Page 32 of Love You
“That, my friends, is team building,” he said as they climbed back into the van.
She had to admit that they had bonded during the hike. Even she was chatting amiably with the group as if they were old friends.
“I’m starved,” Sue said. “We probably burned a thousand calories.”
And now it was closer to lunchtime than breakfast and all they’d had was the protein bars Win had handed out with the waters. Their lunch reservation wasn’t until noon.
“Would you like to go back to the hotel and shower before we eat?” she asked, hoping the time it would take would get them back on track.
“Nah,” Win said. “We’ll just get sweaty again.”
No, they wouldn’t. She had them down for a tour of Garner Adventure where one of their summer guides was going to demonstrate a climb on the rock wall.
“Hang a right on Main,” he told her just as she was about to take the turnoff for the Four Seasons. “There’s a great diner we want you all to try. The place has a Belgium waffle that’s off the hook and steak and eggs that’ll melt in your mouth.”
“I could go for that,” Russell said.
Win was screwing up her schedule. If they ate breakfast now no one would be hungry for lunch. She’d reserved a back table at Old Glory where Remy, Sue, and Russell could get plenty of the rustic gastro pub’s ambience without the noise. She was going to make Win call Boden and cancel, since it was his fault they would miss the reservation.
Darcy found a parking space close to the Morning Glory and even though it was just a diner and this was the Sierra Nevada, where outdoor recreation was a way of life, she felt self-conscious going inside all grubby. Win had no such compunction and pushed ahead of the group to find Felix. Then again, he bore no trace of their hike. No pit stains on his T-shirt, no dirt on the seat of his shorts, and if Darcy was to guess, his feet weren’t blistered. And unlike the rest of them, he probably smelled like the clean outdoors.
She watched him chat up the grouchy restaurant owner, even saw Felix smile—a rarity. But after all that Win came back frowning.
“Felix doesn’t have a table,” he said. “We’ll have to go to Tart Me Up, I guess.”
While Darcy loved the bakery, it wasn’t a restaurant. Ordering croissant breakfast sandwiches at the counter and cramming around a bistro table was too low rent for entertaining Silicon Valley clients.
“What do you mean he doesn’t have a table?” Darcy pointed to a large, circular booth that would easily fit the five of them. Out of earshot of the others, she hissed, “Felix is getting back at you for blowing our reservation.”
Darcy marched toward the restaurant owner and pulled him out of sight, into the kitchen. She was so angry at Win she threw nonconfrontational out the window. Her job was to make everything perfect, starting with their meals.
“Come on, Felix. GA gives you a ton of business. Their doughnut orders alone probably keep your lights on. What’s wrong with the large booth?”
Felix stepped back, a little stunned. “You know in the entire time you’ve been coming here to pick up said doughnuts I don’t think you’ve said two words to me.”
“I’m shy.” She folded her arms over her chest.
His brows shot up. “Could’ve fooled me. I’ve got a large group coming in at noon. There won’t be time to turn the table.”
Probably not, since that was only thirty minutes away. “Can’t you figure out a way to make it work? It’s important to Garner Adventure.” She knew the name held weight despite Felix’s cavalier attitude. “We’re sorry we missed our reservation. It was an accident.”
“I held the table for nearly an hour and had to turn business away. You know what this place is like on a Saturday, especially during tourism season. You couldn’t bother to call?”
That should’ve been Win’s job since he’d been the one to change the plan in the first place.
“Win and I got our wires crossed,” she said. “It’s not an excuse and it won’t happen again. You have my promise on that.” Darcy looked at him imploringly. “If we get this account it’ll be good for you, too. Everyone in Glory Junction will get more business.”
“Look around,” he said, gesturing to the dining room. “I don’t need more business.”
“Please, Felix. We have three extremely hungry clients. Don’t make us go somewhere else.”
He puffed out a breath and stood there long enough that Darcy thought his answer was going to be an emphatic “No.” But then he surprised her by grabbing five menus and begrudgingly leading her to the circular booth she’d wanted.
“GA owes me. And the next time you come in here, don’t pull that shy crap with me, you hear?”
“Thank you, Felix.”
Win slid in next to her like it was no big deal that Felix had relented and given them a table.
