Page 24 of Thanks for the Love
When the waiter returns, I ask him if Chef Dante is available to come out for a minute.
“Definitely. He loves getting feedback. I’ll tell him you’d like to speak with him.”
Reagan nonchalantly wipes the corners of her mouth and runs her fingers through her hair.
Oh yes, she most definitely has a crush on the chef.
Barely a minute goes by when I see a tall man in a white chef’s coat walking toward our table. He has dark brown hair, and I know right away that it’s Dante. Of course, when Reagan’s face lights up like a Christmas tree, that confirms it.
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.” He stands behind Reagan and gives her shoulders a squeeze. You can almost see her body melt at his touch. “How is everything tasting?”
“That was the best salmon I’ve ever had,” I say.
I’m being completely honest—I don’t remember the last time I tasted something so good.
“Fantastic,” Lila chimes in. “And we aren’t just saying that because you’re Reagan’s friend.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” he says with a laugh.
Dante offers us a round of drinks and dessert on the house, which makes us like him even more. Who wouldn’t love free booze and sugar?
When he kneels down to eye level with Reagan, I worry she might pass out from pure joy. I watch her expression as he whispers something to her. She’s absolutely giddy, and that confirms my suspicions that she thinks of him as more than a friend.
“Thanks for coming in tonight,” Dante says. “I hope you’ll all return, and please tell your friends about us.”
Reagan can’t stop smiling after he leaves. Lila gives me a look, and I know she’s thinking the same thing I am.
“I think we should come here at least once a week,” I suggest. “I’m sure it will be good for business and help Dante build his regular clientele.”
“I’m totally down for that,” Lila agrees.
Reagan looks like she might burst into tears.
The subject shifts from dreamy chef Dante. Harry starts asking me more questions about Orlando, while Paul chats with Lila and Reagan.
Admittedly, I’m stuck on the fact that he and Lila were in a relationship. I refuse to get involved with men my friends have dated. It’s a bit of a trigger for me, with good reason.
When I finally get home from Golden, I try calling Nikki, but her phone goes straight to voice mail. Today was such a great day, but an uneasy feeling is still gnawing at me. My intuition has become spot-on, which usually means something is about to happen. I hate the fact that I’m so jaded because I never used to be this way. Thankfully, I managed to squeeze in a quick trip to the grocery store, so I won’t have to depend on Theo to feed me or survive on cereal alone. And if the sky falls in, I have an adequate amount of comfort food at my fingertips.
As soon as I finish changing into my pajamas, which tonight is a large T-shirt and old shorts, my phone rings.
When I see Nikki’s number, my stomach lurches.
“Hello.”
“Hey, how was your first day?” she asks cheerfully.
“It was—really good, actually.” Maybe I overreacted to her text. It wouldn’t be the first time.
“Is everything okay there?” I ask.
She doesn’t say anything for a few seconds, which confirms my uneasy feeling.
“Yes …”
“That doesn’t sound very convincing. What’s going on?”
“Everything is okay—I just have some news.”
