by Lisa Dyson
“Hi, Nick.”
A hand touched his arm and he turned to see a familiar petite blonde looking up at him. “Hey, Hannah. How are you?” He hoped he’d gotten her name right. For some reason he had trouble keeping Bree’s friends’ names straight.
She smiled at him. “I’m fine. Just surprised to see you.”
He forced a smile. “Not as surprised as I am to see all of you.” He nodded in Bree’s direction. “So how did you end up here?”
“The chef, Pinar Garcia, is our client. We’re here to decide whether we should help finance her new restaurant.”
That made perfect sense. Maybe this meeting between Bree and him had been accidental all along.
“So how did you hear about the pop-up?” she asked. “Do you know Pinar?”
He shook his head. “No, we’ve never met. But, apparently, she takes the same yoga class as my mother. Pinar gave her some tickets for tonight.”
“Ah, I see. And your mom coerced you into coming,” she surmised with a grin.
“That about sums it up. When she came into my restaurant today she admitted to having an ulterior motive.”
“An ulterior motive?” Hannah cocked her head to one side.
He nodded. “She’s become a matchmaker, hoping for grandchildren. Right now, she’s got Pete and Pinar in her sights.”
Hannah laughed. “Good for her.” She glanced around the room and then back at Nick. “You said your restaurant? Are you a chef or the owner?”
“Both.”
Hannah nodded. “Where is it?”
He swallowed the last sip of his watered-down soda now that the ice had nearly melted. “It’s called The Fresh Pantry and it’s in Old Town. We serve American classics with a twist, using fresh, local ingredients. Meat loaf, steaks, fried chicken, pastas. Then we have things like spaghetti and tacos that have become Americanized.” He shrugged. “You get the picture.”
“Sounds great. We’ll have to come by.”
He took a business card from his wallet and held it out to her. “When you call for a reservation, make sure you mention that you’re a friend of the owner.” He smiled, wondering if she’d bring her friends, including Bree, with her. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that after tonight’s run-in. “How’s the food here?” he asked, instead. “I haven’t had any yet.”
“Delicious.” She took his arm. “Come on, let’s get you some.”
He allowed himself to be led, but abruptly stopped when the crowd separated and he came within a few feet of Bree. Roxie and Amber stood with her. From the concerned expressions on their faces, he inferred that something was wrong with Bree.
“Do you need some air?” Roxie was asking her. That’s when Nick noticed how pale Bree was.
She didn’t answer as her eyelids fluttered closed. She began to crumple to the floor and would have injured herself on the hardwood if Nick hadn’t stepped forward quickly to catch her.
CHAPTER FIVE
BREE BLINKED A few times. Nick’s face was right in front of her. “What happened?” She turned away from him to glance at the people surrounding her. Roxie, Hannah, Amber. Behind them was a different backdrop—not the restaurant she’d been expecting. An office, judging by the desk and computer over Nick’s shoulder. She was pretty sure he’d carried her to wherever she was now because he still held her in his arms. “Where am I?” She avoided turning toward Nick again because that would put their faces only inches apart.
Hannah took a step closer and put a hand on Bree’s forearm. “You passed out, Bree.” She glanced at Nick and then back at Bree. “If not for Nick catching you—”
Bree turned her head in Nick’s direction without thinking. “You caught me?” She blinked, wishing he would stop gazing at her with those intense brown eyes. This close to him she could see tiny flecks of gold. They triggered memories she preferred to keep filed away. “How?” She paused. “How could you have caught...? Weren’t you on the other side of the room?” She realized too late that her comment might be construed to mean that she’d been keeping an eye on him.
Which, unfortunately, had been true. She’d had an innate urge to keep track of his movements.
Nick’s mouth was moving now, but she had trouble understanding his words because she was so enamored with the way his lips moved. He was saying something about seeing her legs begin to fold.
Hannah spoke up again. “Thank you so much, Nick. Bree could have really been hurt if she’d hit the floor.”
“Yes, thank you, Nick,” Bree echoed, without putting much feeling into it. “This is the second time you’ve been there to catch me before I fell.”
“The second time?” Hannah asked.
Bree made the mistake of glancing at Nick again and this time they locked gazes. She cleared her throat, unable to look away. “Yes, the first time was on the island. Remember—I told you guys—that’s how we met.”
Nick nodded slightly and his lips twitched.
Jerk. She knew where his mind had just gone. And now she was thinking about them in bed again, too.
“Would you please put me down now?” As much as she enjoyed being held by him, she needed to remember that he’d been deceitful by not telling her he lived near her, and just a few minutes before she’d been telling him exactly what she thought of him.
He carefully set her down in an office chair that someone had rolled in front of him. “She could probably use some water and a cool compress,” he said to the room at large.
“I’m fine,” she insisted, but was glad she was seated.
Amber handed her a glass of water, and she sipped it.
“Thank you all for your help.” She kept her tone businesslike and turned away from Nick to address Hannah. “How do I get back to the dining room?” She was beginning to feel the small office’s walls close in. She stood up slowly, not wanting to further embarrass herself. It took a few seconds to right herself, especially since she was wearing four-inch heels.
