by Chloe Blake
Stretching her neck, she saw a blur of long dark hair and long legs stop a soccer ball, then execute a massive volley. Dani moved closer as Sophia fished a ball from the bushes, then threw it back out.
Dani inhaled when Toni ran into her view, expertly maneuvering the ball and kicking it back to his daughter. Despite the chilled afternoon, Toni had removed his shirt, giving Dani a reminder of just how hard his torso was.
Her lips had been all over that tattoo.
Sophia spotted Dani watching. She jumped up and waved at the window, prompting Toni to wave, as well. Dani blushed at his slow smile and laughed when Sophia kicked a ball right into his chest.
Hours later Dani kept a watchful eye from the kitchen as Grace and Sophia were served their meal. Liam and Toni coached the staff from a distance while six courses were served and cleared. Grace sliced her fork into the last course, a chocolate cake garnished in a Lambrusco sauce she made from their family wine. Another bite was tasted, then sent away. Dani wrung her hands and made mental notes of all the things the kitchen could do better.
Timing, for one, the third course was late. Prepping, for another. The only parmesan left had been aged three years, she would have preferred the five-year. She heard footsteps in the hall outside the kitchen. Dani checked that the buttons on her coat were still buttoned, ready to defend herself. They’d only had days to prepare. The new saucier was excellent, but still learning the menu.
The staff froze when Grace burst through the double doors, Toni, Liam and Sophia trailing behind. The stern look on her face said it all. Dani opened her mouth to apologize, but instead was wrapped in a strong bear hug then held her at arm’s length.
“I prayed to the Virgin last night that Marcello would get stronger and that our restaurant would be a success. I heard nothing. Today, I saw her face in that velvet artichoke soup. And when I tasted it, I knew.” Grace clapped her hands and smiled.
Dani waited for more, hoping that Grace’s beaming face was a good thing.
“Mamma, please, just say you liked it.” Toni winked at Dani.
“Liked it? I loved it! Brava. Brava!”
“I did too! I want more cake,” Sophia piped up from her father’s side, and Dao fixed her another slice.
Dani felt relief wash over her. “Grace, I know it wasn’t perfect. But it will be. I promise.”
“I’m going to get the champagne. We are celebrating!” Grace kissed both of Dani’s cheeks and thanked the staff. Her praises to the heavens could be heard fading down the hall.
Dao snapped his fingers and the staff began to clean. Liam waved a goodbye while Toni walked to stand right in front of her. He leaned in a little and spoke for her ears only.
“If we were alone I’d kiss you right now.”
“Is that all?” She was feeling good, flirty. Happy. And she began to recognize that look in his eye, just as her body began to automatically respond to it.
His gaze flicked to the long marble tabletop littered with flour and freshly rolled tortellini. “No, we’d have to break in this island.”
“Like we did the tasting bar?”
“Exactly.”
“I was thinking you could be spread out this time. That Lambrusco sauce might taste good licked from your torso.”
He blinked and licked his lips, a glaze appearing over his eyes. Toni was a take-charge type of guy, which was evident in his life, and his sex. She’d wondered how he’d respond if she was the assertive one, and she reveled in his primal reaction, making her feel a bit like Venus in her half shell.
Dani caught movement out of her eye. Sophia was watching them. She took a deep breath and stepped back. “Sophia is done with her dessert. And she’s watching.”
“I’d like dessert.” She knew he wasn’t talking about chocolate cake.
“Dao, could you cut Toni a piece of cake. Extra Lambrusco sauce.”
“You’re lucky you’re surrounded by people,” he whispered. “If we were alone, I’d already be inside you.”
Dani’s insides went liquid.
Toni stepped back and took his plate. “Thank you, Dao. Nice job, everyone. My family and I can’t thank you enough.”
Grace returned with champagne and raised her glass to the staff. “Salute,” said the room and in that moment it felt like everything was falling into place.
* * *
The day of the soft launch was a blur and Toni was doing his best to keep everything together. The deliveries were late, a light rain started and several RSVPs still hadn’t been confirmed. By the afternoon, the dining room tables were covered in white, soft music lilted through the air, and the lighting inside and outside of the restaurant was romantically staged. Fresh flowers perfumed the hallways, the bar was filled and the wine locker was open. Their well-trained staff manned each room. Toni caught a glimpse of himself in the hallway.
His navy suit was impeccable and hid the fact that he was sweating, hard. Quick steps led him to the kitchen doors. He peered through the window and found Dani in her black coat and Crocs, vigorously stirring a pot and yelling out orders. He smiled when he saw Sophia in a white coat in the corner with the pasta chef.
“Don’t stare, you’ll make her nervous,” his mother said behind him.
“How is she doing?”
“Wonderfully. I’ve sneaked in and tasted a few things. Brilliant. Just brilliant. This is going to be a defining moment. I can feel it.”
Toni wished he could mimic his mother’s optimism. The critic from The Taste had not RSVP’d. Maybe it didn’t matter. The man moved in secret, so there was a possibility he could show up. But that wasn’t his only problem. His ex-wife was definitely coming. He just prayed she didn’t make a scene.
