The Sheikh's Bride Bet

by Holly Rayner

  “Me, too.” She took his arm and let him escort her through the crowded party. When they got to the front door, the butler opened it and Maggie turned to him. “Thank you again, Prince Raffaele.”

  Raffaele shook his head. “Don’t say goodbye yet. I’m walking you to the car.” Maggie started to protest and he held up one hand. “Yes, I am.” He dropped the hand in a flourish indicating the open door. “After you, chef.”

  Maggie made her way to the car, where the driver had the door open for her. Raffaele waved him back to the driver’s side of the car and held the door for Maggie himself. She stopped and looked up at him.

  “Tonight was wonderful. Thank you for inviting me.”

  Raffaele looked down into her eyes and had the impulsive thought to kiss her good night. He wanted to, but worried that it would be too forward after knowing her for only a few hours. He settled for stepping forward to give her a brief, but warm, hug. When he pulled back, Maggie was smiling and Raffaele knew he’d made the right call.

  “Thank you for coming with me, Maggie. You made this evening truly special.”

  He helped her into the limo, and before he shut the door, said, “I’ll talk to you soon. Good night.”

  Maggie lifted a hand in a small wave as he closed the door. Raffaele watched the limo drive away, already thinking about seeing her again.

  Chapter 5

  Maggie

  Sunlight slowly filtered into Maggie’s tiny bedroom and she woke up with her head still filled with music and lights and Raffaele’s smile. Her dress hung from the hook over her closest door, where she had left it the night before. Curling up around the pillow, Maggie studied her dress, wondering if the whole night had been a dream.

  A really good and very realistic dream, maybe, but she wasn’t entirely sure it wasn’t a product of her tired, over-worked mind.

  Maggie rolled over and reached for her phone to make sure no one from the restaurant had left her any messages. She sat up quickly when she saw an unknown number on one of the texts waiting for her.

  Raffaele had written:

  Good morning! Normally, I don’t talk business first thing in the morning, but I wanted to share the details for the party. As I said last night, the event is for my family and friends, with around 300 people attending. I’d appreciate the opportunity to work with you on creating a menu, though the final say is yours. I look forward to sharing your amazing food with the people I’m closest to.

  Maggie almost fell out of bed at the next part of his message. He was offering to pay her for her time, and the amount was more than the amount her parents had paid for their house. It was more than enough to cover the expense of her travel for the event and a few days’ vacation. BienVille would be fine without her for a week, and the change of scenery would be good for her.

  She started typing quickly:

  I accept. I’m so looking forward to cooking for your family and friends, and I can’t wait to see your home! Thank you, for the offer and for last night. I still feel like I’m in a fairy tale.

  She couldn’t help but smile when his response showed up on her phone almost immediately.

  Excellent. You’ll stay at the palace, of course, and I’ll make arrangements for my jet to fly you out and back home. I’ll be in touch soon with more details.

  “He really is a modern Prince Charming,” Maggie whispered to herself.

  She thought about crawling back into bed for some more delicious dreams, but she was a little too giddy with excitement.

  And, she thought, coming back down to earth just a bit, there’s still produce to take stock of and tonight’s dinner to prep.

  She smiled to herself as she got ready, and carefully hung her dress in the closet as she put on jeans and a T-shirt appropriate for her morning’s work.

  Maggie walked to the restaurant, smiling cheerfully at the few people she passed on the street. She knew she was being a little silly, that the Prince wanted her for her chef skills. But that alone was flattering; Maggie knew that this kind of job could provide great press for the restaurant. It was an amazing opportunity.

  The fact that she would finally get to travel and see part of the world? That was icing on the cake. And getting to spend even a little bit more time with Raffaele was the spun sugar decoration on top of the icing.

  Maggie couldn’t wait. She knew the trip would be a lot of work, but it would be the best kind of work.

