The Winemaker's Dinner: Dessert (The Winemaker's Feast)

by Rusilko, Dr. Ivan

  Chapter 28

  “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”

  IVAN MANEUVERED CANDY THROUGH SIDE STREETS and back alleys, avoiding the rush on Miami Beach as he picked his way across the island to pick up Irena.

  “Well, let’s see how late she’s going to be.” He messaged her during one of his many stops along the way.

  There in 5. Are you on your usual schedule?

  Her time-management skills had always been an issue for them. But immediately his phone rumbled with a response.

  Smartass! I’m ready.

  Message me when you’re here and I’ll come out.

  Go to side street entrance.

  Surprised, he smiled as he typed a quick response.

  Apparently being a big shot makes one punctual.

  Was he being too flirty or just friendly, he wondered after he hit send. When his phone buzzed again, he saw a smiley face giving him the finger. He laughed and almost skimmed a parked car.

  As he turned down the side street that led to the Setai, an influx of nerves bombarded him, and he realized that, apart from the brief whatever-that-was in his office the other day, he hadn’t spoken to her, let alone seen her, since the proverbial elevator doors closed on their relationship three years ago. The twenty minutes in his office were powerful and intriguing, but not nearly enough time to prepare for an actual evening together where conversation was required and the visual contact might be more than he could bear.

  He slowed to a stop, looking down the alley where he was to pick her up. If he turned around now, he could be back to his place in fifteen minutes, bottle of wine open in twenty, and a good buzz going in forty-five—the easy way out. Or he could pick her up and pull a night like he’d had with Jaden a few weeks ago—the evil and fun way out. Or he could man up and take an old girlfriend out to a casual dinner—just to catch up and maybe steal a bit of closure along the way.

  Man up it is.

  He typed out a text.

  Outside.

  “Let’s rock,” he mumbled as he put the car back in drive.

  He rounded the corner and stopped just short of the entrance, where he put Candy in park and began to play the waiting game. His phone buzzed again. He half expected to see a message asking for fifteen minutes, but instead it was a note from AVOID:

  I hope you have a great night, Ivan. xoxo

  He froze as if he’d been caught, and the heat of adrenaline flared through his chest. But he wasn’t breaking any rules—well, maybe his own—but nevertheless, a small sliver of guilt wormed its way through him as he composed a response.

  I hope u have a better one, Jaden. xoxo

  After he responded, he went into his contacts and changed AVOID to Jaden. That’s the way it should be.

  “Hi, Papi!”

  At the sound of her voice he dropped the phone like it was on fire. He wasn’t even sure he’d finished updating Jaden’s information. When he looked up, his eyes came to rest on near perfection. Irena, clad in a blue dress, leaned in the window with her cleavage practically spilling into the front seat. Her eyes sparkled like always.

  “Ay! Hey, girl. You scared me.” He stuttered as he struggled to retrieve his phone from the floorboard.

  “Really? I didn’t think I had that effect on you.” She laughed, but her eyes never left his. “Not any more anyway. But I remember a long time ago…” She stood, leaving him staring at her stomach.

  “Oh, shit! Sorry. Let me get the door.” He nearly broke his leg trying to get out of the car and stopped dead in his tracks upon seeing a mountain of a man standing behind her.

  “Don’t worry, sir. I’ll get it for her.”

  Irena smiled at the gorilla and rolled her eyes at Ivan.

  “Fair enough, boss.” He spun himself back into the car. Once her door shut, Irena leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “Thanks for coming out tonight. It’s great to see you.”

  He could feel the heated imprint of her lips on his cheek. “It’s my pleasure, girl. Good to see you too. Damn, you are all done up! Am I underdressed? You said small and casual right?”

  “Oh, you’re fine. You look great, and I have to say the beard is…it’s very sexy. You never wore a beard when we were together.”

  “Well, I don’t know if I was ready for a beard back then,” he said with a bit of a giggle. “I’m a big boy now.”

  She sighed. “You and your jokes. How I’ve missed them.”

  Dammit. What is this? Flirting? Friendly? What? Just laugh. “Hahaha. So what do you feel like? Sushi? Italian? Greek?”