Hannah gripped her elbow. “I’ll show you the way. Why don’t I get an Uber to take you home?”
Bree shook her head. “No, I’m fine. I don’t want to go home.” That wasn’t completely true, since she still felt a little light-headed, but she blamed that on having too little to eat. “I’ll get some food and then I’ll be okay.”
When they reached the dining room doorway, a mature, petite woman with blond hair came rushing toward them. “I wondered where you were.” The woman was speaking to someone behind Bree, and that was when she realized Nick was trailing behind her.
“Hi, Mom,” Nick greeted the woman.
Mom? His mother was here?
Nick put an arm around the woman’s shoulders and guided her away from Bree, who could still hear the woman’s questions as they kept walking. “She passed out? And you caught her? Who is she? Do you know her?”
Bree couldn’t hear his answers, because he was speaking much quieter than his mom.
“Bree?” Roxie sounded as if it wasn’t the first time she’d addressed her. Bree hadn’t even seen her approach.
“What?” Bree answered.
“I think you should go home.”
This overblown concern needed to end now. “And I think you’re all worried about nothing. I got a little dizzy because I haven’t had enough to eat today and it’s warm in here. That’s it. Period. The end.” She paused for effect. “Now I’m going to get a plate of food. Anyone else?”
Only Hannah came with her, leaving Amber and Roxie alone, probably to discuss how to convince Bree to leave. Well, she’d show them. She grabbed a plate and added one of everything to it. Like before, the smell of the food didn’t sit well with her, but she was determined to get something into her stomach.
“There are a few chairs over there if you’d like to sit,” Hannah offered.
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“Lead the way,” Bree said.
As soon as they sat down, Bree contemplated her plate. Maybe it was the mixture of smells that caused her stomach to flip-flop. She obstinately picked up an empanada and took a large bite. The taste was delicious as long as she didn’t inhale. She put the rest of the savory turnover back onto her plate, thinking she’d try something else next. She chose a stuffed olive and that was a huge mistake. Before she could even take a bite she had to swallow, carefully controlling her gag reflex. She dropped the olive back onto her plate and stood up. “I need to go to the ladies’ room.”
Hannah pointed to the hallway where they’d just been. “On the right. Want me to come with you?”
Bree didn’t have time to speak—she just shook her head and took off before she embarrassed herself again. This time it would have been by throwing up in the middle of the restaurant.
* * *
NICK HAD BEEN keeping an eye on Bree from across the room. And not just because something was obviously wrong with her, though he would never admit that if asked. She’d made it clear on the island that she wasn’t interested in pursuing anything with him. Which made her anger over them living in the same city even more perplexing.
But people didn’t faint for no reason. Now, as she hurried back down the hallway to the restroom, he had a hunch—from her greenish complexion and her hand over her mouth—that she was about to puke her guts out.
He leaned down to whisper in his mom’s ear. “Mom, would you do me a favor and go into the ladies’ room to check on Bree? I don’t think she’s feeling well.” His mom had stayed by his side while they’d sampled the food.
She handed him her nearly empty plate. “Of course.” She gave him a questioning look. “You never answered me before. This woman is someone you know?”
He could hear her matchmaking gears turning. “She’s someone I met recently. I’m just concerned, that’s all.”
His mother nodded and left to check on Bree. She’d continue the interrogation later, he was sure.
“Hey, hero.” His cousin nudged him as he came to stand next to Nick.
He rolled his eyes at Pete’s teasing. “Knock it off.” He noticed Pete was alone. “Where’s your date?”
“She’s around.” Pete shrugged. “She’s just someone I met in line for coffee yesterday.”
Nick slowly shook his head. “You’re such a player.”
Pete chuckled. “Speak for yourself. Hey, I gotta say, that was a great way to get close to Bree. Sweep her off her feet.”
“She passed out, knucklehead.”
“Sure, sure. But now you’ve got an in. She owes you. Play on that when you ask for financial help.”
“Shh!” Nick looked around to see if anyone might have overheard Pete. “Keep your voice down.”
“But you’re gonna do it, right? You need help right away, so running into her tonight must be fate.” Pete urged, “Don’t wait too long. The restaurant’s in real trouble, you know.”
Nick knew it, but he didn’t want to ask Bree for help, period. Nick spoke quietly. “I told you, I have other ideas that I’m working on to bring in more money.”
“Maybe I should ask Bree,” Pete suggested. “You’re obviously too chicken to bring up the subject. Or maybe you’re too tongue-tied when she’s around.” He switched to a singsong tone. “You like her!”
“No!” The word came out louder than Nick had anticipated. He lowered his voice. “No, don’t ask her. I’ll handle it.” Which wouldn’t mean asking Bree for a loan, even if Pete took it that way.
Man, he had enough to worry about with the restaurant, and now his cousin wouldn’t give him a break on this loan idea.
