Dreams Collide: Collide Series Book 2

by Kristina Beck

  Oops. Which entrée won? I rush out of the kitchen. James is on the phone in the corner of the room, and most of the guests have left. “Hey, Kayla, you didn’t tell me which entrée won.”

  Everyone looks at her. “The beef roulade was the winner. Not everyone likes lamb. Both tasted divine to me. Thanks again for tonight, Gerry,” she responds as she squeezes Matt around the waist.

  Just as I thought. That’s my favorite German dish to make and eat. It’s a traditional one that always takes me back to my childhood, when my grandmother would make it for me on a cold, rainy day. I’d walk into my house after school and glide into the kitchen, following the aroma of the delicious, bubbling sauce.

  My passion to cook started at an early age. Since I was the only child, I’d entertain myself by watching my mother and grandmothers in the kitchen. They would let me make up my own concoctions. Some were immediately thrown out or fed to the dog. Sometimes the dog wouldn’t even eat it. He’d whine and run to the corner of the room. Those recipes were thrown into the fireplace.

  Despite my many errors, cooking came easy, like a chemist creating his potions. My family always ate roulade at Christmastime. I never heard anyone say they didn’t like it other than vegetarians. Food critics always raved about it.

  Matt’s wedding will be the second event I’ve catered since I left the cooking scene in Germany a year ago. Yes, I have my own restaurant, but I’m not the chef. I give pointers and suggestions for the menu, but I don’t run the kitchen. My employees don’t even know I’m a chef. But, man, did it feel good to be back in the kitchen tonight.

  James puts his phone in his pants pocket. “That was Alexa. She said Tina’s already received medicine. She’ll be fine but was told to stay home from work tomorrow.”

  My shoulders relax. “That’s a relief. I’m glad to hear she’ll be okay.”

  This whole night is surreal. I haven’t cooked for anyone like this in a year. Of all things, Tina’s one of the guests. No matter the situation, something weird happens with her.

  I walk them to the stairs. “Since the roulade won, Kayla, once you give me the final head count, I’ll go ahead and order everything. Don’t worry about a thing. The kitchen’s taken care of for the first and second course. Matt is responsible for the dessert and wedding cake. I’d like to enjoy your wedding too. Now go enjoy being single for a little while longer.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll email you the final count, including how many vegetarian requests, within the next week or so. Are you bringing a date?” Kayla asks.

  I shake my head. “No way. I’ll be too busy to take care of one.”

  Now that I know Tina will be there, my eyes will only be on her. Something tells me she won’t make it easy for me.

  Matt smacks me on the shoulder. “Thanks for everything. All the guests raved about the food and how fun it was. Some of the women asked if you’re single. They might track you down at the wedding.”

  I wipe my brow. “Then I’m not leaving the kitchen.”

  We all laugh.

  I shake Lisa’s and James’s hands. “It was nice to meet you, Lisa.”

  “It was a pleasure meeting you finally. I’ve heard a lot about you from Matt. We’ll see you at the wedding.”

  “Enough talking everyone.” Kayla motions for them to go to the stairs. “Lisa and James need to get to the train.” She gives me a quick hug. “Thanks, cousin. You’re the best.”

  Chapter 8

  Tina

  I can’t hide in my bed all morning. I touch my face as I run to the bathroom to look in the mirror. I look normal, but I don’t feel normal. The only thing that’s on my mind is Gerry. He’s a chef. A damn sexy, famous chef. Even as I was swelling up, I still noticed how he looked. I never thought I’d think a man dressed in a chef’s coat could be that hot. But the black one he wore changed my mind. I swear, the noise in my brain is like a Formula One car competing in a race.

  I send Thomas an email explaining what happened last night and that I’m not going to be in today. I need to think about what I’m going to do. Thankfully, I have a great team, and they’ll be fine without me there.

  If I ask Thomas to take me off the account, I’ll disappoint him and mostly myself. He’s counting on me. I need to prove myself, so I can’t let my emotions or hormones interfere with my performance.

