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"Mr. LeBlanc?" I asked tentatively.
The guy looked vaguely familiar as he zeroed in on me. Vibrant blue eyes, jet-black hair. I had this uncanny feeling that I'd seen him before, not too long ago.
"Sorry. Do I know you?" he replied.
"I’m Scarlett Jones, the new chef of the restaurant."
“Scarlett, hi. I’m Julian." He held out his hand and shook mine. "We're so very relieved to have you with us."
"Thank you."
"Listen, I'm not actually in charge of the restaurant branch. That’s my brother Chad. You just missed him."
"Oh," I said, a bit disappointed. "That's fine. I was just passing by and thought I’d check out the restaurant. My official start day is tomorrow."
"Yes, the whole family knows," he said with a laugh.
"Okay," I replied, unsure how to react.
Julian grinned. "A word of warning: tomorrow morning might actually be a bit crazy."
"I've worked in a hectic kitchen before. Rush hour can get exciting." But I had a feeling I was missing his point. The mornings couldn't possibly be busy because they didn't offer breakfast.
"I bet you've never worked in a restaurant where half the family likes to pitch in whenever a chef leaves."
I blinked and smiled. "No, I haven't. That sounds interesting."
"Ah, well, come tomorrow morning, you might think differently. Then again, Chad is trying to keep the family away, and when my brother puts his mind to something, he succeeds. Usually. Though he’s been failing lately when it comes to our grandparents."
Julian seemed to be talking to himself more than to me. I had no idea how to react. This wasnothow I thought the conversation might go.
"All right," I said. "Any tips?"
"Get the grams to like you."
"Who are the grams?" I asked.
"Sorry. Sometimes I think everyone knows all about us. My grandmothers. They’ll both be here. If they like you, your life will be easy. Sooo... just get them to like you."
"No pressure," I said.
"All right, I'm going upstairs. If you want to have dinner here, it's on the house."
"Oh, no thanks. I still want to explore a bit of the city tonight."
"Sure. Enjoy."
I blinked, feeling a bit dazed after he left. Who exactly was going to be here tomorrow morning? His grandparents or just his grandmothers? I couldn’t wait to meet Chad LeBlanc too. I wondered if he was anything like Julian.
On a whim, I took out my phone and googled his name. The first thing that popped up was a picture, and oh my God, this was my handsome stranger! I couldn't believe it. No wonder Julian looked familiar. Their appearances were very similar.
Laughing, I debated sending this bit of information to Ariana, then decided not to. She'd say it was a sign, but I no longer believed in signs—except perhaps when it was aboutsweets. When I came across a third bakery selling beignets, I decided it was high time I tasted one.
Chapter Three
Chad
Early the next morning, I was at the office at 8:20 a.m.
