“He was looking at you like you were a piece of meat.”
I thumped his arm. “I’ve caught you staring at my tits a few times.”
“Yeah well. They’re nice tits. But I know you. I’m not some sleaze that comes in here and make demands either.”
“Thank you for the compliment. However, I can handle myself. You forget how long I’ve worked in this industry.”
Jack had the decency to look slightly chastised. “Shit, sorry, Sim. I didn’t mean to – fuck it. Double standards, I know. What did Rosso want?”
I explained the proposal, trying to ignore the nickname. “You want to plan a tasting menu? Strut your stuff? We could go through it on Saturday.”
He wiped his hands on a towel. “Lauren has a show that she’s in and I promised to take her for dinner somewhere greasy after.”
“Sunday?” Both my restaurants closed on a Sunday at the moment. At some point we’d look at doing a Sunday lunch menu, when I could find an extra three hours in the day to arrange it.
“Can’t.”
He gave me no more information.
I pierced him with my eyes.
“Let me put some ideas together. You could come round to mine after I’ve been out with Lolly. I’ll be home for about ten-thirty.” He shifted in as one of the team squeezed passed us.
A Saturday night away from the restaurants was almost unheard of. I rarely took time away because I didn’t want to commit to doing anything else. If I went round to Jack’s, I’d be leaving Blue at nine to grab a shower and find wherever he lived. Which I didn’t know – that was a point.
“Where do you live?”
“Greenwich. I’ll text you my address. If you get there for half ten, Lolly will probably be asleep. She dances, eats and then collapses. It’ll be her fourth show in two days so she’ll be wrecked. But if she’s up, she might not be that polite.” Embarrassment was obvious.
“Why’s that?” I had a feeling I knew.
“She thinks I should open my own restaurant or at least have more of an input here. I don’t share her ideas and I’m not just saying that because you pay my salary. But she’s hot headed and opinionated.”
“And I keep her dad from her as well.”
He shrugged. “Kind of. Although she’s almost at that age where I’m not even a contender for her company. She would like more lifts everywhere though. Does Saturday work for you?”
I nodded. The evening’s guests were starting to arrive. “I can make it work.”
“Then it’s a date.” He gave me a wink, deliberately lecherous.
I moved, busying myself. I had no idea how to reply.
Chapter 4
Jack
“Ithink the house has never been this tidy.”
Lauren had wrapped herself in blankets that her mother had sent over a couple of months ago, gaudy things made with the wool of some strange animal from somewhere in Alaska.
“Shouldn’t you be in bed?” I straightened the pile of magazines my daughter devoured.
“I want to meet your boss. Then I’ll go to bed.” She stirred the hot chocolate I’d made her and pulled out a marshmallow. Despite having luxury Belgium chocolate and some organic milk, Lolly thought that the only reason to drink it was because of the marshmallows. I’d given up arguing.
“Please don’t be rude to her.”
“Daddy, I’m never rude to anyone. But I always speak my mind.”
