Yes, Chef (Sizzle & Burn Book 1)

by Linda Verji

  “I didn’t tell him,” April insisted.

  “If neither of us told him then who did?” Vina asked then looked behind them. “Or maybe we’ve got a stalker.”

  The other two women turned too. Nope! There was no one hiding behind the tree beside their bench and no one in the park looked suspicious. Snow shook her head. “Nah! We would’ve noticed if we had a Listening Tom.”

  “What if Charlie hired someone to watch you?” April posited.

  Snow shook her head. “Charlie’s too lazy to hire a private investigator.”

  “Maybe he’s bugged you or your house.” Vina’s eyes widened at the thought.

  Snow gave a half laugh. “That only happens in movies.”

  “It could happen.” Vina shrugged. “Charlie’s got money and zero boundaries. For all you know one of the buttons on your chef-coat could be a bug.”

  Snow knew that her friend was joking, but the suggestion that Charlie might be watching and listening to her sent chills down her spine. Was it possible? Nah, she reassured herself. Charlie wasn’t that interested in her. Still, how had he found out about her and Greyson? Snow silently mulled over the question as her friends continued to offer her fantastical explanations of how it could have happened.

  About twenty minutes into their break, Yvonne called, “Hey, are you still on break?”

  “Yeah,” Snow answered.

  “Can I pass by?” her stepmother asked. “We need to talk.”

  “Sure, I’ll wait for you.”

  Considering that they’d seen each other over the weekend, it had to be something really important. Snow hurried back to the restaurant. She and her friends arrived just as Yvonne pulled up in the parking lot. Jamie was in the backseat. As soon as he saw Snow, he started jumping up and down trying to get attention. Eventually, they sent him off with April and Vina so Yvonne and Snow could talk in peace.

  “Did something happen between you and Charlie,” Yvonne asked as they sat in her car.

  So the word was already spreading? Snow nodded. “Yes. We broke up.”

  “Ah!” Yvonne made a face. “Now wonder.”

  “Now wonder what?”

  “I was just at your dad’s office. But Marlene was there before me,” Yvonne said. Immediately, a knot started low in Snow’s belly. Her stepmother continued, “I thought she was there to talk to your father about foundation business but she wasn’t. I only caught the tail-end of their conversation but your name and Charlie’s were mentioned.”

  Snow bit her thumb nervously. “Did you hear what she was saying about us?”

  “I didn’t hear much,” Yvonne said. “But she wants your dad to talk to you.”

  The knot in Snow’s belly tightened until it felt like someone was pulling on its ends. Along with that nervousness came annoyance. As if there weren’t enough people meddling in her business, now she’d have her father in it too? And he definitely would stick his nose in. Though he wasn’t much of a Charlie fan, he was a fan of Charlie’s parents. They were after all the main benefactors of the foundation that supported the cardiology wing of his hospital. If they said ‘talk to Snow’, then he would - if only for the sake of his precious hospital.

  Snow made a sour face. “He’ll probably have the ‘talk’ this weekend, right?”

  Yvonne nodded.

  Snow swore under her breath. “Then I’m not coming to Sunday dinner.”

  “What? You can’t miss it,” her stepmother protested.

  “Would you go if you were me?” Snow eyed her.

  Yvonne studied her stepdaughter for some time before she said, “It’ll happen eventually. It’s better for you to get it over with. I’ll talk to him too.”

  “Please! He never listens to you,” Snow snorted. But when she saw the look of hurt that flashed in the other woman’s eyes she rushed in with, “I’m sorry I didn’t mean it that way.”

  Yvonne gave a half-smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “It’s okay.”

  An awkward silence settled between them because they both knew that what Snow had said was true. Though James was a more involved husband and father this time round, he was still authoritarian and set in his ways. With Yvonne being so much younger than him, he often acted more like a father than a husband to her. Still, Snow didn’t feel comfortable discussing her parents’ relationship with Yvonne. They were close but not that close.

  Snow broke the silence. “Do you think mine and Charlie’s breakup will affect his parents’ decision to fund the hospital?”

