He hugged me back, squeezing meaffectionately. “Has it been like this all night?”
I blinked back happy tears and pulledaway with a huge grin plastered on my face. “It was slow at first, but once itgot dark, things really started to pick up.”
“You’re going to have to hiresomeone,” he murmured practically. “I can’t moonlight as your cashier everynight.”
I narrowed my eyes, playfullynegotiating with him. “How about just the weekends?”
“I’m already giving you the spacefor free, Vera! Good God.”
I laughed at how affronted he was.“I’m just kidding. I know you can’t, but I appreciate your help tonight. Idon’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t shown up.”
“No kidding,” he grunted.
I glanced out at the plaza. It wasgetting close to midnight, and only the late night venues were still open atthis point. The shops and businesses closed hours ago, and the restaurants weredark now, with only their staff remaining.
Seeing no one wandering ourdirection, I turned back to Vann. “Are you hungry? I can at least pay you infood.”
“Thatiswhy I came over here.”
I smiled at him and his sarcasm. Icouldn’t help it. Not even Vann’s surliness could put me in a bad mood tonight.I was high on endorphins, unexpected success and the feeling I got every time Istepped into a kitchen. “Pulled pork or grilled cheese?”
“You pick for me,” Vann said,letting go of a small, amused smile. “Grilled cheese, though? You really knowyour clientele.”
“If you mean drunk people, I toldyou. It’s all about catering to their need for greasy comfort food to soak upall that alcohol.”
He snickered at my honest answer.Granted, there would never be enough drunk people to keep me in businessforever, but it was a start.
I finished making him a plate of oneof everything and set it down on the counter next to him while he prepared totake another order. Glancing out the window, I saw there was a group of peoplestaring at the menu, all dressed in white or black t-shirts and black pants.Some of them were wearing bandanas to hold their hair back. All of them looktired. And hungry.
They were clearly the kitchen stafffrom one of the nearby restaurants, but I didn’t recognize any of them nor didI know the area well enough to guess which one.
My gaze flickered toLilou, but I highly doubted anyone from that kitchen woulddeign to grace me with their superior presence.
Stepping away from the window soVann could take their orders I moved to the back of the truck and slipped myplastic gloves off for a second. My hair was in desperate need of a redo, and Iwanted a second to take a deep breath.
In the back of the truck, I steppedup to the small mirror over the sink, and I fixed my hair in a knot on the topof my head. Using a few paper towels to pat my face, I felt refreshed and readyfor more. I could hear Vann still talking at the window, so I let myself assessmy face with a critical eye.
I’d definitely been working hardtonight. My cheeks were red, blotchy from excitement and effort. And yet theblush stain did nothing to cover up my freckles, in fact, it only enhancedthem. My chocolate brown hair was darker near the roots where I’d beensweating. I grabbed a fresh bandana and folded it quickly so I could tie itlike a headband and cover the evidence of my hard work.
Universal fact—nobody wanted to lookat a sweaty chef.
Second fact—all kitchens were hotterthan hell.
The only makeup I fussed withtonight was waterproof mascara, and that was holding strong, even if the restof my face looked like I’d been running a marathon in the Sahara desert withoutsunscreen.
For one painful moment, I saw myselfthroughhiseyes and my stomach droppedto my feet. His voice whispered up my spine and wrapped around my new sense ofconfidence. I was too heavy these days. I had at least fifteen pounds to lose.My hair looked crazy on top of my head in a fat messy bun that was truly messy.I should have worn eyeliner to hide how tired I was, how haunted my eyes stilllooked. My chef’s coat was unflattering. My ears were too small. My lips toobig.
On and on, the criticisms swirledaround in my head, poisoning my good mood and flaring the insecurities thatplagued me constantly.
“Vera?” Vann called from the otherside of the truck.
My brother’s questioning voice brokethe evil spell, and I shook myself out of that negative head space. Those werehis thoughts. Not mine. Those were his words.
Never mine.
I was stronger than that.
I was confident.
