Can't Resist You (Second Chance Diaries Book 3)

by Emma Vikes

  Maybe my direct bluntness and approach weren’t working because she was still angry about what happened between us. I remembered how Maia had avoided me after our first hook-up and it was my persistence that won her over. I couldn’t get her off my mind then and acted out of character by continuously and consistently wooing her.

  Maybe I needed to be that way again. Maybe grand gestures would thaw her cold heart.

  5

  Maia

  The kitchen was in a frenzy. For a moment, I couldn’t help but stand in the middle of it to take it all in. It felt surreal to be in such a busy environment after a month of only cooking in my own home. People milled around me, cooks, waiters, and kitchen assistants. The noise was overwhelming as it was comforting.

  “Maia!” Jenna- one of the station chefs- called my attention. “I know that this is all a lot to take in but we really need you to help us out here.”

  I snapped back to attention and couldn’t help but feel giddy as I adjusted my chef’s hat. Among the three high positions, the sous chef was mostly hands-on in the kitchen. The chef de cuisine was considered as the CEO and the highest position in the kitchen. They were usually included in the kitchen structure when it came to large establishments like a hotel.

  As for the executive chef, he was at the top of the management structure. Since in our kitchen, we had a Chef de Cuisine, the executive chef would report only to her. The executive chef was usually the one who handled the administrative tasks of the restaurant. He created the recipes and made the menu.

  And then there was the sous chef, the position given to me. Both of the higher ranking chefs were seldom in the kitchen but my position was the opposite. I’m barely found in the office and I was always in the kitchen. I managed the flow in everything which was why everyone was waiting for my orders.

  Alice and Doug had already discussed the menu they wanted to be prepared for the grand opening and it was my job to make sure that very food came through. We were meant to cook for fifty guests and ten of them were considered VIPs. As for the VIPs, they had a different menu than the others and I was the one assigned to cook for them.

  This would be my time to prove to Alice and Doug that they didn’t make a mistake in hiring. All I had to do was put all my heart into the dish I made for those ten people. Doug would be the one to make sure the food fit the standard of our restaurant and would basically be doing my job for me.

  As I gave everyone their assigned tasks, I gave them a pep talk before they got started, “I know we were pretty busy during the soft-opening but this time, it’s a lot different for us. The people we’re serving are guests invited by the CEO of this hotel. We have to make sure we serve them the best dishes that they have ever tasted.”

  Everyone cheered.

  I couldn’t help but feel the thrum of excitement in my veins. It had been a while since I felt this way. In the last restaurant I worked at, the people I worked with had been this enthusiastic at first but then suddenly, they didn’t seem to be. It was as if my divorce had made them want to avoid me.

  It was unclear to me what happened but sometimes I felt like JC had something to do with it. He had more connections than I did in our industry and was a more famous chef than I was. When we were married, I was merely his shadow. I think he liked it that way though because when people started recognizing my skill, he started picking fights with me.

  Everyone was in their station and I was in mine. They approached me when they needed something and before the waiter took away the food to be served. We were all concentrating on the task at hand and I didn’t even notice Joey coming in the kitchen. When he tapped me on the shoulder, I jumped in surprise and slammed the knife harshly on the cutting board.

  “Oh shit, sorry for startling you, chef!” Joey apologized.

  I turned to look at him, flashing him a small smile. I wiped my hands on my apron. “It’s okay, Joey. I should’ve been more attentive. What’s up? Is there anything wrong?”

  A part of me felt anxious that he came to tell me someone didn’t like what we cooked.

  Joey shook his head. “Actually, I was told to give you this. You’ll find a dress in your room that would be fitting for you to join the party. Ansel requested for you to join. He already informed Doug and Alice about it.”

  Everyone else in the kitchen looked in our direction.

  I stared down at the key in my hand, blinking in confusion. “But I’m supposed to be manning the kitchen. Alice and Doug are the ones that are meant to be out there, entertaining the guests. They’re the chefs that are meant to be seen. Not me.”

