by Eunice Hart
Everything seemed so perfect until his other girlfriend showed up during one of their dates.
They’d been discussing pets, and Adele was just about to tell Josh why cats made better pets than dogs when she noticed the woman hovering at their table, glaring at him. It didn’t take a genius more than that to get an idea of what was going on. When the woman finally spoke, screaming at Josh, her fears were confirmed.
It turned out Josh had been dating the woman even before he asked Adele out. They’d been going steady for a couple of months, only a little longer than he and Adele had. The guy was a serial playboy.
Right there and then, Adele felt her heart shatter into a million fragments. It didn’t help that Josh’s girlfriend wasn’t at all ready to understand. Before Adele could pack her things and leave, she grabbed the nearest plate and dumped the contents all over her dress, covering Adele from head to toe in warm, yummy pasta.
Adele had never felt so crushed in her entire life.
The weeks that followed had been difficult for her. She’d cried uncontrollably and spontaneously, and she rarely ever bothered to get off the couch except to go to the bathroom, and even that was rare. Betty often held her as she cried until she fell asleep in her friend’s arms. Even after the crying stopped, Adele was still miserable.
Ever since Josh, she hadn’t dated anyone. She simply didn’t think it made sense to jump into a relationship that would most likely come crashing down on her like the last one.
And yet…she could still remember the different times she’d felt a spark while in the same room as Peter Tanaka.
She couldn’t afford to let history repeat itself. Josh was merely a marketer. This guy was clearly a million times more loaded. And he had to be the playboy type; Adele wouldn’t put it past him. Not that she really cared. Except that she was pretty sure she was growing attracted to him and she didn’t want to get hurt again. And in the event that she did end up falling for him and the unlikely happened between them, she could get her heart crushed a second time.
Not that someone like Peter Tanaka would ever want anything to do with her. Or would he? She’d caught him staring at her several times and assumed they had to be coincidences, but now that she really thought about it…was the guy interested in her, too?
Suddenly, she caught herself. Why did the thought thrill her? The guy was an asshole, to say the least. He still treated her like crap. He shunned her ideas before she even got to show him how profitable they were. He snapped at her and threatened to fire her, even though he never did. And Adele didn’t think she would ever forget the trick he’d played on her on her first day, or the fact that he’d left her alone in a room with his devil-incarnate sister.
At any rate, she wasn’t going to let him get to her, or fall in love with him. None of that nonsense was for her. And she was going to do as her mother said and show him just how competent she was. She’d already lowered the prices of the food in the restaurant and it worked: people had been trooping in all day, hoping to get a taste of Tanaka’s delicacies. Of course, she’d kept the prices of the special cuisines, so they didn’t lose their value.
She just didn’t like the uneasy expressions the workers had had on their faces all morning. Couldn’t they see what she’d done?
She made her way through the restaurant from the kitchen, smiling at many of the customers as she passed by. Brushing the lapel of her suit, she made for the stairs but was stopped by a passing waitress.
“Excuse me, ma’am,” she told her. “Mr. Tanaka is here.”
Suddenly, all Adele could hear was a pounding in her ears.
Her pulse raced. “He is? Where?”
“In your office.”
Of course. She could just imagine him sitting with his legs crossed on her table again, that smug expression on his face. Mumbling a thank you to the woman, she headed up the stairs and walked to her office, pushing the door wide open.
There he was, perched on the edge of her desk, reading a menu. When she shut the door, he looked up at her, but the expression on his face wasn’t smugness. It was pure annoyance.
“Mr. Tanaka,” she said, refusing to cower under his heated gaze. “I wasn’t expecting you here so soon.”
“Well, it’s my restaurant. I can come here whenever I want to,” he said, his jawline hardening. His hand clenched the menu, trembling visibly, and it took some time before he spoke again. “What the hell did you do?” he exploded.
Adele fixed him with a blank stare. “What on earth are you talking about?”
He raised the menu. “I’m talking about the fact that someone keeps ignoring my order not to make any changes to my restaurant. What the hell is wrong with you? I thought I told you already: your job is to take orders, not make them.”
“With all due respect, that’s the job of the waiters,” she murmured. Peter’s ears grew pink. He shut his eyes and stood there for a moment as if counting to ten, then made his way towards her, stopping only when they were inches apart. He had a sweet, fruity scent that she couldn’t quite place. It took Adele all her resolve to keep from pulling him even closer to her.
It was just like her first day here, she realized, with a sharp intake of breath. The sudden closeness, the annoyance flickering in his eyes, the broad shoulders filling her field of vision. And she could feel it again, that spark between them. Like a warning. Like if they got any closer to each other they just might combust.
She would very much love to combust with this man.
There was no lying to herself about that.
Peter’s hands remained at his sides. Bummer. He stood staring at her for a few seconds before he spoke again. When he did, his voice was calmer, though she sensed it was still brittle.
“You should not have changed the meal prices, Miss Kincaid,” he told her. “They must remain as they always have been.”
