Page 81 of The Chef

I nod. No point in lying to her. “Yes.”

“Cleo Dash?”

“Yep.”

“Your ex?”

“Yes.”

“What’s she doing here?”

“That’s what Cove and I were just talking about. I don’t know.”

Bay crosses her arms and stares at me like she’s investigating something. “You didn’t know she was coming here?”

“No. Why would I?”

“You didn’t ask her to come?”

“Of course, I didn’t.”

“No?”

“No,” I reply. “Bay, I don’t like your tone.”

“My tone?”

“You’re acting like the Spanish Inquisition or something.”

“So, you didn’t invite her to the re-opening party?”

Wow, she really thinks I’ve gone behind her back and done this.

It’s like there’s a gulf between us. This afternoon we were so close, and now, with Cleo turning up like this out of the blue, Bay and I have split apart.

“How many times do I need to say I didn’t invite her for you to believe me?” I ask.

“I just don’t understand, Cliff. Why would she turn up here? She dumped you. What does she want?”

I raise my hands. “Whoa. I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t invite her. You have to believe me. I don’t know what she’s doing here.”

Bay pauses her tirade. She thinks for a moment, sighs, then slowly nods. “Okay,” she says. “I believe you.”

“Good.”

“Just… please ask her to leave. It’s crazy enough re-opening this place without someone like her coming in. I know this makes me out as some paranoid crazy person but please do it for me. Please ask her to leave.”

She’s right. Cleo shouldn’t be here.

“I’ll do it, Bay. For you.”

I also want Cleo to leave, but at the same time, I do want the opportunity to speak to her. I want to find out why she’s here.

What she wants.

Is she really here to apologize?

What if she wants me back?