by Eva Luxe
“Good thing it was cold,” I said. “If the weather was good you might not come back when you could live off the land instead.”
“Oh, I would stay away even if the weather was bad. Being out in nature reminds me how small I am in the grander scheme of things. But I have to work to fund my trips.”
I wondered if Greyson had taken the job at the restaurant purely as the means to an end. In a way, it was what I had done—I had only taken the job because I had been bored with my life and had no idea where I wanted to go with it. Caden was lucky he had found two people as competent as we were, especially considering neither Greyson nor I really cared about restaurants or the industry when he had hired us.
Reluctant to go back up front, I watched Greyson work for a while in silence. He was a typical bad boy, the type that looked for trouble just for kicks. The type my mom might have warned me not to spend time with. But he was a magician in the kitchen and when he was back here, I tended to forget who he could be out on the streets.
“Do you ever take girls with you?” I asked.
Greyson stopped working and looked up at me before he shook his head. “Relationships are overrated. I don’t need the drama. And one-night stands don’t work in the wild—women are usually fussy. Their idea of roughing it is to go without room service. Out there, I prefer being alone and experiencing nature, without trying to put things into words.”
It made sense, but it seemed very different from the character I had gotten to know.
“Why?” Greyson asked, carrying on with his apple pie. He pushed the pastry into the corners of the square dish—our Apple pie wasn’t round. With square dishes we could put more of them into the industrial oven at a time.
“I was just asking,” I said.
“Oh, I was wondering if you were hitting on me and hinting that you wanted to come with me.” Greyson looked up and winked at me.
I laughed. “You wish. You’re a great guy and all, but you’re just not my type, not even close, actually. No offense.”
What I had said was true, but I wasn’t sure what kind of guy was my type if it came down to it. I had gone on a few dates in the past, but none of them had been rewarding and I hadn’t seen any of those men again. They hadn’t made me feel amazing, hadn’t made me feel like my life was empty without them.
Greyson grabbed at his shirt over his heart and made a pained face. “Cut me deep, why don’t you, sweetheart?” He grinned at me and I shook my head, jumping off the counter.
“I better get back up there. Give a shout if you need anything.”
I walked through the dining area toward the hostess station, checking in with the waiters on the way. When I reached the station, a couple and a family of four walked in. Just in time.
With a bright smile, I took care of the new diners, handing them off to the waiters, and ensuring their orders got to the kitchen without a hitch. I checked in on the other diners, asking them how they were doing and the feedback was positive as usual. I was glad things were going so well. They always went well, we had a good cadre of waiters and kitchen staff. But still, I wanted to give Caden a positive report. He was going to be away for a while longer, and the more time that passed, the more time there was for something to go wrong. But I was holding down the fort and staying on my toes. Day one was going well.
“Harper,” one of the waiters said when he came to me. Table four is complaining about the food.”
I frowned and walked to the family of four I had seated earlier.
“Is everything alright?” I asked.
“My steak is a little raw,” the father said. “And the kids’ food is a little spicy. The kiddies’ menu promises it won’t burn.”
I nodded and apologized on behalf of the restaurant, picking up the plates in question and carrying them to the kitchen myself. My head was spinning. What would Caden do in a situation like this? Just when I had been dreaming about telling Caden how perfect everything had gone, something like this happened.
“We’ve got a complaint,” I said to Greyson when I reached the kitchen.
I explained to Greyson what the problem was and he promised he would fix it. While I waited for him to work up new kid meals and to replace the underdone steak with a new one, I tried to figure out how I was going to handle it. When the plates were ready, I delivered them to table four myself.
“I sincerely apologize,” I said again. “Here at The Spiced Cow we pride ourselves in our reliable quality. But we also understand that occasionally mistakes happen, and to make up for your compromised dining experience, I want to offer you this meal on the house.”
The family was very happy, naturally. Five minutes later I checked in on them again to ensure the food was what they had expected this time. When they let me know they were happy, I returned to the hostess station to take care of the customer checks as my diners left one by one before the dinner rush.
When the dinner rush was over and Greyson and I were finally alone, I let out a deep breath and leaned on the counter with my elbows. Greyson was wiping down the bar and he glanced at me.
“Giving away that meal was classic Caden,” Greyson commented. “He would have done the same thing. You did good.”
“Thanks,” I said, with a smile. I couldn’t resist teasing Greyson, anyway. “If you could cook properly I wouldn’t have had to give away free meals in the first place.”
“Yeah, you’re funny,” Greyson said dryly, and disappeared to the kitchen to finish his chores. I laughed and pulled off the tablecloths one by one to be washed. I flipped the chairs up onto the table so the cleaning crew could come in and mop the floors and I cashed out up at the hostess station.
I thought about what Greyson had said. I liked that he had compared me to Caden. Though he could be a pain in the ass at times, Caden was a good owner and he treated us well. The decisions he made for the restaurant were fair and just, and I knew it was why he had a constant flow of customers. It wasn’t only because his food was amazing—thanks to Greyson. Great food got people through the doors, but the personal service that Caden offered, the homey atmosphere and the promise of a repeat of the good times was what kept them coming back for more.
