Page 28 of The Chef

I take the keys out the door and test the handle.

Yeah, it’s locked.

I think back on tonight, and on Bay and her fucking up of my cousins’ order. I do feel a little bit guilty for the rageful reaction I had back there in the kitchen, but she did screw up big time. She did embarrass me in front of my family. Thinking about it even now makes my blood boil.

How dare she insult me like that literally a day after the whole water glass incident?

I bet it was all on purpose.

She definitely would do something like that to irritate me. She knew they were my family, so she was probably bursting at the chance to humiliate me then as well.

I can’t believe Dominika really hired her, I bet she did it to spite me. She loves to infuriate me like that.

But Bay? She’s crossed the line tonight. Her first shift and she screwed up majorly.

Right, that’s it. I’m going to fire her.

I’ll do it tomorrow. Screw Dominika and her attitude, I’m going to get rid of Bay Dover and there’s nothing my chef can do about it. I can’t have this girl ruining my already-failing business.

Even if she is so pretty.

Even if she makes my stomach turn every time I see her.

That’s the one thing I’m trying to keep under wraps, from everyone and especially from myself, the fact that I may actually quite like this girl.

Fuck.

I may actually like Bay Dover.

She’s got sass and is unafraid to talk back at me. Being from one of the richest families in the country means that barely anyone has ever done that to me, and I kinda like it. She doesn’t give a fuck who I am or what my last name means. She thinks I’m a dick, and she’s unafraid to point it out.

Maybe that’s why I am acting like so much of a dick to her. Maybe I am overcompensating because of my true feelings for her. I’m overdoing my aggressive attitude towards her simply because I don’t want anyone, especially Bay herself, to realize I might have feelings for her.

Ugh.

I’ve promised myself not to get tangled up with another girl so soon after Cleo. No way. I can’t have my heart ripped out like that again. I don’t ever want to experience that again. No, sir.

And Bay, with her sass and her confidence and her fucking beautiful face, screams danger to me.

I need to back off from her.

And that’s why I intend to fire her gorgeous ass at the earliest chance. Tomorrow.

I can’t deal with feelings again. Not for a girl, and not for someone as bad for me as Bay Dover.

It’ll be like what happened with Cleo, repeated.

I stuff the restaurant keys into my pocket and take in a deep breath of the night air, letting it fill my lungs.

Yeah, I’ll fire her tomorrow.

I step down to the sidewalk and head towards my car.

Parked next to my vehicle is another car I recognize.

Shit.

And leaning against it is someone I recognize equally well.