Still propped up on the counter, she smiled down at him. “Thank you.”
“Not just being nice here, Lex. Anyone who can cook like this on the fly shouldn’t be holed up serving tables in some run-down diner.”
“Hey, now,” she warned. “Don’t go hatin’ on Joe’s like that. He hears you talking smack on his place, he’ll likely ban you for life.” With a teasing tone, she added, “Then, you’d have to find somewhere else to get your patty melts.”
He laughed, loving how playful she was. “I’m just saying you’ve got talent, angel. I hate to see it go to waste in a place like this. The way you cook, you could own your own place.”
Though, the corners of her lips turned up slightly, his compliment seemed to fall flat. “Yeah, well”—she slid off the counter and headed to the opposite side of the room where the sink was located—“we don’t all have the luxury of being picky about where we work.”
“I get that,” Trevor said cautiously as he stood and carried his dishes to where she stood.
Lexi continued talking while she got the hot water running and began washing her bowl and fork. “Opening a restaurant takes a lot of time and money. Not to mention real estate. So, until I have those things, I’ll be holed up, waiting tables, in this run-down diner.”
She gave him another forced smile as she took the dishes from his hands. Without asking, he turned the faucet attached to the second sink and began rinsing as she washed.
Damn.He’d clearly said something to upset her, and his chest tightened as he tried to figure out a way to fix it.
Trevor walked back over and grabbed their wine glasses and brought them to her. “I’m sorry, Lexi. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
She took the glasses from his hands and began washing them. He picked up a towel and began drying the dishes he’d placed in the rack, but she stopped him.
“I appreciate the help,” she said quietly. “But the health department requires all the dishes to air dry.”
Trevor stopped what he was doing and sat the towel back down onto the counter. Lexi turned to him and sighed.
“And, you have nothing to apologize for, Trevor. You paid me a compliment, and I...” she cut herself off and sighed loudly before going to get the pot and pan still on the stove.
A span of uncomfortable silence passed while she finished scrubbing the pans. As hard as it was, Trevor gave Lexi the time she needed before continuing.
“I was accepted to Kendall College three years ago,” she finally spoke again. “It’s a prestigious culinary school in Chicago. I had this grand plan of finishing the program and then opening my own restaurant. Nothing too fancy...someplace simple with a touch of elegance. A place people could go for a nice meal, but also afford to bring the whole family.”
“Three years ago,” Trevor said with thought. “Your mom?”
Lexi nodded. “She got sick. I dropped out of school and moved back here. Mom had insurance, but that only covers so much. She went through her savings pretty quickly, and I paid the remainder of her medical bills with the rest of what I had put aside for school. I got a job as a server at a really nice restaurant downtown but lost it when I kept calling in to take mom to the doctor or stay home with her when she was having a bad day.”
“Damn,” he muttered beside her.
“Not that I’m complaining,” she was quick to say. “I wouldn’t give up that last year with my mom for anything, and I’m very thankful I had enough saved up to help cover the costs, but...” Her voice trailed off.
“But?”
She shrugged a shoulder. “With no savings left, and a job that doesn’t pay much, my plan became a fantasy.”
With the dishes all taken care of, Trevor took a step closer. “Sorry, Lex. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“No,I’mthe one who should be sorry. First, there’s the flat tire fiasco, and then I turn our very pleasant dinner conversation into a pity party.” She wrinkled her cute-as-hell nose. “Regret asking me out yet?”
“Are you kidding?” He moved in even closer. “I got to rescue a stranded motorist, ate the best meal I’ve had in a long time, and I shared it with the beautiful chef who prepared it. What’s not to love?”
Lexi’s cheeks turned red, and damn, if it didn’t make his dick stand up and take notice.
“Well, I don’t know about all that.” Her lips twitched. “I mean, I wasn’t exactlystranded.”
Trevor raised a brow. “You had a flat tire and no spare, angel. Pretty sure that qualifies.”
She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, and his heart started to beat a little harder. “Well, lucky for me, I have my very own hero.”
Reaching up, he brushed some hair from her forehead. “Yeah,” he whispered softly. “You do.”
