Page 45 of The Chef

15

CLIFF

I can’t believe what I saw.

Bay Dover.

Bay with a child.

I didn’t know she has a kid.

Does that mean she’s married, or a single parent?

Well, she’s successfully hidden that one from me, I haven’t suspected a thing all this time. The whole time we’ve worked together, and I didn’t know she had a child, have I been totally blind?

Truth be told, I don’t know anything about her, not much really beyond what I can glean from Dominika, and she’s remained pretty sealed about the new waitress.

Dominika.

I hope she’s alright. I booked her a flight back to Poland immediately upon finding out about her father’s passing. I hope she made it back okay, I hope she’s alright.

But she’s left at the worst moment. I’ve tried to be brave about it in front of her, but I fully know that this restaurant will collapse without her assistance and her cooking skills. I need her. Desperately.

And then Bay offered to help.

I can’t bear to have this girl around. Whenever she’s in the restaurant she’s like a constant distraction for me, and I’m unable to get her out of my head. If it weren’t for Dominika, I would’ve fired little Miss Dover by now.

But I think I like her. A lot.

And that’s dangerous.

I can’t have another situation like Cleo Dash happen to me again, I can’t reveal my emotions to someone to just get my sincerity laughed back at me. Not again.

And that’s why I can’t bear to be around Bay Dover.

When that customer laid his hands on her I instinctively sprang into action like a wild animal took control over my body. The pure protectiveness I felt for her at that moment was overwhelming. I wanted to crush that man for daring to touch my waitress.

For daring to touch my girl.

What had overcome me at that moment? What feelings were released that I’d kept hidden, even from myself?

I don’t want to experience that again. I was too exposed. Too vulnerable. I saw in Bay’s eyes that she could fully understand me at that moment.

And that terrifies me.

So, it was shocking to see her at the shopping mall with her child.

I didn’t even think she had kids.

I didn’t even think she might be in a relationship.

I have to admit, that thought sent an electric shock to my heart. Bay Dover in a relationship.

Cliff Finn, once again laying his emotions on the chopping block just to see them get cut in half.

I knew I gotta get out of that shopping mall the minute I saw her. I ducked out the exit and into my car, driving off towards the beach.

I needed to get Bay out of my head.