Page 146 of Midnights
Rachel takes her first bite, but instead of responding, she freezes mid-chew, and starts choking.
“OH. MY. GOD!”
I frown, confused. “I mean, it’s good, but notthatgood.”
She’s somewhere between awe and panic, and I follow her line of sight, turning just in time to see Cam walking across the dining area in a crisp white chef’s coat.
Holy fuck.
There’s something about a man in a uniform that just does it. And Cam? Cam looks good. I almost drop my fork, I'm staring so hard. I thank every star in the sky that I swallowed my bite first because Rachel, however, is not so lucky. She’s still trying to compose herself.
Cam’s eyes land on us, taking in the absolute mess that is Rachel choking on her food, and me, with my fork frozen in the air like an idiot. He looks surprised, but only for a second before his mouth curves into a smug, knowing grin.
“Ladies!” His voice is warm. “What are ye doin’ here?”
Rachel's still recovering from nearly choking to death, and slaps a hand on the table. “WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE? Are you—THIS IS YOUR RESTAURANT?”
Her wide eyes dart between Cam and the plate, like he just admitted to running a black-market empire instead of a kitchen.
He just laughs. “Aye, it’s mine.”
Rachel points at her plate, scandalized. “DID YOU MAKE THIS?!”
“I have so many questions.” I gesture wildly at the restaurant. “Sit down! Wait, can you? Are you busy?”
Rachel pats the seat beside her, then grabs his arm, tugging him down. “Oh my God, this is amazing.”
He's clearly enjoying every second of this.
“Welcome to my place,” he shrugs. “I was gonna tell ye, but then we got stuck at the castle.”
“You could’ve mentioned it when we ate here the first time. Not that I’m complaining, this is next-level.”
Rachel grins, nudging my arm. “That’s saying something, coming from her.”
She turns to Cam, beaming. “I love that this place is yours. It fits you.”
She touches his arm with a light, playful gesture. There’s something about him right now that feels… different.
“The kitchen’s my happy place when I’m not dealin’ with other chaos.”
Rachel tilts her head, hanging on to every word. “Like what?”
Cam winks, brushing off the question. “That’s a story for another day.”
Rachel and I exchange a look.Yeah, he’s hiding something.
But before we can push any further, he stands. “Anyway, just came out to mingle with guests.” He nods toward the dining room. “Need to make sure everyone’s happy and full. I’ll be back.”
We watch as he moves through the restaurant, effortlessly charming everyone in his path. He’s in his element, and it’s honestly such an endearing thing. Not to mention he looks really good doing it.
Rachel and I refocus on our plans for the rest of the week, deciding how to tackle my family stuff, but just as I’m about to ask her something, that feeling creeps up again. That slow, uncomfortable crawl up my spine like I’m being watched. I scan the room, and all I’m met with is diners enjoying their meals, chatting and laughing. The same old nothing.
By the time we finally drag ourselves back to the house, we’re full, exhausted, and on the verge of a food coma. No deep conversations, no planning, just straight to bed.
Except I can’t sleep, because my brain is an asshole. How can one person stir up so many emotions? One second, I’m annoyed as hell, and the next? It’s a full-on flooding of the Nile.
It’s more than annoying.
