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“You did good,” Robert says. “I think you should serve everything. You should be proud of what you created.”
I beam at him. “Really? I couldn't have done it without your help.”
He smiles, the skin around his hazel eyes crinkling. “Don’t sell yourself short. You did most of it. I was just a supervisor and assistant today.”
I make sure to plate the pounded flank steak nicely, spooning the zucchini salsa and spreading it in a strip over the meat. I take the salad tongs and fill a small bowl with the mixed greens and vegetables.
Robert begins pouring two glasses of wine as well as two glasses of water as I finish up the rest. Vicente’s hard steps pull me out of my zone, and my eyes flicker up and find him making his way to his seat at the head of the table.
“Good evening, sir,” Robert says, placing his drinks in front of him. “Mariella prepared the meal for tonight.”
“Thank you, Robert. I can’t wait to try it.”
Robert sets my drinks down on the opposite end of the table then walks toward me, giving me a wink. I pick up the salad bowl and entree plate and make my way to Vicente. His eyes stay glued to me the entire time, making my pulse jump.
I set the dishes in front of him, pausing for only a second before I go to the kitchen to grab my own.
“I’ll finish up,” Robert whispers. “Go enjoy your meal.”
“Thank you,” I say. “For today.”
He nods and I turn on my heel and take my seat at the table. Vicente hasn’t started eating yet.
“Are you afraid to try it?” I say with a little laugh.
“I was just waiting for you.”
“Oh.”
I tuck my chin before reaching for a fork and pulling my salad bowl close. “Hard to mess up a salad,” I say, watching him mimic my moves. “I already mixed in a vinaigrette, but if you’d prefer something else—”
“This is fine,” he says after swallowing a mouthful.
Our dinner is relatively quiet, but after he’s finished with the main course, he sets his silverware down and sits back.
“That was really good, Mariella. I’m impressed.”
My smile grows, thrilled that he enjoyed everything.
“Thank you. Robert is great. Thank you for letting me work with him.”
He nods and checks his phone. “On another note, Theo seems to be a hard man to track down. Could potentially be hiding. I’m not counting him out.”
My brows furrow. “He’s an asshole, but I don’t think he’s a mur—” I stop myself and watch as Vicente smirks. “He doesn’t have people at his disposal like that. He’s a nobody. His family has money, but he’s not powerful.”
“What other option is there?” he questions.
“Mistaken identity?” I muse. “Someone is after a woman who may look like me and they’re confused.”
He shakes his head. “I don’t believe that’s what’s happening.”
“What happened to the guy in the alley? Did you…did you kill him?”
“The one that wanted to kill you? Would you be mad if I did?”
I stare at him for several seconds, unsure how to answer. I don’t want him to think I condone murdering people, but at the same time, I wouldn’t feel bad to learn that man was no longer living.
“So, is he dead?” I say instead.
