by Jade, Ella
“She doesn’t?” I’d have to rectify that. I didn’t like the thought of her getting into a strange car in the middle of the night, especially now that I’d plastered her face all over the city. “Put that as a reminder on my schedule. I’ll need to get her something this week.”
“Is a car part of her package?”
“Was it part of yours when I got you one?”
“You should definitely get her wheels.”
“I’m happy you agree.”
“That’s why I’m here. To agree with you.”
“Then we won’t have any problems.” I grinned at her. “Work your magic. I want this interview to go viral.”
“That will be so easy.” She motioned toward Hayden. “You have the hottest chef in the city working here. The camera loves her.”
“Mr. Marchelli,” Andre, the photographer I’d hired for some advertising called for me. “Can we get you in a few promo shots with Hayden?”
“Now that will really make you go viral.” Maria put her thumbs to use as she tweeted something. “The camera loves you as much as it loves Hayden. Both of you? Pure magic!”
“Sure.” I walked across the patio, admiring how stunning Hayden looked when she stepped out from behind the makeshift dressing room the crew had set up for the shoot. Now that the interview was over, the stylist removed her chef’s jacket and placed her in a black, sultry dress. It was strapless and barely covered her thighs. “Wow.”
“Too much?” She tugged at the material. “They said they wanted a few pictures with you and since you’re in that pristine suit, I should match. You know, formal and all. I’m more comfortable in my work clothes.”
“You should get used to dresses like that.” I gazed into her violet eyes, never realizing how unique they were until this very moment. “You’re remarkable.”
“Thank you.”
As I swiped a stray hair from her cheek, the flash of the camera went off, capturing us in a few candid shots.
“Stay natural,” Andre suggested. “These are great. You two have chemistry.”
“I don’t know what to do?” She straightened the knot on my tie. “This is awkward.”
“It’s perfect!” Andre kept clicking.
“You listen to Andre.” I placed my hand over hers before she could take it away from my tie. “He knows how to sell a product.”
“Is that what I am?” When she tilted her head, my gaze dropped to her striking red lips. “A product?”
“You are marketable.” I released her from my hold and stepped back, taking in all of her. “Trust me. I’m going to launch your career.”
“When did you decide that?” She stepped closer to me as Andre happily caught every movement the two of us made.
“The instant I met you,” I admitted. “Despite your first impression.”
She opened her mouth to protest but smirked instead. “I think you liked that first impression.”
“You may be right.” I may not have recognized it immediately but after thinking about it, I knew she had something special. Something special enough for me to put her all over the media.
Maria joined us with a bottle of wine and two glasses as two men brought in a small round table and two chairs.
“Here.” My assistant set the wine on the table. “Pretend it’s a date.”
“Maria?” I shook my head. “You can disapprove all you want but you told me to make this go viral. You two are making my job easy. You might as well advertise the wine too.”
“She’s right.” Hayden nodded at the table. “You’ll get a two for one today. The wine and me.”
“Two very lucrative investments.” I pulled out her chair before taking a seat across from her. “Go tweet something, Maria.”
“Already on it.” She scampered off.
“She’s a character,” Hayden said.
“She is.” I laughed because Maria was one-of-a-kind. That was for sure. “She’s been around my whole life. She can be a bit overbearing but I know how to rein her in. She does a great job here. Her heart and soul are with this winery.”
“Like yours?”
“I don’t know if anyone has as much at stake in this place as I do. I have my family’s support but this is all me.”
“It shows.”
“You’ll be extremely successful here.” I poured her wine as Andre took close-ups of us. “I’m rarely wrong with my business decisions.”
“The other night I was an investment and today I’m a business decision.”
“I can think of worse positions to be in.” Actually, I could think of really good positions for her to be in but those required us to be alone and naked. “Aren’t you going to drink your wine?”
“It’s nine in the morning.”
“Then let me take you to breakfast.”
“Oh, well, I probably...”
“I’m not going to take no as an answer.” I reached across the tiny table and took her hand. “It’s probably best you learn that about me now.”
“Hmm...” She looked at our hands as Andre worked his camera. “I have a condition.”
“A negotiator.” I like it.
“I’ll go to breakfast with you if you take me in your car.” She released my hand and swirled her finger around the rim of her glass. “Those are my terms.”
“That can be arranged.” I took her hand again, surprising her with my gesture. “I have a condition too.”
“What is it?”
“You wear that dress to breakfast.”
“It isn't mine.”
“Do you think anyone is going to bat an eyelash if you walk out of here with me wearing that dress? Besides, I know Kendal, the owner of the boutique where all the clothes came from today. She’ll let you borrow it.”
“It’s hardly a daytime dress.”
“Those are my terms.” I gazed into her eyes. “Take it or leave it.”
She thought for a moment but I had total confidence in her response.
“It seems you’re the negotiator.” She stood from the table, giving me an incredible view of her long, luscious legs. This time she didn’t tug on the material, trying to conceal her thighs but instead leaving it where it was. Gorgeous.