  Letting herself in through the restaurant’s back door, she grinned at the work waiting for her there. Raffaele was right—she did have ideas from the party last night inspiring her. Although traditionally the end of Mardi Gras meant the beginning of Lent, functionally, the city was still bustling, and people still wanted to eat out.

  Maggie was already considering a new dish for that night based on one of the simple appetizers from the party, but first, she needed to make sure she had the right ingredients…

  Two hours later, Anna found Maggie deep in thought over the stove as she tasted her new dish.

  “Good morning, chef. How was your evening?”

  Maggie thrust a spoon in the maître d’s direction. “Here, taste this.”

  Anna was an old friend of her parents, as well as Maggie’s godmother, and she’d been tasting Maggie’s recipes since Maggie was a kid experimenting in her mother’s kitchen.

  With raised eyebrows, Anna did as ordered. Her eyebrows rose even higher.

  “Oh, that is good, baby girl. New dish for tonight?”

  Maggie nodded. “One of our specials for service tonight. I thought I’d do a simple fish stew for the other.”

  “Well, make sure you have enough. I just checked our bookings and we have ten new reservations.”

  Maggie stared at her. “We do?”

  “Mm-hmm. And there’s a few very interesting names on that list, too.”

  “Like who?”

  “A senator, a national news anchor, Miss Louisiana…”

  Maggie narrowed her eyes. “Really? Miss Louisiana? I didn’t see her there last night.”

  Anna leaned a hip against the counter and gave Maggie a level stare.

  “So, you do know something about these high-profile reservations.”

  Caught, Maggie shrugged.

  “I met a few celebrities last night.” She tilted her head. “Well, Raffaele introduced me to a lot of people, and he told everyone I was the best chef in New Orleans.”

  “Raffaele? As in Prince Raffaele Caldini?”

  Maggie grinned at her. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Anna leveled a look at her. “I want to hear about this party and your date.”

  “Promise. Let me get a couple of things done and I’ll fix us lunch. We can go over the reservations for tonight and I’ll tell you all about it.”

  Anna left Maggie to work, calling over her shoulder as she went into the office, “I’m holding you to that!”

  Maggie scribbled out a few notes on the new dish for Joshua, then moved on to organizing things for the other specials.

  Once she had the evening’s menu set and prepped to her satisfaction, she put together a couple of muffuletta sandwiches with things left over from dinner service the night before, and carried two plates into the office.

  “Ready for lunch?” Maggie asked, setting the plates down on the tiny table next to the desk.

  Anna looked up. “Yes, I am.” She turned her chair around to face the table while Maggie took the other seat. Anna handed her the list of the night’s bookings. “You want to look these over while we eat?”

  Maggie nodded and started scanning the list while Anna took a bite of her sandwich.

  She tapped the paper next to a name. “When he arrives, let him know that I’ll prepare the dish we discussed last night if that’s what he wants.”

  Anna asked, “You’re taking requests now?”

  Maggie shrugged. “He’s a cousin of Raffaele’s and he’s bringing his parents here. Apparently, his tastes run more to burgers, so I told him I could do th
at.”

  “Better make more than one. You send a burger through the dining room and you’re going to have half the tables ordering one.”

  Maggie grimaced and nodded. “Good idea. What we don’t sell tonight I can use in a meat sauce tomorrow.” She laid the paper back down on the table. “If this keeps up, I’m going to have to add another order to deliveries for this week.”

  She picked up her sandwich and took a bite.

  Anna nodded. “We’re officially booked for tomorrow and the next night as well.” She raised an eyebrow at Maggie. “That must have been some party.”

  Maggie swallowed and said, “It really was. It was in one of the big old houses over in Audubon, not too far from the park. The house was gorgeous—there were all these lights and they had a butler and a ballroom. I met actresses, politicians, someone who I’m pretty sure just sold a tech startup for billions of dollars.”

  Anna pursed her lips. “Well, then.”

  Maggie nodded. “I know, right?”

  Anna studied her. “You made quite an impression, it sounds like.”

