank you.”

I watch her for a moment, the rest of the room seeming to fade away as I focus on her. She looks so much older now, a far cry from the college freshman she was the last time I saw her.

I bring my glass to my lips and take a slow drink, deciding what I want to say next. For some reason, Lucy pretending she has no idea who I am has woken up something deep inside me. She’s amusing me, and I’m not amused often.

Whatever game she wants to play, I’ll play along, and I’ll play it better.

“Now that you’ve been introduced, you’re dismissed.” Laurent waves his hand through the air dismissively.

Rina gasps, clearly taken aback by his sudden harshness toward Lucy.

---