  I’m supposed to rest today, but I’m too antsy. When I’m like this, I exercise or clean. After thirty minutes, the bathroom sparkles like a diamond. All due to the Mr. Clean products under the sink. Not helpful to keep my mind off Gerry.

  My stomach churns when I replay the mortifying events of the past weeks since I’ve met him. As long as I do a superb job, I don’t care if I look like a pirate or a raccoon or diseased fish. Well, I care a little bit, because I like being around him. We hardly know each other, but I can’t ignore my desire to see him, talk to him, or touch him. When he calls or sends me emails, I become giddy like a programmer who just downloaded a new app. Even if our phone calls are only business, I still get excited.

  The doorbell rings just as I’m about to turn on the vacuum in the living room. Who can this be in the middle of the morning? I haven’t even showered. The doorbell rings again, and I look through the peephole. It looks like a delivery guy of some kind. I crack the door open. “Hello. How can I help you?”

  “I have a package for Tina Schmitt.”

  “That’s me.” I open the door wider.

  “Please sign here.” He extends the electronic signature machine.

  After I sign it, he hands me the package and walks away.

  “Thanks,” I say as I shut the door.

  The package is smaller than a shoe box. I flip it around. Only my name and address are on it. I can’t find any scissors in the kitchen, so I opt for a steak knife. I cut through the tape and open it slowly. It could be a bomb for all I know.

  Definitely not a bomb, but sweet enough to make my heart quake. Inside is a bag of black licorice, a purple rose, and a note. Even though I don’t want to think about him, I can’t help but feel warm and fuzzy. I lift the handwritten note. I wonder if he actually wrote it or if someone else wrote it for him.

  Dear Tina,

  I’m sorry about last night. Please don’t back out of our project. Let’s talk before you make any decisions.

  I hope the licorice helps you feel better. The purple rose is to make you smile. You deserve your own roses. Not ones taken from your roommate who doesn’t appreciate her own.

  Thinking of you,

  Gerry

  Well, that doesn’t make it any easier. How did he know I was home, and how did he get my address?

  This is the third ring of his cell phone. I should disconnect before voicemail picks up. Maybe it’s a sign I shouldn’t speak to him. I guess one o’clock in the afternoon isn’t the best time to call him at the restaurant. I pull laundry out of the dryer and put it into a basket.

  “Maier speaking.”

  I twitch and almost drop the phone.

  I hear his demanding voice and the sound of people in the background. Someone requests a table for four in the beer garden. Definitely a bad time to call.

  “Hello. Anybody there?”

  I hesitate one more second. “Hi, Gerry. It’s Tina. Is this a bad time?”

  His voice changes to soft and sweet. “No, not at all. Let me go to my office, where it’s quieter.”

  I hear some shuffling and people talking to him. Then a door closes.

  “Now I can talk. I’m glad you called. How are you? I’ve been thinking about you.”

  Butterflies whip up a storm in my stomach.

  “I feel fine today. The medicine kicked in right away. I just wanted to call to say thank you for my little present. It was a nice surprise. I’ve never gotten something like that before. It brightened my day.” I teeter back and forth on my heels and almost fall backward.

  “I’m glad. It’s the least I could do after what happened last night. I think we were both surpr
ised. I can’t believe you know Matt and Kayla.”

  “Funny coincidence, isn’t it?” I lift the little vase to smell the purple rose. “And I can’t believe you’re a chef. You were the last person I expected to see last night, especially when I was swollen with hives.”

  I hear commotion in the background.

  “Can’t it wait? I’m on the phone,” Gerry says firmly.

  “No, it can’t. A delivery is here, and it looks like someone messed up the order,” a man explains.

  Gerry grunts. “I’ll be there in a second.

  “Tina, I’m sorry. I need to go.”

  “No problem. It’s obviously busy over there. We can talk in a few days. Have a good afternoon.” I linger because I don’t want to get off the phone. I wish I could see him, even though I shouldn’t.

