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A knock on the door had me scrambling off him and putting my clothes together.
“What?” Kade barked.
“Kitchen just served last meal,” said Manny, the waiter Kade had put in charge of the front of the house, through the door.
“I’ll be right out,” I called. God, I hoped no one had heard us in here. I finished straightening my clothes. “I need to help close up.”
Kade buckled his pants. “I’ll leave you to it. You don’t need me here.”
I stared at him, wondering what he meant.
“You’ve got this.”
It was the same thing John had said, and like John, I couldn’t be sure Kade believed what he was saying.
I received a text from Kade on Saturday morning saying he had to run out to the Hamptons to check on the new restaurant they’d taken over from Beth’s family. Apparently, Ben was doing a piss poor job keeping the businesses going. I felt sorry for him in some respects. The downfall of his family business wasn’t all his fault. But his inability to get his drinking under control was.
Kade said he wished I could come with him, and hinted at a few things we could do away for a weekend. My heart wanted to sing, but the slight nausea in my stomach reminded me I had to be careful about falling for him. This was just sex for him. Sure, he seemed to like me, but for all his jealousy and possessiveness, he’d never told me he loved me.
On Sunday, John was doing some work in the office while I was working with the chef on some menu ideas during a lull after the brunch crowd.
“Did you see the review by Lyle Kalmetter?” Chef asked.
“No.” My heart thudded in my chest. “Was it okay?”
“Overall. He said he it felt like the restaurant wanted to be fusion, but fell short.”
I closed my eyes, wondering why I hadn’t taken a firmer stand on the menu.
“You said you wanted fusion when you hired me, but I agree, what we’re serving isn’t quite that. I think your benefactor thinks the rich and snooty won’t like it.”
I laughed at his assessment of Kade. “I think you’re right.”
“Rich folk like good food. They especially like to ‘discover’ new cuisine,” he said, making air quotes around the word discover, and I knew why. It wasn’t like fusion didn’t already exist.
“Would you be willing to make a few changes? I know it’s a lot. Maybe one appetizer.”
“Yeah. I can pick something and change it up. Do you trust me? Because I don’t think John does,” Chef said.
“I trust you. And I’m your boss.”
He grinned. “Aye aye.”
I left the kitchen and went to the office.
“I apologize for any misunderstanding the other night, Mr. Raven,” John said on the phone. I stopped outside the door, wondering why he was calling Kade.
“I feel very passionately about the restaurant and know I can make it a success. But we need a more experienced leader.”
Was he talking about me?
“I mean, you saw Morgan. When the kitchen gets backed up, she chokes. Everyone in the kitchen chokes because of her.”
Why, that little weasel.
“I know she’s one of your pet projects, but we need more experience in here if this project is going to survive. Give me a call when you get this message. I look forward to discussing some ideas I have. I know you’ll appreciate them.”
I heard the phone click. I grappled with whether or not to fire him right there. But I decided to let it ride until I knew what Kade was going to do. He liked to be with me, but that didn’t mean he didn’t agree with John. This was my restaurant, but it was Raven money backing it. If he thought John was right, they could find a way to force me out.
I walked back out to the restaurant, getting a bottle of water from behind the bar. A few minutes later, John emerged.
“Everything all right?” I asked.
“Yep, everything is running like a Swiss watch.” He sat at the bar and grinned at me. Now I saw his attention for what it was. He was knifing me in the back, but didn’t want me to know it until it was too late.
“Chef is going to come up with a new fusion dish,” I said.
“What?” He frowned. “The menu is perfect. You can’t just change it.”
“Really? Why not? Especially when a reviewer says we’re falling short on achieving fusion.”
He shook his head in that way that suggested I was a dunce. “We’re not fusion though. Not really.”
“Well, I want a fusion, and we’re going to start with one dish.” I stared at him, daring him to contradict me. I really wanted to fire him.
“Morgan, look, I know this is an exciting time for you in this business, but you can’t just all of a sudden change the menu.”
