by Nella Tyler
Steamed
By Nella Tyler
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2015 Nella Tyler
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Chapter One
I picked at my salad wishing that I had ordered more food, maybe not just more food but different food in general. If I was honest with myself I wasn't even sure if that would cut it. The destination had been a poor choice and I only had my friend Sarah to blame. I should have been the one to choose our restaurant destination, as I knew all the hot spots to find delicious food in town. But Sarah already knew how nuts I could be when it came to food so I tried to let her pick sometimes too. Though in this case, the food was a real head-shaker.
“Ugh! This is terrible. Why did you ever talk me into coming here?” I wanted to spit the salad out. How can you mess up a salad? In this case it just wasn't very inventive and by the looks of it, not very fresh either. The lettuce was limp and pathetic looking and the tomatoes were overripe. It really made me want to cry right there at the table. In case you haven't noticed I am very passionate about food.
Sarah snorted, “What's wrong? It's not that bad.” She looked into her bowl of soup as if she was checking to make sure her statement was correct. I loved Sarah, she was one of my best friends and she often made situations we were in that much more comical.
“It's terrible. My shitake tofu wontons almost made me gag. It's not that hard to make that appetizer. I could make it in my sleep.” Mushrooms happened to be one of my favorite foods and when someone messed it up it made me fiery.
“You're something else.” Sarah said shaking her head.
“I love food Sarah, good food. I'm willing to pay good money for it. But I don't think it's too much to ask to have a good meal. I'm scared to think what my turkey confit sandwich will be like. If it comes here soggy I just might die. Honestly, I’ll die right here at the table. Are you prepared for that? My body, although light, will not be easy to get rid of.”
Sarah laughed, “You are always like this Gemma; you're truly a food snob. It's embarrassing going out with you sometimes.” She said laughing. “You can be a real food-hater.”
“Oh come on, you're telling me that you just loved your meal, and that you would come back to this dump?”
“I'm not saying that…it did leave something to be desired. But not every restaurant has gourmet-quality food. Do you remember the stuff we used to eat in college? How did you end up being such a foodie?”
I did remember what we used to eat in college and it was sort of tragic. Ninety percent of the time it was macaroni and cheese - from a box no less! We’d gorge ourselves on greasy pizza and leftover French fries. It was surprising that I wasn't grossly overweight considering the garbage we used to put in our bodies, but that was a different time. We were poor college students working our way through an education. We had to eat that crap then, but now there was no excuse for it.
“The day that I realized that my hard-earned dollars should go towards quality, that's when. I'm not a snob; I just have high standards when it comes to food. How is that so wrong? How can you not have higher standards? This stuff is terrible.”
“It's not wrong Gemma. It's just funny to see you this way. You shouldn't worry about food so much. It's not the end of the world; we just won't come back here is all.”
The waiter brought our entrees and Sarah waited in anticipation to see what I was going to do. I knew deep down she often worried that I was going to lose my shit on a waiter for bringing me low quality food. Worse than that, she feared that I would ask to speak to the chef, because then things would really be on. She worried about these things because I have asked to speak to a chef more than once and it usually ended in tears-for the chef. A good shaming will make for a better chef in my opinion.
I looked down at my sandwich hoping for the best. “Okay, it doesn't look bad, I'm sure it's fine. Yours looks good too.”
“Don't start pretending now that you aren't fearful of your food. I will still go out with you for lunch.” She looked at me with narrowed eyes.
I grinned, “Okay great, because this looks awful.”
Sarah started laughing as my phone dinged with a message coming in. I looked down at my phone and noticed it was a message from my brother Jared. My brother and I were very close. He was genuinely a good guy, one of the best I knew actually.
“Geez, something is wrong with Jared.”
“What? What do you mean, what's going on?” Sarah asked.
“I have no idea but he seems distressed about something.”
I sent back a message to Jared before taking a bite of my sandwich. I hoped he would give me some more information.
I cringed. Chewing on the sandwich, I set the rest down and vowed not to finish it. The bottom bun was soggy. They had waited too long to bring the food in; they must not be able to handle a busy lunch crowd. Chic restaurant my ass, what was wrong with the chef? Someone should have a meeting with the guy.
Another message from Jared dinged in and I wiped my hands on the napkin in my lap before checking it out. My brother was not doing well and I wanted to see him to determine what was up with him, if anything. I couldn't imagine what could have him feeling so distressed but I had to find out. I set my napkin on the table and grabbed my purse.
“Sarah, I'm sorry. I have to go. I need to go see Jared; something’s wrong.”
She waved me off. “Sure. No problem. Keep me posted about what's going on.”
“Yep, will do. See you later.”
I smiled at her as I headed out of the restaurant.
Chapter Two
I drove a little too fast across town, but I was worried sick about my brother. I kept my eye peeled for cops however; I wasn't a fan of spending money on speeding tickets. Talk about throwing your money away.