  “It was a fun evening.” Maggie shrugged.

  “Mm-hmm,” was all Anna said. She took a bite of her sandwich and silently chewed.

  Maggie tried to wait her out, but Anna had been working front of house for decades. She had patience in spades, and Maggie didn’t have a chance.

  “He was really nice.”

  “Mm-hmm.”

  “It was like an actual date.” Maggie finally broke. “We danced, Anna. A waltz and everything. And there was champagne in crystal glasses and everyone wore fancy masks and Raffaele was the perfect gentleman.” Maggie threw up her hands. “I had a date with a prince!”

  Anna laughed. “It sounds like it was a wonderful evening. I’m so glad that you went to the party. It’s good to see you having fun, doing something outside of this.” Anna waved a graceful hand around to indicate the restaurant.

  “I know, I know. I need to get out more and have a life.” Maggie held a hand out, palm up. “But even though last night was fun, it was also good for the restaurant. It seemed like Raffaele was making it his mission to tell everyone there about BienVille. He even mentioned it to the wait staff at the party.”

  Maggie dropped her hand and smiled, remembering.

  “Ah. So, not surprising that we have a lot of new bookings and that they’re a star-studded bunch,” Anna said. “Well, it’s good to have a full house.”

  Maggie replied, “As long as nobody calls in sick, nothing breaks, and all our deliveries come in.” She and Anna traded a long look and then Maggie lifted one shoulder. “It’ll be fine.”

  Anna laughed. “Now you sound like your father.”

  Maggie huffed a laugh. “Well, he’s usually right. Things work out one way or another.”

  She hesitated, excited about her other news, but hoping that Anna agreed.

  “So, I have one other booking that came out of last night, for an event outside the restaurant,” she said, trying to sound casual.

  Anna said, “That’s great! Who is it for?”

  “The Prince. His thirtieth birthday party. In Spiaggi. At the royal palace.”

  Anna laid her sandwich down on the plate.

  “You better repeat that. It sounded like you said you were cooking for royalty, somewhere far, far away.”

  Maggie grinned and held out her phone so Anna could see the texts from Raffaele with all the details.

  Anna took the phone and quickly scanned it, eyes wide. “Good lord, child. That must have been some date.”

  Maggie couldn’t tell if Anna was pleased or worried.

  “It’s not like that. We talked about food the whole night. Well—” Maggie tilted her head, “we talked a little bit about our families, but it was mostly about restaurants and food. He really knows the business. And he really liked BienVille. And he’s given me free rein, more or less, with the menu. He’d like to suggest a few things, but in the end, it’s up to me.”

  Anna handed the phone back. “How long will you be gone?”

  “A week. I thought I’d stay a few days after the party and take an actual vacation.”

  “That, I definitely approve of.” Anna nodded firmly. “What are you going to make for the party?”

  “I don’t know yet. I’ve got so many ideas!”

  Maggie couldn’t sit still any longer. She pulled out a notebook that she kept on the top of her desk for jotting down new recipe ideas and notes about past dishes.

  “I want to do something with local ingredients, but I also want to incorporate his favorite dishes.” Maggie flipped through the pages. “I’m going to need to try a few things out so I can get them right before the party.”

  Anna picked up the two plates. “Why don’t I clear this up?” Maggie nodded silently, and Anna added, “Joshua should be here in a few minutes. You want me to send him back?”

  Maggie shook her head. “He can get started on the specials and I’ll be out in a bit.”

  As Anna ducked out of the office, Maggie studied the notebook. She wanted to do something a little over the top, but still elegant. It was a party, so it needed to be fun, while in keeping with the guest list and locale.

  Maggie stopped and looked up, startled by the thought. She was going to be cooking in a royal palace for a king and queen and princes and princesses. And one special man who had already changed her life.

  She wanted to make this the best meal she’d ever cooked, to thank him for a magical Mardi Gras, because she wanted him to know how much it meant to her.

