About this job, Vin didn’t know if he should blame or thank his friend and in this case not-so-silent partner Carter for this job, since he was sure it came from the local magazine feature Carter had finagled. The one that labeled him the “Bad Boy of the Beach.” It was short on food substance but long on atmosphere about the beach and descriptors about his physique. He didn’t much like the piece, but Carter thought it was just the type of feature Canela needed.
Vin didn’t get it. Just because he cooked and rode a motorcycle and happened to be a minority, he was labeled a bad boy. Breaking freaking news. But he knew that everyone had to have an angle, so he guessed he had to work this one and use what he had to get what he needed. And what he needed was yet another way to clear his costs for the month and come out in the black.
With the gentrification of the old neighborhood and the prime beachside location, he could admit they were lucky as hell to be in the position they were in. He also knew he couldn’t let his ego get in the way and blow this opportunity. With the peak season jumping off to a slow start he’d do whatever it took to get this wedding gig.
Vin and his sous chef, Manny, were just finishing unloading their haul from the local farmers market out of his delivery van when he heard a car pull up. Shit, he hoped it wasn’t his new clients. If it was, they were fifteen minutes early and Vin had wanted to run in and at least change his T-shirt before they met.
But the closer the car came, the more he questioned if it was his clients. Vin eyed the old Buick suspiciously as it lumbered up the hill toward Canela’s driveway. No, this couldn’t be his clients. Not with a car like that. Besides, there were two women in the front, and Vin was under the impression he was meeting a couple today. He looked closer, his eyes squinting against the glare of the sun, when suddenly his heart did an annoying skip-jump thing as he recognized Lily Perry in the driver’s seat. Yes! She’d come to him. Even before he’d gotten a chance to call and set a formal date. But crap, she was here fifteen minutes before he was due to meet with clients. Vin let out a breath. No matter. He’d do whatever it took to hold her there while he dealt with the clients today. Maybe he’d have Manny whip up something for her and her friend. Anything she wanted to not let her out of his grasp this time without firm plans to meet again.
The car chugged to a stop, and he watched as Lily cut the engine but the car still labored on. Jeeze, Vin thought, she had some trouble there. He attempted to play it cool as he handed the last box to Manny and walked toward Lily and her noisy car.
She opened her door before he could assist, and the first thing that Vin noticed was the curve of her calf, then her shapely ankles as she stepped out onto the gravel drive in her sexy black pumps. The rest of her followed in what should’ve been a perfectly professional, slim black skirt and demure pink blouse that nipped in at her slim waist and then fanned out across her hips. But there was nothing demure about it, because the way the fabric gently skimmed her luscious curves immediately brought to Vin’s mind all sorts of erotic fantasies. He knew he had to play it cool, but for the life of him all he wanted to do was stride up to her, take her in his arms, and pull that sexy body hard against his own, then kiss her until her lips were just as pink as that pretty little blouse.
But of course that wouldn’t do, because despite being labeled a bad boy or whatever it was they had tagged him, he wasn’t some type of Neanderthal. Besides, just as she was getting out of the car the passenger door opened and out came another young woman, maybe four or five years younger than Lily. She was pretty with clear, sepia-toned skin and tortoiseshell glasses that accented eyes that seemed to see everything all at once. She was coming around to the front of the car at the same time that Manny was coming out the restaurant side door. Vin could see Manny’s female radar detector pinging from where he was standing and shot him a quick look.
Vin was just about to greet Lily when she cut him off at the pass by opening her mouth first. She was all business, giving off not a hint to the fact that the last time they’d seen each other they were so close that a person could barely wedge a hand between the two of them. No, now here was Lily sticking out her hand as if she was about to negotiate a deal on new tires for that old boat she was calling a car. Vin couldn’t help but be taken aback and looked at her hand as if he didn’t know what to do with it. Was she for real? Vin gave himself a mental shake. Of course she was. This was Lily—Take control, Perry!—so he stuck out his hand and shook hers.
