by Eunice Hart
It was late at night, and she was back home from work. Betty had gone to the hospital for her shift, so Adele was quite alone in the apartment. She sat in the kitchen area making herself a cup of coffee, her phone wedged between her ear and shoulder.
Work hadn’t been so bad, if you took away what had happened that morning. The staff seemed really nice to her, and they proved to be quite diligent at work. The customers…well, they were customers, so Adele figured their countenance was acceptable, though she didn’t particularly like the fact that they were mostly rich snobs like the Tanakas. All in all, it was an average day at work, and Adele had been somewhat relieved when she finally got to leave.
“Hey, I’ve got to go,” Betty said suddenly. “There’s this really cute patient I’m supposed to take care of, and he’s just called for me.”
Adele smirked. “Try not to do anything stupid over there.”
“Oh, come on. You know I can’t have relationships with patients.” She could almost imagine Betty rolling her eyes at her. “Of course, when he gets checked out, maybe I’ll get his number.”
“You are impossible.”
“I’m responsible,” Betty corrected. “Okay, I need to hang up now. Bye!”
The call went dead. Adele set the phone down on the table and began to stir her coffee. She couldn’t wait for her friend to get off her shift. She really could use some company right now.
She still couldn’t get over what the Tanaka siblings had said to her earlier, but she told herself it was all going to be fine. She still had awesome ideas for running the restaurant; surely, when the Tanakas saw how great she was at her job, they wouldn’t hate her so much.
Her thoughts strayed to Peter, and how he’d tricked her into believing he was just a simple chef. Adele had to hand it to him – he was smart. Not to mention really handsome. The guy radiated this aura of dominance, so powerful it was almost impossible to ignore his presence. She’d sensed it right from the time when he’d posed as a chef, though she’d figured then that he was just too big for his boots.
She could still remember his sister’s exact words to her: There’ll be hell to pay. Why would Aneko think she was into him? The guy was clearly a conceited jerk. Besides, she’d just met him. Why on earth would Adele want anything to do with him?
He was handsome, though…
Adele tried to push the thought out of her mind. She had to stay away from him, no matter what. It didn’t matter that he was her boss and could pretty much order her to do anything at work. The man was bad news.
The sound of her spoon clinking against the side of the mug brought her back to her senses. Adele brought the mug to her lips and took a sip. Just then, something small and furry moved between her legs, rubbing against her ankles. She looked down to see Muffin pawing at her legs.
“I missed you, too, dear,” she told him, reaching down to pick him up and placing him in her lap. “You want some tuna? I could use a tuna sandwich.”
Muffin meowed, which could mean, Yay, tuna! or Leave me at home again and I’ll scratch you. Adele got up, sending him scampering out of her lap, and reached for some bread.
Thoughts of Aneko wouldn’t leave her mind. Peter might’ve acted like a jerk to her, but that woman was clearly a lot worse. Adele wouldn’t put it past her to do something horrible just so she’d lose her job. She made a mental note to be extremely wary of that woman. There was no telling what nasty tricks Aneko had up her Gucci sleeves.
As she pulled the tuna across the counter towards her and began preparing a sandwich, something Peter had said to her earlier resounded in her mind: We Tanakas have a legacy to preserve. What in the world was that all about? Of course, Adele knew, it had to be some outdated tradition his family must have passed between generations, but there was something about the way Peter had said it that sounded…obsessive. It couldn’t be that serious, could it? Adele had inherited something important from her mother, too: the great Kincaid cookbook, and as much as she treasured it, she wouldn’t rip her hair out if anything ever happened to it. If anything, she just didn’t like it when Betty called the recipes crap.
Speaking of which…she was supposed to have phoned her mother today. Adele tossed some tuna to Muffin, who gobbled it up appreciatively and licked his paw, then reached for her phone.
Amara Kincaid picked up on the third ring. “About time. I was starting to think you’d gone to bed without talking to your mother.”
