to come across as a total asshole more than once now.
“Hey,” Alex added.
Sal turned around.
“Just don’t mess with her, man. That I’ll have a problem with. I like her. She’s a sweet girl and a damn good bartender. I don’t want you giving her any reason to leave.”
He almost walked out without responding then stopped and turned around. “Not a word about this to anyone, you hear me?”
Alex smirked.
“I’m serious, ass.”
Alex nodded in agreement but not before getting in a few more laughs.
Grace was already busy in the kitchen when he got there, and she looked as comfortable as she did behind the bar. “You got breakfast orders?”
Grace shook her head without even looking up. Obviously, she was still mad. One of the other cooks addressed him. “She’s helping out with the brunch, Chief.”
Sal nodded, watching her for a moment. She was a natural. Julian, the other cook he’d hired, was still fumbling around after more than a week of being here. Grace had been in the kitchen less than a half hour and she seemed in complete control.
He walked toward her until he was just a few feet away. She still didn’t look at him. “I wanna apologize,” he said softly. “…again, I was out of line. What you do outside of the restaurant is your business. I have no place questioning you about it.”
Finally, she looked at him. “Why did you?”
He was hoping she wouldn’t ask that. “I dunno—curious, they both seemed a little too friendly to be just friends.”
“They’re gay.”
His expression must’ve been as blank as it felt, because she laughed. “They’re each other’s boyfriend and my best friends.”
“Oh.” Was all he could think of to say, but he couldn’t help smiling—this changed everything. “So you accept my apology?”
She smiled, nodding. “Yeah, I guess.”
The whole time he’d been standing there she hadn’t stopped what she was doing. She whisked eggs without even looking at them and the cheese filled green chilies she’d dipped in them was something she had put together effortlessly.
“That looks good.”
“They are.” She smiled, smug.
His phone buzzed and he pulled out and read a text from Jason.
On my way. See you there .
Damn. He didn’t want to leave now.
“I gotta go. But maybe Wednesday, we can get you in here again and I can watch you work your magic.”
He watched as her smile slowly evaporated and she glanced at his phone. “Sounds good. Have fun.”
He hated to leave but he did. Now he was going to have to go almost three days before seeing her again. Stupid plan .
~*~
By the end of her shift, Gracie had impressed not only Alex and Sofia but some of the other cooks. She even made a dish that wasn’t on the menu—one of her grandmother’s specialty—a green chili chicken enchilada casserole. They had a whole list of enchiladas on the menu, all of which she could whip up with her eyes closed, but this was something her grandmother had come up with that could be made in huge quantities in half the time it took to roll up equal amounts of enchiladas. The casseroles were big sellers in her grandmother’s restaurant. People bought them for parties back in Juarez.
Sofia walked into the kitchen as Grace finished clearing her area up. “You’re a hit.”
Grace smiled. Alex had already left, but he’d said the same thing before he walked out. As good as it felt, she couldn’t shake the disappointment of not having been able to show Sal what she could do.
“What’s this?” Sofia pointed at the casserole on the counter.
“Enchilada casserole.”
“It looks good. Who’s it for?”
Grace lifted a shoulder. “Alex said he’d have a houseful tonight. My grandmother used to make these for parties. I thought maybe you’d want to take it with you.”
Sofia’s eyes widened. “Yeah, that’d be great. Sal will be there. He can get a sampling of your cooking.”
Those were her thoughts exactly but now it made her
“Hey,” Alex added.
Sal turned around.
“Just don’t mess with her, man. That I’ll have a problem with. I like her. She’s a sweet girl and a damn good bartender. I don’t want you giving her any reason to leave.”
He almost walked out without responding then stopped and turned around. “Not a word about this to anyone, you hear me?”
Alex smirked.
“I’m serious, ass.”
Alex nodded in agreement but not before getting in a few more laughs.
Grace was already busy in the kitchen when he got there, and she looked as comfortable as she did behind the bar. “You got breakfast orders?”
Grace shook her head without even looking up. Obviously, she was still mad. One of the other cooks addressed him. “She’s helping out with the brunch, Chief.”
Sal nodded, watching her for a moment. She was a natural. Julian, the other cook he’d hired, was still fumbling around after more than a week of being here. Grace had been in the kitchen less than a half hour and she seemed in complete control.
He walked toward her until he was just a few feet away. She still didn’t look at him. “I wanna apologize,” he said softly. “…again, I was out of line. What you do outside of the restaurant is your business. I have no place questioning you about it.”
Finally, she looked at him. “Why did you?”
He was hoping she wouldn’t ask that. “I dunno—curious, they both seemed a little too friendly to be just friends.”
“They’re gay.”
His expression must’ve been as blank as it felt, because she laughed. “They’re each other’s boyfriend and my best friends.”
“Oh.” Was all he could think of to say, but he couldn’t help smiling—this changed everything. “So you accept my apology?”
She smiled, nodding. “Yeah, I guess.”
The whole time he’d been standing there she hadn’t stopped what she was doing. She whisked eggs without even looking at them and the cheese filled green chilies she’d dipped in them was something she had put together effortlessly.
“That looks good.”
“They are.” She smiled, smug.
His phone buzzed and he pulled out and read a text from Jason.
On my way. See you there .
Damn. He didn’t want to leave now.
“I gotta go. But maybe Wednesday, we can get you in here again and I can watch you work your magic.”
He watched as her smile slowly evaporated and she glanced at his phone. “Sounds good. Have fun.”
He hated to leave but he did. Now he was going to have to go almost three days before seeing her again. Stupid plan .
~*~
By the end of her shift, Gracie had impressed not only Alex and Sofia but some of the other cooks. She even made a dish that wasn’t on the menu—one of her grandmother’s specialty—a green chili chicken enchilada casserole. They had a whole list of enchiladas on the menu, all of which she could whip up with her eyes closed, but this was something her grandmother had come up with that could be made in huge quantities in half the time it took to roll up equal amounts of enchiladas. The casseroles were big sellers in her grandmother’s restaurant. People bought them for parties back in Juarez.
Sofia walked into the kitchen as Grace finished clearing her area up. “You’re a hit.”
Grace smiled. Alex had already left, but he’d said the same thing before he walked out. As good as it felt, she couldn’t shake the disappointment of not having been able to show Sal what she could do.
“What’s this?” Sofia pointed at the casserole on the counter.
“Enchilada casserole.”
“It looks good. Who’s it for?”
Grace lifted a shoulder. “Alex said he’d have a houseful tonight. My grandmother used to make these for parties. I thought maybe you’d want to take it with you.”
Sofia’s eyes widened. “Yeah, that’d be great. Sal will be there. He can get a sampling of your cooking.”
Those were her thoughts exactly but now it made her
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