  “They’re not that petty.” Yvonne said. But her confidence seemed to waver because she asked, “Are they?”

  “Charlie’s dad isn’t.” With a dry edge to her tone, Snow added, “But he’s not the one who handles foundation matters.”

  Yvonne frowned. “Maybe I should talk to Marlene.”

  “Don’t worry Marlene will get to you eventually.” Snow paused then said, “Maybe I should talk to her. I mean it’s my relationship. If I talk to her, it might keep her from dragging everyone else into it.”

  She hated even the thought of sitting down with the woman to discuss hers and Charlie’s breakup, and she hadn’t intended to do it. But that was before she’d considered her father’s hospital. As much as her father annoyed her, he was still her father. She didn’t want to see him suffering under the consequences of something she’d done.

  “Yeah, I’ll talk to her,” Snow said firmly. “In fact let me set up the meeting right now.”

  With Yvonne looking on, Snow called Charlie’s mother and put her on speaker. “Marlene, how are you?”

  “Snow is that you?” the woman cheerfully answered the phone. “What a pleasant surprise. I’m fine. How are you?”

  “I’m good,” Snow returned. “I was calling to set up that meeting we discussed.”

  “Oh goody! We have so much to talk about,” Marlene gushed. “Why don’t we do it on Tuesday?”

  “I’m working on Tuesday,” Snow said. “Monday is my off day though.”

  “No. No, Tuesday is much better,” the older woman insisted. “I have my hair appointment on Monday and you know how Raul gets when I miss an appointment. Let’s meet on Tuesday. The club.”

  Like son like mother – only thinking about what was convenient for them. Snow and Yvonne shared a look before Snow said, “Okay, Tuesday then. But I can’t come to the club. It’s too far. Why don’t you come to Tellers at around three and I’ll buy you lunch.”

  “Oh, I love Tellers. Their steak is heavenly,” Marlene said. “But I’ll come at one. I always eat my lunch at one.”

  Annoyance, identical to what Snow was feeling, flashed in Yvonne’s eyes. Was it so hard for Charlie’s mother to think of someone other than herself? She was the one who’d asked for the meeting in the first place, and she was lobbying for her son. One would think that would be enough reason for her to be more thoughtful about Snow’s needs.

  Snow could’ve argued further about the meeting time and place but she didn’t want Marlene annoyed even before they met, so she surrendered. After setting up the meeting, the two engaged in a little small talk before eventually ending the call.

  Snow stared at her phone despondently. “I’m not looking forward to that meeting.”

  “I can already tell that she’ll try to force you to see things her way,” Yvonne warned.

  “Tell me about it.” Snow heaved a sigh. “But it won’t work. I don’t plan on getting back with Charlie. The only reason I’m meeting with her is to make that clear to her.”

  “And your dad?” Yvonne said.

  “I’ll talk to him too. Eventually.”

  “Don’t put it off for too long.” Yvonne glanced at the thin silver watch on her wrist. “I should go. It’s almost time to start making dinner.”

  “Let me go get Jamie,” Snow offered, already opening the car door. She found April in the dining-room helping to set up tables for dinner service. “Where’s Jamie?”

  Without looking up, April pointed to on
e of the corner tables. “He’s there?”

  Snow’s gaze followed the direction her friend was pointing, but she didn’t see anything. “Where?”

  “The-” April paused when she saw that Jamie really wasn’t at the corner table. “He was there a minute ago, playing with the toothpicks. Vina must have taken him with her.”

  “To the kitchen?” Snow couldn’t keep the horror out of her voice. That kitchen was full of knives, oil, boiling stuff. It was certainly not the place for a four-year-old to be wandering about. Her footsteps fast, she strode to the kitchen. She quickly glanced around but the only people there were Vina, Oscar and the busboy.

  “Vina,” Snow drew her friend’s attention. “Where’s Jamie?”

  “He’s with April.”

  “April says he’s with you.”

  “Me?” Vina frowned. “Why would I bring a toddler to the kitchen?”

  Snow’s heart jerked in her ribcage. If Jamie wasn’t with April and he wasn’t with Vina, then where was he? Snow’s nervousness increased twofold and her body suddenly felt cold.

