‘You want me to repeat it?’ Tad said, matching her gaze with his own steady appraisal.
‘Yes. I do. And if that’s really what you think about me, make it loud enough this time for everyone to hear. Word for word. Own it. Be a proper man.’
Tad’s expression lost its composure.
‘If you really want me to, I will. I said you are a “petty, selfish woman” and I don’t care who hears me say it. I genuinely didn’t know anything about you splitting with Kelly Straker – I wanted to find the right moment to tell you I was sorry to hear it. But you’ve made it impossible for me to do so.’
A tickle of colour began to rise from Tad’s collar, his expression becoming increasingly exasperated, even angry. Amy didn’t blame him, but she held her breath as she wondered what else he was going to say.
‘And although the rest of the guests are far too polite to say anything, I’m convinced you ruined the final lesson for all of them. A lesson tailored specifically to your requests, not that you’ve even noticed. In fact, you’ve spent the whole week treating everyone as though they are only here to service your requirements. If that’s the definition of “celebrity”, then I’m well out of it.’
‘Oh, Tad, you have no idea what you’ve done,’ she said, ice cold and her gaze trained on him like a snake about to strike. ‘Being “out of it” as far as celebrity circles is concerned is the least of your worries. Out of all the far more glamorous cookery schools in existence – I gavethisplace a chance. I realise now it was a massive mistake. I could have gone anywhere in the world, could have taken lessons with any chef I wanted – and instead I gotyou. You and this provincial little backstreet hotel. Your guests can’t even see the lake from their windows, for the love of Christ. There’s no view, there’s no professionalism in the kitchen, the food has been abysmally average. Everything is hugely disappointing. If anything, I’ve brought the week up for them all, rather spectacularly in my opinion.
‘And I think we should consider the rest of it. Of far more concern to me is the fact that I’ve become aware you’ve taken advantage of my assistant – that’s something I’m sure the powers that be for this backwater heap would be interested to hear about. Last thing they need is a predator in their employ, don’t you think? Preying on young female guests… I’ll make sure Amelia is OK, obviously, but that’s no thanks to you. And then – I’d almost forgotten – but, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear… What on earth am I going to write in my article?’
Amy sucked in a breath – gaze swivelling between Billie and Tad – all this was exactly what she’d been trying to avoid.
‘Maybe you’d like to apologise to me?’ Billie said, her gaze intense and only for Tad.
The colour rose up Tad’s neck as he stared back at her, matching her gaze with a fierce expression of his own. Amy couldn’t help but admire his courage. Most people turned tail and ran for cover when faced with Billie unleashed – Amy knew she should be saying something to calm the situation herself, instead of being frozen to her stool, unable to speak. Part of her willed Tad to apologise, to plead with Billie to forgive him – but another part of her was hoping he wouldn’t. That he would stand his ground against Billie’s outrageous attacks.
‘Would it make any difference?’ Tad said, his voice gaining decibels as his Scottish accent broadened. ‘Maybe I’m the fool for believing you would treat me, and Casa del Cibo, fairly. You talk about professionalism? Trashing people’s businesses and their reputations doesn’t strike me as being particularly professional, especially when most of them don’t deserve it.’
Billie looked fit to burst. ‘Wow,’ she said. ‘Oh wow. You just signed your P45. You do realise you’ll struggle to get a job at McDonald’s when I’m through with you.’
‘To be honest with you, Ms Forsythe-Rogers, I’m not sure I care any longer,’ Tad said. ‘My world has fallen apart before and I survived – if you think you’re the biggest challenge I’ve ever faced, I’m going to have to disappoint you. Write what you want.’
He turned his attention on Amy, frowning as he said, ‘There’s only one person I’m prepared to apologise to. I genuinely don’t understand what went wrong, Amy, but I’m very sorry if I misread our situation.’
With a brief word to Matteo, handing him the unenviable task of dealing with the rest of the lunchtime session, Tad left the room. Amy wanted to follow him, wondered why she stayed put as Billie glared at Tad’s retreating figure, then turned her gaze on Amy.
‘What?’ Billie said.
‘You can’t do it,’ Amy said.
‘Can’t do what?’
‘Write a bad report about this place. Not if you want me to continue to work for you.’
‘After what that man said to me? Are you serious?’
‘It’s not fair. You’re not being fair to this place, or to him.’
‘You’ve never been all that bothered before when I’ve found fault.’
While Billie’s comment wasn’t strictly true, Amy knew she’d taken the path of least resistance on more than one occasion. She and Malcolm had both stayed quiet in the face of the strength of Billie’s opinion, even when it was laced with wrath, sometimes vindictiveness – there was no swerving that fact. But the situation today was different. The fact that Malcolm had thrown in his towel, leaving Amy alone to deal with Billie, hadn’t helped. But it wasn’t that.
It was the look on Tad’s face when he’d apologised to her – an apology he had no need to make, because the fault had travelled firmly in the other direction. Amy had thought she’d been protecting him, still hoped she might manage it, might persuade Billie to give Casa del Cibo a positive write-up – but his expression had ripped into her. As though he’d somehow caused her hurt, even though the absolute opposite was true.
‘But Tad’s done so much to make your week the best it could be. And today’s lesson? Every part of it was for you. Can’t you see that?’
‘So what? I wouldn’t expect anything less from someone wanting me to write them a wonderful review. It’s the least he can do. And what about howI’mfeeling right now? Who’s thinking about me in all this?’ Billie’s frown gained depth. ‘This article is nothing more than a means to an end for him, a marketing tool for him and this poxy place. That’s all he cares about. He’s made it very clear how little concern he has for what I think of him.’
‘He was defending himself. You always say how you enjoy it when people don’t roll over too easily, how you like it when people stick to their principles. Well Tad clearly loves this place, loves his job. What’s wrong with that? Loving our jobs – isn’t that what we should all feel?’
Amy felt trapped, flapping around trying to decide the best words to use. Trouble was, whichever way she turned, she couldn’t see a way out. If she went any harder at Billie about her behaviour and her treatment of Tad, made her criticism too forceful, chances were Billie would do her best to ruin his career. Amy needed to stay in Billie’s good books if she was going to get justice for Tad and Casa del Cibo. If Amy told Billie she was done with her, that she wanted to choose Tad over working for her regardless of the consequences, what were the chances of Tad still seeing her in the same way, once he realised the cost of being with Amy would be his career?
Amy wanted to do all she could to prevent Billie from trashing Casa and Tad’s skills in the kitchen. But if she managed to persuade Billie to be positive about Casa del Cibo – an even greater uphill battle after Tad’s outburst – and stayed in her employ so as not to rock the boat any further, she’d have to forgo the chance to be with Tad forever. Whatever she did, Amy couldn’t see a way clear to tell Tad how she felt, without costing him everything.