“So good to see you again,” she said, her honey voice light and clear as she looked up, taking in the façade of his restaurant with a critical eye. For some reason, in that moment, Vin felt the need to stick his chest out and possibly defend his little square of the island.
“So this is your place,” she said, turning away from the restaurant’s signage and now looking over the drive and the surrounding areas critically. She gave a nod and smiled at him. “I have to say, it is nice. Though the access and the parking situation could use a bit of help. I’m sure you’re already aware of it. That aside, your location and proximity to the beach can’t be denied.”
She then turned to the younger woman. “Tori, please make a note that parking and the valet situation will need to be attended to.”
The young woman whom he now knew to be Tori gave a nod and then quickly started tapping on her phone.
Lily looked up at Vin, catching his confusion, and gave a laugh. “I’m sorry, I’m getting ahead of myself, but then again I always seem to do that. How about we go inside?”
Go inside and do what? He did say he wanted to keep her there, but what was she talking about? Maybe she had plans for some sort of event? That was her business, of course. That had to be it. He’d explain to her that he had other clients coming but if she could wait he’d be happy to talk to her. He didn’t know much about his incoming clients; the late-night e-mail from a Miss Shelton didn’t say much, but it did imply they were short on time and would be checking out other venues.
Still, Vin felt his mood start to rise. Actually, this could all work out for the best. If Lily wanted to use his place for an event that she was planning, he didn’t need to come off like some schoolboy with a crush chasing after her by calling on her for a date. This would be a perfect cover and he’d have a ready-made excuse to see her, be in touch with her, get to know her better, no groveling necessary. This must be his lucky day; things could not work out any better if he’d planned it himself. Vin gave Lily what he hoped was an easygoing smile. “That sounds great. Please come in, and welcome to Canela.”
She walked in as if she owned the place, or at least was thinking of leasing it. He watched as her eyes scanned quickly, taking in all Canela had to offer. He caught her assessing the rustic décor and felt silly that he was hanging on her every inflection, waiting to catch some sort of glimmer of her approval. When she gave a slight smile to his choice of the modern chandelier over the bar, the one he had rescued from a salvage yard and restored himself, he couldn’t help but swell with pride. But when she frowned as she ran her hand over the old barstools and then came toward the same style wheelbarrow chairs and table with a frown, making yet another note to her assistant to call some sort of chair rental company, he couldn’t stop himself from stepping in.
“Listen, Lily, I’m really happy to see you again, you and your—”
Lily spoke up then. “Oh, I’m sorry. This is really rude of me. I was just so excited to see your restaurant. Please meet my assistant, Tori. Tori handles all my day-to-day and is integral to my operations.” She then turned toward Manny, who was still taking everything in as if there wasn’t some serious prep to do for tonight’s dinner service. With a bright smile she stuck out her hand. “Lily Perry, so nice to meet you.”
Manny ran a hand quickly down the side of his jeans and then shook Lily’s. “Manny Esposito, sous chef and right-hand man around here. Nice to meet you.” He gave her a grin before unleashing one of his panty dropper smiles in Tori’s direction. “Nice to meet you too,
Tori.”
Vin let out a low growl. This could get sticky real quick if he let it. Nobody could work a room like Manny did, and nobody could tangle a web with the ladies like Manny. Manny was a genius in the kitchen, almost as good as Vin, which wasn’t easy for him to admit. And when he had Manny out front and put him behind the bar, suddenly mixed drinks were the call of the hour and he was getting just as many numbers as he was serving up the sweet beverages, each one specially named for the woman he was serving. Yeah, Manny was full of it, all right, but he was also a great employee and a good friend. But this was potential business, and not just potential business for him, something with the possibility for more. He couldn’t let Manny’s proclivity for the ladies mess up his situation.
