Scrumptious (17 page)

His eyes glittered, shadows gone, replaced by something darker, harder. He took a breath, and Marlene held hers. She tried to duck her head, afraid of what he was going to say, but his hand in her hair held her still.

“In another life, I could fall in love with you,” he murmured against her lips.

Marlene’s instant response was equal parts
Hallelujah
and
Oh, shit
. Her body responded instinctively, going nuclear, but her brain was detached from his intensity.

Talk is so cheap, she thought, then gave herself a sharp mental slap to remind herself it didn’t matter. In another life, she could be in love with Joe too. If she were another person, with another job. Another family. But she wasn’t. She was living this life, this story, and falling in love with Joe was so not going to happen.

Marlene broke their kiss. “You should go, Joe.”

“I’m not like your dad, Marlene. You’re going to have to point me at the door more than once to get me to go.”

“Really? Well, I can wait a week.”

Joe’s gaze wavered, then he looked away.

“No? Less than that? Shocking. Get Olivia to finish service with you. I’m out of here.”

Marlene twisted out of Joe’s arms and turned to her prep table. She picked up the block of Belgian chocolate and lifted her father’s gift high above her head. The chocolate hit the tile like a thunderbolt and broke into dozens of pieces within its protective plastic wrap. Breaking something could almost make her feel better, she decided. And she had an excellent idea of what would definitely do the trick.

She tossed the chocolate, now in small, usable pieces, up onto her prep table and swept past Joe. His blue eyes followed her as she headed for the back door.

She’d slam that too, just for good measure.

“Get a drink with me?” she asked Danny as she passed the hot window. She didn’t look at Olivia.

“You bet. Am I done, here, boss?” Danny’s eyes lit up.

“Yeah, you’re done. Thanks for sticking around,” Olivia said slowly.

“Sure thing,” Danny said, untying his apron.

“Let’s go, Danny boy,” Marlene said, hoping her voice carried all the way back to the bakeshop.

It was time for the next guy. Or the last guy. Whatever worked.

Joe left the bakeshop and walked up to the line to take his place beside Olivia at the grill. Good thing she had stepped in without being asked when she saw Marly hit the door. Somebody had to think about the food around here.

“What’s going on with you and Marlene?” she asked.

Flip, flip, slide. They were ready to plate the first ticket.

“Well?” Olivia shot him a sideways glance as she fanned plates out on her cutting board.

“The usual. Why do you ask? Are you looking for a cheap thrill and some dirty details, or do you actually need an explanation?”

“I’ve seen your usual, and it doesn’t involve spending the night, road trips, and mooning around like a lovesick schoolboy.”

“I’m not mooning around,” he said.

“How many times have you been back to that bakeshop since you started working here?”

“It’s cooler back there.” Joe’s words were short and precise, a mirror of his movements as he arranged lamb chops and truffled mashed potatoes on the plate.

He tucked matchstick vegetables into the potatoes at three points around the plate, sauced with lamb demi-glace and stuck it under the heat lamp. “At least she doesn’t give me any attitude.” He tried to lighten the mood.

“You don’t call that attitude?” The last three plates were Olivia’s, two easy paellas, and one complicated pasta dish involving white beans, prosciutto, and Herbes de Provence. Joe wiped the rims of her plates and slid them up into the window.

“Buzz Beth,” he said to Anthony.

“If you hurt her
—
” Olivia crossed her arms.

“You’ll what? Don’t be a hypocrite, Olivia. You served her up to me on a silver platter. ‘Help me, Joe. I need you, Joe. Run my restaurant, Joe. Take my best friend, Joe.’”

“I did not!”

“Uh-huh.”

“Well, I didn’t know she’d fall for you.” Olivia checked the next ticket and lined four clean pans up on the burner. “If someone is going to break her heart, I don’t want it to be you. I don’t want to have to choose between you.”

“I’m not going to break her heart.”

“Joe, you’re leaving next Sunday.”

“I’m not gone yet.”

“Keep it clean, cowboy. I’ll pick up the pieces when you go, but for God’s sake, don’t make her any promises.”

“I don’t think you’re giving Marlene enough credit.”

“No? Well, I don’t think you’re thinking at all. Fire the salmon, hotshot. You’re falling behind.”

Joe looked over at Anthony. “Go get me some
—
”

“Got it, chef.” Anthony shot down the hall to the walk-in.

Olivia frowned, looking at Joe from underneath lowered brows. “Since when is he your fetch boy?”