  “Actually, there’s a great little restaurant I’d like to try out. I have some friends meeting us there.”

  “Irena, this sounds a bit more than casual.” He looked at her with one eyebrow raised. “This sounds planned—organized and reserved in advance.”

  “What? It’s just a few friends. You’re dressed fine. Don’t worry.”

  “Ay, ay, ay. You and your mystery. I’m not sure I miss that.”

  She dropped her jaw and smacked him on the shoulder. “Papi!”

  “Just a joke.” He laughed and let the spontaneity of the moment ride, then found himself patting her bare knee. He pulled his hand back.

  Her open-jawed gaze turned to a playful smile. “I know you were. You’re too easy.”

  Beep-beep! A valet in the car behind them glared through the window. Shifting Candy into gear, he accelerated out of the alley and toward an unknown venue.

  Irena flipped on the music and Dave Matthews came blaring through the speakers. She shot a look of surprise at him, followed by a sly smile.

  Ivan played it cool. “What? He’s still one of my favorites. That didn’t change.” He matched her sly smile with a wink and a cocky grin.

  “Me too.” Her smile faded, and she continued to stare at him as he drove.

  Approaching an intersection, Ivan inquired, “Heading?”

  “Take a left. We’re going to a restaurant called Bianca.”

  Nerves bounded through him. “Why? Why are we going there?” Agh. He silently cursed himself and his growing queasiness. He sounded frantic.

  She looked sideways at him. “Because that’s where they suggested we go. Not good?”

  “They chose?”

  “Yes. Is there a problem?”

  “No, no. I’m just surprised. They have great food, and on a weekend I’ll be surprised if we can get a table without a reservation.”

  Fuck! Okay, relax and breathe. Coincidence is a son of a bitch sometimes, and it was one hell of a son of a bitch tonight. Jaden no longer worked there, so it wasn’t a catastrophe, he reminded himself. Worst case scenario is that she finds out through the grapevine he was there with Irena and gets pissed. Best case scenario? Fuck it, there wasn’t one.

  “Don’t worry about a reservation,” Irena said. “Let’s not worry about anything tonight and have some fun. Please? I need some fun!”

  “Fun.”

  “Yes, fun! You remember how to have fun, don’t you, Papi?”

  “Yes, I’m looking forward to it,” he said, willing his minor panic attack away. “You know we could’ve walked. It’s only a few blocks.”

  Pointing down at her heels she looked at him as if he were nuts. “Really, Ivan?”

  They shared a good laugh, and he felt her hand come to rest on his thigh. “Ah, yes. High society now.”

  Digging her fingers into his leg she reminded him, “I can still kick your ass, though.”

  Again they laughed. Thankfully the restaurant appeared right in front of them, because he was about to either say something stupid or get hard. And he didn’t want to do either just now. You are still mad at her, Ivan! Remember that. He forced the lustful feelings aside and encouraged friendly ones to take the lead.

  He pulled Candy up to the valet, jumped out, and tore around to open her door. The doormen looked confused as he helped the starlet to the entrance. He felt a rush—of both adrenaline and fear—as he opened the door under their scrut
iny. Thank God there are no cameras.

  She smiled as she breezed past him and whispered, “Let’s have fun tonight, Ivan.”

  You are still mad at her!! Ivan watched Irena’s hips sway in front of him as she floated into the restaurant, and he felt an eagerness flush through his body. It clearly remembered her. They’d done this so many times before, but as lovers not friends. The fact that he was staunchly in the friend zone for the moment was inconsequential. Friends or lovers, being in Irena’s orbit scared him.

  She glanced over her shoulder and shot him a smile as she reached for his hand. She pulled him up next to her and held on to his hand for a second too long, as if making her intentions known. “Come on! You’re getting slow in your old age.”

  “Slow! I’m pretty sure you’re the elder by a few months, young lady.”

  She shot him a cock-eyed glance. “Same tired joke, still?”

  “Same tired girl.”

  Irena’s mouth fell open in a fake gasp and she stopped walking.

