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Rory turned back to the stove and resumed his cooking.
Lily said, “I’ll just drop these off and be on my way. Nice to meet you, Bayli. If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to call Christian’s office. I’m happy to help in any way.”
“That’s very kind of you, thanks. And nice to meet you, too.”
Lily left them, and Bayli went about exploring the kitchen, collecting three plates, glasses, and flatware.
“Which seating area should I set?” she asked. “The island, the breakfast nook, the formal dining table?”
“How about the table on the terrace?”
“Right. Even better.” She grabbed some napkins and disappeared outside.
Rory finished prepping the food while some of what Lily had said festered in his brain and in his gut. What if his fans actually did take a disliking to Bayli, strictly because they’d know she was more than just a cohost?
What sort of problems might that bring on for the show? For her?
He rubbed the back of his neck as a knot of tension formed.
Damn him for kissing her on the street.
Talk about a stupid, impulsive, selfish move that just might come back to bite them all in the butt.
* * *
Christian was just disconnecting a call when Lily entered his study at the back of the apartment. She crossed the room with long, confident strides, which always astounded Christian given the skyscraping heels she wore.
Lily set the portfolio she carried on his desk and filled him in on a few corporate issues. Then she said, “So, I’ve met Miss Styles. She mentioned contracts for the cooking show. That was what was in the packet I gave you from the Polenski Agency, right?”
“Yes.” He flipped open the leather folder and retrieved the documents inside.
Lily asked, “And she’s going to be some sort of cohost on the show with Rory?”
“Actually, she’s going to provide commentary on local culture and flavor—travel-documentary style, with flair—and then, yes, she’ll host the cooking portion as Rory and a local up-and-coming chef provide the demo. She’ll interact with the chefs and the audience. It ought to be a very informative and engaging hour. She’s extremely charismatic.”
“I can see that.”
Christian glanced up from his paperwork. “Lily…”
“You didn’t even audition anyone, Christian. That’s not like you to do something so spontaneous when it comes to business.”
“I didn’t need to audition anyone, Lil. I saw her at work—live and in person. She’s sensational. She’ll be perfect for this role.”
“But if you were thinking of going in this direction…,” Lily said, then let out a long breath.
Christian recognized the disappointment in her tone. He asked, “Is there something wrong with this direction?”
“I’d just think that you would consider all the options. I mean … You could have even given me the chance to audition.”
He stared at her a moment. Lily wasn’t one to get wrapped around the axle about anything, really. She was paid extremely well, had a very elegant lifestyle, could get into the best of restaurants around the globe because of Christian’s and Rory’s names, enjoyed the freedom of being able to take a half day off here and there to spend at the spa—and still get paid. There were plenty of other fringe benefits she took advantage of, though sleeping with Christian was one perk he had to take off the table now.
Despite that, Lily had a pretty cushy existence with his company. It’d never occurred to him that she might want to be involved with the cooking show. He knew for a fact Lily Madison had never connected the stove in her apartment to the gas line and instead used it to store paper and toner for her laser printer.
So Christian closed the folder and gave her his full attention. “Why are you interested in auditioning, Lil?”
“It’d be nice to get out from behind my desk and step in front of the cameras. Who wouldn’t want that?”
“You’ve never mentioned anything like this before. I thought you liked being my assistant.”