When I started working at The Spiced Cow I hadn’t known what I wanted to do with my life. It had been a job like any other—one I hadn’t needed any qualifications for. Now, I was starting to think maybe I wanted to stay in the restaurant business. Maybe I wanted to become a manager, maybe I even wanted to own my own restaurant one day. I had never thought about being a restauranteur growing up but now that I had a year’s experience behind me, and I’d had this time that Caden had left me in charge, I was starting to think this was what I wanted to do with my life.
When everything was taken care of, Greyson shrugged into his coat and headed out into the night. Tomorrow would be another full day of handling the restaurant with Caden gone. I wanted him back. It wasn’t that I couldn’t do it alone, I was coping perfectly well. But it was lonely with just me and Greyson, and I already missed our bantering and teasing. In the past year, Greyson, Caden, and I had gotten closer than I had expected. We had become friends and even though I hadn’t realized until now, not having both of them around made my life a little drearier.
I made my way home and unlocked the loft apartment I rented. I drew the curtains and switched on the lights. I showered to get rid of the restaurant smell that always clung to my clothes when I came home and finally I crawled into bed. I checked my phone. I had received a new message and when I opened it, saw it was from Caden.
I hope your first day in charge went well.
Nothing more. He wasn’t exactly checking up on me, but he was checking in to remind me that he was still my boss. It was so like him. I thought again about giving away the free meal and decided I had done the right thing, after all. Greyson was right, Caden would have done the same. I smiled, pleased with myself and rolled over, closing my eyes. I could still show him at the end of this week that I had done a great job.
Ch
apter 5
Caden
I laid on the hotel bed with my fingers interlaced behind my head and my legs crossed at the ankles. This far from home and with nothing to do, I was bored as fuck. My mind was on the session with the lawyer today. I had really pulled myself into a corner by saying I had a fiancée when I was as single as they came. I couldn’t believe I had said I was engaged. I ran through the conversation again and again, but I knew exactly why I had said it. One point two billion was a hell of a lot of money and the thought of letting it slip through my fingers was horrific.
But there was nothing to be done about it. If I wanted to find someone to be my wife as I had promised the lawyer, I wouldn’t even know where to start. The thought of forming some kind of attachment that could lead to marriage was terrifying. That the payoff would be that great was a moot point. It wasn’t like I was going to be able to pull it off, anyway. It wasn’t like I could hire someone to be my fiancée.
I climbed off the bed and walked toward the window. I couldn’t relax—this far away from home and the restaurant made me feel lost. Since I had opened the doors, I had been at the restaurant from seven in the morning until eleven at night, almost every day of the week. I hadn’t minded putting in all that time—the restaurant was my passion and I loved every second of it. Without it, I felt like I was nothing.
When I came out to California I booked the hotel for a week, even though the reading of the will only took one day. I thought a break would do me good, I deserved it. However, now that I was away from the restaurant and allowed to relax, I couldn’t. I didn’t like being away from the places and the people I knew. I should’ve been out on the town, looking for ass and making the most of my holiday. Instead I moped around my hotel room, homesick like a pussy.
All I wanted was to jump on a flight and head back home. It wasn’t freedom when I felt like I was leaving something behind. This was bullshit, I was sullen and irritated. I didn’t feel like getting out and seeing what Cali had to offer—I didn’t feel like getting wasted at a nightclub and falling into bed with someone I didn’t know. A week ago, I had thought that was exactly what I wanted, but now I just wanted to go home. Maybe it was the dead end I had created for myself that played a role. Maybe it was because my definition of freedom had changed.
Maybe I was just being full of shit. Whatever the reason, the week away seemed like forever, now.
When I woke up the next morning, I packed my bag and checked out of the hotel. I headed to the airport, boarded the plane and headed back to Seattle. There was no reason for me to hang around when everything I wanted was back home.
By the time I reached the restaurant it was almost closing time. The kitchen closed at ten but the diners stayed until whatever time they wanted after that. Usually, by eleven, we were locking up. I walked into the restaurant at half past ten and the schedule didn’t look any different. There were only a few diners left and two of my waiters tending to them.
I walked through the dining area and Harper came to me.
“What a surprise,” she said. “We weren’t expecting you back so soon.”
“I couldn’t stay away,” I said. “Who knows what you and Greyson might get up to without me?”
“When the cat’s away, the mice will play,” Harper said, and winked before she walked back to the hostess station to handle a customer bill. I shook my head and walked to the kitchen where Greyson was wiping down counters.
“Do you know how long a week is?” Greyson asked when he saw me.
“Yeah, yeah,” I said. “So, I’m back sooner than I thought.”
“You’re only five days short,” Greyson said, with a shrug. “Were you missing me too much?”
“Hole in my heart, Greyson,” I laughed.
I leaned against the counter with my hip and folded my arms over my chest. It was good to be back—I had missed the banter and the shitty jokes. I felt at home in the restaurant, surrounded by the people I knew. Who would have known I was such a pack animal?
“So, how was it?” Greyson asked.