“But not many people can afford that!” she gushed. “If the prices are lower, you’ll have more customers for sure –”
“My decision is final,” he said, cutting her short. “And unless you wish to lose your job, you will do exactly as I say, not merely as you wish.”
Under different circumstances, she would be more than okay with that, but not this time. Couldn’t he see how wrong he was? He kept obsessing about this legacy of his and not realizing that it was blinding him from reality. No wonder the restaurant was slowly losing its prestige. There was no dynamic.
Every single time he dismissed her ideas, Adele wanted to scream, but somehow, she managed to keep herself from losing it. She could still remember what her mother had said about showing Peter she was good at her job. She’d made it sound so easy; Adele was almost fully convinced she could do it.
Peter stared at her some more. Then he turned and marched out of the office, leaving the door wide open, taking his wonderful scent with him.
Strawberries. He smelled like strawberries.
Chapter 4
Black Goldilocks? Now, there’s Something You Don’t See Everyday
“I can’t believe we’re going to see a horror movie,” Adele said with a groan. “Why not some action or adventure?” She almost added romance but caught herself just in time.
Betty gave a roll of her eyes. “Relax, honey. It’s just a movie, not like some psycho killer is going to kill you from behind in the theater with a bloody chainsaw.”
“That’s awfully specific.”
“Oh, come on.” Her friend gave her a slight shove. “Trust me, you’ll love it.”
“The hell I will,” Adele muttered under her breath.
It was Saturday, and the last thing she wanted to do was see a scary movie, but Betty had insisted, so both women were walking through the streets of Boston, heading through the streets of Boston. A cab ride to the mall would’ve taken a lot less time, but Adele decided she would rather walk. Partly because she figured a good walk would help her calm down. Mostly because she was hoping they’d be late to the movies.
With all her luck,
though, they’d probably end up getting there thirty minutes early.
“It’s been a while since we last did this,” Betty said suddenly, a wistful look creeping onto her face. “I don’t get to see you that often anymore, you know, now that you’re working again.”
“If you keep talking like that, I just might quit my job so we can hang out more,” Adele replied with a laugh.
The grin cleared off her face when she realized she might not even have to quit. She could still remember her last meeting with Peter, what he’d said about her losing her job if she wasn’t careful. Her reckless determination just might render her jobless again, and what was she doing about it? Growing even more reckless. Somehow, it didn’t really matter what the consequences were; she just wanted to do her job perfectly.
Which raised the question: what really was her job? Making orders for the betterment of the restaurant? Or taking orders from a conservative man whose vision ended where common sense began? As far as Adele was concerned, the latter was the case.
“Hey, is your boss still being an asshole to you?” Betty asked, starling her. For a second, Adele wondered if her friend could somehow read her mind. “What’s his name again – Paul? Pedro?”
“Peter,” Adele corrected. “And yes, he is. He thinks my ideas are ruining his legacy.” She proceeded to tell her friend what had happened during his last visit to the restaurant. When she was done, Betty had a repulsed look on her face.
“What a jerk,” she said. “You’d be better off working somewhere else, honestly.”
“Well, it’s not like I can just get up and leave. I mean, I can, but then I’d be jobless. Besides, maybe he’s not as bad as I thought. Maybe he just needs someone to show him he’s wrong.”
Betty stopped in her tracks and faced her friend. “Okay, what the hell is going on? Don’t tell me you’re catching feelings for the guy already.”
That didn’t quite explain exactly what her situation was, but Adele said nothing, just stared back and tried not to look guilty. Realization dawned on Betty’s face and she arched an eyebrow.
“Oh. My. God. I cannot believe you right now.” Betty shook her head, but she didn’t sound annoyed or too disappointed. “The guy literally thinks you’re incompetent. Why would you even…?” She trailed off, almost deliberately, like she didn’t even want to say the words.
Adele gave a shrug. “I don’t know. It just happens sometimes. Like the time you tripped head-over-heels for that guy who lives across the hall from us for a month, and he’s still rude to everyone in the building.”
“Fair point,” her friend admitted. “I just hope you don’t hurt yourself because of this guy.”
The memory of Josh beaming at her as he proclaimed his love to her, only for them to be interrupted by his other girlfriend, flashed across her mind. Adele couldn’t make that promise. She couldn’t guarantee she wouldn’t get hurt again, whether it had anything to do with Peter or not. But the least she could do was try.
“Sure.” She decided to quickly change the subject. “A concert would’ve been a lot better than going to see a horror movie, you know. Or even going to the record store to see if there’s anything good.”
Betty gave another roll of her eyes and they resumed walking. “I bet there’s nothing good. It’s been a while since I saw anything from One Direction on sale.”
“What about The Wanted? Big Time Rush, maybe? They’re actually pretty good. You should listen to them sometime.”
Her friend looked at her like she’d just suggested growing a beard. Adele couldn’t help herself. She burst into laughter, doubling over and chortling like a madman, no doubt startling several other people they came across on the sidewalk. Adele was pretty sure she caught a couple of concerned stares from passers-by.
