by Chloe Lang
“Will you two please stop it?” Cami grinned and turned to Marcos. “I’ve changed my mind. Could you bring us another pitcher, please?”
* * * *
Before going through the swinging doors back into the kitchen, Miguel took another long look at Cami. He liked everything about her. Smart. Funny. Gorgeous. She was the kind of woman other women eyed with envy. Since meeting her at Jay and Clay’s birthday bash, he and Roberto had been planning on asking her out. Now was their chance.
He followed his brother into the kitchen, where their staff was putting together the last of the meals for the lunch hour. Soon, they would begin prepping for the dinner rush. He and Roberto moved to the baking station to finish the dessert they’d made for Cami and her friends.
“Do you think this would be a good time to ask Camille out?” he asked Roberto, who was piercing the cooled cake, readying it for the milks.
“What better time, hermano? She called us hot as hell.”
He grinned. “You like pushing her buttons.”
“And you don’t?” Roberto poured the heavy cream over the cake. “You’re the one who kissed her hand first.”
“That is not exactly pushing her buttons. That was a sweet gesture, trying to show her how romantic we can be. You, on the other hand, kept teasing her.” He grinned. “That comment about setting the temperature to hot if she wanted it almost caused me to laugh out loud, which would have ruined the romance.”
His brother shrugged. “But it didn’t ruin it, did it? And besides, I kissed her other hand. You have your charm and I have mine. If we’re lucky, when we take the cake out she’ll say yes to both of us.”
“Let’s hurry and get it out to their table, then.”
Alessandra came through the swinging door, all smiles. “Another great lunch at Dos Hermanos, guys. You two are making my new job so easy.”
They’d promoted her last month from front of house manager to director of business development. He and Roberto planned on opening three new locations by the end of the year. One thing they’d learned about Alessandra since she’d come to work for them was that her logistic skills were top-notch.
She stared at Cami’s dessert and frowned. “Did I make a mistake? I thought the desserts for today were sopapillas and chocolate flan. That’s what I had printed on the menu.”
Roberto laughed. “Alessandra, you’re correct.”
“I thought so. One sheet cake wouldn’t feed two tables of customers, not to mention the entire restaurant. Is that for Cami and her friends?”
“Yes, it is.” Miguel got out three plates. “And make sure there’s no charge.”
“Of course. I need to get back to the hostess station. Maria can only fly solo for so long without me, but I’m sure she’ll be up to speed before our Spain trip.”
“Maria will be fine,” Roberto said. “She had an excellent teacher.”
Alessandra brightened at the compliment. “Thank you. So did I, Roberto, in you and Miguel.”
“We had an excellent student.” Miguel watched his brother pour the last ingredient on Cami’s dessert. He hoped she was going to like it.
“I’ve set up several appointments for locations for us to see in Madrid,” Alessandra said. “All of them are exceptional choices for the new restaurant.”
“I’m sure they are, and we can talk about that later.” Roberto sliced the cake, placing a piece on each of the plates. “Right now, we better get set for dinner.”
“Of course.” She left the kitchen.
He looked at Cami’s dessert with pride. Cooking was in his and Roberto’s blood. Their mother, who they had lost to cancer before they graduated from high school, had been their inspiration. Her recipes were some of the most ordered dishes in the restaurant.
“¿Estás listo, hermano?” Roberto asked him.
“I’m more than ready, brother. Let’s go ask Camille out.”
Chapter Three
Cami looked down at her meal, which was only half-eaten. “So good, but I can’t eat another bite.”
“Me either, though I wish I could.” Toni pushed her plate to the side. “This food is incredible.”
“I told you,” Izzy said. “I would eat here every day if I wasn’t afraid of getting as big as a barn.”
Glancing at the swinging door again, Cami spotted Roberto and Miguel coming back into the dining room, motioning Marcos to follow. They’re walking this direction.
Cami took another sip from her third piña colada, hoping to calm her nerves. Though she was feeling warm, the impact of the drinks had faded quite a bit after eating Roberto and Miguel’s delicious food.