  Joey nodded his head. “I’m aware of that, Chef Maia, but Ansel personally requested for you to join the grand opening.” He gave me a nod and then went his way.

  I stood there, completely dumbstruck with what the hell had happened and what Joey just told me. Ansel wanted me to join them. Is he fucking kidding me right now? I was supposed to be in the kitchen, making food for his guests. Mingling with guests wasn’t part of my job description.

  And then Joey suddenly came back. He seemed to wonder why I still stood where he’d left me. “Ansel’s waiting for you there too. Staying here dumbfounded is kind of holding everyone back, Chef.”

  When he said this I knew I couldn’t just blow it off and stay in the kitchen. With pursed lips, I left Jenna in charge for the time-being and assured her I’d be back right away. It was a good thing the food I was making would take a little while to cook. I had enough time to put some sense into Ansel.

  The room key Joey gave me was for the top floor, the penthouse. When I reached the top floor, the elevator didn’t open to a hallway leading to the rooms but to only one. I used the passkey for that room.

  Ansel was seated on the sofa, looking dashing in his navy blue suit. Blue always suited him and the way his suit fit him made him look expensive, as the CEO of a hotel should be. “Ah, I thought that I might wait all night for you,” Ansel said when I came in. His eyes glanced at the outfit I wore and he scrunched his nose. “It’s a good thing you came. Everybody’s already waiting for me downstairs and Joey’s been nagging me to get a move on. It’s a good thing he succeeded in convincing you to come here.” He stood up and then picked up a black box beside him. He handed it to me with a smile. “It’s in violet. You always looked like royalty in that color.”

  I stared at the box in my hand and didn’t even bother opening it before tossing it back on the couch. “Are you kidding me right now, Ansel? Are you flaunting the fact that you’re the owner of the hotel I work at and I’m nothing but your employee?”

  Ansel blinked and stared at me in confusion. “That’s not my intention, Maia. I want you to join me at the grand opening. You’re my plus one.”

  Turning away, I scoffed loudly and shook my head at him. “Oh my god, will you stop it? I thought I made it clear to you, Ansel. I’m not here to play games with you. We’re not reckless teenagers anymore. We’re adults and I have a job here. You hired me to work in the kitchen and that’s where I’m supposed to be tonight. Not having this argument with you.”

  Ansel ran a hand on his face and looked at me with confusion glinting in his honey eyes. “I don’t understand you, Maia. I’m giving you a chance. You could meet people in high positions and build connections. I’m literally opening the door for you and all you need to do is step in.”

  “At what cost?”

  At the question, Ansel faltered.

  I scoffed for the second time. “If you open doors for me, should I open my heart for you then because that’s what you want to happen? It’s not gonna happen, Ansel. So thank you for the invitation but I’m needed in the kitchen.” Turning around, I rushed to the elevator and back to the kitchen.

  When I came back, everyone stared at me.

  I could see the curiosity in their eyes that I tried to ignore. Some of them heard Joey say that Ansel was waiting for me. I’m sure by now, everyone was aware the CEO of the company just asked for my presence in the middle of t
he grand opening.

  I flashed all of them a smile and checked on their progress. Despite being gone, we weren’t behind with our schedule and I immediately got back to my station. The meat I had been cooking was tender by now and I began to transfer them on a plate. I focused all my attention on the work at hand and helped those who asked for me.

  The appetizers were the first to be sent out, followed by the main entre, and then the dessert. By the time the last dessert was out of the door, I sank on the ground against the wall, feeling absolutely tired. I went back to such a busy kitchen that I didn’t have time to dwell on what Ansel had done.

  Jenna sank on the floor beside me.

  I gave her a thumbs up. “You did a great job out there,” I told her and then called everyone’s attention to tell them the same thing. By now, we could all finally have our own dinner. I stood up to prepare everyone’s dinner. They all deserved a reward after the hard work they all put in. I was cooking by the stove when Joey came in again.

