He paused before entering the kitchen, then pushed through the swinging doors. She looked up from the counter where she’d been scribbling some notes. Her staff looked busy investigating all the cupboards and drawers in the place—they were probably memorizing where everything was kept.
“Ms. Moreno, could I speak with you for a moment?” He sounded more formal than he intended, but he supposed that was all right. He wanted to keep her at arms’ length, didn’t he?
“Of course. Can I do something for you?”
“Yes, actually. Florence seems to think . . . well, she has this notion in her head . . .” Tony swallowed. He delivered long addresses in court at least twice a month—it shouldn’t be this hard to say what he’d come in here to say. “Would you like to have dinner with me?”
A smile twitched on her lips. “Florence thinks we should have dinner together?”
He shouldn’t have brought Florence into it. He’d believed it would make things easier, but instead, it made him sound incapable of independent thought. Well, maybe he was incapable of it—if Florence hadn’t practically frog-marched him into the kitchen, he wouldn’t be standing there now, making an idiot of himself.
He’d have to thank her later.
“I know a great Indian food place a few blocks from here,” he said, deciding to avoid the question. He didn’t want Ms. Moreno to feel as though he’d asked her against his will, even though that’s exactly what was happening. They’d go out, they’d find they had nothing in common, and then he could prove to Florence that she was wrong. He wasn’t sure why that was so important to him, but it was. “Do you like Indian?”
“I like just about everything,” Ms. Moreno replied. “And we’ve done about all we can until the food order arrives, so . . . sure. I’d like to have dinner with you.”
Tony nodded. “Great. Can you leave now? I know it’s a little early yet . . .”
“I’ll meet you out front. I just need to finish up a few things here.”
He nodded again, then exited through the kitchen and out the back door. Once outside, he stood on the veranda and took a few deep breaths. One dinner, just long enough to prove Florence wrong, and then he’d head back to the office and put in some extra evening hours. His decision would remain in place. Relationships simply didn’t work for him, and the longer he went without getting entangled, the better.
***
Elena watched Tony walk out the back door, then turned to her staff. “All right, everyone, let’s call it good for today. I made some copies of the recipes for you—so nice that the hotel office center is up and running, right? Please take these home and study them, and be back here tomorrow morning at ten. I made two food orders—one to practice with, and a much larger one for the actual opening of the hotel. The practice one will be delivered around nine tomorrow, so we’ll be able to dive right in when you get here.”
“And who was that guy?” Alicia asked, nodding toward the back door.
“Guy? What guy?”
Alicia rolled her eyes. “The super-hot Latin lover who just walked through here.”
Elena focused on taking off her apron so she wouldn’t make eye contact with anyone. “His name is Tony Espinozo. He’s Mr. Brody’s lawyer.”
“And . . . you’re going out with him?” Alicia pressed.
“I wouldn’t say that. It’s more of a business dinner.” Elena smiled. “I’ll see you all tomorrow.”
Alicia gave her a smirk as though she saw through everything, and she probably did—Elena was sure her cheeks were bright pink.
Bart lingered behind after the others left. “So,” he said, leaning on the counter. “I guess I can’t ask you out to dinner myself.”
“Um, about that . . .”
“It’s probably best if we don’t see each other anymore now that we’re working together,” Bart went on. “That would probably create some awkwardness in the kitchen.”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I was about to say. I had a lot of fun with you, Bart, and I’d actually love to go out with you again, but I also needed someone I could trust in the kitchen, and that happened to be you too. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Mind? You just paid me a great compliment—why would I mind?” He chuckled. “I’m sorry that we won’t be going out, but I’m honored that you want to work with me. That means a lot.”
“Thanks for understanding.” She was so glad he did—she really didn’t want to create a rift between them. Not only did she hate the thought of hurting him, but she didn’t want that tension in the kitchen.
He gave her a nod, then left.
Elena took a minute to step into the restroom and fix her hair and face, then went outside to meet Tony. He was standing next to a nice car—a really nice car—and he opened the passenger door for her as she approached.
“I’ll bring you back here for your car after dinner,” he said. “I thought this would be easier because parking is pretty limited where we’re going.”
“This is great,” she replied. “Thank you.”
She sank into the seat, and he closed the door and walked around to the other side. She’d known he had some money from the expensive suits he wore, but this car . . . She didn’t have an exact dollar amount in mind, but it was definitely the nicest car she’d ever ridden in, and possibly the nicest she’d ever seen.
“So, did Florence suggest the restaurant, too?” she asked teasingly as they pulled out of the parking lot.
“No, the restaurant was my choice.” He glanced over at her and smiled. She thought it looked a little strained, even if it was an amazing smile. “Do you like curry? This place makes a delicious coconut chicken curry that I order almost every time.”
“That does sound good.” Elena looked out the window, wondering if she should have agreed to this date. He’d made it pretty clear that he didn’t want to be doing this—she could have saved them both some discomfort and probably a lot of time if she’d just said no.
He parked the car outside the restaurant, but didn’t move to take off his seatbelt. “Ms. Moreno—”
“Elena,” she interrupted.
