I didn’t know what he was saying.Nor did I want to know. “You better get back in there before he realizes howmuch he doesn’t need you.”
Wyatt chuckled again and turned toMolly, setting down the fancy little bites of food on a fresh plate. “Enjoy.”To me, he said, “He’ll be out when he can catch a break.”
“He doesn’t need to bother! I swearwe didn’t come here to visit.”
Wyatt backed up a step. “But you didcome all this way. It’s only polite.”
Before I could embarrass myselffurther, Wyatt was swept away in the current of bustling servers and trays offood. He disappeared into the kitchen with his now empty tray, and we were leftwith our amusebouchesthat suddenly felt like lessof a friendly gesture and more of a deal with the devil.
“Well, this was nice of him,”commented Molly—poor, sweet, naïve Molly.
“Killian Quinn isn’t capable ofbeing nice. He’s just rubbing his superior skill in my face.”
She picked one up; it had a smalltoast on the bottom with a thin piece of prosciutto and maybe mascarpone on it?There was a brown drizzle that I suspected was balsamic based. “Oh, my God,”she groaned after consuming it in one bite—like it was intended. “He’s such anasshole. I hate him.”
“Liar.”
She grinned at me. “I’m sorry, but aman that makes that cannot possibly be entirely evil.”
“That’s the whole point, Molly! He’stricking you with his good looks and delicious food. Meanwhile, your soul isdamned to hell.”
“Stop being difficult, Vere, and trythe damn food before I eat yours.”
I gasped, immediately picking up aflakey piece of white fish with a perfectly peppered crust on alavosh-like cracker. I couldn’t stand the man, but therewas no way I was giving away my food. “Fine,” I huffed. “It’s more ammunitionfor the Yelp review anyway.”
Molly just shook her head at me, hermouth too full for her to verbally respond.
Shane didn’t return to take ourorder. A bus boy cleared our plates, but nobody checked on us until Shanereappeared with a tray full of plates, the bartender at his side replacing ourdrinks with new ones.
“We didn’t order this,” I pointedout.
Shane smiled politely, his eyesdarting around the table afraid to meet mine. “The chef wanted you to enjoy avariety of dishes.” He stepped back so the server with him could start settingthe plates down. “And drinks,” he added.
“That’s unnecessary—”
Shane held up a hand. “He insisted.He also said that you should stop arguing with him.”
“I didn’t—” But at Shane’s look ofcomplete helplessness I backed off. It wasn’t Shane’s fault that Killian was soheavy-handed. “Alright, fine.”
Shane watched me for another minute,probably trying to figure out why we were getting such special treatment.
Honestly, I wanted to know too.
Finally, after every plate had beensqueezed onto our tiny table, he asked, “Would you like me to thank the chef foryou?”
“No.” I tore my eyes from the feastin front of me and smiled apologetically at Shane. “Thank you, but no. I don’twant you to thank him for me.”
“You’d like to do it yourself?” heguessed.
“I’d like to punch him in thethroat, but I’ll have to settle for icy silence.”
Molly snickered, already plating forboth of us, while Shane floundered for a response. “I, uh, well, if you needanything else, please don’t hesitate.”
“We won’t,” Molly answered for me.“Thank you so much.”
“The nerve of that man,” I grumbledwhile I consulted my menu and matched the dishes with the plates in front ofme.
“Should we send it back?” Molly hadalready started eating from the plate in front of her, not even bothering todisguise her blissed-out reactions.
