Page 101 of Love on the Rocks
“Thelma is going to be so jealous when she reads this one!” she cried and gave me a big smack on the cheek.
As far as grand openings went, this one was a quiet affair. A local photographer was coming and a few VIPs. But we hadn’t talked it up much in the media or online. I preferred to grow slowly but surely. Not crash and burn out of the gate. Carys said she had full faith in me, but that niggling imposter syndrome had once again made an appearance, made worse by the fact that I hadn’t been in a professional kitchen in nearly two months. I’d only been cooking my small, intimate dinners in Greece.
Memories of cooking my last test menu for Nikos in my tiny kitchen flashed through my mind. He’d approve of the changes I’d made to it, I was sure, because I’d made the flavors bolder. I was no longer playing it small. That in many ways was thanks to him.
And there I went, thinking about him again.
I couldn’t help peeking out into room, feeling silly hoping that somehow, magically, Nikos would be here.
“All right, we’re on!” I announced to my all-female brigade, an amazing team who I knew had my back. We’d be getting more help soon; I’d managed to get my first work visa approved for Ferhana and I couldn’t wait to have her on my team.
The first service passed in a succession of perfectly-dressed plates, each course more beautiful than the last one. My jittery nerves disappeared as I got into the flow, and I felt more like myself than I had in a long time.
As service wound down, Liv and Levi snuck back to the kitchen. I couldn’t help but notice how the servers lingered nearby, shooting lovesick looks at Levi. He really was toocharming and good looking, like a young Paul Newman. When he hugged me, they giggled.
“So proud of you, fearless.” He gave me a big, hard smack on the cheek. “That was the best meal I’ve had in . . . well, forever.”
Liv elbowed him in the stomach. “Hey! He’s right though. It was amazing. Jake and I are coming back tomorrow for lunch.”
“You’re leaving?” I tried to keep the disappointment from showing on my face. “I thought we could get a drink—nonalcoholic of course—after I finish.” I knew it would be late, but I really wanted to dish with my friends afterward. But here I was being selfish, Liv got tired easily now.
“I could stay . . .” Levi patted his stomach. “If I take a break now, I could put some more away later.” Liv elbowed him again. “Uh, I mean. All that food, I’m gonna need to make an early night of it. I have to leave tomorrow morning.”
My eyes darted between them. They were acting very strange, probably planning a surprise for me. Neither of them was very good at keeping secrets.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Liv hugged me again before dragging Levi away behind her.
Carys came back and hugged me as well. “It’s brilliant, just brilliant, Callie. I was such a genius to hire you. Everyone’s in raptures.”
The second service went even smoother than the first and that wonderful replete exhaustion started to overtake me at the very end. It was late. Only a couple tables remained to be served their desserts and then I could crash.
More giggling caught my attention, and I turned my head to see the servers staring out the circular window in the door.
“If you don’t slip him your number, I will. He’s fit,” said Sarah, the younger one.
I cleared my throat. “Excuse me, no one will be slipping any notes to customers tonight, please.”
“Sorry, chef, but if you only saw him, you might be tempted yourself.”
I shook my head and tried not to smile. “Just go see if anyone needs anything else.”
Not a minute later Sarah was back. “Um, chef?”
“Yes?”
“He said he’d like a word with you.”
I sighed, tired to my bones. “Who wants a word?”
“The man we were drooling over earlier.” She blushed. “Sorry about that. We didn’t know. He said he was yours.”
The hair on the back of my neck stood up. “He said he was my . . . what?”
“He just said he was yours.” She smiled as the towel I was holding drifted down to the floor. “Well done, by the way.”
She faded to the background, the whole kitchen did, as I made my way through the door and out onto the main floor.
He was sitting against the wall like the first time I saw him. And like the first time I saw him, his eyes never left mine.
