She did shower though. The image of her in the shower perpetuated my brain, the sight of her with just a towel around her enough to make my trousers feel tighter.
“Maybe we should have a staff social. On a Sunday when the restaurants are closed. Do something together besides work.” I could live with seeing my colleagues on a day off if it was just once.
She shrugged and swirled the last bit of liquid around in her glass. “It sounds like a good idea. I’m just not sure I know how to switch off any more. I can’t remember the last time I did something that wasn’t work related.” She checked her watch. “Fuck. I’m meant to meet Vanessa and Sophie.”
“Does that mean you’re actually going out to have some fun?”
She shrugged. “Kind of. They’re holding an event for Sophie’s spas here in a few weeks and I need to go through menus.”
I wasn’t sure what to say, so I said nothing, standing up to go to start my shift.
“Thanks for coming with me tomorrow.” She paused, frowning. “What’s your daughter’s name?”
“Lauren,” I said. “She’s fifteen.”
Simone nodded. “Awkward age. I remember it.”
I watched as she left the table, heading towards the door. And I should be ashamed to admit it, but I checked out her ass.
Nick Buckley was waitingfor us when we entered his tapas restaurant the next day. He was dressed in a neatly pressed shirt and dark trousers: I wouldn’t normally notice what another bloke was wearing, but for someone who was meant to be the chef, he looked a little too preened.
“Simone!” His voice was a little too loud. “I saw the name in the reservations last night and hoped it was you. Can I talk you through the menu?”
I had to turn away when I caught the look of disgust on her face to try to stop my smile from growing. She didn’t like Buckley at all and I was finding that a fucking awesome thing.
“I’d rather have a look myself, if that’s okay.”
“Shall I tell you the specials then?”
Simone shot him a grin that I recognised as the one she saved for really twatish customers. “I’m good. I can read the board and we’re here for a leisurely lunch. Jack and I have a few things to go through.”
Buckley’s gaze turned to me. “So you’ve managed to grab a date with the ice-princess? Good for you.”
If I was a violent man, my fist would’ve met with his face at that point, but I wasn’t. I knew Simone could defend herself but I wasn’t sure how she wanted me to respond to fact that he thought we were on a date.
Her expression told me she didn’t have any idea how to react either, so I put my arm around her waist and moved us closer together. “Got to grab time together when you can.”
I felt her lean into me, and I smelled her perfume. Her body was tense under my hand, as if she was struggling with being touched or with the way Buckley was regarding us.
“I’ll have Celine show you to a table then.”
He sloped off and I saw Simone trying to discreetly give him the finger.
“He’s a fucking halfwit.” She just about managed to keep her voice low enough that Celine didn’t hear. “I don’t even understand how he manages to get himself dressed in the morning, let alone run a restaurant.”
Celine said something I wasn’t really listening to. Any part of my working senses was being taken up by the heat from Simone’s body under my hand. I hadn’t stopped touching her even though there was no reason to carry on.
She had relaxed slightly as soon as Buckley had gone, but I could still feel the tension flowing through her, a bit like someone had stuck a mixer into her nervous system.
We were led to a table in the window. The wood of the furniture was weathered and old – upcycled - clearly trying to keep in the context of a tapas-style restaurant. Celine passed them the menus which seemed a little too sleek given the rest of the room.
I was a chef and generally didn’t pay too much attention to furniture and crap like that, unless it was somewhere someone was going to eat. The atmosphere around them was almost like another flavour to the meal and it needed to match what was being served.
Simone sat opposite me, looking through the menu although I knew she would be taking in the room.
“I’m not feeling it.”
“You’re not going to because the chef is a prick and he’s pissed you off.” I managed to keep my voice quiet because Celine was hovering. “You’re here to evaluate the competition and work out why it had such a good review.”
