That makes me one happy motherfucker. “Can I see you when you come back from the airport?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll pick you up at home, and then we’ll go to a nice restaurant. We’ll let someone else do the cooking for once.”
“I’d like that.”
“Good.” I bend and press a soft kiss to her lips. “Tomorrow then.”
“Tomorrow.”
I saunter off and wink at the women passing by, just for the fun of it. “Morning, ladies. Keep piping those flowers. Practice makes perfect.”
My remark causes a great deal of hilarity. “Bye, handsome.”
Christ, they’re corny.
I cross the street and slip into my restaurant. “Ed! A second, please.”
“Everything okay?”
I run my fingers through my hair and scratch the back of my head. “No. Someone really fucked up good. Did you see Teresa yesterday evening?”
“Yeah, talked to her for a bit. She was waiting for you in the lounge, why?”
“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me she was here?”
He cocks his head. “Because she told me someone already informed you.”
I twist my lips, shaking my head. “Someone informed Donna and she apparently decided I didn’t have time for Teresa.”
“What the fuck?”
“My thoughts exactly.”
“What’s going on between you and the hot brunette anyway?”
I crack a smile. “I could ask you the same.”
He smiles back. “I believe I’m officially off the market as of yesterday.”
I slap him on the back. “Good for you. Let her know you’re single. It helps.”
He turns serious again. “What are you going to do about Donna?”
“What needs to be done.”
“Shit,” he says softly, like he already knows what I’m about to do.
“Talk to you later.”
I walk into the kitchen and find everyone quietly prepping their station. Not for long, I’m afraid. I gaze at my sauté chef, Jonathan, wondering if he’s ready to take over from Donna. Hell, he goddamn better be. “Donna, in my office. Now! Jon, take over!”
I unlock the door to my office, hang my jacket on a peg, and sit behind my desk, impatiently tapping my fingers on the table while waiting for Donna.
“Everything okay, Josh?” Donna asks innocently as she walks in. I can’t even stomach the sight of her phony attitude anymore.
“Shut the door and have a seat,” I say curtly.
“Okay.” She lowers herself into the leather seat, and asks, “Why do I get the feeling someone died of food poisoning after dining at Suite 63?”
Jesus, could she really be that ignorant? “Teresa from Camila’s Kitchen was here to see me yesterday. Did you tell her I didn’t have time for her?”
She gazes at me for a while without even blinking, or without so much as a flush. “You were in your office with the door closed, practically all day. I assumed you were busy.”
“You assumed, huh?”
“I’m sorry if I did something wrong, but I was protecting you from all distractions. You wouldn’t be able to get any work done if I sent through everyone who wanted a piece of your time.”
“Stop the fucking act, Donna. Did you tell her I pick up women from the bar?”
“I, uh... I got into a conversation with her about you, and...” She releases a shuddering breath. “I’m sorry. It slipped out before I realized what I was saying.”
“Get your things,” I say calmly.
“What?” she asks with a tremulous voice.
“Take off your coat and pack your knives. Your career at Suite 63 is over.”
She shakes her head, fidgeting in her chair. “Don’t do this, Joshua. I said I was sorry, and–”
“Sorry isn’t good enough anymore this time. I gave you several warnings not to interfere in my personal business. Knowing certain things about someone is one thing, talking about it is flat out disreputable. I’m sorry, but I don’t trust you anymore.”
She gives me a withering look as she gets up, smashing her clipboard on my desk. “You’ll be sorry for this, Josh.”
“Meaning?”
“You can’t just fire me like that.”
“I can and I just did. And let me make one thing very clear. You won’t have any problems landing a new job soon. Any chef will be happy to have you, but, and take note of this, Donna, if I ever, ever, hear you’re talking about me again, or revealing personal stuff about either me or what’s going on in this kitchen, I’ll make sure not a single chef in the region of New England will hire you.”