“You are such a musical bigot!” she exclaimed between wheezes. “I keep telling you, you need to be open to trying a lot of new stuff. Well, they aren’t always exactly new, considering there’s twentieth-century music to listen to…”
“Ooh, I like Frank Sinatra.” Betty cleared her throat and made a very embarrassing attempt at singing Fly Me to the Moon while Adele tried not to collapse with laughter.
“If you keep that up, I’m going to have to pretend we don’t know each other,” she said with a snicker. Betty tackled her around the waist before she could make any sudden moves, and both women ended up howling with laughter.
“Come on, we’ve got a horror movie to see,” she said once they’d managed to calm down.
Adele groaned.
*****
The movie sucked.
Betty dozed off halfway and Adele followed suit. By the time they woke up, people were already leaving the cinema. They rubbed their eyes and headed out with them, each letting out groans of displeasure.
“That was the worst horror movie I’ve ever seen,” Betty declared.
Adele raised an eyebrow at her. “Are you kidding me? You barely even watched it.”
“In my defense, it was too lame to look at.” She stretched, yawning slightly as she did so, and turned to her friend. “You want to grab something before we go home? An ice cream, maybe?”
Half an hour later they were walking through the food court, holding ice cream cones. Adele looked around her at the coffee shops, bakeries and restaurants as they passed, oblivious to her friend’s voice.
The sight reminded her of work, which was the last thing she wanted. She couldn’t help wondering if the managers of these stores and restaurants had issues with their conservative bosses, too. Maybe she just had bad luck. It would explain a lot about her life.
Adele let out a sigh. Betty gave her a nudge, pulling her back to reality.
“Did you hear a single thing I said?” she said disapprovingly.
“Maybe I just forgot.” Adele tried for a winning smile, but it didn’t work. “Alright, I’m sorry. What were you saying?”
“I was talking about how cool it would be to talk to other business managers about your job and share ideas,” Betty said, looking like she’d just discovered a cure for cancer. “Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
Adele nearly guffawed at that. “What? Do you have any idea how weird that would be? I don’t think I could ever bring myself to.,” she trailed off suddenly, her eyes growing wide.
“You don’t think you could ever bring yourself to do what?” said her friend. Betty’s tone grew confused and concerned. “Adele? Earth to my bestie?”
But Adele was no longer listening. She was staring straight at a restaurant to her left. Through the large window, she could see the colorful lights that filled the place, covering the tables in a soft glow. There were no customers in the restaurant except an Asian couple: a man wearing a gray suit over an unbuttoned white shirt, and a woman in a glittering gown that gave her the impression of a peacock. But that wasn’t what stunned her. It was the fact that she knew exactly who that man was.
“What the…?” she said.
Betty grew more confused. “You know that guy?”
Adele ignored her. Different questions were racing through her mind at top speed. Who the hell was that woman with Peter? And why were they on a date? Was she his girlfriend? Ever since she found out Aneko was only his sister, Adele had never really put much thought to the idea that he might have a girlfriend.
Could he see her? Had he already seen her? He sat facing her, talking to whoever his date was, but maybe if she waved, she could get his attention. Adele wondered if he’d be surprised or annoyed to see her.
She waved. Peter’s head turned slightly. There was a split second in which their eyes met.
Then he looked away, his face completely expressionless.
Like he hadn’t really seen her.
Like she was no one.
“Son of a–”
Adele felt the tears begin to well up in her eyes. Betty’s eyebrows shot up and she took a step towards her friend, but Adele shield herself away. Her eyes stung even more as the tears started to pour.
Unable to contain herself, Adele hurried from the spot, leaving a bewildered Betty in her wake.
*****
Amara Kincaid lived only a couple of miles away, which was just as well for Adele. No way was she going back to the apartment just yet. If she did, she’d just end up crying into Muffin’s fur, she was not up for that just yet. She needed someone to talk to, and as guilty as it made her feel to think about it, Betty wasn’t that person right now.
She wiped her tears in the cab and managed to get herself to stop crying so she didn’t creep the cabbie out. Thankfully, the guy was cool. He didn’t ask questions all through the ride, except when he wanted to know what side of the road, she’d like him to pull over on. She paid him and climbed out, staring at the house before her.
It wasn’t too large, but it wasn’t too small, either. The house was just the kind that three people could live in comfortably. It was painted a bright blue, with white linings here and there. From her spot on the sidewalk, she could see the big living room window, though a curtain prevented her from seeing any further. Adele figured no one was home.
Dammit. She knew she should’ve phoned her mother before showing up. Amara Kincaid was probably out with friends or something. But Adele was willing to bet her mother had left the keys behind. She walked up to the house and couldn’t help grinning as she withdrew a set of keys from under the welcome mat on the porch. Amara hadn’t changed one bit.
She unlocked the door and stepped inside, reveling in the sweet orangey smell that immediately hit her nose. Glancing around the house, she was surprised to see that it hadn’t changed much over the years and pleased that it was still in order. To her left was the living room, separated from the kitchen by a carved wooden room divider. To her right was the library. Adele made for the stairs in front of her and headed up, remembering how she used to sprint up these very steps as a kid.