Page 82 of The Chef

What about Bay?

I don’t know what to think anymore.

“Thank you, Cliff,” Bay says.

“Sure,” I reply, but I still feel like there’s now an uneasy air between us.

That gulf is stretching further and further wide.

The side door opens, and Cove walks out. My heart races, thinking it might be Cleo, that maybe my cousin is with her.

But no, it’s only Cove.

Bay and I both face him expectedly.

“She’s gone,” Cove says. “Cleo’s left the party.”

28

BAY

I look at myself in the mirror and tie my hair back, watching myself carefully all the while.

I fit the restaurant apron around my waist. The new logo for Rockpool features prominently on the side of it, a classy black signature. I check myself, and my new uniform, out in the mirror and nod my head, satisfied.

Ready for my first shift at the newly re-opened Rockpool.

Here goes.

Last night was crazy. The party, overall, seemed to go fine. It seems like everybody enjoyed themselves and liked the food we served. I mean, they drank all the wine, so I’m sure we’ll get some very good, and slightly drunk-written reviews in the next few days. Fingers crossed.

But Cleo.

Cleo Dash.

The supermodel-slash-blockbuster actress. She turned up and now she’s here. Somewhere. In town.

She crashed the party last night and then disappeared without a trace minutes later.

Cliff reassured me all night that nothing was going on between them, that he had no inkling that she would show up, and I do trust him. I have to trust him.

But still…

I knew, when I first heard about her, that Cleo would factor in at some point, that Cliff and I would have to address her, and the hold she has over his past, at some point in the time we’re together. But I would never have guessed in a million years she would turn up, unannounced, at his restaurant in a small town in Australia. I never thought I would ever actually see her in person, and so soon after Cliff and I have hooked up.

But yet, there she was last night, walking into Rockpool looking every inch the beautiful movie starlet she is.

And it drove me crazy.

Are they still together? Does Cliff still have feelings for her?

She broke his heart, but does he still pine for her?

I don’t know.

I don’t even know what it is that Cliff and I share. Are we together? Are we boyfriend and girlfriend or just some version of fuck buddies? Friends with benefits? Am I just the nearest and easiest girl for Cliff to hang onto for a while before he heads back into his old self.

Am I just another girl to keep his bed warm before he goes back to Cleo Dash?