“I couldn’t have done it without my girls,” I say, winking at Giovanna and Siena.
Siena shakes her head, stuffing a bite ofaranciniin her mouth. “Nope. This was all you, babes. You take all the credit. Now, sit. For five minutes. You’ve been on your feet all day.”
“I sat down this morning.”
“Sophie.”
“I’m fine. I’m better than fine.” And I mean it. “I’ll sit when the kitchen closes.”
She winks at me as I continue making my rounds.
Gavin is at a two-top near the window where I put him when he arrived an hour before opening, bearing a bottle of my favorite Barolo. I asked him to open it without me, which he did when I served him the braised short ribs he’s eating now.
As I pass, he gives me a soft smile and mouths, “wow” pointing at his plate, then winks when I blush. I don’t mind his attention, but mostly I appreciate the lack of pressure or expectation of any kind. He’s just himself, laidback, a quiet supportive presence. Otherwise, he’s not on my mind at all. Though he’s apparently on Siena’s because every time I stop by his table, she watches me like a hawk then gives me a big thumbs up.
Tonight is all about me.
There’s a commotion at the hostess stand, and I head over to see what’s happening.
“I don’thavea reservation because I don’tneeda reservation.”
It’s Valentina, showing up in the middle of the rush on opening night demanding a table because of course she does. She’s sparkling, the low lights catching on her jewelry, glittery threads in the fabric of her dress, and her shiny long nails.
I keep my smile firmly in place as I join my nervous little hostess and Marco in the face-off. “Hey Valentina, we don’t have a table at the moment, but would you like to take a seat at the bar until we do?”
Valentina scoffs, gesturing down at herself. “Do I look a ‘sit at the bar’ kind of person? No. Table for two, please. Not sure who my plus one is yet, but I’m sure I’ll find him here somewhere. Girl, this place is absolutely star-studded!”
Coming from Valentina, that is a rave review. “Perhaps you’ll meet him at the bar. You know, I saw the guy that stars in that new detective show on Netflix. What’s his name? Floppy brown hair, big blue eyes—“
Valentina looks at me like a viper. “Ice blue eyes, like icy icy blue that make your pussy wet and your whole body freeze at the same time?”
I glance around at the patrons crowding in behind her and blush. “Uh, sure. I mean, they’re really blue.”
I barely have the sentence out before she’s on her way.
“Sophie, girl, this place is fucking gorgeous!” Valentina yells out in a sing-song voice and I laugh.
I make my rounds, taking it all in, stopping to say hello andanswer questions about the menu. I get a photo or two with some of the politicians in attendance and smile for the press in front of the Arsenal sign. Everything about tonight is going perfectly. I could not be more proud of what I’ve built. Vin may have provided the bones, but everything else is mine.
Feeling like I’m on a cloud, I drift back to Siena’s table, flushed from the kitchen and happiness.
“This is incredible! Will this always be on the menu?” She’s holding up a bite of lemon asparagus.
I nod. “So good, right? Really complements the heavier dishes.”
As I’m speaking, I feel the energy shift at the table as one by one each of them shift their gaze to something behind me. A look of fury crosses Siena’s face before she darts a glance at me. “Can you sit down?” She asks like she’s in a rush. “Like sit right here. I need you to sit.”
The booth is huge and there is plenty of room for a couple more people but the way she’s asking me is weird. “Why?”
I turn slowly to confirm what the rest of the table is looking at, but I already know what I am going to see.
Vin is in a dark suit, no tie, his jaw set. His eyes are locked on mine instantly as the hostess leads him toward us.
As devastating as he looks, it’s the beautiful woman next to him that crushes me.
Ashlyn’s dress is a show-stopping emerald green and backless, dipping in a long elegant line to the base of her spine. She movesthrough my dining room like she’s floating, her hips swaying softly, her hand tucked into the crook of Vin’s elbow.
I pull my attention back to Siena, swallowing hard, a fake smile plastered across my face.
