by Sorcha Grace
I moved around the court, taking various shots of the room and the guests. I wanted a shot of the gift table, the place settings, the centerpieces, and the adorable cake made of cloth diapers. Everything was in cool pink and blue pastels, more icy than Easter egg-y, which I appreciated.
I started taking candid pictures of a radiant Lauren talking with her friends. She looked so happy. As I snapped away, capturing her smiling and laughing and stroking her belly, it was hard not to think about babies. What girl didn’t think about babies at a baby shower? Jace and I had talked about kids a few times, but it had been sort of a joke between us, something to think about for the distant future. We were so young and carefree when we got married, and Jace’s surfing career had been most important to us then. But that future wasn’t so distant any more. So much had changed since I was married to Jace and since he’d died. I’d changed. I was more settled now, more mature. But what about William? He was the wild card. I knew he loved me, but I had no idea if we were we heading down the path toward marriage and children or not.
I lifted my camera to capture another image of Lauren and caught sight of Asa lingering near the door. I loved William, and I wanted to be with him—today, tomorrow, forever. But I needed answers from him about our future. When was the right time to have that conversation? Between discussions of stalkers and what was for dinner? How could I even be thinking about having babies with William when I required round-the-clock security?
* * *
Abigail finally called us all to lunch. I was thrilled to be invited and to spend time with William’s family, but being the outsider got old quickly. I found my place card and made my way toward my table. I passed Lara Kendall on the way—thankfully going in another direction—but she just smiled her ice-princess smile and kept walking. Bitch. I’d been at the shower less than an hour and had already begun wondering how long it would last.
And then it couldn’t end soon enough when I saw Zoe and Elin were seated at my table, Elin on my left and Zoe to my right. Elin would hopefully be okay, but I hadn’t trusted Zoe’s show in front of her mother earlier. Hopefully we’d be too busy eating to have to talk much. We started with a light salad of mixed greens with strawberries and blue cheese. I was starving and ate every bite in between polite chitchat with my tablemates.
The rest of the table was made up of Lauren’s friends, a few from college who already knew one another and were dying to catch up, and a pair of girls from Lauren’s work. It was easy to talk about the food—how light the dressing was, the merits of blue cheese versus goat cheese—and then the waiters brought out an assortment of small sandwiches: egg salad on brioche, salmon on pumpernickel, cucumber on white bread. An afternoon tea theme struck me as genius because ladies like these wouldn’t eat much more than a few bites of anything.
Zoe and I both reached for our water glasses at the same time, and the sleeve of her sweater slid up slightly, revealing the edge of an inky tattoo. I’d seen something peeking out from the neckline of her sweater, and now I wondered if the tattoo wound its way from her arm to her chest. I would have loved to ask her about it, but with how icy she’d been during our last meeting, I wasn’t sure I wanted to bother. Maybe William had some insights?
Zoe caught my eye. My cheeks burned at being caught looking at her arm so intently, so when Elin said something about the petite sandwiches in front of us, I quickly turned away and pretended to be interested. But Zoe wasn’t having any of it.
“So you’re living with William now?”
I turned back and shrugged, trying to play it cool. “It’s temporary. I have my own place.”
“How long have you been dating?” Zoe asked, taking a bite of her cucumber sandwich. “A couple weeks?”
“Longer than that,” I said. But not much longer. I knew where she was going. My relationship with William had seemed to progress quickly, and she didn’t like it.
“Looked like you were pretty settled when I was over there, but I’m sure it’s helpful to have William’s staff drive you around and walk your dog.”
Her words stung and my first instinct was to defend myself, but this wasn’t the place and I wasn’t going to give Zoe the satisfaction. Besides, her thoughtless comment made me think that Zoe didn’t know about the threats. If that was the case, then I wasn’t going to tell her. Besides, it wasn’t any of her business what I did. If she wanted answers, she could ask William.