  “I’m kidding, babe. I see you still haven’t developed much of a sense of humor, though.” He slid his fingers over her hips and took note of the firm, slender muscles that wrapped around them. His gaze fell into hers as the force field he’d put up had a brief lapse in power. It wavered for a second as a timeless game of “what if we” filled the space between her body and his.

  “Ivan, I didn’t know you’d be here!” A baritone voice interrupted them.

  He disengaged from the staring contest and looked past Irena to see Geoff standing with an awkward look plastered across his face—a look Ivan was certain his face mirrored as Irena turned to see who had interrupted their moment.

  “I didn’t know you were coming tonight,” Geoff repeated.

  “Me either,” Ivan responded as he turned to Irena.

  “Surprise!” she said.

  “Geoff, this is—”

  “Ms. Stang,” he finished. “I’m a big fan and so honored you elected to join us this evening.”

  “My pleasure. I hear the food is fantastic.”

  The two men shared a discombobulated look as Geoff motioned to the dining area.

  “Yes, well, tonight it…ah…Thank you so much. Your party is this way. Thank you again, Ms. Stang.”

  Geoff turned and seemed to be wishing to disappear as quickly as possible. He bumped into a server and nearly knocked over a chair as he went.

  Ivan couldn’t help but snicker and sigh. The poor guy seemed as nervous about all this as he was. “Interesting.”

  “What was that about?” Irena asked.

  “No clue. That’s a first. He’s generally a pretty calm and cool guy. I’ve never seen him that scattered.”

  “Hmm…”

  He shrugged, and they headed in to the private party. He watched as a velvet rope was lifted and the security guards and attendants moved aside to allow them unchecked passage.

  “Just like old times,” she whispered as she snaked her arm around his, letting her breast skim across his arm.

  His body trembled with guilt as he had no chance to avoid the contact or the appearance it would give as they entered the room. Fuck it. He gave in to his role as escort as he and Irena entered the beautifully decorated space. As if someone had flipped a switch, the music faded and the crowd of twenty or so people craned their necks.

  Ivan felt Irena nestle against him as she began to make her rounds. As they circled the room, she made sure to introduce him to everyone she came in contact with, from fellow actors to producers to investors.

  “Is this the guy you were telling us about, Irena?” The plumped lips of an overpriced trophy wife well past her prime circled around her words.

  Ivan turned and gave Irena an inquisitive look. He wondered who else she might have been talking to about him.

  Without missing a beat, Irena snuggled into his side and smiled. “Yes, it is.”

  “Ah, the doctor. The sex doctor.”

  “Sex doctor? Irena, I’m very curious what you’ve been telling these people.” He laughed, looked back and forth between the stranger and Irena, and took a step back. “Actually, ma’am, I’m a pediatrician.”

  An embarrassed Irena and mortified woman stared at each other as Ivan burst into laughter. After another shocked moment they joined him.

  “I’m just teasing,” he finally added. “Yes, ma’am, I do have a sexual enhancement specialty as part of my medical practice. I’m Ivan. It’s nice to meet you.”

  They continued their mingling as numerous waiters with trays of chargrilled oysters and bruschetta swished through the crowd, as did servers bearing pomegranate martinis. Martini after martini passed Ivan’s lips, and the conversation and networking looked and sounded as it had years before when he and Irena had worked a room in tandem. It was a dance they knew well. He had to stop and relish the beauty of it. She’d risen to the top of the world, yet hadn’t changed at all when it came to working a room.

  “Could everyone take their seats, please? We’re going to begin dinner service,” Geoff announced.

  Without warning, Irena grabbed his arm and tugged him to their seats, which were, of course, front and center.

  Ivan shuffled around her and made sure to pull her chair out and tuck her in to the table before taking his seat. And, of course, the trophy wife made sure to sit next to him and continue her discussion about sexual health.

  The army of waiters that had been serving various drinks and appetizers now papered the tabletops around the room with menus.

  “Here you go, Dr. Rusilko.” A familiar face from the wait staff smiled next to him as he handed him a menu.

  “Everything good with you?” Ivan asked.