  “Jamie. Jamie,” she called out as she wandered around the kitchen, searching its nooks and crannies in case he was hiding as he sometimes did. But he was nowhere to be found. She checked the pantry too. “Jamie. Jamie, where are you?”

  But he wasn’t there either.

  “Have you found him?” April emerged in the pantry. Her face was painted with clear worry.

  “No.” Snow shook her head as she started towards the door. Trying to rein in her panic, she said, “Maybe he’s still in the dining-room. Hiding under one of the tables or something.”

  The two women headed to the dining-room for another more thorough search but it turned up nothing. Tired of waiting in the car, Yvonne entered the restaurant. When she heard that Jamie was missing, worry turned into full-blown terror.

  “What if he left the restaurant and got on the streets? You know how much he wanders around.” The frightened mother turned to Snow. “What if he gets hit by a car? What if he gets kidnapped.”

  “We would’ve seen him,” Snow soothed, trying to stay calm in the face of her stepmother’s obvious fear. “He’s somewhere in here. We’ll find him.”

  She roped in some of the restaurant’s staff to help with the search. Some went outside, others kept searching the dining-room, kitchen and restrooms, while Snow and Yvonne went to check upstairs. Jamie wasn’t in the break-room or either of the changing- rooms. Her own panic starting to show in her trembling hands, Snow led the way to the other wing – the wing that held Greyson’s office.

  She knocked on the door but instead of Greyson answering, a childish voice called out, “Come in.”

  Snow almost collapsed in relief.

  “He’s in there.” A similarly relieved Yvonne pushed the door open and rushed into the office. “Jamie.”

  Jamie was seated on Greyson’s lap playing with the set of action figures on the desk. The moment he saw Yvonne, his face lit up in a beaming smile. “Mommy, look. Uncle Greys-”

  “What is wrong with you?” Yvonne cut into his words. She rushed up to the chair and snatched Jamie from Greyson’s hold. “How did you get up here? Didn’t I tell you not to wander around?”

  The little boy’s smile dimmed. “I’m sorry, Mommy.”

  “That won’t work this time.” Yvonne set Jamie on the floor, lowered to her hunches so they could be at the same level before she started berating him. “Do you know how worried your sister and I were? How many times…” and on she went.

  Yvonne was so funny. How could one woman go from worry to happiness to anger in the space of a minute? Snow’s amused gaze shifted to Greyson to find him smiling too. Their eyes met, held and they smiled at each other. For a minute or so, every issue between them was forgotten and only this moment remained. Ah, how she loved that smile. It sent warmth rippling through her and all she wanted to do was cross the room and taste that smile.

  But then he blinked, and the smile was gone.

  Snow felt such an intense pain at the loss of that smile that her breath caught in her throat. What she wouldn’t do for that smile to come back. What she wouldn’t have done for a chance to make difference choices last night.

  “Thank you so much for taking care of him.” Yvonne finally turned to Greyson. “I hope he wasn’t too much trouble.”

  “He wasn’t any trouble.” Greyson gave her a half-smile. “He’s a good kid.”

  “You’re Greyson, Snow’s boss, right?” Yvonne asked.

  “Sorry, I didn’t introduce myself,” Greyson said.

  “I should be the one apologizing. I’m the one who didn’t give you a chance to introduce yourself.” Yvonne laughed as she lifted Jamie into her arms. “You’re as handsome as Snow said you were.”

  “She said I was handsome?” Greyson’s eyes wandered to Snow.

  “No, I didn’t,” she quickly said.

  “Yes, she did.” Yvonne, that betrayer, laughed. “And as nice.”

  “He’s nice.” Jamie held up an action figure of Spiderman. “He gave this to me.”

  “Are you sure?” Yvonne turned apologetic eyes to Greyson as she asked, “He didn’t just take it, did he?”

  “No, I gave it to him,” Greyson reassured her. To say Snow was surprised was an understatement. She knew how precious those action figures were to him.; so precious that Greyson had banned all his employees from touching them. Yet he’d given one to Jamie. His generosity was one more reason why she couldn’t lose him.