He nodded. “Elena, I have to be honest with you.”
This was where he’d tell her that he really didn’t want to ask her out.
“I really didn’t want to ask you out.”
Yep. Florence made him do it, and now he was regretting it. Elena waited patiently for his little “let’s just be friends” speech, knowing it was coming.
“I was recently dumped by a girl I cared about, and I decided not to get involved with anyone for a long time—maybe ever.”
Oh. That part was unexpected.
“But when Florence suggested this date . . .”
Back on track now. He was so predictable after all.
“I agreed to it because I thought I’d be proving her wrong.” He looked down, and then back up. “And I owe you an apology.”
“It’s all right,” Elena said. “I completely understand. Sometimes we do things because we feel pressured, and Florence is very persuasive.”
Tony held up a hand. “That’s actually not why I’m apologizing.”
Elena blinked. “Okay . . . so . . . what are we talking about?”
“I realized as I was waiting for you to finish at the hotel that if I didn’t take you out, I’d never get to know the incredible woman you are, and what a shame that would be. I’m sorry I put up walls against you when you’d done nothing to deserve them. The thing is . . . I felt incredible chemistry between us when we met, and again this morning, and I shied away from it because I was hesitant to find out what it meant. But I was wrong. I’d like to find out what it means, Elena. I’d like to start over again from the start with no walls and no fear.”
Wow. That was so different from what she thought he’d say, she didn’t have a reply at first. “I’d like that too,” she said at last. “But with one addition—no expectations. Not even Florence’s.”
He grinned. “Deal. Hungry?”
“Starving. It was so hard to talk about food all day with nothing in the kitchen.”
He laughed. “I bet. Let’s go eat.”
With that conversation out of the way, it was amazing to see how relaxed Tony became. She even saw it in the way he held his shoulders. As they waited for their food, he told her animated stories about going to high school with Andrew and the trouble they’d gotten into, and he seemed like an entirely different man.
“I’m trying to figure something out,” she said after the waitress came around to refill their drinks. “Just how high were those walls you built?”
“Pretty high,” he admitted. “You have to understand, Elena—you’re a beautiful woman, and you’re smart besides. If I wanted to keep you at a distance, I’d have to work extra hard at it.”
“Is that so?” She felt tingles start up in her stomach—no tingles. She’d already had this discussion with herself. And then she chuckled, realizing that her “discussion” was just her version of his walls. “Seems like we’ve both been working pretty hard at it.”
He slid his hand across the table, palm up. “We’ll figure it out together.”
She looked at his hand, then up at him. “All right.” When she took his hand, she didn’t fight the tingles this time, and she had to admit, they felt pretty nice.
Chapter Seven
There was only one problem with deciding to take a chance with Elena Moreno—she was getting ready to open the kitchen of a new hotel. Once Tony had allowed himself to relax, he’d really enjoyed having dinner with her—she was funny as well as smart, and they’d spent a lot of the evening laughing. He wanted to go out with her again as soon as possible, but she had a kitchen staff to train, and a wait staff expected to show up for their training, and she wouldn’t have any free time for . . . well, she didn’t know how long. Two days went by and they exchanged a few quick texts, but that wasn’t enough. Now that he was no longer pushing her away, he wanted to be closer to her. It felt like a need.
“And that’s the scary part,” he said, leaning back in his chair in Andrew’s office. “I’ve known her . . . what, four days? And we’ve had one date. How can I possibly need her already? I don’t even know her middle name, or if she has a middle name.”
“That’s why I fell in love with Marissa,” Andrew told him. “It was her middle name.”
“You know what I mean,” Tony said. “I don’t want this to be a rebound relationship after Tabs, and I’m worried that’s what it is. I shouldn’t be needing Elena yet. It’s too soon.”
“If you were drowning and were finally able to take a gulp of air, would that seem too soon? Listen, Tony. You’ve needed someone in your life for a long time, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with developing quick feelings. Now, if you were planning to run off to Vegas tonight, I might think that was a little soon, but there’s no hourglass telling you when it’s time to start falling in love.”
“And next, you’re going to tell me that things don’t need to be logical to be right.”
“Was I going to say that? Wow—I’m really smart.” Andrew grinned. “You know all this stuff—you just need to hear someone else say it. You also know that caring about this woman doesn’t automatically mean marrying her—you can explore this relationship and see what it’s really made of before you commit. There’s no time frame on that, either.”
Tony nodded. “You’re right. Again. I’m just so used to operating in a high-pressure environment that I think pressure applies to everything I do.”
“And it doesn’t. Take the time to enjoy this. Dating is fun—let it be fun.”
“Yeah, Elena said she didn’t want expectations to ruin this for us. I’ve spent a lot of my adult life living up to expectations, and it’s strange to think that there aren’t any this time.” Tony rose from his chair. “Thanks for playing therapist—again. That seems to be your new calling in life.”
Andrew shrugged. “A talent I didn’t even know I had.”
Tony laughed, then paused. “So, speaking of taking your time, when are you going to propose to Marissa? I thought that would have happened a long time ago.”
