I dragged myself from the edge of the galley and stood on the opposite side of the island counter. This didn’t need to be awkward unless I made it awkward.
“It’s nothing personal. She and the last chef wereclose.” I raised my eyebrows, hoping he’d catch my drift.
“Ah.” He nodded around the kitchen as if he could sense traces of Ollie in each appliance, then stepped away to rummage through the cabinets by the stove. I stared at him, blinking over and over, sure I really was having a breakdown this time and could snap myself back into reality. But every time I opened my eyes, he was still there.
Alex turned, catching me in the middle of a blink. “All right, I need to know what you’re thinking.” He leaned against the sink again, arms crossed casually over his chest.
“It’s just... what are the chances, right? I see you at Mitch’s, we live in the same building, and now you workhere.”
Alex stepped forward and rested his elbows on the island counter. “Do you believe in fate, Jo?”
I tensed. Where was this conversation going? “Of course not. But it seems like an awful lot of coincidences.”
“Well, I do believe in fate. Blame the hippie parents, but I’m inclined to think everything happens for a reason.”
My pulse raced, but I forced myself not to look away. “So what’s the reason, then?”
Alex shrugged. “I don’t know yet. Guess we’ll have to wait to find out.” His eyes finally left mine, and he disappeared for a moment, squatting down to dig through another cabinet. “Cheese board?” he called, and I directed him to a cabinet beside the stove. When he returned and set the cheese board on the island, he sighed. “If it makes you feel better, there’s also a completely rational explanation for these coincidences.”
That would definitely make me feel better, I thought. “And that explanation is?”
“Think about it.” He turned to the refrigerator and piled various cheeses and slices of meats on the counter. “I’m guessing you went to Mitch’s because it’s the closest bar to the condo, right?”
I nodded.
“Which is exactly why I was there.”
My eyes flitted to his mouth, and I remembered the events of our first coincidence. “Fair enough.”
“You said you inherited the condo from your grandmother, but it’s also the best place with two-bedrooms close to both the marina and Harper Middle School, which has the best special education program in the county. Greyson has some learning disabilities,” he explained.
Also fair. “And working on the same boat?” I asked.
“Xav and my dad go way back. He helped me get my first yachting gig four years ago. So when I was looking for a good school to move Grey to and found Harper Middle, I reached out to Xav. I told him I was looking to move up to Palm Beach and to let me know if he heard of any open positions. He called a few weeks later to offer me a job, and here we are.”
Alex stepped around the island on his way to the pantry, passing so close I could smell him again. The scent reminded me of a bakery—warm croissants and blueberry muffins. The thought was alarming. I did not need to be smelling this man or comparing his scent to various baked goods. I was probably just hungry. We were in a kitchen, after all.
“I should double-check what the guests want for today,” I said, needing to put distance between us. I crossed the galley to look at the preference sheets, which our guests filled out so we’d know what they expected from us.
“I still think it’s fate, though,” he said. He set a box of artisan crackers beside the cheese board.
Nina believed in fate too. I wasn’t looking forward to our next conversation. Knowing her, she’d probably steal my phone and look through the astrology app she’d forced me to download but that I never used. I flicked at a preference sheet with a finger, not acknowledging Alex’s comment. We had wine drinkers today, which I should’ve guessed by the charcuterie board.
I thought about Mia and Kitty. I’d been here for only half an hour, and already I was anxious to get that first text from them. They’d get a kick out of this when they found out, though maybe they already had. I wondered if they were with Greyson right now and if the three of them would puzzle this coincidence out for themselves. Or would Alex and I not feature in their conversations at all?
I leaned against the side of the fridge and watched Alex work. What was it like to raise a teenage girl all on your own? How was it even possible with a job like ours? “How do you make it work?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me. “Charter season, and parenting, and all. Does Greyson’s mom have her when you’re away?”
Alex arched a brow at me. “That’s a very specific question.”
I winced. What was it about this guy that brought out my inner weirdo? “Sorry, don’t answer that. Too personal.”
His almost smile lifted into a smirk. “I like that you skip the small talk.” I blushed, thinking of how I’dreallyskipped the small talk the other night. “Every charter season for the last four years my parents have stayed at my place with Greyson.” He set down his knife and stepped over to the fridge, grabbing a jar of olives. “This past season didn’t go so well, though. Grey had a rough school year, and I should’vebeen there.” He seemed lost in thought for a moment, then sprang back to work and scooped olives from the jar. “So here I am, working off-season and hoping I can piece together enough private gigs once charter season starts up again. Working in restaurants, now that’s not conducive to parenting.” He caught my eye, and his joking expression returned. “That was probably more personal than you were looking for.”
He picked up the box of crackers and held it out to me. Unable to resist food, I found myself standing right beside him at the counter. Damn my love of carbs.
“I think it’s interesting.” I bit into a cracker, and Alex gave me a skeptical look. “No, really. I always wonder how parents do it. My sister, she’s a nurse and has three... It’s cool how you manage it all. That’s what I meant to say.”
“I definitely don’t manage it all. I have a lot of help. I’m sure your sister does too. She has you, right?”
