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“Katie!” she cried, nearly throwing her coffee again. “Is that really you? I hardly recognized you. What have you been up to?”
Katie had been one of her closest friends in school. They hadn’t seen each other for nearly ten years.
“Yes, it’s me.” Katie smoothed out her white blouse and smiled sweetly. “Lost a bit of weight and got the braces off after school. Graduated from UCLA. And now, I’m working at the Laramie Foundation as an event coordinator. Guess what they say is true — life really does get better after high school.”
Rachel smiled, glad that her friend had done so well for herself. She hadn’t always had it easy at their private school. Kids were merciless sometimes, but Katie had a career and a goal in life now. It was more than Rachel could say for herself — a phrase that kept repeating inside her head in her father’s disapproving voice.
“That’s really amazing,” Rachel replied, trying not to let the twinge of jealousy in her chest get the better of her. “I’m working down at Madison Park right now. We just opened.”
Katie grabbed her arm and inhaled sharply. “Is that the new posh American dining restaurant? My husband and I are dying to try it.”
“That’s the one.”
“Do you know if they cater?” she asked, placing a fingertip to her lips. “I just got a call from our caterer for next week’s cancer research gala at the conference center and they pulled out last minute on me. I’m dying. Tell me your restaurant does catering.”
Rachel’s lips twisted into a frown. Logan had mentioned eventually getting into catering, but that had been a goal for later down the road. Of course, he’d also been stressed about how he could launch his restaurant into super stardom and this could very well be the answer. All of San Jose’s finest would be in attendance. One taste of his food and they’d come flocking in. She was sure of it. All they needed was a chance to get it in front of them.
“I’m sure they’d be happy to,” Rachel said, excitement bubbling over into her voice. “In fact, I guarantee they will. Give me your information and we can talk.”
They exchanged phone numbers with promises to talk and then Rachel continued down the street, smiling so hard she thought her cheeks would crack. Logan was going to love this. She had told him she would be an asset to his business and here was the proof.
She might actually have found her calling.
Walking into Madison Park was like strolling into the middle of interstate 405 during rush hour traffic. Waiters and attendants ran everywhere, trying to get ready before the lunch rush. Loud clanging could be heard coming from the kitchen. Something smelled like it had been burnt. She weaved through the madness until she found Logan hidden in a secluded corner in the back of the dining hall, wearing a fitted navy Tom Ford suit and red tie.
He was bent over a copy of this evening’s menu and chewing on the eraser end of a pencil. Rachel felt her heart skip as she observed him silently working, his long slender fingers tracing over the printed words in front of him. There was no doubt that Logan was a good looking man, but there was more to him than just a chiseled jaw and strong arms that could wrap a girl up tight and chase away the worries of the world. He was kind and caring, always quick to ask her for her thoughts, and actually listened when she spoke. There was a charge between them, too strong to be ignored.
She wondered if he felt it, too.
She was still staring at him when he looked up suddenly and saw her standing there. A fond smile lit up his tired eyes. He rubbed a hand over his head and dropped the pencil, breaking into a stretch.
“I didn’t hear you come in,” he said, yawning. “What time is it?”
“Ten.” She crossed the room and held out the coffee. “Tell me you went home last night and got some sleep after our late night.”
“Why go home when you can nap in your office chair?” he asked, giving her a sheepish grin.
“Then, it’s a good thing I got this for you. Grande latte, double espresso. It’ll at least keep you from looking like the walking dead today.”
He smiled gratefully and reached for the cup. Electricity snapped between them as their fingers brushed, sending a thrill up Rachel’s arm and down her back. She watched him carefully, looking for a reaction. Surely, he had to have felt that.
Something glimmered in his eyes for a moment, but he quickly averted his gaze back toward the menu and took a sip. Rachel swallowed down her disappointment, knowing she’d probably just imagined that look in his eyes. Besides, he was still off limits. And she needed to keep her thoughts purely on business.
“Are you ready for some good news?” she asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet, feeling energy return to her limbs. A smile burst across her face. “I’ve just stumbled across an awesome opportunity for Madison Park. Well, actually, I kind of ran smack dab into that opportunity and nearly flattened her on the sidewalk, but same difference.”
He looked up at her, his brow wrinkling in amusement. “You have my attention.”
“How does this sound?” She placed her coffee on the table and held her hands up as if she were reading an invisible giant marque. “Madison Park catering for the Laramie Foundations’ Annual Cancer Research Gala. Sounds awesome, right?”
Confusion wracked Logan’s face. “What are you talking about?”
“I got you a gig.” She folded in her lips and tried to hold back a smile. “It’s next week, but I figured it would be worth the rush. Your food, in front of every wealthy San Jose resident. You couldn’t buy better exposure.”
The blood drained from Logan’s face. He leaned back on the table, his eyes widening. “I’ve got the restaurant opening to worry about and Mary Prescott’s visit coming up and now this? Rachel, tell me you didn’t.”
Her smile faltered as her stomach dropped into her feet. He wasn’t happy, it was easy to see. She’d overstepped her boundaries and now she’d piled more onto his plate. What was she thinking?
Logan was going to hate her now.