I couldn't imagine what got Jared so upset and yet he was flustered about something. My brother wasn't the type of guy to get all heated over nothing. I had rarely seen him bent out of shape about anything. I needed to find out what was wrong with him. Aside from chatting with my friend, I wasn't too distressed that I missed out on lunch; the food at that place had been devastating. Jared’s messages were actually taking me to a great restaurant; I had eaten there many times and was never disappointed. The chefs that worked there were some of the best in the city; it was a privilege to eat their food. They knew exactly what they were doing and were right on point when it came to blending flavors and spices perfectly. That's what a real restaurant should offer you. The restaurant had a great atmosphere with food to die for and some great cocktails on the menu. I hated shelling out money for food that was sub-par; I didn't care how hilarious my friends thought I was. I would only eat the best.
I pulled into the parking lot and noticed the place was busy for lunch, not that I was surprised. I almost wished that I hadn't eaten lunch, that way I could grab a bite while I was there. I walked through the front door and made my way back to the kitchen. As I walked through the kitchen doors I saw my brother slamming down his phone angrily. I raised my eyebrows in surprise. Like I said, I had rarely seen my brother like that.
Jared was the proud owner of the aforementioned amazing establishment. He had a natural talent for cooking ever since we were young and it was no surprise to anyone when he decided to go into the food industry by opening up the restaurant. I couldn't have been more proud of him; he was part of the reason why I loved food so mu
ch. If you have a chef in the family then chances are you will learn to love quality food. He was well known in the area for his cooking and his restaurant was only gaining popularity. And my friends wondered why I was a foodie. My god, it was practically in our genes to appreciate good food. Our family was big into successful food preparation.
“Jared, what's wrong? I wouldn't be slamming down your phone. They aren't cheap. Tell me what's going on. Why am I here?”
Jared looked up at me from his phone. He looked pissed. “Someone is trying to screw me over. I am really having a hard time not losing my cool completely here.” He started pacing the room.
“Why? Who is trying to screw you over?” I couldn't have been more confused. I rarely saw my brother angry. “How can I help? Just tell me what's wrong and if I can help, then I will.”
He stopped pacing and threw his hands up in the air. “Do you know any good lawyers?”
My mouth fell open. What the hell kind of trouble was he into anyways? “What are you talking about? Are you in trouble? What on earth do you need a lawyer for?” The questions peppered out of me like a machine gun.
A grin formed on his face, as he looked me over. Oh great, what was he up to now? It was never a good sign when a mad Jared started to smile.
“Actually I think you could be my lawyer.”
I rolled my eyes heavenward. “What? What are you talking about?”
“I need you to impersonate a lawyer for me. Be my lawyer. It's brilliant actually.”
“Are you high? I'm not doing that! If anything you need to start explaining what's going on here. Why on earth would I want to pretend to be a lawyer?”
“Come on Gemma, you are already dressed the part. Hell you could already be a lawyer looking like that.”
I looked down at my charcoal pantsuit and appreciated my appearance all over again. I did look good, professional too, but that wasn't the point. My job was not as a lawyer and I certainly didn't want to pretend to be one.
“I'm not impersonating a lawyer for you. I'm not a lawyer for crying out loud and I would get caught. I'm a financial consultant for god’s sake, how would I get away with someone believing that I was a lawyer?”
“Please, I really need you right now. I don't have anyone else and I don't need to be screwed over. You look the part and on top of that I don't know anyone with a better vocabulary than you do. It would be a slam dunk for you.”
I sighed. “Jared, I don't want to. I can't even believe you are asking me to do it. Like seriously, what is wrong with you?”
“Please Gemma.”
“Jared, just hire a real lawyer. It's a piece of cake; I can probably refer you to a dozen good lawyers in the area. I know you can afford it, so money can't be the issue here. Tell me what is going on.”
“Nope, money is not the issue. I just need you to be an awesome sister right now and help me out. I won't ask you for another favor again, I swear.”
“Oh yeah, that's likely...”
My brother was acting completely weird. He seemed to have this plan up his sleeve and I wasn't sure that he was giving me the whole story. There was more to that issue, I just knew it. I didn't know why I needed to be involved in that scenario when he could just pick up the phone and get a professional. It was all very suspicious. Could he really be in some trouble? I wanted to help him if I could. Maybe it wasn't the end of the world if I just pretended to be a lawyer for a few minutes. What was the big deal anyways?
“Fine, I'll do it but you better start spilling.”
Chapter Three
I left my brother's restaurant and headed east towards another restaurant. That would be three different restaurants in one day; I was really on a roll. I should probably have quit while I was ahead. I still had some reports I had to fill out for work but there I was heading off to some restaurant to do my brother’s bidding. I couldn't even believe what Jared was getting me into, but I would do anything for my brother; I loved him that much. We had been through a lot together growing up and we always had each other’s backs. That was the only reason I was doing the ridiculous task I was about to do.