“Well?”
“I’ll accept your terms.”
“I thought you might.”
“Only because I’m hungry.”
“We’re going to get along fine.” I got up and placed my hand on the small of her back. “I’m rarely wrong.”
“About your business decisions?”
“I can be more than business.” You’ll see...
Chapter Four
Hayden
You’re Blurring Lines
A car? Why would he give me a car? I stormed out of the winery and down the path that led to the vineyards. Maria told me I could find Sal there. Until now, there had been this fun flirtation between us. I enjoyed his company. I liked hearing about his ideas for the restaurant. The amazing part? He liked hearing mine. What was he thinking giving me a car? I was about to find out.
“Hayden,” he called to me when he saw me coming down the path. “What brings you here?”
“We need to talk.”
“I have a few minutes.” He glanced at his watch. “I’m meeting with a distributor.”
“This won’t take long.” I handed him the keys to the ridiculously expensive Lexus he’d given me. Well, not him exactly. Maria had given it to me on his behalf. “I don’t need these.”
“Keys?”
“To the car you tried to give me.” I threw my hands in the air. “I don’t know what you’re trying to do but you need to stop. I can’t be bought.” I’d already taken money out of desperation once. I promised I’d never put myself in that position again.
“Excuse me?”
“You’re already paying me really well. You’re going above by getting my face out there. I know that benefits you too but I appreciate the exposure. I don’t need anything else from you. Especially not
a car.”
“You’re mad because I gave you a company car?”
“It’s not part of the terms of my employment.”
“Terms change.”
“No.”
“I told you, I don’t like that word.” He pressed the keys into my hand. “As long as you work here, you can use the car. You leave at strange hours of the night and I’d feel better knowing you weren’t waiting around.”
“I plan to get my own car.”
“Now you don’t have to.”
“I won’t accept this.”
“It’s either the car or I’ll get you a driver. I haven’t ruled that out completely. With all this new exposure some extra security might be a good idea for you.”
“What? No!”
“Why not?”
“Because I didn’t sign up for any of this.”
“I’d feel better knowing there was someone there looking after you.”
“You’re blurring the lines and crossing boundaries that shouldn’t be crossed.” God, I wanted him to cross those boundaries. “You’re practically my boss.”
“You don’t report to me.”
“Then you can’t make me keep the car.”
“You’re frustrating.”
“I’m determined to make it on my own. I thought you liked that.”
“I do but I want to help you. Let me.”
“Why?”
“If you saw my sales numbers since you got here, you’d understand why.”
“That’s all this is about? I bring in money for you?”
“You’re the one who said I’m blurring the lines. Which is it? Do you want to be more than my employee?”
“I...” Why did he have to be so irresistible, standing there in those snug dress pants, expensive shirt, and custom fit jacket? When had I ever become so taken with a pretty face? Right... when I met him. “I want to pay my own way.”
“That’s admirable. I understand, really, I do.”
“Because you don’t touch your trust fund?”
He stared at me for a moment and I wondered if I’d gone too far. Of course I had. When didn’t I? “Listen, I–”
“I have a meeting.” He stepped around me and headed toward the building by the vineyards. “No one is forcing you to take the car. Let Maria know you don’t want it.”
“Sal.”
“I have two VIP tables in the private dining room tonight. I expect dinner to be perfect. You should let Rocco brief you. There’s no room for error.” He turned and looked at me, his eyes intimidating and his voice held an edge I hadn’t experienced before. “I can be your boss if that’s what you really want.”
Shit! What’s wrong with me?
He disappeared into the building that housed the extra wines needed for busy dinner services, leaving me standing there like the fool I was. Opening my palm, I studied the keys. I’d thrown his kind gesture in his face. He called me on it. Now what?
THE LAST DINNER TICKET of the night had been completed a while ago and now the staff was dwindling down. Rocco gave the kitchen his signature round of applause and thanked us all for a spectacular night. As I finished cleaning up my station, I thought about apologizing to Sal.
“Who lit the fire under you tonight?” Rocco asked as the others cleared the kitchen.
“Huh?”
“You were a force to be reckoned with. Not that you aren’t usually but there was something different in you. Your voice was stronger than usual. I’ve been waiting for you to emerge as a leader. I saw it when I interviewed you. Tonight, you finally gave it to me.”
“I’m getting more confident. I’m learning the staff. I guess I wanted everything to be perfect for... ah, tonight.”
“What’s the matter?”
“I’m tired.”
“No.” He shook his head. “That’s not it.” He leaned on the counter, waiting for me to respond. “What’s going on?”
“I think I offended Sal today.”
“When you didn’t accept the car?”
“You heard?”
“Ahh.” He let out a boisterous belly laugh. “When Maria is involved, we all hear.”
“Oh.” I sighed. “I don’t want to lose my job over something so stupid.”
“You’re not going to lose your job. Last time I checked, it’s still my kitchen.”
“I don’t know why I didn’t want the car.”
