The Winemaker's Dinner: Appetizers

by Rusilko, Dr. Ivan

  “I’ll grab the wine, and you get the salads,” Ivan instructed, releasing her.

  A cool breeze danced across Jaden’s skin as she stepped on to the patio. She put the salads on the table and looked over the railing. A marbled pool glistened twelve floors below, and Biscayne Bay spread out beyond that, speckled with islands bearing multimillion-dollar homes. The Miami skyline completed the picture. She could hear Ivan fumbling with something behind her, but was too mesmerized to pay him much attention.

  “Spectacular view, isn’t it? Too bad it’s obscured by a robe,” he joked as he handed her a glass of wine.

  “Ha ha. I thought we were refueling?” Jaden remarked. She lifted the glass to her mouth, and the flavor exploded as it hit her tongue, sending her thoughts straight back to the Winemaker’s Dinner. Turning, Jaden noticed the bottle on the table. She smiled. “Hmm…this all seems a little familiar.”

  “That’s my intention.”

  “You want to have sex on the balcony again?” Jaden looked down at the busy scene below. “I didn’t know putting on a show was your type of thing.”

  Ivan laughed and led her to the table where he pulled out the chair for her. “I was thinking more of new beginnings.”

  “New beginnings?”

  Ivan sat across from her and seemed to take a moment to gather his thoughts. “That night at the Winemaker’s Dinner, the night on the balcony—it was something way out of character for me. I’m not a one-night-stand guy, and I hope by now you’ve realized that.”

  Jaden tried to speak, but Ivan silenced her with a simple gesture. “I don’t make a habit of bringing random girls back to my hotel room. I never have. But that night, there was something about you… The first time I saw you, it was like I already knew you. I knew your taste, your smell, the sound of your laugh—just not your name. I had to catch your attention. There was no way I was letting you slip through my fingers. Things happened, things I wouldn’t normally do, but I’m so glad. Jaden, the night I met you, I started feeling life in a whole new way. You showed me something I never knew I was missing.”

  “Ivan, I—”

  “Please, let me finish before I lose my nerve.”

  He looked at her with such affection that she couldn’t help but smile.

  “We are so much more than a one-night stand, and more than just sex, so I thought it might be nice if we started fresh…maybe try our luck at a real relationship.”

  Jaden was shocked by his words—and also not shocked at the very same time. A brief tremor of fear coursed through her, but she knew what she wanted. And what she wanted was Ivan. She smiled impishly and reached across the table for his hand. “You mean boyfriend and girlfriend?” Jaden asked in a girlish tone before turning serious. “Yes, of course. I’d love that.”

  “So it’s official then,” Ivan replied, his boyish charm shining through.

  “It’s official.”

  The cool breeze caressed her skin as they sat silently on the balcony, drinking wine, eating, and enjoying each other’s company. There was no need for words. Just being together was enough.

  “Spend the night again, baby girl. I’ll drive you home in the morning,” Ivan said, finishing a mouthful of salad.

  Baby girl? she thought to herself. That’s a new one. I could get used to being Ivan’s baby girl…“I’d love to,” Jaden replied with a smile. “But since a certain someone has been occupying my time, I’ve neglected my emails. I have to catch up before I work again tomorrow.”

  “Oh, right. You can’t forget about your fans now that you’re a star,” he teased, taking another bite of salad.

  “Ha-ha-ha! My boyfriend’s a comedian!” The words passed Jaden’s lips before she could stop them, but they sounded right.

  When dinner was finished, Jaden retreated to the bathroom to change while Ivan cleared the table and did the dishes. She packed her things reluctantly. If she hadn’t had so much to catch up on, she would’ve gladly stayed the night. Heck, she’d stay until she wore out her welcome, but she’d been neglecting laundry, grocery shopping, and emails. No need to let her life fall apart!

  Wordlessly, they rode the elevator to the lobby, neither wanting this amazing weekend to end. The cool breeze greeted them again as they exited the lobby and headed for the Jeep. The sounds of Dave Matthews filled the air around them as Ivan took her hand and began to sing along.

