tonight."
"What?" I froze, the question taking me totally off guard.
He flashed me his megawatt smile. "It's only fair, no? You cook for me, and I cook for you so that we start off on even footing."
I could sense Jones hovering and only hoped he hadn't heard the offer. Rodrigo made it sound like I'd prepared a meal especially for him, which so wasn't the case. He was just another customer. Yet he wanted to cook for me? I studied him, unsure of his motives, and murmured, "Thanks, but I have plans."
"Tomorrow then." Rodrigo wouldn't let up. "Please, chicana.I have nothing but time on my hands and am ready to go loco ."
I studied him for a beat. Donna had mentioned that Rodrigo had rented a big house on the east side of town. If I went onto his turf, Jones's head would explode. But the offer was completely professional, right? There was room for compromise, and I truly did want to gauge his talents for myself. "If you want, you can prepare a family meal after we close tomorrow."
Family meal was cuisine made for the staff, usually concocted from whatever ingredients were left after the customers had been served. Because our dishes were always Italian, Mimi and I had recently been experimenting with other cuisine for a change. Mimi and Kaylee would both be there, possibly Aunt Cecily and Pops too—if they hadn't disowned me yet. Jones would have no reason to object.
Well, no good reason.
Rodrigo beamed. "It will be a great honor."
Before I could stop him, Rodrigo lifted my hand to his lips and brushed a kiss to my knuckles. Behind me, dishes clattered as though someone had dropped a bin full of them. Oh, muffin top, there was no way Jones had missed that gesture.
Yanking my hand back, I scurried off in a less-than-graceful exit, making a point to avoid my fiancé's hawk-like stare. Luckily there was a clear path to the kitchen door. The second it closed behind me, I stopped and shut my eyes. Damn. It was hard to tell if this was Rodrigo's true nature or if he was playing some sort of game. For a moment I considered that he might be the press leak and was trying to stir the pot and get dirt on Jones and I, but that was ridiculous. Fangirl#1 had yet to post anything about me. And for Rodrigo to be caught slamming fellow chefs would be detrimental to his career.
"Everything okay out there?" Kaylee paused in grating cheese to ask.
"Peachy keen, jelly bean." I sucked in a deep breath, fortified by the scents of garlic and oregano, and resolved to keep myself in the kitchen for the next few hours. Lost in the rhythms of cooking, I jumped when someone put a hand on my shoulder and turned to see the sheriff in my kitchen.
"Kyle? What is it?"
Kyle's gaze cut to Kaylee then back. "I need to speak with you. In private."
The timer went off, indicating the latest loaves of Italian bread were ready to come out of the oven. "Can it wait? As you can see, I'm kinda swamped."
"Now." Kyle's jaw was set, and he stalked back toward the office.
"He seems cheerful," Kaylee said, with the biting sarcasm only a teenage girl can pull off. "Honestly, he's been surly since he broke up with Lizzy. We've got to get those two back together."
I made a choking sound. "You're kidding, right? Tell me you're kidding. When am I supposed to find the time to meddle in someone's love life?"
Kaylee frowned as if I were the one being ridiculous. "I'm totally serious. I don't even know why they broke up in the first place."
"Andy!" Kyle barked from the office.
I yanked the bread out of the oven and moved it to the cooling rack. "I could hazard a guess."
"He was happier when he was getting some regularly."
"Kaylee!" I stuck a finger in my ear and twisted. "That's your dad."
She shrugged, shrugged! "That doesn't make him less crabby."
"Thanks for inflicting that mental picture on me." Teenagers, oy.
Risking Kyle's wrath, I ducked my head back out into the main room and signaled Jones that I was ducking out for a moment. My fiancé looked like he was
"What?" I froze, the question taking me totally off guard.
He flashed me his megawatt smile. "It's only fair, no? You cook for me, and I cook for you so that we start off on even footing."
I could sense Jones hovering and only hoped he hadn't heard the offer. Rodrigo made it sound like I'd prepared a meal especially for him, which so wasn't the case. He was just another customer. Yet he wanted to cook for me? I studied him, unsure of his motives, and murmured, "Thanks, but I have plans."
"Tomorrow then." Rodrigo wouldn't let up. "Please, chicana.I have nothing but time on my hands and am ready to go loco ."
I studied him for a beat. Donna had mentioned that Rodrigo had rented a big house on the east side of town. If I went onto his turf, Jones's head would explode. But the offer was completely professional, right? There was room for compromise, and I truly did want to gauge his talents for myself. "If you want, you can prepare a family meal after we close tomorrow."
Family meal was cuisine made for the staff, usually concocted from whatever ingredients were left after the customers had been served. Because our dishes were always Italian, Mimi and I had recently been experimenting with other cuisine for a change. Mimi and Kaylee would both be there, possibly Aunt Cecily and Pops too—if they hadn't disowned me yet. Jones would have no reason to object.
Well, no good reason.
Rodrigo beamed. "It will be a great honor."
Before I could stop him, Rodrigo lifted my hand to his lips and brushed a kiss to my knuckles. Behind me, dishes clattered as though someone had dropped a bin full of them. Oh, muffin top, there was no way Jones had missed that gesture.
Yanking my hand back, I scurried off in a less-than-graceful exit, making a point to avoid my fiancé's hawk-like stare. Luckily there was a clear path to the kitchen door. The second it closed behind me, I stopped and shut my eyes. Damn. It was hard to tell if this was Rodrigo's true nature or if he was playing some sort of game. For a moment I considered that he might be the press leak and was trying to stir the pot and get dirt on Jones and I, but that was ridiculous. Fangirl#1 had yet to post anything about me. And for Rodrigo to be caught slamming fellow chefs would be detrimental to his career.
"Everything okay out there?" Kaylee paused in grating cheese to ask.
"Peachy keen, jelly bean." I sucked in a deep breath, fortified by the scents of garlic and oregano, and resolved to keep myself in the kitchen for the next few hours. Lost in the rhythms of cooking, I jumped when someone put a hand on my shoulder and turned to see the sheriff in my kitchen.
"Kyle? What is it?"
Kyle's gaze cut to Kaylee then back. "I need to speak with you. In private."
The timer went off, indicating the latest loaves of Italian bread were ready to come out of the oven. "Can it wait? As you can see, I'm kinda swamped."
"Now." Kyle's jaw was set, and he stalked back toward the office.
"He seems cheerful," Kaylee said, with the biting sarcasm only a teenage girl can pull off. "Honestly, he's been surly since he broke up with Lizzy. We've got to get those two back together."
I made a choking sound. "You're kidding, right? Tell me you're kidding. When am I supposed to find the time to meddle in someone's love life?"
Kaylee frowned as if I were the one being ridiculous. "I'm totally serious. I don't even know why they broke up in the first place."
"Andy!" Kyle barked from the office.
I yanked the bread out of the oven and moved it to the cooling rack. "I could hazard a guess."
"He was happier when he was getting some regularly."
"Kaylee!" I stuck a finger in my ear and twisted. "That's your dad."
She shrugged, shrugged! "That doesn't make him less crabby."
"Thanks for inflicting that mental picture on me." Teenagers, oy.
Risking Kyle's wrath, I ducked my head back out into the main room and signaled Jones that I was ducking out for a moment. My fiancé looked like he was
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