  “Yes, it is. Thank you for asking. Enjoy your meal.” The man ogled Irena for a moment and gave him one final questioning glance before he continued his duties.

  “Are you a regular here?” Irena asked, cocking her head and grinning.

  “No. Not now. I used to be.” He prayed his answer sounded less awkward than it seemed.

  “Hmmm…” she said. Then she changed the subject. “So what are you going to have for dinner?”

  “Well, it’s apparently a libido-boosting menu,” he said, feeling awkward all over again.

  “Right up your alley, isn’t it?” The trophy wife inserted herself again into the conversation.

  “Hmm, let’s see here.” He chuckled, humoring her. He focused his now slightly inebriated attention on the menu before him.

  ~~MENU OF SEDUCTION~~

  Bianca welcomes the cast and crew of

  A Dish Best Served Cold

  ~*~

  Your Chef for the Evening : Jaden Thorne

  Star of One Hot Kitchen

  Ivan began to sweat as his stomach turned over not once, but twice.

  “Well?”

  As he snapped back to a shitty reality he murmured, “Umm…grilled asparagus and lemon.”

  “That’s it?”

  “Yeah. Not very hungry.”

  Leaning over, Irena whispered, “Are you okay, Papi? You look upset all of a sudden.” She placed her hand on his leg, letting her fingers pass intimately along his inner thigh as she inquired.

  Now fearing that at any moment Jaden might turn the corner or pop up out of nowhere, he assured her he was fine and adjusted in his seat so she had no choice but to remove her hand. Where the freak would have roared to life a few weeks ago, he now heard only a breathless, begging voice inside his head. God, let’s get out of here.

  Chapter 29

  “One”

  JADEN HAD PLATED THE FIRST APPETIZERS so the team would be sure of her desired presentation, and as they’d made their way back to the kitchen with empty trays, she’d been pleased to hear the early reviews from the dining room were raves. She was back on her game.

  Now that it was time for the entrées, she was in the zone. She’d always believed food made with love and passion tasted better than any perfectly executed dish prepared without it. Recipes were
the road maps, and technique dictated the journey, but when sheer joy entered the mix, flavor and beauty collided to create the most delectable bites. So she’d pushed aside all her questions, all her hurt and frustration about how this dinner had come to be, and thrown herself into the act of feeding people—to creating beauty that also sustained. There was no room in her kitchen for Irena.

  “Fire twelve tuna, six hens, and seven vegetarian!” Jaden shouted through the service window at the line cooks.

  “How many veg, chef?”

  “Seven!”

  “Thank you, chef!”

  “I also need six more burratta fig apps for late arrivals, please!”

  “Six fig, chef. Right away, chef.”

  “Thank you!”

  She loved the rhythm and madness of the kitchen. There was nothing like the noise, the chaos, and the control and power she wielded when she was in charge. She missed this—the messiness, the frenetic energy, and the raw sense of accomplishment.

  Once she’d guided the staff through dinner—and grown dizzy watching the sommelier bring out bottle after bottle of wine for the apparently very thirsty crowd—all that remained was dessert.

  “These doughnuts will need to be made fresh for every order. I want them crispy, not greasy, got it?”

  The guys on the line nodded as she painstakingly plated the playful presentation, topping it with a dusting of nutmeg before leaving her staff to it. She then set off to consult with her pastry chef. The cake created to celebrate the production was gorgeous, and no doubt tasted just as good, but with it came a shit show she dreaded.

  She cringed inside when Geoff pushed into the kitchen and approached her. “They’re asking for you, darling.”

  “Excellent!” She ran her hand over her head and tugged off her cap.

  She’d been lost in her love for this work for hours, so there was no reason to panic now. Irena was only unpleasant if she gave her the power to be. And anyway, if Irena had been hoping she’d fail, she was likely quite disappointed by now. This was her house, and Irena was a guest. A good hostess would go out and greet her guests. Jaden was nothing if not a good hostess, as well as a bad-ass rock star chef who’d just delivered the meal of her career, if she did say so herself. Her body hummed with energy and a confidence she hadn’t felt in months.