  Jaden sank back in the seat and let the sound of Ivan’s voice lull her into a tranquil state. She longed to disappear with him, just like the song said, and before she knew it, Ivan was shaking her shoulder.

  “Hey, baby girl, we’re here.”

  “Already?” Jaden asked as she rubbed sleepily at her eyes. “That was fast.”

  “No, not really,” Ivan replied. “I took the long way back because I didn’t have the heart to wake you.”

  “What time is it?” She looked at the clock on the dash through blurry eyes. “Ten o’clock already?”

  “Time flies when you’re having fun.” Ivan leaned across and unbuckled her seatbelt, slyly sliding in a kiss.

  “Why don’t you come up for a while?” Jaden said offering a kiss of her own.

  “We both know that if I come upstairs, neither one of us will get much sleep tonight—or any work done.”

  “That’s a bit of a double standard, Dr. Rusilko,” Jaden said. “Weren’t you the one who just invited me to spend the night at your place?”

  “Touché,” Ivan conceded. “But you’re exhausted, and you need your sleep.”

  Reluctantly, Jaden leaned closer for a parting kiss. The tenderness as their lips met, unrushed and sensual, was the perfect ending to a perfect weekend. Ivan jumped out to open the door for her. With great hesitation, she slid out of the Jeep, pausing to see if Ivan might change his mind.

  “Go,” he encouraged her and winked. “You need to regain your strength for next weekend.”

  “Why, what’s going on next weekend?” Jaden’s brow lifted.

  His response was simple and lighthearted. “You’ll see.”

  “I hope you haven’t made plans for Sunday.”

  “Why?” Ivan asked, seeming alarmed. “You never work on Sundays.”

  “Not usually, but Geoff’s booked a private party, and he needs all hands on deck.” Jaden watched an unfamiliar expression dance across Ivan’s face. “You’re not mad, are you?”

  “I could never be mad at you, baby girl,” Ivan replied. After a moment he managed a smile. “But I am disappointed. I had big plans for next Sunday.”

  “Well, I guess I’ll just have to make it up to you.”

  After one more lingering kiss, Jaden stood on the curb and watched as Ivan drove out of sight, the taillights of the Jeep growing dim as the distance between them grew. The walk to the apartment seemed longer than usual tonight, and Jaden took the time to collect her thoughts, knowing Tasha would bombard her with questions the minute she walked through the door. Retrieving her keys from her purse, she unlocked the door and entered the apartment, surprised to find that all the lights were out. Tossing her keys on the table, she entered the living room and looked around.

  “Tasha, are you here?” she called. Realizing she was alone, Jaden walked over to the desk and switched on the computer. With any luck she’d be able to read through her emails and get to bed before Tasha got home—and the questioning would have to be postponed until the morning.

  Jaden sat in the chair as the monitor flickered to life. She brought up her email and soon faced page after page of unread messages. Jaden scrolled though the list, sending spam to the trash folder. She was about to select a message when the name of the sender caught her attention: OD Magazine. That sounds familiar. Opening the message, she began to read:

  Dear Chef Thorne,

  I write to inform you that you’ve been selected as a feature chef for an upcoming issue of OD Magazine. After reading a recent blog post, one of our columnists dined at your establishment and speaks very highly of your culinary talent. W
e’d love to do a story about you and the work you’re doing at Bianca.

  Please contact me as soon as possible so that we may arrange to have a crew meet with you at the restaurant. One of our staff writers will conduct a brief interview, and a photographer will take some photos. The sooner we can have them meet with you, the better. Given our deadlines, it would be wonderful if we could arrange something before this coming Thursday.

  With kindest regards,

  Jay Gallo

  Editor-in-Chief

  Jaden jumped from the chair, screeching as she ran for her purse. Grabbing her phone from the side pocket, she quickly typed out a message to Ivan:

  Oh my God, you’re never going to guess what just happened!!

  Without waiting for him to respond, Jaden returned to the computer and drafted her reply. Her finger lingered over the send button. Part of her was disappointed Ivan wasn’t here to share this. Of all the nights not to be together… Taking a deep, calming breath, she grinned from ear to ear as she hit send.

