Just then, the pass-through dooropened and Ezra Baptiste stepped into the kitchen. His cold gaze scanned the spacequickly before landing on me.
“Busted,” I whispered to myself.
His stare turned glacial asrecognition hit him. It was safe to say he wasn’t expecting to find me invadinghis place of business. His jaw flexed once… twice. But as mad as he was heseemed frozen in place, unable to decide what to do next.
“Hey, boss,” Wyatt greeted him. Hesounded more confident than I knew he felt, but I also knew it was because hewanted Ezra to take him seriously, respect him as master of his domain.
Good luck, Wyatt. Ezra barely seemedcapable of having a soul most days, let alone the ability to show humanemotions like respect and trust. Wyatt had his work cut out for him.
On the other hand, I didn’t needEzra’s admiration or for him to take me seriously. I didn’t have to work forhim, and other than the engagement party, I never wanted to work with himeither. Mostly I just wanted him to forget I existed altogether.
Ezra looked at Wyatt as though he wassurprised to find him where he was supposed to be. In fact, he seemed a littlemore discombobulated than usual. Clearing his throat, he said, “I came in hereto talk to you about… it can wait.” He turned his attention back to me and Ifelt like dropping to the ground and army crawling to freedom. “Molly, why areyou here?”
Somehow, I managed to stay on myfeet and brave him, even though every instinct screamed to run. “Tastetesting,” I heard myself say.
His broad shoulders shifted androlled. He struggled to collect his patience before he said, “Excuse me?”
I waved a hand at the clutteredcounter. “For the engagement party. Wyatt wanted me to taste test.”
Ezra’s eyes narrowed. “I’m positiveWyatt is capable of choosing the menu on his own. You’re not allowed in mykitchen during business hours, Molly. You don’t work here. I need you toleave.”
Shame and embarrassment attacked inunison, spiraling through me until I wanted to call off the entire party. Or atthe very least, host it someplace else.
Anywhere else.
Like a bowling alley.
Or the moon.
That would teach him a lesson.
I cleared my throat and managed aweak, “Sure thing.”
Picking up my purse from the floor Itried to calmly leave through the side door again, back the way I came.
“Not that way,” Ezra clipped outthrough the very, very quiet kitchen.
The entire staff had stilled,watching in horrified amusement as their scary boss attacked poor, helpless,little old me. And okay, maybe I broke the rules and Ezra had every right totoss me out on my ass, but didn’t one of them want to stick up for a damsel indistress?
Where was my knight in shiningarmor?
My rebel without a cause?
I looked at Wyatt for help, but thebest he could do was shoot me an apologetic frown.Traitor.
My eyes slammed shut and I decided Iwould be okay with an alien abduction right about now. Or a marauding band ofpirates? How about Godzilla? Could I at least get a good, old-fashionedGodzilla attack? Anything to save me from Ezra’s judgment.
Spinning around on my heel, I heldmy chin high, even though all I wanted to do was hang my head like a shamedchild. I walked across the kitchen with all the poise I could muster in feetthat were over high heels three hours ago. Needless to say, it wasn’t my mostgraceful moment.
Ezra Baptiste was one of the mostintolerable men I had ever met. Arrogant, condescending, offensively goodlooking, he had all the qualities of a human I tried to avoid. Not only that,he’d once attacked my professional taste and that was something I would neverforgive him for.
We were forced to interact with eachother thanks to our mutual friends, but in the last few months I’d gottenreally good at avoiding him. Not that it was hard. He owned three successfulrestaurants in Durham and co-owned a fourth. He was wealthy and busy, and itwas weird that we knew the same people.
He was all cool, importantbusinessman. Most days, I felt like I was playing dress-up as an adult. I paidbills, went to work, and lived alone. Yet nothing about my life fit well, likewhen I was a little girl and would try on my mom’s dresses.
Ezra was a man that knew who he wasand what he wanted in life. I was just a girl trying to figure out how to checkmy own oil.
He led me through the kitchen andaround the corner to his office. I thought about bolting out the front doors.Would he chase after me? No. He was too composed for that. Sue me for being a publicnuisance? Maybe. Was it worth it though?
