Page 84 of Gimme Some Sugar

Shock flooded through Carly, until finally, she forced her mouth to function.

“What are you doing here?” She clamped down on her lip, heat streaking to her cheeks. Functionality had very little to do with tact, it seemed, and it wasn’t really Richard’s fault Travis had been such a snake.

Wait a second…

Understanding dawned, hot and quick, and Carly took a step back in surprise. “Did Travis send you to try and get me to come back to New York?” Of all the underhanded, lowlife things to do, this one had to be theworst. White noise rushed in Carly’s ears, and she vaguely felt the sting of her fingernails against her palms as she balled her fingers into fists.

“What?” His graying brow clouded in confusion. “No, I came on my own. And I’m sure my being here is independent of Travis’s wishes.” Richard’s lip curled into a faint sneer as he uttered Travis’s name, and he motioned again toward the empty chair across from him. “Please, Chef.”

Whether it was curiosity or just plain gob smacked auto-pilot that guided her legs to the chair, Carly couldn’t be sure. She kicked a quick glance over the dining room, but the crowd had thinned to the point that she knew Adrian would be fine without her.

“I’ve only got a minute,” she lied, sitting stiffly on the edge of her seat.

“That’s one of the things I always liked about you. Straight to the point.” Richard’s smile hinted that the words were a compliment rather than the sideways insult Travis always managed to lob her way when saying the same thing.

Carly laced her fingers together and propped them on the table, trying mightily to hide her confusion. “Something tells me you didn’t come all the way from New York to check out the menu, and I do have a kitchen to break down for the night.” Her words held no bite, but stood firm regardless. Hehadfired her, after all. “So, how can I help you, Richard?”

“I’ll get right to it. I’m not above admitting I’ve made a mistake, which is exactly what I did eight months ago when I let you go.” His expression grew serious. “I want you back at Gracie’s, Carly. And I’ll do whatever I have to in order to make that happen.”

A high-pitched chirrup escaped from Carly’s lips without her permission. “Are you nuts? I’m not working with Travis again.” She heard her tone only after her words were out, but she’d left decorum in the dust the minute her butt had hit the chair, anyway.

Richard’s smile returned, and he fastened Carly with a knowing look. “We no longer require Mr. Masters’s services at Gracie’s. I’m in the market for an executive chef.Oneexecutive chef. Specifically, you.”

Ice water seemed to have replaced every ounce of Carly’s blood, and it pumped through her veins with dizzying speed. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Did you…are you saying you fired him?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

“Oh.” Considering the circumstances, the single syllable was all Carly could force from her lips. Richard took her near-silence as a sign to start talking, and he didn’t waste any time plunging into the hard sell.

“Look, Carly, after you left, it became clear who the talent was. And more to the point, who it wasn’t. Between his lackluster skills and his poor kitchen management, Travis has done a number on Gracie’s, and I’ve been running damage control for months. Business is tanking, the bad reviews are piling up, and I need a change. I need you.”

“When did you fire him?” she breathed, finally starting to gather her wits. Richard was offering her a chance to go back to New York. To redeem herself.

To go home.

Richard measured her with a careful glance. “Officially? About six hours ago. But the writing’s been on the wall for a few weeks now. Look, Carly, I’m well aware that the circumstances of your departure were…abrupt. I’m willing to make up for that.”

Carly kicked up an involuntary brow. “I’m listening.”

The hard sell turned into solid oak. “You’d have carte blanche over the staff. I understand Adrian is still with you here.” It came out sounding like a question, even though she was sure he knew the answer already, and Carly nodded once in reply. “Well. We’d be happy to welcome him back at Gracie’s, should you choose to stay a team.”

She pressed a humorless smile between her lips. Richard was no dummy. He knew that keeping her sous chef would be Carly’s number-one priority. “What about the restaurant manager?” Now this part ought to be interesting.

Richard paused, no doubt remembering his daughter’s penchant for his recently fired executive chef. “Alexa has been heading up the management team at another of my restaurants for about a month now. I’m sure you’d replace her wisely.”

Carly’s mind flashed, tumbling with so many thoughts she couldn’t keep them in line. The offer had just gone from good to great, and her chance at redemption was within reach. She could go back to the city she loved, reclaim a kitchen she’d damn well earned, and be close to hermamaand brothers to boot.

It was almost too much to process.

Sensing her momentary hesitation, Richard jumped right back in. “All recipes you bring to the menu would be yours. If you ever left Gracie’s”—he cleared his throat delicately—“you’d be free to take them with you and we’d remove them from our menu. Also, all final decisions affecting the back of the house, from whom we hire as dishwashers to how many pounds of Roma tomatoes we need in a given week, would be up to you. Just say the word, and you’ll have what you want.Whateveryou want.”

“Whatever I want?” she echoed in disbelief. “How about salary?”

Richard smiled, this time a colder gesture that didn’t reach his eyes. “While I like to think your previous salary was competitive, I understand you’d be taking on extra responsibilities as the only executive chef.”

Not really,Carly thought. She’d pulled both her own weight and Travis’s while they were there.

“I’d be prepared to match what you’re making here at La Dolce Vita, plus ten percent, as well as cut you in on a percentage of Gracie’s profits.”

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