Pete finally left Nick when Pete’s date came to drag him off to show him something. Nick stood by himself for a few minutes until his mom and Bree returned to the dining room. His mom gave him a look that said he’d been right about having her check on Bree, who had lost the green tinge to her complexion but now was beyond pale.
His mom turned Bree over to her friends, who had stepped forward en masse to help. They must not have seen how sickly she’d looked as she’d hurried out of the dining room.
“She’s probably got some kind of stomach bug,” his mother said to him when she returned to his side and retrieved her plate. “We’ll be lucky if we don’t all come down with it, too.”
“Are you blaming her for coming tonight?” That wasn’t like her.
“No, no,” she said as she swallowed her bite of food. “It’s not her fault. She said she was fine before she came, just tired. Smelling the food was what did it to her.” She took another bite of food. “You know, it reminds me of when I was pregnant with you.”
Nick stared at her, his heart suddenly beating at an alarming rate. “What do you mean?”
Mom shrugged. “I don’t know her situation, but with the fainting, nausea and actually losing her lunch, she could be pregnant. She has all the symptoms. I guess I should have asked her, but it’s a pretty personal question to ask a stranger.”
Nick couldn’t speak. His ears were ringing, and his own stomach had started doing somersaults.
Lucky for him, his mom was oblivious to his discomfort. She continued talking. “If she really doesn’t have a stomach bug, I hope it’s not food poisoning because we all might be the next victims. Then again, if she’s pregnant and doesn’t know it, then I hope it’s a nice surprise for her.”
* * *
“THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG with Bree,” Roxie told Amber and Hannah after they practically forced Bree into an Uber to get her home. Trying to get her to agree to one of them accompanying her had been impossible.
They stood on the sidewalk outside the restaurant watching the car drive away. The cold rain had stopped, but everything was wet, and there was a chill in the air.
Hannah nodded, her expression serious as she rubbed her hands on her upper arms. “I know. She hasn’t been right since we got back from vacation.” She cocked her head. “Do you think she might have picked up a tropical virus or something?”
Amber scowled. “I don’t know. I guess that’s possible.”
“We should probably get her to see a doctor,” Hannah added.
Roxie frowned. “Like she’d ever take our advice.”
“True,” Amber agreed.
“But we should still try.” Hannah’s empathetic side was showing. “This has been going on for too long. I’m worried about her.”
“Me, too,” Amber and Roxie said at the same time.
“What if it’s a parasite?” Hannah shivered.
“Ew!” Amber scrunched her face while Roxie shuddered at the idea.
“Let’s go back inside,” Roxie said, feeling the chill through the thin sleeves of her dress. “Bree will want a full rundown of the event later.”
“You’re right,” Amber said as she took a few steps and reached for the door handle.
As Amber was opening it, she saw Nick heading to the exit. Roxie had to admit that he was one fine male specimen. Not that Roxie was interested, but he was perfect for Bree. If only she would stop working so hard and give herself a chance for fun.
“Where’s Bree?” Nick exited the restaurant, and Amber closed the door when none of the women moved to go back inside.
“She went home,” Hannah told him. “She wasn’t feeling well.”
He nodded. “I know. I was there.” His demeanor was no longer calm and confident. “You let her drive herself?”
“No,” Roxie said, annoyed that he’d think they’d allow Bree to do that after she’d fainted. “She went by Uber. I’ll drive her car home.”
“I need to speak with her,” Nick said. He pulled out his phone. “What’s her address?”
“Whoa!” Amber stepped forward when she heard his reques
t. “We don’t give out personal information.”
Nick nodded slowly. “I understand. But this is important. I need to ask her something.”
“Whatever you need to ask her will have to wait until she’s back in the office.” Roxie narrowed her eyes. “Unless you have her cell phone number?”
“No.”
Roxie shrugged, not surprised that Bree hadn’t given him her number. She was adamant about never allowing herself to be distracted by romantic relationships. “I guess you’re out of luck, then. Try her at work.” She pulled a business card from her purse. “Call the main number and ask for Bree.”
Nick didn’t seem happy with his limited choices, but Roxie couldn’t help him any more than she already had. She had a sudden idea, of which the benefits might be twofold. BeeTee was looking for a venue and it might help push Nick and Bree together. “You have a restaurant, correct?”
“Yes,” Nick said slowly with a definite hint of suspicion. “Why?”
“It has a full bar?”
He nodded.
“Great. We’re looking for a place to hold bartending classes. Would you be interested in us ‘borrowing’ your bar?” She paused. “We’d pay you, of course.”
Nick seemed to consider the idea. “It would have to be on Mondays when the restaurant is closed.”
“That’s perfect!” She was excited about moving forward with Bree’s idea from vacation. “Can I come by to check it out, maybe during the midafternoon lull on Saturday or Sunday? Then we can figure out the details and I’ll have a contract drawn up.”
“Sounds great.”
“Hey, what’s going on out here?” Pete exited the restaurant and joined the group, his flavor of the week clinging to his arm. “I wondered where you got to,” he said to Nick. Pete looked directly at Roxie and said, “Hey, Rox. How’s it goin’?” He had the nerve to punctuate his question with a wink.