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Lin had stayed as deep in the kitchen as she possibly could the whole time, carefully avoiding any areas where there might be a line of sight to Kenny’s table.
She was fileting a fish when we heard a knock on the counter. I turned to see a tall, lean and darkly gorgeous man in jeans and a ratty t-shirt. He had on several bracelets on one wrist and a necklace. The accessories would’ve been cheesy on a normal guy, but he definitely pulled them off.
“I wanted to meet the chefs,” Kenny said. He was standing in the kitchen like he owned the place. He noticed some bacon we’d cut up and prepped. He helped himself to a piece, grinning as he chewed. “Wait,” he said, squinting at me. “I know you. We went to school together, right? Don’t tell me–” he pointed, looking up as he tried to guess my name. “Shit,” he laughed and shook his head. “Sorry, I can’t remember.”
“It’s okay. I’m Harper, and yeah, we did go to school together.”
“Looks like you’ve been busy. You cooked that shit?”
“I’d like to think it wasn’t shit, but yes. I did.”
“Damn,” he said, nodding in approval. He noticed Farrah then and pointed. “I recognize you, too. Cara?”
“Farrah,” she said quietly. I didn’t blame her for being shy. The guy wasn’t just famous, he was ridiculously attractive.
“Right, my bad. And you are?” he asked Gabby.
“New here. I just moved from North Carolina to take this job. I’m a big fan.”
He smirked at her, and I could almost see how he was deciding if he wanted to fuck her or not. For some reason, he seemed to decide against it. “You guys got any booze back here?”
“For cooking, yes,” I said sternly.
He gave me a tilt of his head and a smile that nearly made me go dig out the nearest bottle of liquor for him. “Come on. Not even a few sips for an old friend?”
“An old friend who didn’t remember my name?” I asked.
He chuckled, and seemed to notice me for the first time then. I shrunk a little under his focus, but we all jumped when a pan clattered to the ground.
Kenny frowned and took a few steps into the kitchen until he could see where Lin was crouched under a metal prep table. She made a noise somewhere between a trapped mouse and a scared cat. He walked right up to her with his hands on his hips and a widening grin.
“Come out of there,” he said, voice oddly stiff.
Lin obeyed, trying her best to get out from the cramped space with dignity but knocking over measuring cups and bowls as she climbed out.
“You wouldn’t be hiding from me, would you, Lin?” Kenny asked.
Lin straightened. “Don’t flatter yourself.”
Kenny took her by the shoulders and Lin went as stiff as a brick. He looked her over, smiling in a way that wasn’t entirely friendly. “You’ve been growing since I saw you last. Damn.”
Lin seemed to catch herself and she jerked back from him. “No shit. That’s what people do.”
He chuckled. “Still sassy, I see? What, you’re not intimidated by me?” He asked the last in a near whisper. I suddenly felt like I was witnessing something private and had to calm the urge to slip out of the kitchen. He didn’t seem to care that the three of us were just watching with our mouths hanging open.
“I’d need more than one lifetime to stop hating you,” Lin snapped. She rushed out of the kitchen and gave him a hard bump with her shoulder as she left.
Kenny looked after her, rubbing his lower lip with his thumb and grinning. He seemed to come back to himself a few moments later. “Well, thank you lovely ladies for the food. And sorry about Maria’s little tantrum. It was top-notch of you to humor her. Maybe I’ll make sure we stop by again some time, and I’ll try to mention you guys at a few concerts. Drum up some business.”
“Really?” I asked.
“Sure, anything for old friends.” He got a distant look on his face as he looked to where Lin had gone again. “Besides, I think I may have to steal that one eventually. It’s the least I can do for poaching an employee.”
“What, Lin?” I asked.
Kenny was about to answer when Greyson appeared at the counter again. He looked at Kenny, then at me, and his expression darkened. “I’ll have to ask you to leave the kitchen,” he said to Kenny. “They’re behind now and need to hurry to get ready for dinner service.”
Kenny didn’t look bothered by being ordered around. He just shrugged and headed back toward where his band was sitting in the otherwise empty dining room. “I’ll see you guys around.”
Greyson was glaring at me like he was trying to light me on fire with pure annoyance. I could practically feel the little points of heat from his eyes on my face. “Well?” he asked impatiently.