  Chapter 6

  Maggie

  Maggie was working harder than she ever had, even through the holiday season. The restaurant was full every night, and she was even considering opening for lunch part of the week. Her parents had served lunch when they ran the restaurant, but it was something Maggie had stopped while she got dinner service where she wanted it. And now, the restaurant was so popular that Maggie thought it was time.

  When she looked over the evening’s bookings each night, she recognized names from people she’d met at the Mardi Gras party, but BienVille was also being mentioned in the society pages, and it wasn’t unusual to find a member or two of the paparazzi in front of the restaurant now.

  Maggie was also spending more time out in the dining room chatting with guests. It was fun, but also a bit exhausting. She was definitely looking forward to her vacation.

  She had been talking with Raffaele, mostly by text, and he’d sent her the contact information for the royal chef. Maggie had been nervous the first time she emailed, but Chef Luis had been kind and welcoming in his words.

  Prince Raffaele praised your cooking greatly. I’m looking forward to your time in our kitchen and hope I can talk you into swapping a few recipes.

  He sent her a list of ingredients the palace kitchens generally kept on hand, and asked if there was anything Maggie wanted him to order before her arrival. Maggie sent back her ideas for the menu, and Chef Luis wrote back:

  I think this is a wonderful menu. I’m sure the Prince will have a few ideas, but what you have here is an excellent start.

  Maggie was relieved. She didn’t question her ability to cook a first-class dinner for so many people, but given that it was a different culture, she wanted to be sure her menu was solid.

  Thank you, chef. As soon as I have a finalized menu, I’ll send you a list of things I need.

  She sent Raffaele her draft menu, and he responded with his ideas. Maggie enjoyed batting ideas around with him. She’d half expected their conversations to be more of the chef and client tone, but instead she felt like they were on their way to becoming friends.

  It was easy to talk with Raffaele. They talked food, but he also asked about her day and how work was going. Sometimes, when they were sending bantering texts back and forth, Maggie completely forgot that he was a prince.

  And then she’d look at her menu plan again, and realize she was about to fly halfway around the world to c
ook dinner for 300 people in a palace.

  In addition to planning the menu, Maggie was busy putting things in order so she could leave town for a week. She and Joshua talked over the menu plans for the week along with ordering and deliveries and who to call if any of the kitchen equipment broke.

  “I’m definitely ordering us a new oven when I get back,” Maggie groused when their notoriously recalcitrant oven was heating well below the temperature it was set at.

  Joshua grinned. “Well, with all our new bookings, we should be able to afford it.”

  “Assuming our rent doesn’t go up when I have to renegotiate our lease in a few months,” Maggie said with a sigh. “And I think we’re going to need to talk to our produce guy to see if we can up our order again.”

  “You want me to do that while you’re out? We’ll see how the next week or so goes and I can revise our order based on that.”

  Maggie gave him a pointed look. “You just want to talk with him because he’s cute.”

  Joshua shrugged. “Who says work can’t be pleasant?”

  Maggie snorted. “Yes, thank you, talk to our produce guy while I’m gone.” She double checked her list. “And see if you can get some more of those spicy gherkins from McKinley’s Farm—let’s keep using them on the cheese board.”

  “Yes, chef,” Joshua replied, leaving Maggie to finish going over her notes.

  She was trying to leave more of the daily cooking to her sous chef so she could focus on leaving the restaurant for a week, but in reality, she knew it was something she needed to do anyway. There was no way she was ever going to have a life if she couldn’t step away from the restaurant from time to time.

  Meeting Raffaele had reminded her that she really needed to have a life of her own. She needed to do things like go on dates and vacations and maybe just sit around and read a book every once in a while.

  But, she thought, that day is not going to be today.

  The next week dragged. Maggie was so busy that it really should have flown by, but instead it seemed that each minute lasted for hours. She wanted to speed up the clock and just be there already, so she could see the Prince again.