“How exciting can the reading of the will be?” I didn’t want to tell Greyson about my fuck up, about all the money and the fact that I had lied about having a fiancée. Greyson would never stop giving me shit about it.
“Well, you haven’t been gone long enough to miss anything here,” Greyson said.
He filled me in on what had happened during the short while I had been gone. It was all the usual stuff—regular customers, regular orders, no fuck ups, no regrets. It was exactly what I want to hear.
“I knew I could leave you guys in charge,” I said, when Greyson was done with his report.
“It was all Harper,” Greyson said. “You could have stayed away the whole week, she did a great job. That woman is not just a pretty face.”
I nodded. “I’m glad to hear it,” I said. I had known Harper was the right person to leave in charge. I had watched her working for the last year and knew what I had. Not only was she good at multitasking and organizing, she was approachable and friendly, so all my diners loved her. From what I could tell, everyone loved her no matter where she went. It was a gift. I was good with women when I wanted to fuck, but other than that I could be quite blunt and difficult to please.
Perhaps one day I would put Harper in charge of my restaurant for good. This place could do with a manager like her. I imagined what it would be like to take a step back, to let her take over and work her magic. The Spiced Cow could use something like that, but I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t going to take a step back, yet. I was still too attached, the restaurant was a novelty and damned if I had what it took to take my hands off the wheel.
If Harper was still here by the time I was ready to go, she could have the position. Until then, I liked being in charge. It was good to know I had people like Harper and Greyson at my side, people who treated the restaurant as their own project, and didn’t only put in the hard work because I paid them. If only I could find someone like that to share my life with me—someone who would take my personal life, my good and my bad sides, just as seriously.
If only I could find someone like that in the next week. No fucking way that was going to happen, of course. But hey, a man could dream.
“Everything okay, boss?” Greyson asked, pulling me out of the spiral of my thoughts.
“Yeah, perfect. You get a hold of Carl for the weekend or should I?” It was easier to talk about business than my personal life.
“I called Carl already,” Greyson said. “I put in the order for the fresh produce and I emailed the meat company about those new cuts you were talking about. I need to do a spice run tomorrow but I’ve got that covered.”
Greyson was as on top of everything as Harper was.
“Good. You can head on out, I’ll stay behind and finish up here.”
“Are you sure?” Greyson asked.
He looked at me like he didn’t quite believe my act. He knew me well enough to know something was on my mind, but I wasn’t going to discuss it with him tonight. Greyson was a friend but he was also an employee and sometimes it was good to draw a line between the two.
I nodded. Greyson abandoned the cloth he was using to wipe down the kitchen and walked toward the back door where he shrugged into his leather jacket.
“See you tomorrow,” Greyson said, and opened the door.
“Greyson,” I called and Greyson turned back to face me. “Don’t call me boss,” I said, and grinned.
Greyson laughed, shaking his head as he stepped out into the darkness.
I continued cleaning where Greyson had left off. Packing away the last of the containers, I rinsed out the cloth.
Harper walked in with the last of the plates and she started loading the dishwasher. We worked side by side, cleaning the kitchen together. It was good to be at the restaurant again and to work with Harper.
“So, why did you come back so soon?” Harper asked, when we moved to the dining room to strip off the tablecloths and tip the chairs on
to the tables.
“I felt a little lost being away from the restaurant. I had nothing to do.”
“And you didn’t want to go out? I can’t imagine someone like you will be a loner for long.”
I chuckled. She was right. “I guess I wasn’t in the mood. I had a lot on my mind.”
“About the reading?”
“Yeah,” I said, carrying the stack of table cloths to the washing machine we had in the back. Harper opened the top for me and I threw them in while she measured out the detergent. “My grandmother left me a lot of money in her will. My cousin isn’t too happy about it. I don’t blame him, it’s a lot.”
“How much, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“One point two billion.”
Harper froze. “Are you shitting me?” she said.
I laughed. “No, I’m not. But I’ll have to give it to him, anyway. The will says I have to be married to get it and let’s face it, that’s not going to happen any time soon. I tried to lie my way through it but it won’t hold up.”
“Why?” Harper asked as we walked to the kitchen. “What did you say?”
“That I was engaged. I thought if I could just secure that cash it would be a little white lie and no one would care. I mean, my grandmother isn’t around to see me do it, right? For all she knows I could be divorced again in less than a year.”
“But?” Harper asked.
“But the lawyer wants me there next week with my beloved to sign a sworn statement. And that’s obviously not going to happen. I can’t pull a fiancée out of my ass.”
Harper chuckled when I said it. “You’re a piece of work, aren’t you?”
I shrugged. We worked together in silence for the last few minutes before it was finally time to lock up and leave.
“You know, maybe you can still figure something out,” Harper said, and she smiled at me.
“I don’t think that’s going to happen. But thanks.”
She pulled up her shoulders. “You never know,” she said and winked at me. “Have a good night.” She shrugged into her coat and waved at me before she left the restaurant. I scratched my head, wondering what she could have been thinking of. From where I was standing there was no way out of the mess I had created for myself. I would have to give it up and that was it.