I bend over my desk and pierce my eyes into hers, making sure she gets this message right. “Don’t forget I’m a Vandenberg; our influence stretches far, and I’ll finish your career before it gets started. Are we on the same page here?”
“Yes,” she hisses viciously, then stalks away, slamming the door behind her.
I rub my fingers over my eyes. “Fuck.”
***
“Here’s your coffee.”
“Thanks, Ed,” I say absentmindedly, then bend over a spreadsheet. It’s almost Christmas Day and I’m without a sous. There’s no way I can spend Christmas in Stockbridge with a shitty looking roster like this.
“Jonathan can do it, Josh,” Ed says as he sits down, and loudly slurps his own coffee. He looks every bit as run-down as I feel. We worked our balls off last night, and I owe him for coming back on his free Sunday.
“What’s your experience with him at the pass?”
“Well, he’s efficient, great in communicating orders, and I admire his ability to work under extreme pressure. He’d make a great expeditor, trust me. I’ll find you another dishwasher by the end of the day so Andre can take over the salad station.”
I nod slowly, in thought. “Then Raoul can handle the sauté section.”
“There you go. All it takes is a little strategic planning. I’m here, so you can go spend Christmas with your family.”
Sighing, I lean back and reach for my coffee. “Haven’t done that in years.”
“I know. You work every freaking holiday.”
“Not without reason,” I say as I sip my coffee.
“I know, man, but they’re your family.”
I stare out of the window, gazing at Camila’s Kitchen, which is in clear view now since it finally stopped snowing. It’s dark, but upstairs, the lights are on, so I guess they haven’t left for the airport yet.
I still haven’t asked Teresa to come with me, wondering whether it’s too soon. Our relationship, if you can call it that, didn’t exactly go smoothly. Shit, but I don’t want to leave her by herself at Christmas time with her brother away. Does she even have other friends or family on this continent, or only Emma?
“Is your sister still touring with her band?”
“Yeah, I believe she’s in Denmark now,” I reply, focusing back on Ed. “So, have you told the pretty brunette from across the street you’re single?”
He smooths down his quiff. “I shot her a text last night, and the context of my text covered my marital status as well.”
“And she didn’t block you?” I ask, laughing, at the same time realizing I don’t have Teresa’s cell phone number. Need to correct that situation tonight.
Ed flashes me a grin “Nope. She actually–” His voice abruptly stops when he gets distracted by something outside. I follow his gaze and see Emma running in the street.
“I think she’s coming this way. What magic words did you text her, man?” Grinning, I get up and unlock the door to the restaurant. “Emma. What brings you here?”
“Oh God, Josh,” she pants. “You need to come, quick!”
“Okay, calm down! What’s going on?”
“It’s Donna.”
I narrow my eyes. “Donna?”
“She’s upstairs in the apartment, and she has a knife...”
I push Emma out of the way and break into a sp
rint. I don’t have time now to think about how this happened, or why I didn’t anticipate this when I fired her yesterday. I knew she was mentally fucking unstable. All the signs were there and I ignored them completely. I’ll beat myself up later. God, if anything happens to Tess or Felipe, I’ll never be able to face myself in the mirror again.
The door that leads into the hallway is left wide open, and I run up the stairs, breathing hard.
“But you kissed him, didn’t you?” I hear Donna ask.
“Yes! Yes, we kissed. It was...nothing. No sparks.”
“Did you fuck him?”
Shit.
“I don’t–”
“Answer the damn question, Teresa!” she yells. “Yes or no?”
“Please, Donna,” Tess begs. “I’ll answer all your questions, but I need you to let go of my brother first.”
I push against the door and adrenaline shoots through me as I take in the scene in front of me. Donna has a tight grip on Felipe, and she’s pressing a chef’s knife against his throat.
“Put the knife down, Donna,” I order as calmly as possible.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
teresa
“Tess, I can’t find my swim shorts anywhere!” Felipe yells from his bedroom. “The one with the palm print.”