“I hope you enjoyed your meal, ladies,” Roberto said to the three of them, though his eyes never left hers. He and Miguel held three plates with white cake and Marcos had a pot of coffee with cups.
Marcos quickly cleared the lunch plates. “Would any of you like coffee?”
“Yes, please,” Izzy said.
Cami nodded.
“Me, too,” Toni said.
Marcos poured them all coffee and then left.
“Is that what I think it is?” Toni asked, staring at the plates of dessert. “I love tres leches cake.”
“I’m so sorry, señoritas, it is not.” Miguel shook his head. Then a broad smile spread across his handsome face. “This is cinco leches cake.”
“Cinco?” Cami was intrigued and also pleased. She had quite the sweet tooth. “Five kinds of milk? What kind?”
“Yes, five, but the kinds of milk are a secret.” Roberto said in a deep tone that made her giddy. “A special dessert for a special lady. That was one of the words of the day, correct?”
She smiled and nodded. “Don’t you mean three ladies?”
For a split second, he seemed taken aback, which pleased her. But only for a split second. “Yes, for all three of you, but especially for you. That was the other word of the day.”
Miguel placed the plates in front of her and her friends.
Izzy and Toni each took a bite of their cake, and the moans of delight that followed made it clear how much they enjoyed it.
“Cami, what’s the holdup?” Toni asked. “Dive in. This is like heaven on a fork.”
She realized Roberto and Miguel were waiting for her to try their dessert. “Nothing. But only one bite. I’m so full I’ll have to take the rest home.”
“Certainly,” Roberto said. “We have special containers for that.”
They all laughed at the mention of one of the words of the day again.
She took a bite and was delighted by the taste of the dessert the two gorgeous chefs had made for her. “Mmm. So sweet and creamy.”
Roberto and Miguel smiled.
She grinned. “Maybe just one more bite.”
“Excuse me.” Izzy stood, grabbing her purse. “I need to call my husbands to see how the twins are doing, but I’ll be right back.”
Toni also left her chair. “Pardon me, but I need to make a quick trip to the ladies’ room. Can you point me in the right direction?”
“Just past the bar and to your right,” Miguel told Toni.
Cami knew that her two best friends were disappearing on purpose, despite claiming otherwise. This was a ploy they’d used on her before when they were trying to set her up.
Roberto and Miguel pulled up chairs from another table and sat down.
She looked around the restaurant. Not another soul in sight. Being alone with them was reigniting her jitters, making her feel like a teenager. But she wasn’t a teenager, not for many years now, and it had been a lot of years since she was their age. Be reasonable, Cami. This has no chance of working out.
Taking a deep breath, she asked, “What time is it?”
“Five after three,” Miguel answered.
“Oh my God, we got here at noon.”
“You can stay as long as you like, señorita.” Miguel took her hand and kissed it, like he had done earlier.
Once again, electricity shot up and down h
er arm. Use your head, girl. “That’s very nice of you, but I had no idea that much time had passed. When Izzy and Toni get back, we’ll get out of your hair.”
Roberto smiled and took her other hand, just like before. “Are you in a rush?” When his lips touched the back of her hand, she felt several trembles inside her body. “Besides, we have something important we’d like to ask you, Camille.”
Hearing him say her name in that sexy accent gave her goose bumps. “Sure. Anything. I mean…okay.” Gazing into Roberto’s dark-brown eyes and feeling Miguel squeeze her hand was tying up her tongue in knots and giving her butterflies.
“Miguel and I would like to take you to dinner tomorrow night, say, around seven. Is that a good time for you?”
“Good time. Yes. Uh. I like time. Punctuality is my middle name.” Cami, they must think you’re insane. “I mean…Oh my God, what’s wrong with me? Too many drinks, I suppose. Yes. I would love to go to dinner with both of you tomorrow night.”
Suddenly, someone bumped into her chair and she felt liquid run down her back. She shot up to her feet. Her purse, which had been hung on the back of her chair, fell, spilling its contents on the floor.