  “Thank you,” Both Snow and Yvonne said at the same time. Minutes later, the women exited the room with Jamie between them.

  “Is something going on with you and hot stuff in there?” Yvonne asked once they were outside.

  “No,” Snow quickly refused. “Why would you ask that?”

  “I don’t know. Just something about the way you were looking at each other.”

  Snow could’ve been honest about her and Greyson dating, but she didn’t trust Yvonne to keep it from her father. Once James learnt of the news, he’d likely spill it to Marlene or worse, use it to back up his argument that Snow was still making bad life choices. Besides, Greyson didn’t want people knowing about them and she didn’t want to worsen their relationship by letting one more person into the secret.

  Snow’s voice was insistent as she said, “There was nothing about the way we were looking at each other.”

  “Hmmm.” Yvonne gave her a piercing stare but didn’t pursue the subject further. “Anyway, tell him thank you for me again.”

  “I will.” Snow nodded. And while she was at it, she’d also show him how grateful she was to have him in her life and how much she wanted to keep him there. She just hoped he’d listen.

  CHAPTER 17

  Greyson believed Snow when she said that nothing had happened between her and Charlie. However, he was still caught up in the fact that she’d let the man sleep in her house. Even worse, Charlie had seemed extremely possessive of her - like they were still a couple.

  There could’ve been an easy solution to all that. All she had to do was tell Charlie that she was no longer on the market and was dating Greyson. Instead, Snow had chosen to deny their relationship. If that was her way of telling Greyson that she wasn’t ready to commit to a new relationship with him, then he’d gotten the message loud and clear.

  After the restaurant closed for the night, he could’ve gone home on his own but he’d promised to drive Snow to and from work. Regardless of their issues, a promise was a promise. The initial minutes of the drive were silent and racked with awkward tension, then out of the blue, Snow asked, “Would you like to watch a movie with me on Sunday?”

  Greyson shot her a surprised look. “A movie?”

  Nervousness flashed in her eyes as she nodded. “Yeah! You’re always the one setting up the dates and I thought it would be nice if I did my fair share too.”

  A muscle flexed in his jaw. “It’s not a chore, Snow.”

  “That’s n
ot what I- I mean, I know it’s not a chore. I just wanted to…” Her words drifted in silence and she worried her bottom lip nervously.

  He wasn’t an idiot. He could tell that this was her way of trying to make up. The question was; did he want to make up? As much as he wanted Snow in his life being a rebound wasn’t in his plans. He especially didn’t want to end up as the only one emotionally invested in their relationship while she skipped merrily back to Charles.

  Then again, was he really ready to cut Snow off? He liked her… he really liked her, enough to be jealous of the other men in her life. And maybe his jealousy was making him read too much into innocent events. Maybe everything was exactly as she’d said and there were no residual feelings between her and Charlie.

  Stop kidding yourself, buddy, his conscience taunted. But he quickly shut it down, and before he could change his mind nodded. “Sure.”

  “Really?”

  The way her eyes lit up was enough to ease some of his doubts and he gave her a small smile. “Really.”

  And just like that, the tension that had been looming over them the whole day eased and the air felt lighter.

  “What kind of movie do you want to watch?” Snow asked, her tone now cheerful.

  “I’m not picky.” He shrugged. “Surprise me.”

  “So if I pick a girly ‘finding myself’ foreign movie you won’t complain, right?” she teased.

  “Oh, I’ll definitely complain,” he said. “Then I’ll remind you of how much you came at me for me because of our first date.”

  Her lips quirked in a smile. “Whoa! I never thought you were such a petty man, Greyson.”

  Their teasing banter went on unabated for the rest of the drive home and by the time he kissed her goodnight he felt more at ease. However, when Sunday afternoon came along, he regretted the decision to let her pick the movie.

  “Horror?” He made a sour face at the poster of the gory movie she’d chosen. “No way.”

  “You don’t like horror movies?” Snow stared at him aghast.

  If it were any other woman, he would’ve pretended that he was okay with the choice and gone along with it. But with Snow he felt comfortable enough to be honest. He shook his head. “Nope. Not in the slightest.”