  “Is there any problem, Joey?” I asked, trying to make sure I kept my voice even. The last thing I wanted was for him to tell me Ansel needed me again.

  “This plate’s meant for you,” he said.

  I turned to look at him. He handed me one of the plates with the food I’d cooked for one of the VIP guests.

  I stared at it. “Did someone reject it?” My heart sank at the thought. I put all my efforts into the food.

  Joey shook his head. “It’s for you. It’s a little cold by now but it’s for you. You were one of the VIPs listed but you never joined us. Ansel told me to give it to you.” Joey left me with the plate.

  All I could do was stare down at it.

  By this time, everyone had noticed and they were all giving me knowing smiles.

  Jenna nudged me. “Seems like the CEO is interested in you.”

  I pursed my lips, not flattered nor thrilled with that notion. I thought I could make my point clear with Ansel and he would get it. I thought he had changed at this point but he was still the same guy he’d always been. He wanted to do things his way and he didn’t care whether you wanted the same thing or not.

  I’d rather lose this job than tolerate a man’s petty persistence.

  6

  Ansel

  For some reason I couldn’t even begin to comprehend, I had pissed Maia off even more. I thought she was waiting for a grand gesture. Making her my date during the grand launch was a grand gesture in itself. If she didn’t see it like that, had she agreed, I would’ve made her swoon even more after the whole event.

  She hadn’t only rejected my offer to be my date but also gave the food I’d set aside for her to someone else, cooked for the rest of the kitchen staff, and went home without eating. I’d known her well enough to know I’d somehow pushed her buttons and that was the opposite of what I wanted to happen. I wanted to confront her but I’d been buried with so much work in the last three days.

  We hadn’t crossed paths since the grand launching. I had every intention to talk to her but work held me back. It was only today when I had fewer things to do that I could head to the kitchen and have a word with her.

  Then for some strange reason, Alice and Doug suddenly came into my office and both of them looked antsy.

  “You two have been here for five minutes,” I said, a little annoyed. If they hadn’t suddenly popped out of nowhere, I would’ve been talking to Maia already. “What is that you wanted to tell me?”

  “It’s actually something we would like to discuss with you. Of course, we can make the decision ourselves but we’ve noticed…” Doug started to say and then he glanced at Alice to finish up for him.

  “We’ve noticed that you’ve been paying attention to Chef Maia. I know you’ve left the restaurant in our hands and as well as our staff but this is something we thought should be run through you.” Alice lifted a white envelope and then placed it on my desk.

  I picked it up gingerly and stared at it. “You two aren’t quitting on me, are you? I mean, we just started and I know that it’s nowhere near what I promised but—”

  Doug shook his head. “It’s not us, Ansel. I think you should open that and see who made the request.”

  Staring at the envelope in my hands, I tore it open and then read the resignation letter. It was short and direct to the point and when I read whose name had signed it, I wanted to crumple it. “Maia wants to resign?”

  Alice nodded. “We honestly don’t know what would push her to. She mentioned to us how much she desperately wanted the job during the interview so this is a shock to us. Maybe it’s just hard for her to leave her daughter…” Alice tried to think of a reason why Maia wanted to quit.

  Doug was staring at me the entire time. “Or maybe you’ve been pestering her too much, Ansel.”

  Even though I was their boss, Alice and Doug didn’t regard me any differently than they used to when I first met them.

  My eyebrows rose at Doug’s accusation. “What do you mean I’ve been pestering her?"

  Doug leaned back on the chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “During the grand opening, I went to see how it was going in the kitchen and couldn’t find Maia. When I asked about her, one of the chefs mentioned that Joey told her you asked to see her.”

  Alice’s eyebrows rose when she heard this and she looked at me with her sharp eyes. “So does that mean the reason why such a promising young chef like Maia wants to leave… is you?”