“It’s probably stuffed in the back of your drawer!” I yell back, while gathering his passport and plane ticket, but the buzzer interrupts. Must be Emma.
I hurry across the room and grab the intercom telephone hanging on the wall, wondering why she doesn’t let herself in, since she has her own key.
Maybe it’s Josh wanting to say bye to Felipe...
“Forgot your key, Em?”
“Hi, Teresa. It’s Donna. Is it okay if I come up for a moment?”
I fall silent for a moment. What is she doing here? Like I have time for her – not! “Why?”
“I wanted to talk to you about the things I said the other day. I was out of line.”
“It’s okay, Donna, really. I don’t have time to talk to you right now.” I’m not even sure if I want that nutcase in my apartment.
“Please, Teresa. I feel awful after what Josh told me. I never meant to insult you.”
“Josh told you?” Why did he do that?
“Yeah. I apologized to him, and I’d feel better if I could apologize to you too. I don’t feel comfortable doing it over the intercom.”
I inhale a deep breath. “I have five minutes, Donna. Come up.” I press the call button and open the door.
“Have you found your shorts, Felipe?” I call as I walk back toward the kitchen counter.
“Found them!”
“We need to leave in twenty minutes.”
“Okay! Only need to get my wash bag.”
I look up when Donna walks into our apartment.
“Hello, Teresa.” She stares at the open suitcase in the living room. “Are you going somewhere?”
“Not me. My brother.”
“Oh, right. He’ll be visiting relatives in Spain. He told us.”
“Yeah, and we’re in a bit of a hurry,” I say, twisting my mouth. “So...”
She gestures to a barstool. “Do you mind if I sit down?”
I cock my brow. “No, go ahead.”
If she expects me to offer her coffee next, she has another thing coming, and impatiently I watch her as she makes herself comfortable in my kitchen. Her bob is perfectly styled, and she’s generous with her makeup. She’s actually very pretty, and I feel a sudden pang of jealousy knowing she’s working so close to Josh six days a week. Of course they kissed; they’re both young, attractive, and share a passion for food. Get over it, Tess! We all have a past, and it was just a kiss, nothing heavier.
“You’re going to spend Christmas all by yourself?” Donna informs with raised eyebrows.
I shake my head. I’m spending Christmas with Emma, but I don’t see how that’s any of her business.
“You have relatives living in the country?”
Partly astonished, and partly annoyed, I watch her cross her legs, as though she doesn’t plan to leave anytime soon. What is she doing? Making small talk, looking for a friendship?
I prop my hands in my jeans. “Look, Donna, we have a plane to catch. If you want to apologize, I’ll hear you out, but I don’t have time for chitchat, I’m sorry.”
“You have a nice place here,” she says as she gazes around. “Your living room is very cozy with the wooden flooring and all those comfy cushions and throws on the sofa. I have a lot of cushions too on my sofa.”
I dig my nails into my palms from frustration. God, she’s getting on my nerves. “Thanks. There’s no place like home, right? So, about the other day...”
“Oh, yeah, sorry,” she says, then clears her throat. “Listen, about the groupie thing, that came out totally wrong. I never implied you’re a groupie.”
“Okay, but why didn’t you tell Josh I wanted to see him?”
She smiles. “He had locked himself in his office all night. And believe me, you don’t want to disturb a culinary wonder boy when his door is closed.”
I nod. “I can imagine. Let’s forget about it, okay?” She’s still one of Josh’s employees, and if we’re going to spend more time with each other, and it’s looking that way, then I need to find a way to deal with her. I can’t be rude to her, but I really want her out of my house now. Her intense gaze is making me pretty uncomfortable.
I walk toward the front door. “Thanks for stopping by, Donna. I appreciate it.”
“What does he see in you?”
I turn back, not sure if I heard her right. “What?”
Donna gets off the stool. “Have you slept with him?”
I hold my head high, trying to stay unfazed by her bold question. “I think you should leave now, Donna.”