Thankfully I was in great shape because I had to walk two blocks to get to a new restaurant that had opened up. I didn't bring my car because I knew I wouldn't have time for the gym after all the running around and at least this way I was getting some kind of exercise.
The restaurant I was seeking out was the type of restaurant that would be in direct competition with Jared's place. I was surprised to see that the restaurant was wildly popular; but it was still new so only time would tell if the popularity would stay. Business was clearly booming as there were people lined up outside waiting for a table. Why had I not heard about this new restaurant? My curiosity was certainly piqued. I would be curious to peruse their menu for a moment. I approached the hostess stand and her smile practically brightened up my day. I was all business however as I had a job to do.
“Hi there! Table for one?”
Yep, that would be the day.
“No. I'm here to speak to the owner.” I demanded.
“Oh, I'm sorry the owner is far too busy to speak with anyone right now. We are a new restaurant after all.”
I bristled, “Excuse me -”
Suddenly a man stepped up and interrupted me. “Lisa, it's okay. I can handle this.” The hostess rolled her eyes as if she was annoyed that I got my way.
The man walked up to me with a warm smile and my mouth hit the floor. Oh dear god, this had better not be my nemesis because he was good enough to eat and I knew food. He was clean cut with a boyish grin. He was wearing jeans and a V-neck T-shirt and I could see the definition of his chiseled body through it like it wasn’t there. My mouth began to water the closer he got to me. He looked me over curiously as if he was trying to figure me out. Good luck there fella, better men have tried and failed. Though the closer he got to me the warmer my body became. I wasn't sure what was wrong with me. I typically didn't have such a reaction to men, but this one was for the books. The way he was looking at me it was as if he was drinking me in. If he was attracted to me I could use it to my advantage. I looked him over from top to bottom; actually I could use him for a lot of things.
“Hi, I'm Link. How can I be of service to such a stunning lady?”
I didn't speak at first. I was enthralled by the man and couldn't believe he was flirting with me. How did someone become so outrageously gorgeous? I cleared my throat, “Hi, I'm Gemma, Jared asked me to come and see you.”
His brow furrowed, “Why is that exactly?”
“I'm his lawyer,” I said sternly.
I didn't bother to give Link my last name nor did I happen to mention that Jared and I were siblings. My goal here was to instill the fear of God into Link, not make him think I was doing my brother a favor.
Link scoffed and looked me over once again. “I'm sorry to hear that. Jared is a crook and you should probably choose your clients a little more wisely. You're not one of those ambulance-chasers too are you?”
I almost laughed at his joke except my blood pressure began to rise. I couldn't believe he said that to me. What did he mean by Jared being a crook? Why would he say something like that? Was Jared the crook in this situation? I wondered if I was getting the full story from Jared. I'd kill him if he sent me on this mission without giving me all the information. I should have forced it out of him before I left, that would have been my best bet.
I glared at Link and said, “Look if you don't lay off of Jared, there will be trouble. That much I can assure you. I'm good at my job and if things get out of hand I won't be easy on you.”
He moved in close to me and we were practically breathing the same air. He looked into my eyes with a piercing gaze. I felt my cheeks flush for being so close to him. The damnedest thing happened to me as well; I felt butterflies. The guy actually was making me nervous. Either that or I was coming down with the flu.
“You do your worst, darling,” he said with a wink.
W
as he flirting with me or just not taking me seriously in general?
I threw my hands up in the air in frustration and turned on my heel. I stormed out of the restaurant without looking back. I was afraid of what I would see if I turned to look at Link. As I headed back to Jared's place I felt very confused and a little... aroused.
Chapter Four
I was fit to be tied by the time I arrived back at Jared's place. It was a nice cool breezy day but I should not have walked. Not because I was tired or out of shape but because I was upset with Jared. I had to fume about it the entire way back to the restaurant. Had I taken my car I could have got to Jared sooner to yell at him. Considering that I knew very little about the situation I wanted to strangle him even more. It was ridiculous that I had gone to see Link without the full story, but I trusted Jared and maybe that was my own fault. The only information that I had gone in with was that he wanted me to give Link a warning… a threat to keep Link from doing anything to him. It hadn't exactly worked out the way either of us intended. Link couldn't have been less intimidated by me, if anything I think my aggressiveness just turned him on a little. I hadn't expected Link to look the way he did; I was grateful that he did but it certainly took me by surprise. His good looks had thrown me completely off my game. Sure I had expected a man but not one that I wanted to put my mouth on. He was so incredibly hot that I had wished I had gone there on better circumstances. That was the kind of man that I wanted in my bed, and I could easily see myself spending a lot of time with him. Alas, it just was not meant to be. My brother had gotten me involved in some feud with Link that would definitely make it hard for me to get involved with him. It was all rather unfortunate circumstances and Jared had just better hope he hadn't sent me on a fool’s errand.
I walked back into Jared's restaurant and headed back to the kitchen again. Jared was waiting there for me with a smile on his face. But with one look from me, his grin started to melt. It actually drooped down into a terrified frown.