  I pursed my lips and looked away. “Maybe it’s hard to fit her schedule with her daughter’s—”

  “We made sure that we got it covered,” Alice answered quickly and sighed. “Look, Ansel, you’re our boss but it’s very unprofessional to chase after your own employee. Maia’s pretty and she’s independent and strong. I can see why you’re attracted to her. But she also just got divorced, became broke, and is raising her daughter on her own.”

  “Are you saying that she doesn’t deserve my attention?” I couldn’t believe something like this would come from Alice.

  She shook her head. “The opposite, actually. You don’t deserve her. I love you like my own son, Ansel, but I know how you treat women. I think she’s had enough heartbreaks in this lifetime.”

  I crumpled the paper in my hand. “I’m not letting her leave.”

  Alice pursed her lips but nodded. “I don’t want her to either but since we’ve brought this matter to you, it’s up to you to figure it out.”

  I wanted to call in Maia after Doug and Alice left but it was already lunch by then and the kitchen would be busy cooking. It had been insensitive of me to barge in last time, despite how busy they seemed. Also, I didn’t want Doug to reprimand me again. I felt certain they would keep me in check now that they’d noticed.

  So instead of calling Maia in or barging in the kitchen, I focused my energy on the little work I had left. At around three, I went out and passed by the kitchen. They still seemed busy because there were still people coming into the restaurant and they were preparing for the buffet dinner for the hotel guests. I decided to roam around the hotel to see if the guests were enjoying their stay.

  When I reached the lobby though, I noticed a familiar blonde engaged in what seems to be a heated conversation with the person at the front desk. “Joanne?”

  She stopped and then turned to look for who called her name. Her blue eyes widened when she saw me. “An-Ansel?”

  I flashed her a smile and a small wave. “What brings you to my hotel?”

  Her eyes widened even more. “You own this place?”

  Nodding, I tried to bite back another smile. “Are you looking for Maia? She’s pretty busy right now though.”

  Joanne shifted uncomfortably in front of me and then someone tugged at her arm. “Aunt Joanne? Can we come and see mom now?”

  My eyes fell on the little girl standing beside her. She looked so much like Maia that the sight of her tugged at my heartstrings. I was aware Maia had a daughter but I never really saw even a picture of her and n
ow I was seeing her in person. She was as beautiful as her mother and I couldn’t help but feel drawn to her too. “Hey,” I said, kneeling down so I was at the same level as her. “I’m Ansel.”

  She looked at me with her doe eyes and smiled. “Hello. My name is Sage.”

  Sage. She had a pretty name. “Did you come here to visit your mom?”

  Sage looked at Joanne and then back at me, shaking her head. “Aunt Joanne suddenly has something she needs to do and we’re wondering if I could stay here with mom. I promise I won’t bother anyone. I will be well-behaved.”

  I couldn’t help but fight the grin forming on my mouth and then I stood.

  Joanne seemed like she was trying to contact someone and I was certain it was Maia. I took a step closer to towards her and stopped her. The offer that I was about to make would be out of character of me. I wasn’t the biggest fan of kids but Sage was Maia’s kid. This was different. “Maia’s busy, Joanne. They’re preparing the food for the buffet later but Sage can stay. I’ll bring her to Maia myself but for the meantime, she’ll stay with me.”

  Joanne looked like she was absolutely against that idea. “I don’t think Maia would appreciate that. Thank you for the offer though.”

  “And where are you gonna leave her?” I asked and looked at her pointedly when she didn’t have an answer. “Look, I’m gonna take good care of her, Joanne. She’s Maia’s daughter after all.”

  Just then, her phone rang and for a moment, I thought it was Maia. But Joanne’s face fell and she gripped her phone tightly while looking at me. “Fine. I’m gonna get in so much trouble with Maia for this. So please, take good care of her.”

  I grinned.

  Then Sage said goodbye to her.

  We were left alone in the lobby and she was looking up at me expectantly.

  “Do you want to go swimming or eat something?” I asked.

  “I have to do my homework,” Sage told me with a small shrug of her shoulders, and then she reached for my hand to hold it.