Dani caught Toni at the window and lifted her brows, a silent question. He just smiled and shook his head, then blew her a kiss. She blew one back, then got back to work. He nodded his head, a defining moment indeed.
* * *
Dani wiped her brow and took a slow steady breath. Basil, oregano, paprika, she began her calming ritual just as they were putting the finishing touches on the third course. So far everything was going smoothly and from her vantage point, Dani could see that the dining rooms were full. A few beautiful people lounged in the tasting room and she caught a few journalists trying to get a peek into the kitchen, but Grace was like a gentle bear, directing everyone back to the main house. Dani turned back to her food, trying to ignore the fact that her mother still hadn’t shown up.
“Dani, are you going to stay now?”
Sophia carefully placed each pasta roll into the boiling water while Dani concentrated on getting just the right spices in her white sauce. “What do you mean, love?”
“I mean, are you still going back to New York?”
“Well, I’m not sure about New York, but once this is up and running and Marcello comes back, I’ll have to figure something out.”
“You could stay here, in Milan.”
“I doubt it, sweetie, Milan doesn’t need any more chefs,” she chuckled, focusing on the food, unaware of Sophia’s frown and the slump of her shoulders. Dani heard the double doors of the kitchen open and expected to see Grace.
She froze when Andre slowly walked farther into her kitchen, a smile on his face that didn’t reach his eyes.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Her staff faltered at his presence, but Dani gave them all a look to keep working.
“I was invited,” he said, his voice as smooth as dirty silk.
“No, you were not. Get out.”
“Actually, I’m here with the editor of Good Food, she got the invite. You look well. The food is...it’s fantastic.”
“If you have something to say, say it, then please leave.”
“I’m sorry. Bette and I are no longer together. The TV show fell through. Actually, it’s all falling apart. We los
t a Michelin star since you’ve left. I came to ask if you would consider coming back. The staff needs you.”
Dani’s mind raced, unsure if what she was hearing was real. Andre there apologizing. It was what she dreamed of, and yet she didn’t care. She wasn’t even going to dignify his question with an answer.
“If that’s all, please go. We are busy.”
His head hung, and then he nodded. “Maybe we can talk later,” he murmured before slipping through the doors. Grateful he didn’t cause a scene, Dani turned toward Sophia, but the young girl was gone.
Just as the fourth course was being served, Dani ran downstairs to the staff restrooms. The next course of entrées was running through her mind when she ran headlong into a tall blonde in a fur coat. Ava. What the hell was she doing down there?
“You,” she sneered. “I can understand him wanting something a little different, but you’re not even on the spectrum, are you?”
“If you are talking about the spectrum where a smart woman can feed a man when he’s hungry and has enough curves to satisfy a man when he needs it, then you and I aren’t even on the same planet.”
Ava’s eyes glittered with hatred. “I’m going to get him back.”
“No, you won’t.”
Dani grinned at Ava’s wide eyes, and then she left the model there to stew while she used the ladies’ room. She had a job to do and Ava wasn’t going to get to her anymore.
Dani rushed back to the kitchen only to find Dao in a frenzy.
“A woman came in looking for Sophia, then told the staff they were doing a horrible job. I led her out.”
Dani let out an exasperated breath. Ava. She should tell Toni, but there was no time. “That was Sophia’s mother. You did the right thing, Dao. I don’t think she’ll be coming back. Let’s get the fifth course ready.”
“Chef!” Liam stood just inside the doors holding four plates of entrées. His eyes wide with horror. “They are sending them back.”
Dani’s heart seized. “What? Why!”
The server tossed the plates on the island. “Too spicy.”
Dani grabbed a fork and jammed the food into her mouth. She spit it out. Then tried the other three. All the same. Cayenne pepper. But how? The spice was burning her mouth, just like she could feel her career and the restaurant burning up in flames. She slumped over the entrées ready to cry. She looked up from the island to see Toni just inside the doors, his face like stone.
Chapter 19
Toni showed the last of their guests out of the door, found a single malt scotch under the bar and drank straight from the bottle. He took another swig as his gaze slid to the windows and locked on the lights of the kitchen. Ten years he’d been building this and it was already crumbling after one night.
He could see it now. The bad reviews would trickle in tomorrow, leaving a black mark on his family’s reputation. He was avoiding the kitchen, unsure that he was ready to talk to Dani.
What the hell happened?
Everything had been going perfectly. The food editor of The Evening Standard had even pulled him aside and raved. But that was before the fourth course. He looked toward the window and saw bussers and servers taking plates back to the kitchen.
Few guests had stayed for the seventh course and those that did had left several dishes untouched. By the start of the dessert course, the dining room was near empty. Toni jerked off his tie and took another deep drink.
He wanted to scream at her and yet his body yearned to hold her. He knew she was just as distraught. This wouldn’t bode well for her reputation either.
After another pull from the bottle, he looked up and caught a glimpse of Dani through the opened doors. Her hands were on her face and her fingers were wiping her eyes. Was she crying? His feet were in motion before he could think to stop himself. He was making quick work of the hallway when he spotted Sophia holding herself in the corner.