“How did you two meet?” she asked. She was not letting the subject drop “Did you manage to con someone into giving you an invite to some exclusive event where you knew he’d be?” Evidently she was intent on getting in a few punches no matter what. Well, if she wanted to hear the story, I was happy to oblige.
“No,” I said quietly and met her eyes before continuing. “We met when I was doing a photo shoot for Willowgrass, a new restaurant. William is one of the investors.”
“That’s right,” Elin said, surprising me by jumping in. “I’d heard you were a talented food photographer. Wasn’t your work in Chicago Now?”
“That was the Willowgrass shoot,” I told her, happy to talk about my work instead of my love life.
“It was gorgeous. I guess I’d never thought much about that sort of work. Clearly, you have the eye for it,” Elin added.
“It all just seems really fast,” Zoe remarked, preventing me from responding to Elin’s comment and taking the conversation in a different direction.
Elin shrugged. “I saw them together at The Peabody Club the other night, and William seemed really happy. Besides, people fall in love fast for lots of reasons.”
I nodded, not sure what to say. Who would have thought Elin, as awkward and aloof as she was, would have been my defender?
“We should all be so lucky to find that kind of happiness,” Elin added. Then she looked directly at Zoe. “I imagine pickings are kind of slim for you in Oklahoma City, Zoe.”
I glanced down at my plate to hide my smile. Nice one, Elin. Not only was it the perfect zinger, it shut Zoe up. She turned to the lady on her other side and didn’t speak to me again. I turned to Elin and gave her a wobbly smile. She’d saved me from a really awkward, really uncomfortable situation, but Elin, too, was talking to the woman seated next to her as if nothing had happened. I picked up my water glass and just about drained it in one long gulp. Fortunately, Abigail announced Lauren would open gifts shortly thereafter, so I excused myself to take more photos. I’d never been so happy to leave a table in my life.
* * *
As the shower wound down, I gathered my camera equipment and packed it away. I had taken some really great shots. I was particularly hopeful about one of all the Smith women together—even Zoe was all smiles now that her family was around. I’d look at them all later, but when I’d scanned the images I was pleased. I was almost done stowing my camera stuff when Lauren approached. “Catherine, thank you so much for coming and for the Baby Bullet. I can’t wait to make my own baby food. And the cloth diaper delivery service too. Really, it’s too much!”
I smiled. “Well, you know how William is. I’m glad you like it.”
“I love it, and now I think I need to go home and take a nap.” She stroked her belly and smiled. “Everyone keeps telling me to get sleep while I can.”
I almost laughed. “Lauren, you look amazing. I didn’t even know you were pregnant until a week ago. Congratulations.”
“I’m lucky I’m tall. The best thing is these boobs. I’ve never had boobs like these. That’s definitely one of the perks.” She laid her hand on my arm. “I’m sorry we didn’t get to chat much.”
“That’s okay,” I reassured her. “It was your shower. You had so many friends here.”
“I hope you and Zoe got to know each other a little better. I asked Abigail to seat you next to her. She doesn’t get to town much and she is so important to William.”
There she went with that “important to William business.” How could that be possible? They were so close yet she wouldn’t give
me a chance.
I forced a smile. “Yes, we did.” It was the truth. Zoe made it clear she didn’t like me with William.
“I’m sure,” Lauren said with a knowing look.
Only, I imagined, she didn’t know the half of it. It was obvious that Zoe was an old hand at being one way in front of her family. No matter what bond she and William had, I doubted Lauren was in on all of it.
“I told you she’s a handful, but she always means well. You know, I keep telling William that the four of us need to get together for dinner soon. Zach is game for it, so I’ll stay on William.”
“That sounds great. Thanks again for having me, Lauren.”
Asa intercepted me as soon as I left the Palm Court. The black sedan was waiting, and Asa helped me inside, then climbed into the front with Anthony. “Hello, Miss Cat. Back to the penthouse?”
I glanced at my watch. It was just before two o’clock, too early to return to the gilded cage.