Roberto and Miguel jumped up.
“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry.” Alessandra had spilled red wine down her back. The woman bent down and began retrieving Cami’s items and placing them back in her purse.
“What happened, Alessandra?” Roberto narrowed his eyes, demanding an answer. It was both terrifying and awe inspiring to Cami.
“I tripped on that napkin on the floor.” Appearing stricken, Alessandra reached for the white napkin in question and held it up.
Hoping to calm everyone down, Cami said, “It’s okay. Accidents happen.”
Miguel yelled to Marcos, “Bring cloths!”
“Cami, I’m so sorry.” Alessandra’s voice shook.
“Don’t give it another thought.”
Izzy and Toni returned to the table.
“Oh my goodness, Cami,” Izzy said. “What happened to your beautiful dress?”
“It was just an accident. It will be fine. I’ll have it dry-cleaned.”
“I will pay for that,” Alessandra said.
“There is absolutely no need for that.”
“But I insist.”
“No, Alessandra, it really isn’t necessary.” She turned and looked at Roberto and Miguel. The concern on their faces remained. Their intensity was so appealing to her, and yet also overwhelming. Her instincts about men had never been good.
Then that horrible memory flashed in her mind, a memory she wished had never happened. Hank was on top of her, his face twisted and full of anger. Why do I keep seeing this? But she knew the answer, because it only replayed whenever she started to open up to another man. Was it a mistake to say yes to dinner?
She forced the vision out of her head. “Seriously, it’s fine, guys. It’s only a dress.”
Chapter Four
With his brother beside him, Roberto watched Cami and her two friends climb into the taxi that he and Miguel had called for them. The three women had walked from Izzy’s high-rise building, which was only seven blocks away, to the restaurant. Still, he and Miguel thought it best that they get a ride, especially after what had happened.
As the cab drove away, Alessandra rushed out of the restaurant. “I’m so sorry. I’m such a klutz.”
“I’ve never known you to be clumsy before,” he said.
“Just ever so often. I really hope Cami will change her mind and let me pay for the dry-cleaning, and if the stain doesn’t come out, I will pay for a new outfit for her.”
“Like Camille stated earlier, Alessandra, accidents happen,” Miguel said. “Let’s just forget it and get ready for the dinner rush.”
She nodded and walked back inside, while he and Miguel remained on the sidewalk for a moment.
“Camille said yes, Roberto.” Miguel’s enthusiasm was something he shared. “Can you believe we are actually going to enjoy her company tomorrow night?”
“We’ve waited a long time for a date with this angel, but I’m so glad it’s finally going to happen.”
“I was thinking we should take her to Pierre’s restaurant.”
“Excellent idea, and after dinner we can go dancing at Club Río Azul.”
“Perfecto, mi hermano.” Miguel nodded, and then sighed. “But did you get the sense Camille’s mood changed suddenly?”
“I did, and you and I both know that wasn’t about the spilled wine.” He recalled the look in Cami’s eyes, a look of panic, and wondered what had caused it. “She got edgy for a moment, but it didn’t last.”
“True, but whatever is bothering her, I hope it’s not about our date. Do you think she’s worried she is too old for us, like Izzy felt about Jay and Clay at first?”
Thinking Miguel might be onto something, he said, “That might be it. But she said yes to the date, so we need to make sure it’s the best date she’s ever been on.”
“Yes, we do. Camille is like no other woman I’ve ever met before.” Miguel sounded like he was already falling hard for her. “I don’t want to scare her away before we even get started. After we close down the restaurant tonight, let’s put a plan together that will blow her mind tomorrow.”
His brother sounded like he was planning more than just a date. But that didn’t surprise Roberto. He was also falling hard for her, too.
“You got a deal, hermano.”
“Roberto, I wish we could get her to go to Spain with us.”
“I totally agree, but first things first. Let’s see how she’s feeling about us during our date. If things go as we hope, then we can ask her if she’d like to go.”
