Regardless of my ties to Venom, I will ensure that every customer has the absolute best dining experience I can provide because that’s who I am.
I head for my office to freshen up and change out of my whites. Aspen appears in the doorway as I reach for my T-shirt, startling me with a sharp intake of breath at the sight of me.
Her eyes are fixed on my naked chest, her cheeks flushing when she realizes I’m well aware of her staring. The rapid rise and fall of her chest betray her attempt at propriety.
“I’m sorry, sir. I’ll wait out in the restaurant.”
“No need.” I pull on my T-shirt and revel in the small flash of disappointment on her face. Maybe she’s more of a vixen than I give her credit for. “You did well tonight.”
She keeps her eyes to the floor.A perfect submissive stance.“Thank you, Chef. It was an honor to work alongside you.”
I grab my wallet and keys. “Let’s talk and walk. It’s not far from here.” I look to her shoes. Heels that could make a man beg. “Or we can get a cab.”
“Walking is fine with me.”
“Okay.” I love walking through the restaurant at the end of the night, a stark contrast to the bustling dining room only an hour ago. It’s a thing of beauty, and I do some of my best thinking in this empty room.
When the place is locked up and we fall in step together on the sidewalk, the silence is deafening.
“You took charge tonight when I was in the dining room. That’s impressive.”
“I didn’t mean to step on Tony’s toes. Honestly, I didn’t even think about it. Will he be pissed at me?”
“For a start, don’t swear. Your mouth is far too pretty for cursing.”Shut up. Shut up. Shut up.“Anyway… if Tony didn’t step up, someone had to. It shows you’ve got a natural predilection for leadership.”
“Really?”
“Yes. There’s a reason he’s not on his way to see this new venture with me right now. He’s amazing at what he does, but he’s not a leader.”
“I did wonder why you weren’t lining him up for this role.”
“It’s not the only thing I took into consideration. I need to know that Dulip will continue to run the way it is. I can’t have the caliber drop. The current staff works well together. Rather than split them and have to worry about two restaurants, I will craft a new staff from scratch.”
“Starting with me?” The trill of her voice is filled with trepidation.
“If you say ‘yes.’ And I hope you will. You showed great promise tonight, and I would love to help you hone your skills.”
A shy smile creeps at her lips as we meander the remaining block to Venom.
“We’re here. Are you ready?” I turn to face her, entertained by her bemusement.
“It’s an office building.”
“What did you think it would look like? A den of iniquity with a neon, devil-red sign out from saying ‘kink?’ It’s not a brothel.”
“I just expected… I don’t know. Something. This just looks so… normal.”
“Oh, baby girl, how I would like to show you what lies beneath the surface ofnormal.” I rumble under my breath.
“What?” She turns to face me, the rapid rise and fall of her chest suggesting that she heard every word.Shit.
“Nothing. Let’s get this over with.”
Chapter 9
ASPEN
Whatever I was expecting, this wasn’t it. Akinkclub. Part of me thinks Chef Stevens was just messing with me, and this new restaurant is going to be strikingly similar to Dulip. If anything, this place is lacking the high-end vibe.
