something," he starts to say in a husky tone. "I have some stuff I need to say."
"Stuff?"
"Work stuff," he clarifies. "I want to speak to the staff. I want you to set up a meeting. I need to talk to everyone at once. That has to happen soon."
I hesitate. I've been fielding calls and texts from some of my co-workers since the fire. It's not a secret that I'm dating Tyler. They see me as a direct route to him. I've used the same tired line on everyone, telling them that I don't know anything but I'll be in touch as soon as I do.
Common courtesy may dictate that it's not the time to talk about what's going to happen to our jobs, but most of the people who worked at Nova have a mortgage or rent to pay. They have financial responsibilities and without any word from Tyler on what the future holds, some have started putting out feelers to see if any other restaurant in Manhattan is hiring.
"I can do that." I nod. I can, obviously. I just don't know where or when he wants this to happen. Soon is subjective but I'll make it work.
"Cadence." He takes a deep breath. "I need to go. I'm meeting with an insurance adjuster in fifteen minutes. I want the staff meeting at my apartment, tomorrow is best for me. Make it in the afternoon preferably, say around four o'clock."
It's as though he reads my mind and my needs as he leans toward me, brushes his lips against mine and kisses me tenderly before he darts across the street.
CHAPTER 2
"You're thinking what I'm thinking." Sophia walks into my bedroom cradling a mug of hot tea in her hands. "That fire wasn't an accident."
My gaze zeroes in on her face. We haven't said much to each other about the fire since it happened. I know Sophia. She's kept quiet about it until now to give me space to process things. She's considerate that way. Judging by what she just said, she assumes I'm ready to talk about it. I'm not so sure that I am.
"I don't think that." My jaw tightens. "No one knows what happened yet."
"Someone knows." She narrows her eyes. "Brendon went there to meet Tyler and an hour later the restaurant is burning to the ground."
"Darrell was there," I point out.
"Has anyone asked him how the fire started?" She raises both brows at me. "He must know exactly what happened."
I sit on the edge of my bed. I assume someone asked Darrell that. I've tried to call him twice during the last three days. My motivation is mainly about wanting to make sure he's okay although I admit there's a small part of me that wants to know if he has any clue about how the fire started.
"I think the investigators would have taken his statement by now."
That's pure conjecture on my part. I'm basing that completely on the reruns of the crime dramas I watch on the weekends. It has nothing to do with actual knowledge. I'm as out of the loop as Sophia is.
Her gaze cuts to the three chef jackets I've washed and pressed. They're now hanging in full view in my closet. "What if Brendon torched Nova to force you to work with him at Axel again?"
"Torched Nova?" I physically wince when I say the words. "You need to stop binge watching television with me on Saturday nights."
The corners of her mouth dart up into a smile. "Don't you dare tell me that you haven't considered the idea, Den. You're the one who told me that Brendon was capable of just about anything."
I did say that. I can't remember exactly when since Brendon annoyed the hell out of me so often when we were together. Sophia had been my sounding board whenever I was pissed off at my then boyfriend. I knew it would come back to bite me in the ass at some point in a subtle, or not so subtle, ' I told you so ' moment.
"He's not capable of setting a fire, Soph."
"I think he is." She nods toward my closet. "It's not a coincidence that he said he was going to Nova that morning and then it was on fire. He hated that you worked for Tyler. He wants you back at Axel and since Nova is no more, he thinks you'll run back to him."
"That's quite
"Stuff?"
"Work stuff," he clarifies. "I want to speak to the staff. I want you to set up a meeting. I need to talk to everyone at once. That has to happen soon."
I hesitate. I've been fielding calls and texts from some of my co-workers since the fire. It's not a secret that I'm dating Tyler. They see me as a direct route to him. I've used the same tired line on everyone, telling them that I don't know anything but I'll be in touch as soon as I do.
Common courtesy may dictate that it's not the time to talk about what's going to happen to our jobs, but most of the people who worked at Nova have a mortgage or rent to pay. They have financial responsibilities and without any word from Tyler on what the future holds, some have started putting out feelers to see if any other restaurant in Manhattan is hiring.
"I can do that." I nod. I can, obviously. I just don't know where or when he wants this to happen. Soon is subjective but I'll make it work.
"Cadence." He takes a deep breath. "I need to go. I'm meeting with an insurance adjuster in fifteen minutes. I want the staff meeting at my apartment, tomorrow is best for me. Make it in the afternoon preferably, say around four o'clock."
It's as though he reads my mind and my needs as he leans toward me, brushes his lips against mine and kisses me tenderly before he darts across the street.
CHAPTER 2
"You're thinking what I'm thinking." Sophia walks into my bedroom cradling a mug of hot tea in her hands. "That fire wasn't an accident."
My gaze zeroes in on her face. We haven't said much to each other about the fire since it happened. I know Sophia. She's kept quiet about it until now to give me space to process things. She's considerate that way. Judging by what she just said, she assumes I'm ready to talk about it. I'm not so sure that I am.
"I don't think that." My jaw tightens. "No one knows what happened yet."
"Someone knows." She narrows her eyes. "Brendon went there to meet Tyler and an hour later the restaurant is burning to the ground."
"Darrell was there," I point out.
"Has anyone asked him how the fire started?" She raises both brows at me. "He must know exactly what happened."
I sit on the edge of my bed. I assume someone asked Darrell that. I've tried to call him twice during the last three days. My motivation is mainly about wanting to make sure he's okay although I admit there's a small part of me that wants to know if he has any clue about how the fire started.
"I think the investigators would have taken his statement by now."
That's pure conjecture on my part. I'm basing that completely on the reruns of the crime dramas I watch on the weekends. It has nothing to do with actual knowledge. I'm as out of the loop as Sophia is.
Her gaze cuts to the three chef jackets I've washed and pressed. They're now hanging in full view in my closet. "What if Brendon torched Nova to force you to work with him at Axel again?"
"Torched Nova?" I physically wince when I say the words. "You need to stop binge watching television with me on Saturday nights."
The corners of her mouth dart up into a smile. "Don't you dare tell me that you haven't considered the idea, Den. You're the one who told me that Brendon was capable of just about anything."
I did say that. I can't remember exactly when since Brendon annoyed the hell out of me so often when we were together. Sophia had been my sounding board whenever I was pissed off at my then boyfriend. I knew it would come back to bite me in the ass at some point in a subtle, or not so subtle, ' I told you so ' moment.
"He's not capable of setting a fire, Soph."
"I think he is." She nods toward my closet. "It's not a coincidence that he said he was going to Nova that morning and then it was on fire. He hated that you worked for Tyler. He wants you back at Axel and since Nova is no more, he thinks you'll run back to him."
"That's quite
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