“I know how to get the most out of my staff.” He met Olivia’s glare head-on. “Olivia, I hate to say this because I don’t have many friends, and you’re more than a friend. You’re like a sister to me. You made a good move getting rid of Keith, but you are screwing up big time now, kiddo. Pull your head out of the sand, girl! Look around. Your staff is crumbling, and if you don’t get a move on, you’re going to run out of options. Get some people in here. Do it fast. You gotta start working smart, not hard. You don’t have the luxury of feeling sorry for yourself anymore.”

“Doesn’t matter. I’m out of options,” Olivia said.

“What do you mean?”

She sighed. “Keith cashed a ten thousand-dollar check on the restaurant overdraft. We’ve got a hundred on the books Friday night, and the wedding on Saturday. None of the prep is done, and I can’t even afford to buy potatoes. There’s a buyer interested in Chameleon, and I’m considering the offer. Oh, and Marly just walked out the back door with Danny. So who knows when she’ll be in to make the wedding cake. Not to mention the fact that Danny will probably call in sick again if Marlene really works him over. I’m totally screwed.”

Joe ignored the anger that shot through him like a rocket at the thought of Marlene with Danny tonight. This was about Olivia. Joe would deal with Marlene later. While he and Olivia were on the subject of his leaving and Marlene, Joe had a few things to say. “See? That’s just what I’m talking about. You don’t give Marly enough credit, and I just don’t get it. She works her ass off around here. She gets her job done in the bakeshop, she preps your station for service, she shops at the farmers market, she does everything you ask her to do
—
”

Olivia opened her mouth to speak, but he held up his hand. “And I don’t want to hear that bullshit line you gave me when I got here, about how Marlene is irresponsible. I don’t buy it. She gets the job done.”

“Do you know how long I’ve been hearing that?” Olivia interrupted him. “My whole life. Marlene and I have been together our entire working lives. She’s amazing, she really is. When Marlene cooks on the line, she’s fast, clean, and her food is perfect every time. Her desserts are perfect too. Wait until you see her wedding cake
—
it will be flawless, I guarantee it. Everything is so easy for her. Cooking, baking. You’re absolutely right. Marlene could run this restaurant. I went to culinary school, and this shit still isn’t easy for me. Nothing is easy for me. But Marlene? She can do anything. I think if my parents could have given the restaurant to her, they would have.”

“But they gave it to you,” Joe stated.

“Yeah, they gave it to me. And I’m screwing it up. You said so yourself.”

He took a minute to digest all of that. When he put his salmon into the window with her pastas, he said, “You done, yet?”

“Done with what?”

She checked the stove, the ovens, the tickets. “We’re up on everything. Buzz Beth.”

Joe held up his thumb and index finger and played the world’s tiniest violin. “Done with your pity party.”

Olivia glared at him. “Shut up, asshole.”

“No way, we’re just getting to the good stuff. This is really enlightening. I didn’t know life was supposed to be easy. How could I have lived all these years and not realized life was supposed to be easy? I feel really stupid now.”

“Shut up, Joe. I didn’t say life was easy. I said it was easy for Marlene.”

“Yeah, and since you’re her best friend, you would know, but I think you might have missed a few things. If you think life’s easy for Marlene, you haven’t been paying attention, kiddo.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You think it was easy for Marly when you went to culinary school and she didn’t?”

Olivia flushed and dropped her eyes.

“How about when you brought Keith home? She tried to tell you he couldn’t cook, didn’t she? But you didn’t want to hear it. And she had no place to go but the bakeshop.” He saw her throat convulse, but he wasn’t done with her yet. “I’m sure Marly took it real well when you finally got rid of Keith, and put me on the line. Easy street, huh?”

Olivia kept her eyes on the floor mat.

“I didn’t think so. Yeah, it’s going to be a real party for Marly when you put some rookie culinary jock on the line and ask her to train him.”

Olivia shifted away from him and started slamming dirty pans into the window. “Well, then that just makes Marlene all the more wonderful, doesn’t it? Truly, an amazing ability to overcome adversity. Give the girl a medal.”

“You do that,” he said with disgust.

“Joe, what do you want from me?” Olivia asked impatiently.

“Step up to the plate, kiddo. You need to put people where they belong around here, and get your own ass in gear.”

Olivia gave Joe a level look out of green eyes that were suddenly rueful, instead of flat-out pissed off. She grimaced. “Marlene said the same thing about an hour ago.”

“Go figure,” he said.

Anthony came back to the line and surreptitiously started cleaning around them.

“Hey, Eric, lock the front door. We’re done,” Joe called to the waiter. He turned back to Olivia. “Order whatever you need for the weekend. I’ve got plenty of money, and I know where you live.”

“Joe, we’re talking about a grand just for the wedding. You don’t have that kind of money.”

He gave her a look. “You’re doing it again.”