  Chapter 17

  “Life Is A Highway”

  “HOW DOES THIS LOOK? Too much?” Geoff asked, holding up a pair of gold-plated dining utensils before passing them to Jaden for inspection.

  “Geoff, I’m sure they aren’t going to be concentrating on the type of forks and spoons we use.” Jaden eyed her tall, gray-haired boss, a man who’d become more of a friend than a superior over the past few weeks. She fought back a wave of nausea and returned to putting the finishing touches on the plates of hors d’oeuvres to be served during the interview. “The way you’re prattling on, you’d think it was you being interrogated today,” she said with a smile. “Relax, it’s going to work out fine. You’ll see.”

  Fresh off the high of waking up to find a glowing review in the Miami Herald, Jaden felt on top of the world. Beauty and the Feast decorated the front page of the lifestyle section in today’s paper. Stephen had truly kept to his word. His article made Jaden shine like a polished diamond.

  “I know, I know, but I’m excited for you…and for the restaurant,” he added as an afterthought. “We’ve never been featured in OD, just run ads there. This is so great.”

  Geoff only added to the pressure with a comment like that. Jaden hadn’t thought much about how her interview might impact the restaurant. “It’s just a magazine, and I’m sure they aren’t going to plaster me on the cover,” she said, trying to convince herself it was a long shot but secretly hoping for the best. “And remind me again what OD is all about?”

  “OD is the magazine for the what’s what and the crème de la crème of Miami Beach. They’re known for making or breaking businesses and people,” Geoff responded.

  Jaden felt her nausea shoot up another notch or two, and it wasn’t helped when she saw a small man in plaid wielding an oversized camera enter the restaurant followed by a taller man in gray pants and a white button-down shirt. They approached the hostess, who directed them to the back where she and Geoff waited. Wiping her sweaty palms on the dishcloth tucked into the pocket of her pants, Jaden said, “Well, looks like it’s show time.”

  Geoff stopped pacing and seemed to make an extra effort to pull himself together as he watched the men approach.

  “Take this, would you?” Jaden said to Susan as she passed by, handing her the dishcloth.

  “Good luck, boss. Knock ’em dead.” Susan gave her a warm smile before returning to the kitchen.

  As the two men drew closer, Jaden realized she’d actually met the taller of the two before. He’d been at the birthday party Ivan had taken her to for their first date. Crap, I don’t remember is his name! Bill, Bob, Ben… What the hell is his name? But then she remembered the trick she’d learned from Ivan, and Jaden jumped to speak first and ensure she wouldn’t have to call him by name.

  “How are you? It’s been a while,” she announced cheerfully as the men arrived.

  “Jaden, it’s so great to see you! You look marvelous.” Taking her hand, the tall man kissed it before motioning to his colleague. “This is Aaron Resnick, a fantastic photographer for our magazine.”

  “So nice to meet you, and this is my boss, Geoff Knight,” Jaden announced. “He’s the owner of Bianca.”

  Now, if the trick worked, the unknown man would have to divulge his name to her boss. Please work, she hoped frantically.

  “Hi, Geoff. My name is Rob Sena, and I want to say I’ve heard great things about this restaurant from so many people. It’s a pleasure to finally visit and have the opportunity to talk with the one and only Chef Jaden Thorne.”

  Jaden barely heard the compliment as she mentally celebrated her success. His name is Rob!

  As Geoff greeted the two men, he motioned for Rob and Jaden to take a seat at the elegantly set table that had already been furnished with water, a bottle of red wine, and a wide array of appetizers.

  “Geoff, if you could please show Aaron around, it would be greatly appreciated,” Rob said politely. “We’d like to get some pictures of your restaurant for the magazine.”

  “Of course,” Geoff responded, bowing graciously before scurrying off with the photographer and leaving Jaden on her own.

  Turning his attention back to Jaden, Rob wasted no time getting down to business. With his tape recorder out, he shot off his first question: “So, Ms. Thorne, professional chef and beauty queen, do explain.”

  Totally taken aback, Jaden couldn’t help but stutter in response. “Ahh, um, I don’t know if I’d call myself a beauty queen,” she said. “I just love what I do and try to maintain a professional appearance both in and out of the kitchen.”

