“Does Grey sleep with all his chefs?”
“Or tries to.” Nikolai straightened up, as if afraid he’d said too much. “I’m going to get those napkins. Good luck with service tonight.”
I watched him head over to the next door in the storage area, presumably the linen closet. Carrying the garlic bulbs out into the kitchen, I looked over at Rafael, busily focused on preparing the night’s meals.
Had Grey tried to sleep with him?
WasGrey sleeping with him – actively?
Was that why he resented me coming here?
The thought of it made my jaw clench. I pictured the two of them and for some reason I found my hand forming into a fist. Grey with his fingers running over Rafael’s shoulders, taking hold of his calloused chef’s hands, kissing his neck.
It didn’t bear thinking about.
I walked out and placed the garlic in front of Ainslie, accepting his enthusiastic thanks with a nod.
I glanced at Rafael again with narrowed eyes.
I was going to keep my eye out for signs – and if they were sleeping together, maybe it was a better idea for me to quit while I was ahead and go find another restaurant to work at.
Rafael
Even though I headed in early the next day, when I went to open the back door, I found it already unlocked.
“Hello?” I called out with a frown, leaning my head around the door into the kitchen and then turning towards the storage area. If someone had broken in…
“Hey, Raf!”
The sound of the voice coming from the other end of the kitchen made my shoulders rise and tense up. Drake Warwick. He was already here.
Grey had givenhima set of keys?
“It’s Rafael,” I said, turning. Drake was just emerging from the end of the kitchen where the dishwashing sink took up its own alcove. There was a skinny kid behind him that I didn’t recognize, some twenty-something with a tortured artist look about his messy brown hair. What, was he bringing his boyfriend here before work already?
Drake grinned impishly at my correction of his name. “I found this kid wandering around outside,” he said. “He says Grey hired him to wash dishes. Do you know anything about that?”
So, not a boyfriend. Good. Because that would be been unprofessional – not for any other particular reason.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Luca,” the kid replied. He hadn’t really looked up yet. I noticed he spent a lot of time looking at his hands or the floor. Was he just shy, or was this something shady? Grey hadn’t told me anything about hiring someone already.
“Luca,” I repeated. “What did Grey say about the job?”
“He told me to be here in time for prep, but I don’t know when prep is, so I kind of hung out in the parking lot all day,” he said with a self-deprecating shrug. “Um, Grey’s my Dad’s friend. Or they used to work together, or something. I don’t really know. But he found out I was looking for work and he told my Dad I could come work here for him.”
So far, it sounded like Grey. There was only one way to be sure. I studied him for a long moment, trying to think of a subtle way to ask.
“You’re not sure if it’s legit?” Drake asked. I looked up to find him studying me.
“I’m not sure, no,” I said. “You could have just let in some junkie who wanted to rob the place.”
“I’m not a junkie!” Luca burst out.
“Call Grey, then.”
I chuckled. “You don’t know Grey yet. There’s no point calling him at this time of day. He’ll be asleep. He stays out all night and sleeps until the afternoon. He’ll be here in time for family dinner and to see everyone before the official shift start time.”