Then I had an idea. “Actually, Anthony, I’d like to go to Morrison Hotel.”
He nodded and put the car in gear. “Morrison Hotel it is.” I watched as we pulled out and headed down Michigan Avenue.
Hutch wasn’t expecting me, but he had told me he wanted candid shots of pre-service prep for the cookbook, and I did happen to have all my gear. So technically this was work, but it helped that I needed an escape. I didn’t want to go back to lockdown at the penthouse at the moment and a visit to Morrison Hotel seemed like the perfect way to reconnect with my own life. Zoe had rattled me, and I felt like I had forgotten who Catherine Kelly really was, outside of William.
Asa had probably given George our itinerary as soon as I mentioned my change of plans, but I texted William anyway and told him I had some work to do. I didn’t mention Hutch or where I was going. He’d know soon enough and I figured we could talk about it later.
I’m with Asa and Anthony, I texted to finish. So don’t worry. See you for dinner.
XOXO
Thirteen
My car arrived at Morrison Hotel, and Asa opened the door for me and helped me pull my camera bags out of the back. The minute my feet hit the sidewalk, a surprisingly brisk gust of wind ripped right through me. “Shit, that’s cold,” I said through nearly chattering teeth.
“That’s March in Chicago for you,” Asa chuckled. “We better get you inside and warmed up before you blow away.” His cheeks were red and his eyes watered in the wind. It wasn’t sunny, but thankfully it wasn’t snowing either. I shivered as the wind kicked up again. A return trip to Tropos sounded like a good idea right about now.
I took a deep breath and tried to shake off the lingering effects of my luncheon conversation with Zoe as I headed into the restaurant. I hated that William’s cousin—ostensibly the cousin he was closest to—didn’t like me. I had no idea why, and it stung. Admittedly, I was sensitive, but how could I not be? I had been unfairly vilified after Jace’s death by his family, some of his friends, and lots of his fans. I walked away from all that hate, but what was I supposed to do about Zoe? How does one say, “Hey, I think your cousin hates me for no reason” to one’s boyfriend? And would said boyfriend side with his girlfriend over his favorite family member?
Mindy, one of the hostesses, was on the phone when I walked in but gave me a smile and pointed to the back. I felt totally comfortable here now, which was all Hutch’s doing. He’d introduced me to his entire staff and told them to give me whatever I wanted. The man truly had a talent for making people feel welcome. No wonder Morrison Hotel had a waitlist a mile long.
Asa took a seat in the booth closest to the kitchen, and I set down my gear just as Hutch came through the kitchen doors. His serious expression turned into a warm smile the instant he saw me, and he changed course from wherever he was initially heading to turn toward me. He wiped his hands on the white apron tired around his waist, covering distressed jeans. His black T-shirt molded to his chest and his tattooed arms popped with color against it.
“This is what I love about you, Miss Catherine.” He took me by the shoulders and kissed me on both cheeks. He smelled like spices and wood smoke. “You keep me on my toes, and you’re certainly never predictable.”
“Predictability is very overrated, don’t you think?” Being so warmly welcomed by a gorgeous man was exactly what I needed to snap me out of the funk of Lauren’s shower.
Hutch always seemed thrilled to see me, and with that wide, infectious smile, how could I help but feel a little fluttery inside? He was off-limits for so many reasons, but there was just something about him. If I was being honest, I knew what it was: he reminded me a little of Jace. His confidence. His blond hair. His easygoing, laid-back attitude. All of these connected powerfully with who I used to be in California. Cat Ryder, surf photographer, would have had a major crush on Hutch. And maybe Catherine Kelly, Chicago food photographer, did too.
I cleared my throat, smiled, and tried to focus on why I was here. “I thought today might be a good time to do the candid pre-service prep shots you wanted for the book. I happened to have my equipment with me, and I was already out. But if this is a bad time, I can come back.”