  Rob smiled. “What’s your favorite thing about Miami?”

  Hesitating and forcing herself not to say the first thing that came to her mind—Ivan and their sexual exploits—Jaden focused and settled on a more appropriate reply. “There’s so much to love about a city as diverse as Miami—the people, the activities, the opportunities. It’s a magical place. I’m so happy to be an official Miami Beacher now.”

  Rob forged on. The rest of the interview consisted of questions ranging from her culinary training (CIA, New York) to her favorite dish to cook for herself (pasta al forno with her grandmother’s tomato sauce).

  As they talked, Jaden caught glimpses of Geoff and the photographer scurrying around the restaurant taking pictures of the kitchen, dining room, wait staff, patrons, and anything else that might look nice and shiny on the glossy pages of the magazine.

  As the interview came to a close, Rob asked one final question: “Why should Miami come to eat here at Bianca?”

  Jaden answered without hesitation. “Life’s too short to not live, laugh, and love. At Bianca you’ll do all three at once.”

  “I must say, Ms. Thorne, it’s been an absolute pleasure meeting you,” Rob said, reaching across to shake her hand. “I can see that you’re well on your way to greatness. Now I can boast that I knew you way back when…” He ended with a laugh. “Your personality confirms the rumors swirling around about how fantastic you are.”

  Jaden opened her mouth to ask what he meant but closed it immediately when she heard him call to the photographer.

  “Okay, let’s get her makeup done and get some great shots of this beautiful young lady,” he announced.

  What? Makeup? Photo shoot? Oh, God! Do I look okay? Why didn’t someone tell me what they meant by “some photos”? Jaden screamed inside her head.

  Digging deep for the same poise she’d drawn on at Dr. Shaunnessey’s birthday party, Jaden smiled and joined the photographer for her makeup. As she sat quietly in the chair, a woman she hadn’t noticed until now explained that she’d just soften her eyes and plump her already full lips a bit. Jaden closed her eyes and relaxed as she next went to work on her hair. Her daydreams were brought to a sudden halt as she overheard Rob mumble to Aaron to make sure they got a quality shot of her, and to make sure the sex appeal was high.

  Sex appeal? What the hell is talking about? I’m a chef! But Jaden wasn’t abo
ut to complain. Sitting in that chair, she felt like this was her fifteen minutes of fame, and she was going to suck it up, every last drop.

  The stylist handed her a mirror, and the photographer smiled. “You look stunning, Ms. Thorne.”

  “Please, call me Jaden,” she corrected him with a smile.

  When she looked in the mirror, Jaden had to take a second glance to make sure it was her. It wasn’t a girl staring back at her, it was a gorgeous woman—and for a second, Jaden didn’t recognize the face. The stylist had brightened her emerald eyes and accentuated her high cheekbones. Her normally plain-Jane hair was now tucked up in a high-fashion bun with a few ebony tendrils falling free, outlining the soft curves of her face.

  Still baffled about the events taking place, Jaden asked, “What am I supposed to wear? All I have is my chef’s outfit. Was I supposed to bring a change of clothes?”

  Aaron and Rob burst into laughter. “Priceless! No wonder everyone loves you,” Tim said. “The chef’s outfit is perfect! That is what makes you a cup of coffee on a table full of tea!”

  Jaden forced a laugh not truly understanding what was funny. Why was everyone making such a big deal out of her?

  “Are you ready, Ms. Thorne? I mean, Jaden?” the photographer asked.

  “Let’s do it,” she responded with determination and set off for the kitchen.

  They’d be working on Jaden’s home field, which not only made her more comfortable, but made a spotless backdrop courtesy of Geoff’s diligent planning and foresight.

  “Have you ever been photographed before?” Rob asked.

  “No, not professionally. This is my first time, so please be gentle,” Jaden added with a laugh.

  “Well, I tell all my models to imagine a clock in front of them. Strike a pose, then look at one number on the clock and then another. Then switch the pose and repeat. It’s simple as pie.”

  Jaden grasped the concept immediately and summoned her biggest and brightest smile. “Let’s do it,” she said again.