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Alex lifted one shoulder. He turned back to the window looking far off into the cloudless sky. “Nothing important.”
Jan got the sense that whatever it was had been important. There had probably been a woman involved. Or two.
“You know, I remember reading an article in Food Magazine,” she said, deciding to change the subject since she got the feeling Alex didn’t want to spill, and she wasn’t one for gossip. “There are some areas of Mexico where it’s difficult for people to get farm fresh produce. So the government has begun a bus stop farmer’s market program where the farmers bring their produce to the people. It’s truly changing lives.”
A small smile tugged at the corner of Alex’s lips, but his gaze remained out the window. “Food can do that.”
Something about that smile called to Jan. It urged her to probe, to dig deeper. It told her that there was a layer to this man that she had not yet witnessed. But just as soon as she leaned forward to poke at it, Alex turned to face her; his mischievous grin back in place.
“What about you?” he asked. “What’s your most memorable food adventure?”
Nothing Jan had ever tasted had been as exotic as she supposed Alex’s breakfast was. It had always been too expensive to eat out at the restaurants that truly piqued her palate. “My ex did take me to Le Fantaisie.”
“I’ve been there. What did you have?”
Jan’s smile was bitter. “The Troìs Fromage Gougères and the Pommes Duchesse.”
Alex nodded and then nodded some more as though he were waiting for her to say something else. “That’s it? Those are just appetizers.”
“That’s all Chris was willing to spend.”
Alex tilted his head skyward. His lips moved, and Jan was certain she heard the word cheapskate uttered under his br
eath. “Well, did you at least enjoy the dishes?”
“I was expecting an out-of-body experience, you know, in my mouth. It was good, but I could’ve made it myself at home. It wasn’t anything new. Food should transport you to the past or take you to some place you’ve never been. Just like when you described the chapulines, I was taken to Mexico. When you talked about the ugali, I was with you in Kenya.”
Alex was watching her thoughtfully, his forefinger tapping his lower lip. “We’ll go to France in a couple of weeks. We’ll tour Montmartre where you can sample cheeses and pastries along the street.”
“I can’t just up and go to France.”
“Why not?”
“As my boss, you know why not. I’m starting a new job, a whole new restaurant.”
“This is a part of your job description, Chef Peppers.”
It was a good thing the safety straps were holding her in place. Otherwise, Jan might have slid out of her seat.
“And I’m not your boss,” he said. “I’m your partner.”
With those words, her insides turned to mush like the dish he’d had in Kenya. She felt she was on his hook; like the fish he’d caught back in Mexico. She wanted to be reeled in. Getting caught by Alex, she had hooked into her dream.
Alex rested his head back against the seat and closed his eyes. A second later he was asleep. Jan was still reeling from what he’d just said. From what she had just done.
The reality of what she’d done was finally hitting her. She was on a plane over the Atlantic. She’d left her business, her family, everything she’d known to run off with a prince. It was the most outrageous thing she’d done in her carefully planned and measured life.
So why wasn’t her heart racing with fear?
To be sure, her heart was racing. But there was no cold feeling down her spine. There was no bile on her tongue. The taste in her mouth was sweet. Her body felt warm. This had to be excitement.
She sat in the feeling. It wasn’t a new experience for her. She felt it every time she heard the oven timer ding, and she pulled out a pie. But this excitement wasn’t due to something she’d made. It was due to who she was about to become.
Jan figured she must’ve fallen asleep because when she came to consciousness, Alex was over top of her. He crowded her in, leaning over her seat. He smiled down at her with pure joy in his normally mischievous gaze. If he leaned down and kissed her now, she was sure she wouldn’t mind.
“We’re home,” he said.
He unfastened her seat belt for her and helped her to stand. Her legs were wobbly from the long flight, and she leaned into Alex for support. He didn’t seem to mind. He kept his hand at her low back as they stepped off the plane.