“Pride?”
“I think so.”
“I get that,” he said. “When Sal opened this place a few years ago, things weren’t looking so good for me. I’d run into some financial trouble. My sister was trying to get out of a bad relationship. She has two girls. My nieces.” He rolled up his sleeve to reveal the tattoos on his forearm of their adorable little faces. “Kylie and Samantha.”
“They’re beautiful.”
“Thank you.” He sparkled with pride. “I’d do anything for them. Thanks to Sal, I can.”
“He’s generous.” I thought about how much help he’d already given me with the exposure.
“He’s one of the kindest people I know. He likes helping people, especially his friends. If he’s on your side, you’re bound to succeed. Trust me, I know.”
“He believes in me.”
“We both do and if he wants to give you a car, I don’t see the harm in accepting it. You need one, right?”
“I plan to buy one once I get my finances in order.”
“You probably have some hefty student loans.” He took an apple from the counter behind us. “That school you came from isn’t cheap.”
“No, it isn’t but I, um...”
“There’s my two shining stars.” Sal startled me when he spoke from the backdoor of the kitchen. How long had he been there? “Rocco, Jensen Camden and his table are waiting for a visit from you. They’re in the lounge.”
“The basketball player?” I asked. “Was that the VIP table?”
“One of them.” Sal came into the kitchen. “The other table were associates of my father. They were quite pleased. They can’t stop talking about the eggplant.”
“I’ll say hello to them too.” Rocco smiled at me. “Think about what I said.”
“I will.” As Rocco left the room, Sal moved closer to where I stood. “I hope you were pleased with dinner.” I unbuttoned my jacket. “Rocco ran a tight ship.”
“He told me this was your breakout service.” He leaned against the counter. “As if someone had really motivated you.”
“You may have been responsible for that.” Gazing into his eyes seemed to be my downfall. His one smoldering glare reduced me to a clumsy, awkward girl. That worried me. Where did my confidence and fierce exterior go when he was around me? “I cook better when I’m mad.”
“I didn’t mean to make you mad but if that’s going to bring out your inner chef than I’ll have to add it to my daily schedule.” He took out his phone and began typing. “Piss Hayden off once a day.” He looked up at me and grinned. “There.”
“Do you schedule everything?” I giggled.
“OCD.”
“Ah, I might know a little something about that especially when I want my food creations to be perfect.”
“Maybe we could cook together sometime.”
“Wait? You cook?” He was full of surprises.
“Mama Stella taught me everything I know.”
“Mama Stella?”
“My grandmother.” He showed me a picture of the two of them on his phone. “I’ll take you to meet her. She’d love to cook with you but you have to have a thick skin with her. She’s quite the critic.”
“She looks tough.” It was a sweet selfie Sal had taken with his grandmother. Any residual anger from earlier vanished when I thought about him cooking with Mama Stella. “My grandmother taught me to cook too. She passed away when I was fifteen but she gave me the basis for my love of cooking.”
“I’m sorry she’s not with you anymore.”
“Me too,” I whispered. “My dad died
a couple of years later and my mom took off a few years after that.”
“I had no idea. You’ve been on your own all this time?”
“I’m not telling you this so you’ll feel sorry for me. I wanted to apologize for the way I spoke to you earlier. It wasn’t appropriate. I want you to understand where I’m coming from. I’m used to doing things on my own. When you offered me the car, I didn’t react the way I should have. I screwed up and I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insult your kindness. I’d like to accept the car if the offer still stands.”
“I shouldn’t have been so caviler with the car. I should have approached you with it and explained that I was trying to help you. Maria mentioned you didn’t have one and I thought you’d welcome the idea. It’s a company car. Several people have them, including Rocco and Maria. I thought it would be a good thing. You’re welcome to it.” He put his phone back in his pocket. “For the record, I don’t pity you or feel sorry for you. It’s clear you’re not a victim. I admire you very much.”
“Why?”
“You’re a strong, determined woman. You’ve made it this far on your own. You’ve landed a job in one of the busiest kitchens around. You beat out several seasoned chefs to be here. Hell, you stood up to me today. That’s impressive.”
“Do you still want to be my boss?”
“No, Hayden.” He stepped closer to me, invading my personal space but I didn’t mind. I wanted him closer. His hands on my body, his lips on mine... “I want to be your champion. I want to be the man who makes everything possible for you. Will you let me do that?”
“You make it difficult to say no.”
“Good.” He tucked some stray hairs behind my ear, taking a few moments to stare into my eyes. My lips twitched when I thought about kissing him. “We should go.”
“Huh?” That wasn’t what I expected him to say.
“I’m not blurring any lines.” He smirked when he tossed my words from earlier back into my face. “Not tonight.”
Come on, Hayden. Be yourself!
“Would you like to meet Jensen Camden?”
“Yes, but first I’d like to...” I closed the space between us, my heart pounding harder than it ever had. Resting my palms on his shoulders, I leaned forward. “Blur the lines.”