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'McKenzie?' Chef Simon echoed abruptly, his gaze sharp on the younger
man now. ' Logan McKenzie?' he prompted softly.
'And if I am?' Logan challenged.
Darcy, for one, had had enough of this. The situation had been ridiculous
enough before, now it was becomingfarcical, with the two men eyeing each
other like contestants in a boxing match, apparently deliberating on who
would be the one to strike the first blow!
She sighed heavily. 'Logan, will you just go back to your table and get on
with your meal?' Her expression pleaded with him to comply with her
request. 'We can talk about...that other situation, some other time,' she
concluded soothingly as his eyes narrowed. 'If you really think we must.'
'Come and look at the menu, Logan!' The man Fergus had strolled over to
join them too now. 'I don't know about you, but I'm starving!' he added with
persuasive cheerfulness.
Logan looked ready to argue the point, but a glance at Darcy's rigidly set
features seemed to be enough to make him relent slightly, although he still
eyed Chef Simon belligerently, even as he answered Fergus. 'Maybe you're
right,' he agreed slowly. 'After all, this is a restaurant,' he couldn't resist
saying sardonically.
'One of the best,' Chef Simon answered almost as coolly. 'If you'll excuse us,
gentlemen; Darcy and I have some food to prepare.' He took a firm grasp of
Darcy's arm and almost frogmarched her back into the kitchen, barely
waiting for the doors to swing shut behind them before grasping her other
arm just as tightly and turning her to face him, effectively holding her
immobile in front of him. 'Now perhaps you wouldn't mind telling me what
you think you're doing, getting into cosy little corners with a man like Logan
McKenzie?' he demanded forcefully, his teasing mood of earlier having
completely disappeared.
Darey stared up at him, not altogether sure how she should answer that
particular question...
CHAPTER THREE
'HERE, have a look at a menu,' Fergus advised his cousin as he thrust one
pointedly into Logan's hands. 'And for heaven's sake, sit down,' he
instructed, already seated at the table himself. 'Then you can tell me exactly
what is going on!'
Logan resumed his own seat, aware that several of the waitresses were still
watching him curiously. Well, let them; he was more interested in knowing
what sort of conversation was taking place in the kitchen between Darcy and
her aged lover!
Because he was sure now that was what the other couple were; there was a
familiarity between the two that was unmistakable, and a protectiveness
emanating from Daniel Simon that Logan couldn't mistake as being
anything other than a proprietorial claim.
He had to admit, he had been temporarily stunned by the realisation a few
minutes ago, which was the reason Fergus had had to actually instruct him
to sit down! He had thought Darcy's infatuation to be a one-sided thing, a
crush on an older man, but now he realised there was much more to it than
that. And he didn't like it!
Which also shook him. He'd only met Darcy yesterday but even so, he felt a
certain protectiveness towards her himself. The reasons for which he did not
want to probe too deeply!
'I mistakenly believed you were on top of this situation when you told me
you were coming to Chef Simon this evening—'
Logan became aware that Fergus was talking to him. 'What did you say?' he
asked tersely, his thoughts, if nothing else, still across the room in the
kitchen.
Fergus sighed impatiently, putting down the menu. 'Let's have some drinks,'
he advised as the wine waiter hovered near their table, obviously waiting to
take some sort of order from them. 'I feel in need of one!' he added before
turning to the young man and ordering a bottle of Chablis.
Logan pulled his divided thoughts back together, aware that he had no idea
what Fergus had been saying to him a few minutes ago. Fergus's
rapier-sharp brain was such that inattentiveness around him was not a good
idea. During his earlier years as a practising lawyer, the prosecution had lost
a lot of cases when coming up against Fergus's defence, for that very
reason!
Besides, there didn't seem to be any shouting coming from the kitchen, and
Darcy hadn't stormed out, so he could only assume the lovers were kissing
and making up. Distasteful as that idea might be to him!
'You were saying...?' he prompted Fergus smoothly, once their wine had
been poured and their food order taken; Logan thought he had ordered a fish
starter and a steak main course, but he couldn't be sure!
Dark brown eyes studied him over the top of the glass as Fergus slowly
sipped his wine. 'Exactly what are you doing here, Logan?' he finally asked
thoughtfully.
'At the moment I'm drinking wine.' He held up his glass. 'And shortly, I