“Oh, right, the airport.” She strolls into the kitchen, blatantly disregarding my request.
“What are you doing?”
“Are you spending Christmas together?”
“No!” I yank open my front door. “I want you to leave now.”
“He was supposed to be mine, Teresa. I had it all figured out. We already kissed, so I knew he was attracted to me. I gave everything I had in the kitchen. I bend over backwards for him, busted my ass as his righthand. He thinks very highly of me, thinks I’m talented. I was convinced he would find his way back into my arms, it was just a matter of time. Joshua Vandenberg was mine. All mine.”
Chills run up my spine as I see her remove one of the bigger knifes from the knife block. She runs her finger across the sharp edge.
“Ouch... you’ve honed your blades. Good. If there’s something I hate, it’s people using dull knives. Can’t stand it. Fucking amateurs.” She dips her bleeding index finger into her mouth.
“Put that knife back and get out of my house, Donna,” I say sternly. This has nothing to do with a healthy dose of jealousy anymore. This looks more like a psychiatric disorder.
“Like I was saying, he was all mine, that is, until you came along, and decided to open your pathetic little dessert bar right across Suite 63.”
“He’s not mine, either, Donna,” I say, keeping my gaze on her and the knife, since she won’t put it away. Fuck! Where the hell is my phone? “Like you said, the Vandenberg boys are inaccessible.”
“You got that part right. His cousin, Tristan, you know, the one who was kidnapped when he was seventeen, came over one time and we really hit it off, flirting all night and all. He’s almost just as cute as Josh. I sent him a couple texts a few days later, but he never returned any of them. Arrogant bastard.”
“I don’t know Tristan, and I’m sorry for you, but you really need to leave now. My friend will be here any minute to pick us up.”
Donna smiles her angelic smile, but she’s behaving like an evil person, and I have no trouble admitting she scares the hell out of me. If she wasn’t holding a knife, I would have kicked her down the stairs by now.
“Nice try, hone
y, but I’m not leaving before I figure out what Josh wants from you, and you’re going to tell me.”
“Okay, but it’s easier to talk if you put away the knife first.”
“Has he fucked you?”
“Donna, please... I...” Suddenly, footsteps echo in the hallway. I lean against the doorjamb, putting my hand outside as a stop sign, hoping to hell Emma keeps her mouth shut and calls the cops as soon as she finds out what’s going on in here. I’ll help her. “You’ll hurt yourself with that knife, Donna!” I say loudly. “Put it away, and I’ll tell you everything you want to hear about Josh.”
“Tess, do you think I should take my–”
Hell, no! “Go back to your room, Felipe!” I scream.
He gazes to the side. “Hey, Donna. What are you doing here? Josh knows I’m...” His voice drifts off. “Mierda!”
“Run, Felipe!” I run across the room to get him, wanting him out of the apartment, but Donna is faster, and yanks Felipe against her.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Felipe growls, struggling to wriggle out of her grasp. His body freezes and his eyes widen in terror the moment he feels the blade of the knife against his throat.
“Donna, don’t!” I roar like a cornered animal.
“Then answer the question, Teresa. Does he love you?”
“What? No! We don’t even know each other!”
“Don’t lie to me,” she growls with a low-pitched voice, as though el diablo just slipped into her body.
“I’m not lying to you,” I say, my voice desperate now. “He helped with my menu. That’s all. Let my brother go; he has nothing to do with this. Take me instead, okay?”
“No!” Felipe rumbles. “Don’t you touch my sister! Answer her question, Tess!”
“Maybe you better start listening to your brother if you still want to catch that flight.”
“Josh doesn’t love me, Donna. You have to believe me. All he did was help me with my menu.”
“And you’re sure you’re not spending Christmas with him?”
“Yes! I’m fucking sure, Donna! I’m spending it with my best friend, Emma. He’s yours, okay?” I shake my head. “I don’t want him. He doesn’t even like my food. I think you guys are good together.”
Joshua Page 18