“I’m sorry,” Adele told her, holding the phone between her ear and shoulder as she divided the sandwich. “I’ve been so stressed from work; I didn’t even realize I hadn’t called you until now.”
There was a pause on the other end of the line. Then her mother said, “I’m guessing your first day wasn’t exactly a ride across the rainbow.”
“No, it was horrible,” Adele groaned, turning away from the counter. “Get this: the CEO of the restaurant chain thinks I’m not good enough to work for him, and his sister hates me.”
“If he doesn’t think you’re good enough, why didn’t he fire you on the spot?”
That hit home really quickly. Why hadn’t Peter fired her? If he thought she was so unfit, keeping her had to be a huge risk for him.
“Look, dear,” Amara went on. “You have a great job, and you get to keep it, at least for now. I understand that it’s tough for you, but it wasn’t supposed to be easy, was it?”
Adele hesitated. “No.”
“If he thinks you’re incompetent, show him exactly why you’re not. You’re a brilliant woman, Adele. And giving up has never been the Kincaid way.”
“Thanks, mum,” Adele told her, grinning. She hung up and turned back towards the counter.
And stifled a scream.
“Muffin, you ate my sandwich!”
Chapter 3
“Are You Getting Jealous?”
His gloved hand brushed the marble headstone for a second, rather longingly. Catching a hold of himself, he quickly withdrew his arm. He glanced up and saw his sister watching him, ignoring the wind in her hair. The expression on her face was unlike her. She looked sad and…concerned.
Aneko rarely ever had that expression.
“I miss them too, you know,” she said, finally trying to brush the wind out of her face. “It’s only been three years since they left us, but I swear it’s almost like it happened when we were still kids.”
It was as if she’d taken the very words out of his mouth. Peter did his best not to show it, but his parents’ death had hurt him greatly. Three years had gone by and he still couldn’t get over the fact that they were gone forever. Coming to the cemetery to drop flowers on his parents’ grave was a yearly tradition with the Tanakas, but Peter came visiting almost every week. If he didn’t know better, he would call it an obsession.
He continued to stare at the headstone for a moment, at the words Rest On engraved on the marble. He hoped his parents were truly at rest. Their deaths hadn’t been at all peaceful. Peter needed only to close his eyes to remember the car accident that had killed his mother, the way the car had been crushed so that no one could tell if there was a soul still alive inside. He remembered the look of shock on his father’s face when he delivered the bad news to him, the way he’d immediately clutched his chest, his eyes and mouth wide open. A second later, he’d collapsed. By the time the paramedics arrived, it was much too late to save him.
Daniel Tanaka died in his sons arms. It was a memory he hated to relive.
He wished it wasn’t so quiet and gloomy in here. The place was literally lifeless, filled with people who would never get to see the light of day again, never smile or laugh, never live. It depressed him to think that his parents were among them, their smiles merely a figment of his memory now.
Aneko laid a hand on his shoulder, startling him. “It’s time to go, Peter.”
“They were wonderful people,” he replied, feeling a wave of sadness. “And even better parents. They taught us almost everything we know. Sometimes I wish
I could be with them for just one more hour.”
“And they left behind a legacy,” she said, hunkering down beside him. “One you’re actively trying to ruin by letting that woman manage the restaurant.”
Her voice was cold as she spoke. Now, there was the Aneko he knew so well. Still…
“Aneko, this is not the time,” he said through gritted teeth. “We are at our parents’ grave. I’d prefer if you didn’t disrespect them with this talk.”
His sister scoffed. “You’re already disrespecting their memory. You did that the second you decided not to fire that manager of yours. What’s her name again? Oh, right – Adele. Wonderful name for such a tacky person.”
It was taking all of his resolve to keep from yelling at her, but somehow, he managed it. As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. His father’s passing had heaped a truckload of responsibility onto his shoulders. The restaurant chain was a legacy, all he had left of Daniel Tanaka. When it was handed over to him, he’d made a promise to keep it thriving for as long as humanely possible. Nothing – and no one – could mess it up.