“Listen, Lily, it’s great to see you and I hope you’ve got a little bit of time because—” Vin quickly looked at his watch and then back up into her eyes, and for a moment he was dumbstruck. Damn, she was pretty. Her eyes all big and brown and lashy. Was that even a word? Lashy? Never mind, it fit the look of her captivating dark eyes and the way they were framed by her dark, sooty lashes. Suddenly the time came back to him. Shit, he needed to get on with it. “I’d really like to talk with you about whatever event you have coming up, but I have clients coming in about two minutes. So, if you don’t mind, can I let Manny set you and Tori up with some drinks and appetizers and then we can get to it right after I finish with these clients who are coming to talk about their wedding?”
He watched as those pretty brown eyes shadowed with confusion. “Oh, I didn’t know you did so many weddings that you’d have another booked at the same time as me.”
Now it was his turn to be confused. “What do you mean at the same time as you?” he asked.
Lily laughed and then looked toward her assistant. “Didn’t you give him my name?”
Tori looked at her, puzzled. “No, I didn’t give him your name. I booked it under mine and the LP Agency. You know we don’t give client names until they are booked.”
Now it was Vin’s turn to be confused, but then understanding dawned. “So you’re LP?” He grinned as it all came together. “Hey, I’m sorry. Please come in and look around. Take all the time you need.” Vin was suddenly having a hard time containing his excitement and caught himself rocking on the balls of his feet. He caught her cock a brow and knew he needed to chill.
“So you want to book my place for one of your clients? Have a seat and let’s get down to discussing the details, and I can let you know what sort of services I can offer.” He watched as Lily and her assistant exchanged another look as they headed toward the table. Okay, he could do this. He’d gotten back on track. Now to keep things professional for the meeting, and then afterward he would let Lily know plainly that he’d like to discuss getting together about something a lot more personal. Or maybe he’d hold out. Feel her out a bit and wait for their next meeting. He’d be sure there was a next meeting.
Vin got the women seated and asked Manny to please bring them some refreshments while he grabbed a notepad. Once they were situated, he tried his best to focus on the business at hand and not the fact that Lily was less than two feet away, looking so alluring and smelling once again like that delicious scent of honey mixed with spring rain. Vin cleared his throat and looked at her. “So what day are you looking at?”
She reached into her bag and pulled out a pretty leather binder, flipping to the calendar section. Her long fingers, the nails tipped in a soft pink polish, drummed on the page that held the month of August. “How about the fourth Saturday in August? It will be right before Labor Day, so we won’t run into everyone’s big plans but still have a nice turnout.”
He checked his calendar, and though he hated to close the restaurant on a Saturday, especially during high summer, if her clients had the money to back it, then he could do it.
“A Saturday at the end of August is my high season and that’ll cost a lot, closing the restaurant during that time. Your clients will need to have long pockets. Now, if they do, that is something we can work out. But if they wait for the weekend after Labor Day I can cut the cost by twenty percent. I know it’s not the best business deal on my part, but it’s something that might work for you.”
He watched as Lily’s brows came together, and she bit her bottom lip. He could tell she was calculating things. Running over the cost in her head and weighing her client’s day in her mind.
Finally she spoke, looking him in the eye. “Well, that does make a lot of sense, and I appreciate your making the offer.” She paused. Her eyes glinted as she tipped her tongue out for a brief moment. Finally she nodded. “I think that could be an option.”
Vin smiled then. She gave Tori a nod, and once again Tori started tapping on her phone. “Do you need to call your clients to set up a time when they can come and see the space and possibly confirm the date?”
Lily waved her hand. “It’s not necessary. The date is fine. Let’s confirm it.”
Vin cocked his head. She was confident, he’d give her that. He just hoped that without the client’s approval his holding the date didn’t backfire on her. Vin decided to give her some sort of out just in case things happened to fall apart. He wrote the date down on his legal pad and then looked up at her. “Great, we have the date, and please, if anything does come up within the next week or two just let me know. It’s no problem to work something else out.”
