Page 27 of For Butter or Worse
“You clearly saved the best for first.” A little dad joke was his signature move. So why did it make him wonder what Nina would think of it? He had to stop wanting to know what she’d think—he could guess, and it involved the wordspleaseandstop. Which meant he was back to trying to distract himself, so he stood and came to the aisle to meet the woman for the photo. “Fan of the show?”
Small talk was easy, he’d never had a problem there. His dad had taught him the art of making people feel seen. When he’d walk around the restaurant, he went out of his way to have quick chats with the customers. Going beyond, though, was where Leo had never felt quite comfortable. Because any time he did open up to someone, the relationship inevitably fizzled. So he’d learned to try and stay surface level for as long as possible. But he was hopeful that someday he’d meettheperson with whom he could be vulnerable without scaring them off.
“I’ve actually never seen the show.” She giggled behind her hand.
“Is that so?” He feigned amusement. He was used to being approached by people who actually watched him on TV. This was...different.
“But your face is all over the internet.” She handed her phone to her husband. “Bill, stand up there. You want to angle the camera down.” Then she looked at Leo. “Ready?”
“All over the internet?” he repeated. He and Nina were making headlines and trending, and he didn’t know if that kind of recognition was at all a good thing, but there wasn’t much he could do at this point.
“You and that lady, the real bossy one? You’re all my friends talk about right now. They love that she’s this sassy chef, and they say you’re real funny. You’re a comedian, is that right?” Her eyes twinkled, as she was just trying to be friendly.
Leo’s smile temporarily faded, and he forced a grin. Even though she’d asked an innocuous question, he suddenly felt like a guy who’d never graduated high school being compared to a PhD from Harvard. Regardless of whether Nina was in the same room, he would always pale in comparison.
“Bro, someone mistake you for that TV chef dude?” Gavin said as he came down the stairs and slung an arm around Leo. “Happens all the time.” Gavin winked at the woman.
She looked between them, and a frown crossed her lips. Then she clasped her hands at her chest, gripping a strand of invisible pearls. “You mean, you’re not—”
Gavin interrupted, “I hear that guy’s brother is even better looking than the famous one. Crazy, huh?”
The woman’s mouth formed a tight and accusatory little line. She grabbed her phone angrily from her husband. Then, without another word, walked down the stairs.
“Thanks for the save,” Leo said. They maneuvered back to their seats.
“What are twins for?”
Leo tried to smile, but felt a grimace fighting through. He didn’t want to tell his brotherwhyhe’d needed a save. “A woman I don’t know hurt my feelings” would require further explanation. Was his ego really so fragile that a single question would send him into a shame spiral?
Yes, Leo realized, it was.
They sat, and Leo grabbed the pretzel from his brother. He ripped off a chunk, then dipped it in the cheese before taking a bite. He chewed, trying to focus on the taste of all that salt and dough. But the woman’s words swirled in his head:you’re a comedian, is that right?
Is that what people thought of him? That he was just a joke? Sure, in a sense he was a form of comic relief on the show. When Nina cranked up the tension with a scathing critique, he took things down a notch with a lighthearted remark. But were his job and Vinny’s really so unimportant that people couldn’t recall what he did? Nina had built a business all on her own. She’d carved out an identity for herself. People would remember her as a chef, but how were they going to remember him?
“If you don’t take this from me, I’m going to finish it,” Gavin said through a mouthful of chocolate ice cream with sprinkles.
“All yours,” Leo replied. He rested what was left of the pretzel on his knee. He suddenly didn’t feel hungry anymore.
He was being childish and ridiculous—logically, he knew that. And why did he care what a random stranger thought? But he was a successful restaurateur, a businessman. Not to nitpick, but he had an MBA—which some people might find impressive.
And he’d agreed to a fake relationship to try and save his family’s legacy, not have Vinny’s pushed to the side. Chain restaurants were a precarious business. If he messed up, he’d make his father’s restaurant seem like a second-rate Olive Garden. But if he worked hard to get ingratiated more into the world of food, there was a chance that Vinny’s could be a destination, not a last-ditch option.
“I’m gonna need another Dodger dog if the score doesn’t turn around soon. You?” Gavin popped the last of his hot dog into his mouth.
“Nah, gotta save room for tonight,” Leo replied.
“Ah, your date.”
Yes, he had another date with Nina. And this one wasn’t a fluffy photo op like the pumpkin patch had been. They were going to dinner, and she’d agreed to introduce him to the restaurant’s chef. If he was going to make the best out of the situation, this could be his opportunity.
So he had to stop fixating on how well their first “date” had gone. The fact that they hadn’t bit off each other’s heads was a sign that their arrangement might actually work in his favor. He wasn’t in this to be Nina’s friend. And tonight would be all business. He needed to be more than just the guy standing next to Nina Lyon.
12
NINA
Nina poured a pile of flour onto the counter and formed a nest with her fingers—first flattening down the flour, then digging out a hole in the middle. She cracked an egg and poured it into the opening. Then she grabbed a fork and quickly whisked.