It was the reason he’d decided to personally keep an eye on Adele Kincaid. At least, it was the only reason he’d told Aneko. There were other reasons, such as the fact that as much as he feared Adele might not be the best person to manage the restaurant, he found her rather interesting. She wasn’t like any of the women he was usually affiliated with. Something about her just made him more and more curious. Peter found himself wondering if his visits to the restaurant over the past two weeks were more about keeping an eye on her than about keeping an eye on her.
Nothing was going to happen between them, though. Peter had a strict policy against dating employees. Besides, he was pretty sure he wasn’t attracted to Adele.
Or was he?
“She’s just stubborn, that’s all,” he told his sister.
“And you want that sort of person managing your restaurant? Defying your orders and making changes to everything that we Tanakas cherish so much? Before you know it, she’ll be changing the food and furniture.”
Suddenly, he’d had it. He sprang to his feet. “You know what? It is time to leave.” With that, he stormed away from the gravestone, making his way to the exit, where a black Aston Martin was parked. He realized with a groan that his sister was leaving in the same car, but marched on and climbed inside, fighting the urge to tell Brian to take off without her.
The ride away was silent, gloomy. Neither brother nor sister said a word as Brian guided the Aston through the streets of Boston. They sat apart in the backseat, gazing out the windows at the buildings they passed. It seemed somewhat peaceful. Peter found himself drifting in his thoughts again.
His sister’s words echoed through his mind and he pressed his head against the window, trying not to think about them. Adele was stubborn, and not necessarily in a good way. If things got out of hand, he could lose the legacy of the Tanakas, and all because he’d hired the wrong person to manage a restaurant. He knew he should fire her, but he couldn’t bring himself to. She was fierce and determined, and as much as her relentlessness annoyed him, something about it made him more interested in her.
He could still remember the last time he’d paid the restaurant a visit. It had been two days ago, and he’d walked in that afternoon hoping to see some impressive developments. He’d been stunned and miffed beyond words when he found out that she’d ordered the chefs to add side dishes to most of the meals because it was “done”. When he confronted her about it, explaining to her that the Tanaka restaurant rarely ever served side dishes, she looked at him like he was crazy.
“That’s absolute crap,” she’d told him, defiance in her eyes. “No wonder you haven’t been getting that many customers. Big restaurant, but only the rich few get to eat here. Speaking of which, I should probably cut the prices…”
Peter had stared at her as she talked, torn between screaming at her and walking out of the room. And there had been something else, something fiery and relentless, something that throbbed in his chest whenever he was around her. Right then and there, he’d considered grabbing her face and kissing her to shut her up. Somehow, he managed to leave with no more than a warning to her.
And that was how things had gone several other times. Like the time she tried to add another meal to the menu because she figured it was what the people wanted. That day, the only thing stopping him from covering her lips with his had been the large desk in her office.
He couldn’t imagine why he was feeling this way about her. She wasn’t the type of woman he usually dated. They were all slim and rich and mostly Asian, and she was none of the above. But then again, he’d never really been happy dating those women. Part of it had to do with the fact that they’d all been handpicked by Aneko. And then there was their collective lack of…personality. Adele, on the other hand…she intrigued Peter, in more ways than one.
Surely it couldn’t be what he thought he was feeling? It had to be something else – curiosity, perhaps. But he could not be attracted to her. Or could he? It didn’t really matter. Aneko was right. He needed to fire her, and he would do just that…as soon as he found the resolve to do so.
That could take centuries.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Aneko said suddenly, drawing his attention to her.
“Nothing you’d want to hear,” he replied turning back to face the window. He could practically hear the gears turning in her head as she put two and two together.
She gave a disgusted sigh. “It’s that woman again, isn’t it? Are you in love with her or something?”
