Ashrika
“HE SEEMS LIKE A NICEguy, Rika. Give him a chance. Just talk to him. Please.”
I stared at Tia, shaking my head. When she asked to be excused for the dinner service last night, I figured she’d gone on a hot date. Now, looking at her rosy features, I was even more convinced. “Why the sudden desperation? And give him a chance at what exactly? Are you trying to get rid of me or do you have a thing for the guy?” Over the last hour, she’d been relentlessly trying to get me to speak to Trent Shaw. Admittedly, the name suited his persona.
Her eyes widened as she uttered a laugh, that sounded nervous to my vigilant ear. “No, silly. Just hear him out. And if you don’t like what he has to say then tell him to get lost.”
“He wasn’t the reason you swapped dinner service with Nina last night, was he?” I rolled my lips to keep from laughing.
“No,” she answered a little too quickly.
I winked at her. “I’ll think about it, okay?”
She flipped her hair over her shoulder and replied, “Yeah, you do that.”
As she walked away, I called out, “Tia?” She half-turned. “It’s okay, you know.” At her frown, I said, “to date him, no reason to hide.”
“I’m not the one he wants, Rika.” She’d already pushed through the doors before I could question her further.
Who did the man want? Chewing my bottom lip, I rinsed the carrots I’d been dicing and dropped them into a hot pan on the burner. The aroma of sizzling butter and rosemary filled the air. If the man held ideas that I was interested in his job offer, he’d be disappointed. Shoving aside thoughts of him, I concentrated my attention on the snapper ready for the grill.
“Come on, Rika.” Leah blew out a frustrated breath an hour later. “It’s just one outing,” she pushed while Nina, Tia, Kat, and Debbie pouted on the side.
I scowled at them. They were trying to coax me into attending Nina’s bridal shower. Because her boyfriend was planning to move to Chicago, the couple had opted for a short engagement. I doubted there’d ever been a wedding put together that quickly which meant she’d be leaving us soon, hence the over-the-top suggestion for a shower. Since the plan was to go club-hopping, I’d opted out. “Why can’t we have it here?” I finally mumbled.
“Someone strangle me before I kill this woman,” Tia muttered, taking a step toward me.
Laughing, I wiped my hands on a dishtowel and shrugged. “I’m sure you girls will have a lot more fun without a party pooper like me around.”
“Please, Rika, I’ve worked with you for the last three years, you’re like family to me. It’s not enough that I have to move to Chicago, a place where I know no one, you not being at my shower slash,” she lifted her hands showing me the inverted coma sign, “going away party doesn’t feel right. Please?” Nina begged.
Chewing my bottom lip, I took in her distraught features. She was right. When Zayne opened the restaurant for me to keep my mind occupied and stop fretting about the memory loss, I didn’t think that within a couple of months, I’d meet such great people like the ladies standing in front of me and Dean. We’d become close and apart from working well together, we trusted each other. We were family. “Fine,” I mumbled, knowing I might regret that response as squeals of joy emanated through the kitchen. “God, have mercy on my soul.” I grinned, earning a playful punch from Tia.
Later that evening, Tia’s voice echoed down the passage. “Rika?”
Figuring Zayne must have let her into the apartment, I called out, “in here.” I stepped out of the bathroom as she and the other girls entered the room. “Hi.”
“Oh, God. I knew it.” She stopped short, pointing to my black slacks and white blouse. “Please don’t tell me you’re wearing that?”