“Cara mia, you should be in bed.”
“I want to go home, Papà.”
“Nonna left the back door open. You can go—”
“No, I want to go home. I want to sleep in my own bed.” Toni frowned. Her eyes were puffy as if she’d been crying and she wasn’t meeting his eyes. He felt guilty suddenly that she was being affected by the family troubles.
He’d met her—dare he say it—boyfriend earlier in the evening and although he still had his misgivings, he seemed like a decent boy. Some chaperoned “dates” could be arranged, but that was it.
“Sophia, I don’t want you worrying about this.”
“But Mamma said the restaurant will fail now.” Toni gritted his teeth at Ava’s loose tongue.
Grace appeared and put her hands on her hips. “Nonsense. No one listens to those critics anymore. We will open next week as planned. I don’t care what they write. It was a soft launch for a reason. Nothing is perfect on the first night.”
Toni nodded his head at his mother’s bolstering pep talk, but their exchanged glances over Sophia’s head said otherwise. His gaze shifted over his mother’s shoulder toward the kitchen.
“Mamma, what happened?” He asked low.
“My love, I don’t know. I’m telling you, everything was perfect. She was fantastic. Go talk to her.”
“I am, I just—” He shook his head. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Don’t yell at her, Papà.” Sophia wiped at her eyes and he again felt that she didn’t need to be around the drama. Maybe it was best that he took her back to Milan.
“I’m not going to yell at her. Come, I’ll take you home.”
When Toni looked up, Ava was standing off to the side with a martini in her hand.
“I’ll hitch a ride, too, if you don’t mind.” Toni didn’t like that snide, satisfied look on her face. It gave him the feeling that she had something to do with the night’s events. Grace gave Ava a once-over and left the hall.
“I thought you drove here,” Toni said, wary of the little smile on her face.
“I took a car. I can’t drive in these shoes.” She did a little pose and pushed her stilettos forward. Then she held up her drink. “And I wanted to have a few of these.”
He had wanted to speak to Dani first, but thought maybe a drive would cool his temper. They could talk when he got back.
“Fine. I’ll get the car.”
After a quick run to the main house, Toni parked in front of the restaurant. He left the car running as he got out and helped Ava down the stairs, her body swaying against his in what he felt were extra theatrics. After lowering her into the car, he made his way to the driver’s side.
He had one foot in when the front door opened and Dani stood in her black coat and ponytail. The streaks on her cheeks almost pulled him from the car.
“You’re leaving?” Her voice quivered.
“I’ll be back.”
They stared at each other for a moment, then he saw her gaze shift to the passenger side. He hated how it looked but had no choice. He told himself he’d explain later. He quickly ducked into the car, revved the engine and sped away.
* * *
The sun still hadn’t risen when Dani woke in Grace’s home. She groaned, that sunken feeling she’d had all night hadn’t left her chest and her thoughts drifted to the sight of Toni driving away in the car.
He had been avoiding her. It was the only explanation for his not coming back to the kitchen. If only she could explain...what? That she had no clue how cayenne pepper made its way into her pasta sauce? It didn’t matter how. She was responsible for the food. Ultimately it was her fault.
She had planned to wait for Toni at the restaurant, but after an hour she had decided to wait in her room. She figured he would find her there but he must have gone to his room. Dani tied her robe around her waist and went to look for him. She quietly opened the unlocked door and descended the stairs, her
mind focused on what to say, but her explanation speech was forgotten when she saw that his bed was empty. And hadn’t been slept in.
Ava. He was with Ava. She knew it in her bones. That image of him driving away in the car wasn’t what bothered her, it was him driving away with his family. Ava was trying to get him back and what better way to do it?
Dani went back to her room and scrolled through her phone with hopes of a text from Toni. Nothing. There wasn’t even one from her mother, who never showed. She swallowed back tears as she packed and zipped up her suitcase. Talk about getting kicked when you were down. If there was any other time when she felt like a ghost, this trumped them all.
Dani called a car service then left her bags at the foot of the stairs, intending to write Grace a note. There was so much to say. She had crumpled up three pages when Grace appeared in her robe. The older woman hugged Dani and tried to convince her not to leave.
“Please, stay. He’ll come back and you can talk.”
“He doesn’t want to talk to me, Grace. I understand. The restaurant—”
“Bah! You think this is the first time our family has struggled? No. This will work out. But you and Toni, that’s what I’m worried about.”
Dani didn’t know how to say it was just sex.
“We’re not together, Grace.”
Grace grabbed her shoulders.
“You’re falling in love. Don’t throw it away over this.”
“No, we aren’t. He’s with Ava.”
“He would never. I know my son.”
Dani’s phone chimed with a text that her car had arrived. Sure enough, a black car rolled slowly toward the house. Grace watched her with a pleading look in her eyes. Dani didn’t want to disappoint Grace, but she needed to go. “Tell him I’m sorry.”
Grace lowered her eyes then nodded. Dani grabbed her bags and shut herself away in the town car. During the ride she scanned the blogs for reviews, but none had posted yet. Doom was imminent, but for now she could ignore what was coming.