Peter forced himself to laugh. “Of course not. Why would you even think that?”
“Because ever since you laid eyes on that woman, she’s been all you can think about.” When Peter said nothing, she added, “I know about your frequent visits to the restaurant. Brian told me. Are you guys sleeping together?”
“What?” His head snapped up, his eyes bulging. “Of course not! There is nothing going on between us.”
Why were his cheeks so hot all of a sudden?
“You sound awfully interested in this subject,” he countered. “Are you getting jealous or something?”
Aneko looked at him like he’d spent half his life living in a sewer. “That’s just weird. Of course not. I’m just looking out for you, so you don’t make the wrong choices. Tanakas are supposed to be high-class. We don’t associate with people of lower classes unless we have to. And that’s just a tiny part of the Tanaka legacy you have to worry about.”
Just like that, she’d managed to make him feel even worse. He leaned against the window again and continued to stare at the cars they passed by.
“I’m arranging a couple of dates for you,” Aneko told him, and he whirled about to stare at her.
“What?” he practically exploded. He briefly considered ordering the driver to stop the car. “Why would you do that?”
His sister didn’t look the least bit fazed. “Because you need to start seeing people again, Peter. I keep telling you this.”
“I’m hardly ever listening.” Because I’m thinking about Adele half the time. He gave himself a pinch on the arm before he could say something stupid. “I don’t suppose you could cancel?”
She looked at him like he’d indeed said something stupid. “That’s not happening, little brother. I handpicked these women myself. Trust me, you’ll want to be with at least one of them. I have great taste.”
Yes, she had taste. But that didn’t mean she knew what her brother wanted. No doubt, the women she wanted him to meet with were all slim and Asian and only talked about themselves. What mattered most to her was that they belonged to the same class. Typical Aneko. Those were the kind of men she dated, only her preferences were multi-racial. For some reason, she seemed to think her choices were good for him.
But Peter was pretty sure he wouldn’t want any of the women she wanted him to date. He already had someone else on his mind.
“Brian
, stop the car,” he said suddenly. “I think I can make it home from here on my own.”
Aneko looked at him like he’d lost his marbles.
Brian looked at him in the rear-view mirror, his eyebrows shooting miles away from his eyes. “But, sir, I’m already driving us there –”
“Stop the car now,” he snapped. “I’m not going to ask one more time.”
There was a screech of tires and the car pulled up in front of a salon. Before his sister could protest, Peter climbed out and remained standing on the sidewalk.
The tinted window rolled down and Aneko popped her head out. “I think Cho Byers would really like to go out with you on Saturday. How’s that?”
I’d sooner kiss a skunk, he stopped himself from saying.
“Yeah, whatever.” He gave a dismissive wave of his hand and waited until the Aston pulled away, growing smaller in his line of vision until it was gone.
Good. There was somewhere he needed to be.
*****
Adele didn’t like pain, but it always seemed to find her.
She could still remember the time she’d given herself a bad burn trying to take a tray out of the oven without mittens when she was ten. And then there was the time she’d been swinging and catapulted herself into the air. But the pain she’d felt then was nothing compared to the emotional pain she’d felt. Like in high school, when other students started calling her fat. Like the day she heard the news about her father’s death. Like the last time she’d fallen in love.
His name was Josh Bromley, and back then he’d been a marketer for some big company. The day she met him, only a year ago, he’d been on his phone, talking animatedly to a prospective buyer, and she’d fallen in love with his British accent, the confident manner of his pose, the way he looked. Luckily for her, they happened to be in a Starbucks, and it wasn’t long before she “accidentally” spilled her coffee on him to get his attention.
Over the next couple of weeks, they hung out occasionally, getting to know each other better. Josh turned out to be pretty cool. He was sweet and considerate. He didn’t care that she was plus-sized, only how it made her feel. He brought her flowers and treats. By the time they finally started dating, everyone was happy for them, especially Betty.