Page 62 of Operation Sunshine
“Morning.” Raj narrowed his gaze. “You two look… busy.”
Franco beamed, then reined it in a little. “Just, you know, spring cleaning. Nothing like a good scrub before service, right, boss?”
Ben’s jaw flexed. “Something like that.”
“I don’t know if this fact has escaped you, but we’re in the depths of winter. Spring hasn’t eventhoughtabout making an appearance yet.” Raj flicked his gaze from one to the other, suspicion furrowing his brow. But then he shook his head, muttered something in Hindi under his breath, and headed for the pantry.
Franco waited until the coast was clear, then sagged against Ben’s side, muffling his laughter in his shoulder. “Whitaker, we’re gods. Untouchable. We’re talking criminal masterminds.”
Ben gave a low chuckle and dropped the towel onto the counter. “More like idiots who got lucky.”
Franco tilted his head back, grinning. “Yeah, but admit it. You love it.”
What shocked the hell out of him?
Ben didn’t deny it.
By mid-morning, the kitchen was humming. Lexie and Mina had claimed the prep stations, their knives flashing in rhythm. Ollie fiddled with the stereo until Willow barked at him to leave it alone.
Franco danced through the bustle like he always did, crackingjokes, throwing flour at Mina, and humming a pop song so off-key that Ollie winced.
Inside, he felt as if he was running on some secret current of energy.
As for Ben, he was attracting attention. The man who normally barked orders like they were gospel was smiling. Not much, but enough that the staff kept sneaking glances at one another. His voice was still clipped, still precise, but when Franco brushed past him to grab a tray of herbs, Ben’s hand ghosted across the small of his back before he realised it.
And of course, everyone saw.
Lexie’s jaw dropped. Mina’s eyes went wide. Ollie whispered, “Holy shit,” under his breath.
Then Raj reached up to the spice rack for the cardamom tin, and his sharp eyes narrowed once more.
“What,” he said slowly, “is this?”
The entire kitchen froze.
Raj glared at Franco and Ben, holding the tin as if it was Exhibit A in a trial.
The tin that bore a telltale fingerprint-shaped streak of dried chocolate icing.
Ben stiffened, and Franco nearly choked on air.
“You two,” Raj said flatly. “Don’t tell me—” He stopped, then inhaled deeply through his nose. “On myprep table?”
Mina clapped both hands over her mouth to stifle a squeal. Ollie turned away, his shoulders shaking with barely contained laughter. Lexie muttered, “Oh, for fuck’s sake.”
Franco prepared to bluff it out.
He put a hand to his chest, his eyes wide in a show of innocence. “Rajesh, darling,please. Do youhonestlythink I’d sully your sacred prep table?” Raj lifted an unimpressed brow, and Franco cracked. “Okay, okay, maybe a little bit.”
Willow appeared in the doorway, clutching a sheaf of menus. “Can anyone tell me why these are sticky?”
Raj’s eyes were like saucers. “Do I even want to know?”
“It’s cake batter!” Franco blurted. “Or possibly… icing?”
Raj placed his hands on his hips. “Isanyflat surface safe when you two are around?”
There was stunned silence for a second before the kitchen exploded into laughter that bounced off the tile walls. Mina doubled over, Ollie howled, and Lexie managed to curse and laugh at the same time.