“What?”

“Selling people short.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Are you going to start thinking life’s easy for me too if I tell you that I am? I’ve got the money, Olivia. In fact, you can turn down that offer to buy Chameleon. If anyone is going to buy your damn restaurant, it’s going to be me. I’ve banked some cash over the last few years. I can float you what you need until we find Keith.”

Joe let that hang in the air for a minute before he shot Olivia a sideways glance. “You really think she’s falling for me?”

“God, I hope not. Perish the thought. You’re a total jerk.”

“Nice. I have feelings, you know,” he said.

“Stop, you’re making me dizzy. Just warn me if you get serious about sticking around. I might have a heart attack.”

“I’ll keep you posted.” He tugged on Olivia’s braid. “Get busy, kiddo. Start moving people around.”

Her eyes were uncertain. “Joe, I don’t know what you mean by that. Move who? Where?”

Joe threw an arm around her. “Now you’re selling yourself short, Olivia, but if you really can’t figure it out, why don’t you ask Marlene?”

***

“You just missed Marly.” The bartender took no small delight in telling Joe as soon as he reached the bar.

He sat down anyway. Her car was still parked on the street. Even though Marlene had flown out the back door of Chameleon like a bat out of hell, Joe had been sure he’d find her here with her little boyfriend. His chat with Olivia must have delayed him longer than he thought.

“She and Danny just left,” Johnny said.

“So why are you telling me?” He was getting accustomed to the flash of annoyance he felt every time the bartender opened his mouth.

“She likes you.”

Joe raised an eyebrow. “That must be why she left with another guy.”

The bartender laughed softly and polished a few glasses. “I’ve known Marly for a long time. Since grade school.”

“You ever hook up with her?”

Johnny shrugged. “Of course.” His eyes met Joe’s squarely, as if he expected his honesty to quell any anger Joe might feel. It didn’t. “I like head games. Marlene doesn’t play them. Nice girl, though.” Johnny’s tone was dismissive, and this time, his cool indifference felt like an insult.

“Are you in love with her?” Joe asked.

“No.”

“Then why are you so interested in my situation?”

“I told you. She likes you, and I’ve known her for a long time. I’ve seen her with a lot of guys. I don’t know what you’re doing to her, but keep doing it. Don’t quit chasing her before she figures out if she wants to be caught.”

Joe stared at Johnny in disbelief.

Again the shrug.

Johnny set a Guinness in front of Joe with a half-smile. “Sorry, I’m not usually so sentimental. I’ve got woman troubles of my own.”

Joe couldn’t believe his ears. The pierced, tattooed, tough-guy bartender was looking for sympathy? He drank his beer and watched Johnny work the bar.

Guys generally ignored each other’s sex appeal, but Joe was curious now. He glanced around the bar and watched the women flirt with Johnny while he mixed their drinks, saw the way they kept their bodies open to him, their backs straight, breasts high, even after they returned to their tables.

Johnny saw him watching. The bastard didn’t miss much. It dawned on him that it wasn’t indifference in Johnny’s eyes. It was control. Palpable control, and the bar chicks were grooving on it.

Johnny was back in front of him again.

“Head games, huh?” Joe asked. “Like the kind involving leather? Whips, maybe? Collars?”

“I own a club downtown if you’re interested.”

“Not my thing.”

The bartender nodded. The ring in his eyebrow flashed in the candlelight. “That’s good. Marly doesn’t like to be spanked.”

“You’re pissing me off.”

Johnny nodded equably. “Just FYI. So, you gonna stick around?”

That was an interesting question. The job in California felt farther away by the minute. A week ago, it had seemed so simple, so necessary to move across the country and start a new life. Tonight, leaving Norton felt impossible. Joe set down his empty glass and faced the bartender. “I’ve got a job waiting in California.” Joe said. “Sticking around isn’t something I’ve ever done.”

“I meant tonight,” Johnny said, white teeth gleaming in the candlelight. “Are you heading out or can I get you another beer?”

The bartender had tricked him.

Nice.

“No, thanks. Do you know where they went?” he asked.

“Niagara Falls Casino. Big games up there. Be careful.”

His heart sank. That toddler had talked her into going after Keith.

“Good luck,” Johnny said, his calm, black eyes focused on a lean brunette with furious eyes coming through the door like the Furies were whipping her backside. She looked like the kind of girl who might enjoy that sort of thing, though.

“You too, buddy,” he offered.

A faint smile ghosted across Johnny’s lips. He passed the brunette as he walked to the door and caught a sharp whiff of patchouli. If anybody could rock that smug bartender off his high horse, that tough chick could. For a moment, Joe almost pitied him.

Almost.