“I’d never send you away, Kitty Cat. Not now that I have you here.” He grinned like a mischievous child. “Come on back and you can get started. The mise en place is done, and Angie’s already staging,” he said over his shoulder as he led me into the kitchen. He lowered his voice. “She’s a ballbreaker, that one. She’s the secret to my success, you know.”
“I doubt that,” I said, dropping my bag and reaching for my camera and a lens. My hands were shaking a little. ‘Kitty Cat’ was what Jace had called me—intimately, in bed. Hearing Hutch call me that was unexpected, to say the least. But he didn’t need to know. I plastered on a smile.
“Don’t doubt it,” Hutch said, oblivious to my internal drama and sounding serious. “My grandmother always said, ‘Behind every successful man there’s a good woman.’ You wouldn’t argue with my grandmother, would you?”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Smart move because you’d lose.” He winked, then headed over to where Angie was working.
I took in the activity of the kitchen, then got quickly immersed in my work. The food was gorgeous, and the staff didn’t seem to mind that I was present. The shots really did look candid and not at all stiff. Maybe it was the dynamic between Hutch and Angie. He was clever with the innuendo, and she brought him back down to size with her sarcasm. Watching them work was fun, and I was having a great time. Mostly, though, I enjoyed watching Hutch’s genius realized. The way he cooked was intense and wild and free all at the same time. It would have been easy to get caught up in looking at him, in witnessing him create his art on a plate, but I remembered to watch through the lens of the camera and take what I hoped were great shots.
The entire time I watched Hutch, I kept thinking about Beckett. I wished he was here, witnessing what I was. He would love it. I pulled out my new phone and snapped a quick pic of Hutch as he julienned carrots with both remarkable ease and precision.
I thought you’d appreciate this, I typed.
I knew he admired Hutch as a chef—what chef didn’t? —but I bet the two of them would actually hit it off, too.
Call you later to give you the deets. Overdue 4 cocktails, yes?? XOXO.
I hit send. I still worried Beckett secretly nursed a broken heart. With all the drama going on in my life, I hadn’t been a very good friend lately, and I needed to change that. ASAP.
* * *
I was so focused on getting a variety of shots that when Hutch appeared in front of me with two large bowls of something that smelled like butter, bacon, and cheese, I was totally surprised. My stomach gave a little leap of joy, and I wondered how long I’d been there. Surely I couldn’t be hungry again. I’d eaten at Lauren’s shower. Of course, that had been light fare, and what I’d learned about Hutch was that nothing he made was light on calories.
“That’s a wrap, Cat. Isn’t t
hat what they say?”
I smiled and tried not to stare at the food. I didn’t want to start salivating. “I think that’s in movies, but I get your point. I got some great pictures. I think you’ll be pleased.”
“I know I will be, and I like that you aim to please.” Hutch was definitely ramping up his flirtiness. “Now, you come eat with me. I always chow before the first seating, and I don’t like to eat alone.”
“Oh, um...” I vaguely remembered that I’d promised William I’d be home for dinner.
“Don’t tell me no, sweetie. The staff has already been served.” He jerked his head toward a rectangular stainless steel table. Angie and the line cooks were seated around it, eating bowls of whatever Hutch had brought me.
“But you and me,” Hutch said, “we’re going to sit out here.” He pushed through the kitchen doors and into the main dining area. Asa still sat in his booth, and I was ashamed that I’d totally forgotten him.
But Hutch hadn’t. Asa had a steaming bowl of food in front of him and a bottle of sparkling water. Hutch really was the sweetest man. He seemed to read my mind. “A man’s got to keep up his strength. Keeping an eye on you can’t be easy.”
He gave me a smirk, and immediately diffused the embarrassment that threatened to turn my cheeks red. There were few employers, I reasoned, who would be okay with their employees coming to work flanked by a bodyguard, let alone be so okay with it that they would feed him. Asa’s constant presence sometimes made me uncomfortable—or at least explaining his constant presence to other people did—but Hutch acted like he didn’t mind and I appreciated it.