His mind returned to their time by the little shack in the woods two weeks prior. She was so lush and so delicious, he couldn’t wait to ask her out and pick up where they’d left off. He hoped more than anything that her choosing his restaurant to book this job meant that she felt the same way. But first he had to get back to business and finish up. “Now, if you can give me the name of the bride,” Vin said, pen poised.
It was then that Lily smiled at him brightly, and his heart betrayed him by doing an annoying flip-skip right before she started to speak. Her honey-cream voice hit his eardrums clear and smooth. “The bride’s name is Lily Perry.”
* * *
Lily watched as the color rose on Vin’s tanned cheeks. He blinked and then blinked again, the expression so comical with its shock she almost laughed out loud. She knew she should’ve been put out by his reaction, by his assumption that she was there for someone else, but honestly she expected it. When you were throwing a wedding for yourself, you had to be prepared for this type of thing. She watched his nostrils flare and his grip tighten on his pen. His next words came out through clinched teeth. “And the name of the groom?”
And that was when it hit her that he thought she was marrying someone else. He thought she was marrying someone else when she was just making out with him not two weeks earlier. She didn’t know whether to laugh or be completely pissed off by his lack of faith in her morality. Come on. She definitely wasn’t the type to be a cheater once she did make the decision to settle down. But once again her gaze went to his tight jaw and his even tighter hold on his pen. She looked back up into his eyes.
Oh God, this was total and complete jealousy. His reaction over what he thought he knew was jealousy and anger. Not only did he think she was a cheater, he probably also thought she was a total and complete bitch. One who was getting married and had chosen his place to rub it in his face.
At that so off-base thought, Lily couldn’t help the laughter as it bubbled up in her chest. She threw her head back then and enjoyed the moment of confusion. But when she looked back at Vin, he wasn’t laughing at all, and her laughter only served to egg him on all the more. “I don’t see what’s so funny here, Lily. Taking into account our recent circumstances and all.” His words held a steely tone, so much so that she was sure she should have been shaking in her boots. But for the life of her, just thinking about it made her want to laugh even more. She chuckled and had to reach for a napkin to wipe at the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.
“You don’t understand, and I’m sorry, that’s my fault,” she squeaked out.
Vin p
ushed back his chair, scraping against the wooden floor with a screech. “I understand that you are probably certifiable and I don’t know if I want to do business with you, closing my restaurant down on a Saturday so you can make a mockery of marriage. This is my business and I take it seriously. You can’t even stop laughing when you tell me about it. Sorry, but you can find another venue. Suddenly I don’t think you can afford me.” He started to get up, and Lily reached out, clamping her hand tightly on his wrist.
She looked up at him, her eyes now wide, her expression more solemn—or at least she was trying her best at making it so. “Please let me explain,” she said, trying hard to hold a straight face while Vin glared down at her.
“The name of the groom is also Lily Perry.” And with that, Vin blinked and his mouth flew open. Lily couldn’t help but burst out in laughter once more.
She really needed to get it together. Lily cleared her throat and tried to pull herself upright, dabbing at her eyes as she looked at Vin working hard to bring a semi-seriousness to her countenance. “Please sit down and let me explain things to you.” With a nod in Tori’s direction she was handed her iPad and clicked open a new screen.
Vin was still giving her the serious and skeptical side eye, but she knew she had to win him over because this was the beginning of launching her mission to show everyone that she was fine just the way she was, and this was the launch of a brand-new arm of her business. But for that to happen, Vin and his restaurant was an integral part of pulling the whole thing off. Lily pulled up the article on the woman who married herself and showed Vin the screen. She watched as his dark brows furrowed, his midnight eyes quickly scanning the article. He reached out with his expressive but blunt fingers, lightly touching the screen to bring in the article, and once he was done he looked at her with the same critical eye and gave a shrug.
To Me I Wed Page 7