Page 101 of Falling for the Grumpy Bad Boy

About half the tables were set. We were going to be eating lunch. Kind of get a feel for service and quality.

We sat down at a table in the center of the room. The menus for the evening were already done. I picked it up, scanning the words and making sure nothing was misspelled. I couldn’t count the number of times that had happened throughout my career.

I noticed Conroy was leaning in close to Simone as they both studied the drink menu.

“Absolutely not,” I said. “No booze before service. You know the rules.”

They both looked up at me with matching pouts, like kids who’d been caught with their hands in the cookie jar. Conroy was a bad influence on her.

I knew there was plenty of time for them to sober up between now and dinner, but we couldn’t afford any bad press. If any of these servers or setup crew took pictures of alcohol on the table, it would be bad.

“But it’s our last night,” Simone whined. “We deserve a drink.”

I rolled my eyes. “You guys don’t want to drink. You’re just fucking with me.”

“We wanted to celebrate,” Conroy added.

I raised an eyebrow. “What exactly are we celebrating?”

They exchanged a look. I swore I saw little heart bubbles appeared over their heads.

It was way too sappy.

“While we’re on the subject, what the hell is going on between you two?”

“Nothing,” Simone said quickly.

“Love,” Conroy said at exactly the same time.

They shared a look that could have powered the entire kitchen. That look alone said it all. Simone’s cheeks turned bright pink even as she giggled. It was like being back in junior high.

“Shit,” I muttered. “How long has this been going on?”

I knew there was the hookup early on, but somehow I had missed the signs throughout the tour. I supposed if I looked back, the signs were there. And Conroy had been chasing her forever.

I guessed he finally got her.

“Officially? Three days.” Conroy grinned. “Unofficially? Since about day two of the tour.”

“We were trying to be professional,” Simone added. “But I just decided this wasn’t something I have to be professional about. I’m an adult. My love life is my business.”

Her statement was very clear. She was telling me to back off. I respected her enough to give her privacy.

“The real question,” Conroy said, clearly deflecting, “is what’s going on with you and Clem? Don’t think we haven’t noticed you two.”

“Or your chemistry in the kitchen,” Simone chimed in. “It’s a little uncomfortable.”

“Everyone has noticed it,” Conroy agreed. “The sexual tension was so thick we could have served it as soup.”

I felt heat creep up my neck. “It’s complicated.”

“It always is with you,” Simone said. “Come on, spill. We told you about us.”

I looked at my two closest friends, people who had stuck by me through every career high and low, and realized there was no point in lying. “Getting to know Clem has been the highlight of this entire tour. Sure, I love the cooking, and the cause, and seeing different cities. But spending time with her? It’s next level.”

Simone practically bounced in her seat. “I knew it! It’s about time you let yourself have a little fun.”

“Fun isn’t exactly the word I would use,” I said, thinking about our night in Chicago and the way she’d looked at me afterward.