Miguel laughed. “No one ever accused the Sanchez brothers of taking things slow.”
He shrugged. “Maybe not, but look how long it took for us to get a date with her.”
* * * *
Cami sat between Izzy and Toni in the back of the taxi. All three of them had a box containing Roberto and Miguel’s dessert in their laps.
Izzy opened her purse and pulled out her keys. “Both of you are coming up to my place, so you can tell Toni and me what happened when we left the table. I have something that you can put on, and then we can rush your dress to the dry cleaners.”
“I’m so happy those two guys asked you out,” Toni said.
“The three of you are perfect for each other,” Izzy added. “I’ve known that ever since my guys’ birthday party.”
“Izzy, I know you have the perfect marriage, but that isn’t possible for everyone, especially me. I’m too old for them.”
“That’s a load of crap,” Toni said firmly. “Just look at you. You are gorgeous.”
“You’re one to talk. You’re beautiful, successful, and have so much to offer any man. How many times have the Kavanagh brothers asked you out and you’ve turned them down?”
“This is not about me. This is about you. Like I said, you’re gorgeous. Any twenty-year-old would be envious of you, so get off the age thing. That’s no excuse.”
The taxi pulled up in front of Izzy’s high-rise. They got out and walked inside. The doorman looked up from the monitor. “Hello, Mrs. Gibbs.”
“Hi, George. How’s your wife?”
“Irma is doing very well. Thank you for sending those roses on her birthday. She was so pleased and hasn’t stopped talking about it ever since.”
“I’m so glad she liked them.” Izzy led Cami and Toni to the elevator. Once inside, she inserted her key into the button marked “PH.”
PH, for penthouse.
Cami still couldn’t believe her friend was married to two billionaires, but it hadn’t changed Izzy one bit. She was still the warm, loving friend she’d always been.
When the elevator opened, Izzy’s husbands greeted them, each man holding one of their infant twins, Margaret and Collin.
“How did they do?” Izzy asked, kissing her babies on the foreheads.
“They did
great, sweetheart,” Clay said.
Jay nodded. “Perfect angels.”
No one could deny how in love Izzy and her husbands were, and their two precious babies were adorable.
“Do you mind watching them a little longer?” Izzy asked. “I need to get Cami something to wear. We had a little incident at the restaurant that needs to be taken care of.”
“What incident?” Jay asked.
“A wine accident.” Cami turned around so that he and Clay could see the stain.
“Ah. Of course we’ll watch the babies, honey,” he said. “Clay and I took the entire day off. If you need more girl time together, knock yourself out. We love being with these two. In fact, we were just about to put them in the strollers and take a walk to the park. You three can have the entire penthouse to yourselves.”
“Just shoot us a text when you’re ready for us to come back, sweetheart,” Clay said.
“I will. I love you two so much.” Izzy kissed both her guys. “One favor, before you go. Would you mind taking Cami’s dress to the dry cleaners?”
“Sure.” Jay smiled.
“Thanks,” Cami said. “I really appreciate it.”
“I’ll bring out the dress once we get her an outfit to wear.” Izzy led her and Toni back to her bedroom and then to her closet, which was bigger than Cami’s entire apartment.
Cami slipped out of her dress and handed it to Izzy, who ran out to take it to her husbands.
“No matter how many times I see this space, I still can’t get over it,” Toni said.
“Me either. I’m so happy for her.”
Izzy returned. “That’s taken care of. Now, let’s see what we can find for you to wear.”
“Find?” Toni laughed.
“Stop it,” Izzy grinned. “Here, put this on. If it doesn’t work, I have more for you to try.”
Toni shook her head. “This looks like a department store, with all the choices.”
“You know I don’t buy all this. My men are constantly bringing home something for me. I’ve tried to make them stop, but they won’t.”
“I am so happy for you, Izzy.” Cami loved these two like sisters, sisters of the heart. She took the outfit Izzy had chosen, jeans and a cute top, both with their tags. “These are brand new.”