  I’m about to swipe End, but hear his voice again.

  “Tina, wait a second.”

  Excitement kicks in again. “I’m still here. Do you need something?” Please ask me out.

  It’s quiet for a couple of seconds. I press the phone hard against my ear in anticipation to what he’s going to say.

  “Can I see you this afternoon?” he mumbles as if he’s in battle with himself. “Even if it’s only for coffee. We need to talk.”

  Okay! Stay calm and cool. “Sure. But don’t you need to work?”

  “Yes, but I’m the manager. I can do what I want. The assistant manager starts in an hour. I can leave after that. I need to take a quick shower though.”

  Don’t think about him naked in the shower! Think of cleaning the toilet again! “S…sounds gr…great. Would you like me to come into the city?” I say as I skip to my bedroom to see what’s in my closet.

  “No. I want to see what Hoboken’s like. Do you want me to pick you up at your place, or would you rather we meet somewhere else?”

  I think it’s better to meet somewhere other than my apartment. Neutral territory. I don’t know if I can trust myself. Maybe this is only a business meeting. My gut says it isn’t. “There’s a nice café down the street from my place, called Blue Moon. Why don’t we meet there?”

  “It doesn’t matter to me. I just want to spend time with you without our jobs, families, or friends getting in the way.”

  Wow. This is definitely not a business meeting. I’m squealing in my head.

  “I’ll send you a text message with the address and what bus you can take. Unless you have a car. Just let me know what time.” I hear someone else call his name in the distance. “You’d better go.”

  “I need to take a bus, so please send the information. I should be able to meet you around four. When I’m on the way, I’ll send you a message. I look forward to seeing you.” He hangs up before I can respond.

  Did I just agree to go on a date with him? I shake my head. Nooo. We’re two adults meeting for coffee. It’s harmless.

  Every day, I say I’ll keep this platonic. Within seconds of seeing him or hearing his voice, that flies right out the window. I’ve been controlling my emotions for years. But when I’m with him, it’s hard to hold back.

  I’m playing with fire.

  I love it!

  Chapter 9

  Gerry

  Nothing has gone smoothly since I spoke to Tina. Deliveries were messed up, one of the cooks cut his finger and had to go to the hospital, and a large vat of pumpkin soup fell off the stove, which covered my jeans and half the kitchen floor. I hardly had time to shower and change my clothes in order to catch the bus I’m on right now. That’s one benefit of living near the restaurant.

  Tina and I need to talk. To discuss business. I have no idea if she requested to be removed from the project. However, I want to get to know her on a personal level. If she’d be off the project, it would be a lot easier for us to spend time together.

  I took a big risk sending her that package today. If there’s no connection between us, she could’ve easily been offended and complained to her manager. I just wanted to make her smile and let her know I was thinking about her. More than I should be.

  I’m one stop away, I text her.

  I’m already here. I look forward to seeing you.

  Now that she has reappeared in my life, I won’t let her go so easily. But how can I tell her who I am? Would she even remember the game? Maybe it was no big deal to her. I walked away without finishing it. Then again, maybe I wasn’t the guy she picked. I really don’t believe that. We exchanged something that couldn’t possibly have been one sided. But it was just a ridiculous college game. Maybe I should never tell her. I’d grab my hair in frustration, but I don’t have any.

  My heart races as I ascend the stairs to the café’s entrance. When I open the door, a bell clangs overhead. Not necessarily my way of entering a room. Now the entire world knows I’m here. I’m greeted with a smile by a young purple-haired barista.

  The entire front is large windows. There’s a wide white windowpane across the top third of the windows. Along the pane are thick white candles in different sizes and heights. When I look at them longer, they create an awesome illusion of the New York City skyline.

  My eyes scan the room for her. The café is almost empty near the front. An older man with glasses on the tip of his nose reads the newspaper. He looks at me and then shuffles the newspaper loudly.

  I proceed forward and look around a wall. In a quiet corner, she sits at a table for two. Head down, she’s engrossed in a magazine. She hasn’t noticed me yet. I pass a large table of girls chatting away while sipping on their frozen coffees.

