Page 43 of Thanking Her Brother's Best Friends

But I'd been the girl who'd spent years trying to fit into jeans. My mind loved me more when I sized up instead of forcing myself to look at numbers.

"Funny, that's also what Dom and Aiden said," I replied snarkily. "Who told you guys the best way to win over your crushes was by being mean to them?"

"Someone very stupid," he said, his tone apologetic and funny. "If I ever find him again, I'm going to choke him with his own tie."

I laughed. "I'll hold you to that."

There was more that I wanted to say, but I could not. Because, right in front of my eyes, the doors of the restaurant opened once again, and the man who walked in was straight out of my worst nightmare.

The hundred alarm bells programmed into my skin rang the same warning at the same time.

Run.

13

DOM

"Selene, are you alright?"

"I will be, as soon as that asshole in the gray polo leaves."

Surprised at the vehemence in Selene's voice, I went up to the service window to see who had riled her up this much.

Her eyes were fixated on a wiry man sitting at a table toward the eastern corner of the restaurant. He had chosen a relatively quiet location to sit at—and the table gave him a vantage point to notice who'd come and leave the dining area.

Sometimes, you happened to come across people who just rubbed you the wrong way through no fault of their own.

It could have something to do with their appearance, or merely the way they spoke, or an annoying laugh. My point is, first impressions are often visual. And right now, I didn't like the look on the man.

He had narrow, suspicious eyes. A thin scar ran across his left cheek. And his mere countenance, including the fleshy jowls that were uncharacteristic for his otherwise slender stature, told me he loved his drink a little too hard.

"Do you want me to get rid of him?"

"No, of course not. I wouldn't want you guys to get a bad review by tossing a customer out just because I can't keep my shit together."

I looked away from the kitchen window and focused on Selene. She'd pelted through the doors a minute ago, looking like she was running from the worst nightmare of her whole life.

Her eyes were wide, her mouth slightly open. It took me every last drop of reserve to not reach out and pull her into my arms and tell her I'd take care of her.

For one, I didn't know what was going on. Plus, Selene was the kind of girl who could take care of herself.

"Okay, just sit. Tell me about your day."

"Really?" she asked with a slow smile building on her lips. "I barge in during a very hectic service, and you're asking me about my day? You should be telling me to get out."

"Why should I do that? Selene Baker's in my kitchen, and my chefs are going to work doubly hard because they know who they have to impress today. Plus," I said, grinning, "Selene Baker is in my kitchen.That's always a win for me, no matter the context."

She looked really touched by that. I loved how she wore her heart on her sleeve, and every emotion going on within her seemed to mirror itself in her gaze.

"Honestly, I had a pretty good day. I met Ben today and then came over here. Everything was stellar until my archnemesis decided to show up and prowl around your restaurant. Is he a regular?"

I took another look at the man. "I can't recall having seen him before. Oy." I gestured to Harry, one of our waiters. "That man there, he come here often?"

Harry was usually always out front. He loved watching the footfall in the kitchen, and the diners adored him because he was lively and prefaced each dish with context. So, a soup could be warm or cold depending on the season.

Harry would make sure to specify that so the diners would get an overall experience that went beyond just tasting the food.

"No, I've never seen him before." He frowned at the stranger. "He looks wasted."

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