“I’ve decided to do it the day the hotel opens,” Andrew said. “I was going to do it sooner, but Griffin and Tabs beat me to it, and I wanted to make a little bit of a fuss about it anyway. I’m still working out the details, but it will be epic. Trust me.”
“Oh, I know how you do epic. I trust you. See ya later.”
Tony chuckled again as he walked toward the kitchen, hoping to catch at least a glimpse of Elena before he had to get back to the office. Andrew really did have a flair for the dramatic. In high school, he borrowed a goat from a nearby farm, hung a sign around its neck that read “Will you goat to prom with me?” and sent it trotting into Missy Hunt’s math class. He didn’t think Andrew had any more goat ideas up his sleeve, but he had no doubt it would be just as memorable.
When he reached the dining room, he saw that Florence was instructing the new wait staff about how things should be run. He didn’t want to interrupt her, so he continued through to the kitchen as quietly as he could.
“Hey,” he said when he entered, wondering if Elena had missed him at all. Maybe he was the only one—maybe he’d built up their date into something it wasn’t. But when Elena looked up from her cutting board and saw him, her face lit up, and he knew she was glad to see him. “I know I shouldn’t be in here, but I just wanted to see how you’re doing.”
“Busy, but great. Hang on a second—I want to show you something.” She finished slicing the red pepper in front of her, then washed her hands. “Come here.” She quirked a finger and led him over to the kitchen table, where a large box had been set. “Open it.”
He couldn’t help but grin right along with her—it was contagious. “If a snake jumps out of here . . .”
“I wouldn’t be this happy about a snake. Hurry—you’re killing me.”
Tony glanced around to see that the other members of the kitchen staff were watching for his reaction too. “Okay, here I go.” He lifted off the lid. “Hey, it’s the menus. They look great.”
She lifted out the top portfolio and handed it to him, pointing at the cover. “Look!”
Embossed on the front under the Brody Hotel logo were the words, Prepared especially for you by Chef Elena Moreno and staff. “Do you see that? I’d better not do anything to get myself fired or they’ll have to print all new menus.”
Tony chuckled. “I don’t think there’s any danger of that happening. This is great, Elena. I’m so happy for you.”
“I asked Florence if I could take one of these home and tuck it under my pillow. She said she’d ordered an extra just for me. Isn’t she the best?”
Happiness radiated from every inch of Elena’s whole being, and Tony loved seeing her this way. She really was in her element. “Walk out with me, if you can spare a minute.”
She glanced around the kitchen. The staff was now obviously ignoring them, their heads bent to their various tasks. “Yeah, I can spare a minute.”
As soon as they reached the porch, Tony took her hand, and he didn’t let it go until they were standing next to his car. “I’ve been thinking,” he said. “You know, our date the other night was a lot of fun, but there was something missing.”
“There was?”
“Yeah.” He reached out and touched the side of her face, and she pulled in a quick breath. His heartbeat sped up in response, and he bent down to brush his lips across hers. It was just a short, gentle kiss—they were in a parking lot, after all, where anyone could see them—but it was everything he needed to confirm that he hadn’t been imagining things. He really was falling for this woman.
She looked up into his eyes when he stepped back. “I think we’re going to need a second date sometime.”
“That would be fun.” He traced her jawline with the tip of his finger. “Maybe sometime after you’re done launching a successful restaurant?”
�
��Maybe. I wish I knew when for sure—once the hotel opens, it’s going to be a constant thing until I get the kitchen staff fully trained. They’re quick learners, though—it might not take very long.”
“What’s the simplest meal you serve?”
“Breakfast.”
“How about a breakfast date? Not everything has to be about dinner. I’ve even been known to eat lunch once in a while.” He took her hand and rubbed her palm with his thumb. “I’ll be as patient as you need me to be, but I would really like to see you again.”
She took a tiny step closer and played with his lapel with her free hand. “And I don’t want either of us to have to be patient. That’s why I told myself I wasn’t going to get involved—that this would be too complicated.”
“Are you regretting it? Should we pull back before it’s too late?”
“It’s already too late.” She tugged on his lapel and brought him closer, then went up on her tiptoes and kissed him.
So much for being in a parking lot—Tony didn’t care anymore. He slid his arms around her waist and pulled her in close. He kissed her until he absolutely had to breathe, then said in her ear, “What’s your middle name?”
“What?” She looked up at him. “My middle name? It’s Rosalina. My mother’s name was Rosa.”
“I like it. It suits you.” He didn’t want to let her go, but he knew she had work to do, and so did he. He dropped his arms reluctantly. “I’ll see you later, Elena Rosalina Moreno. Do me a favor—train your staff to make breakfast without your supervision. I want to buy you some pancakes.”
“All right.” She grinned. “I’ll see you later.”
He climbed into his car before he gave in and kissed her again.
***
“I’m dead. I’m absolutely dead. You might as well dig a grave and toss me in it.” Elena flopped down on her bed and crossed her arms over her chest.
Gabby raised an eyebrow. “Melodramatic much?”
Revelations (Brody Hotel Book 4) Page 5