  I sneak up to her. “Hey there.”

  She twitches and almost knocks her phone off the table. “Gerry, you scared me.”

  She stands up, and this is when it gets awkward. I want to hug and kiss her.

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “It’s okay.” She sits back down and pulls the spare chair close to her. “Come sit by me.” She pats the chair. “My hives are gone.”

  “I’m glad to see that. I’ll probably never give anybody currants again.” I angle the chair to face her.

  “You have my sweater.” She points to the sweater in my hand. “I totally forgot about it last night. I realized I forgot it when I was in the ER. Thanks for bringing it back.”

  I hand it to her. “A server gave it to me and showed me which chair he found it on. It gave me another reason to see you.”

  I lean over. “What are you reading? You must like it since you were so distracted by it.”

  A server interrupts us. We both order double-shot latte macchiatos and agree to share one slice of Death by Chocolate cake.

  “Show me your magazine.”

  She slides it over to me.

  “Afar. It looks like a travel magazine. Planning a trip?” I flip through it quickly and then push it back to her. “You like tropical beaches. I noticed the calendar on your cubicle wall.”

  Her face lights up. “You noticed that?”

  “I notice a lot of things. You’d be surprised.”

  A corner of her mouth rises. “Yes, one of my dreams is to travel to beautiful tropical beaches. I’d love to fly to Fiji and stay in one of those little huts on the water. In Australia, there’s Whitehaven Beach. It has one of the whitest sand beaches anywhere. Or maybe even the Maldives.” She sighs as she rests her chin on her hands. “One day.”

  “It sounds awesome. Wearing nothing but a bathing suit and being lazy all day. I couldn’t tell you the last time I was on a beach. Not even a Jersey beach.”

  She shoves the magazine into her bag and leans her elbows on the table. “Enough about beaches. Spill the beans. How did you know I was home, and how did you know where I live? I don’t think Thomas would’ve given it to you.”

  “Spill the beans? I’ve never heard that before. Here I thought I’m fluent in English.” I shake my head.

  She swats my arm playfully. “Stop trying to change the subject. It means confess how you found my address.”

  “James told
us last night you were staying home today. I called Kayla. She has your address because of the wedding invitations.”

  The corner of her mouth tilts up. “That’s a lot of effort for someone you hardly know. You’ve earned some major brownie points.”

  I bite my lower lip. “Brownie points? You’re killing me here. I’m not familiar with that phrase either.”

  “Come on. You never heard that from your mom or your cousins? I’m going to have to talk to them about what they’re not teaching you,” she teases.

  “My parents and cousins will be at the wedding, so you can ask them then.”

  Her eyes flicker for a second.

  I shift in my seat. “Enough small talk. Let’s be serious. Did it bother you that I sent you a package? Be honest with me. If I make you feel uncomfortable, and you want me to back off, I will.” I lift my arms up and lean back. “No explanation needed.” I hold my breath, waiting for her response.

  She touches the pendant on her necklace. “Your package made me really happy. Especially the purple rose.”

  I let out my breath.

  “But…”

  Scheiße. There’s a but. I’m holding my breath again.

  “But I don’t know how to react to it. To you. I’ve never been in this situation before. Ever.”

  I take her delicate hand in mine. “Do I make you nervous? Tell me.”

  “Sometimes. But for good reasons.” She squeezes her eyebrows together. “Why?”

  “You seem to play with your necklace when you’re stressed or uncomfortable. You’ve done it a lot every time we’ve been together.”

  She lets go of the necklace and shoves her hand between her knees. “Most of the time I don’t even notice I’m doing it. My friends and family comment on it all the time.”

  “When we had our first meeting, I thought you were going to yank it off.”

  She cocks her head. “I think the mishap with the sunglasses gave me every reason to be nervous. Don’t you think?”

  “My gut says that wasn’t the only reason. You weren’t the only one who was nervous.” I squeeze her hand gently.