Page 93 of The Chef

I feel for her deeper than I ever had with Cleo or even with any other girl.

The beach today. The way I threw away her feelings. The way I treated her. That wasn’t me, that was the self-obsessed Cliff Finn from a year ago. The Cliff who fucked and dumped supermodels. I’m different now. Bay has made me different.

On the beach today I hurt her.

I hurt the woman I love.

Oh god, what have I done?

Cleo’s still talking. With her long sharp fingernail, she’s driven me against the office desk, like she’s a bird of prey trapping her next victim. “I’ve got a lot of ideas for the wedding I can run past you,” she says. “I’ve made a collage of my vision for the day. Oh, by run past you, I mean I’ve already made up my mind. I just want to show you what I think our wedding will be like. I can see it already. It’ll be the exclusive event of the year.”

“Stop,” I command, brushing her finger off my chest and standing up straight in front of the actress. “That’s enough.”

Cleo laughs at me. It’s the same laugh she did back in that Parisian hotel room. A laugh of derision. “What’re you doing, Cliff?” she asks, snorting through her nose at me.

“I’ve changed my mind, Cleo,” I reply. “I’ve decided to keep the restaurant.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I don’t want your money. I’m going to keep this place.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Bay and I have faith it’ll work out.”

“Bay?” Cleo snorts again at the name. “That girl? The one who threw a temper tantrum on the beach?”

“Yeah, her. That girl.”

Cleo stands up straight. She scans me up and down like I’m insane, but I know I’m not.

This is the most clear-minded I’ve been for a very, very long time.

“Rockpool will fall apart without my money,” she says, her voice low.

“We don’t need your money,” I reply. “We’ve put a lot of work into this place. A lot of love. I’m planning to see it through.”

“Trust me, this place will collapse in a week. Just you wait.”

I shake my head. “I’d rather have this place collapse a thousand times over than go through a single wedding to you.”

Cleo’s eyes widen and she involuntarily takes a step back. “What?” she shrieks.

“You heard me.”

There’s a long pause as she digests this information.

And, judging from the expression on her face, she really doesn’t like it.

Cleo huffs, scans me up and down one last time in disdain, then storms out of the manager’s office.

33

HALF AN HOUR EARLIER

BAY

I’ve promised my family that I’ll fight for Cliff and I’s love.