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“Yes, Chef!” Amy echoed, turning to the refrigerator to move the dish aside.
“I’ve also got some great news to share with all of you.”
The chaos in the kitchen stilled for a moment, with everyone looking at the two of them standing near the entrance.
“What is it?” Amy asked.
“Guys, we’ve got an investor! We’re opening a real restaurant!”
Everyone in the kitchen dropped what they were doing and rushed over to give Lauren a hug. There were words of encouragement and excitement, but the celebration was short-lived. After
each person had their moment with Lauren, they headed back to the dishes and tasks they had in progress. Apparently there was no such thing as downtime in a kitchen during dinner service, no matter the good news.
Sutton watched as they all returned to their stations, but this time, with a new spring in their steps and smiles on their faces. Lauren stepped right back into her role, calling out meals from the tickets the servers brought back and finishing off plates with garnishes as they came up for service.
“I’ve got a Wellington and a chicken roulette for table four!” she shouted and slammed a bell to call the servers back to the kitchen.
In a well-choreographed dance, the servers scooped up the plates, moved around Sutton and each other, and disappeared back through the door in a moment. It was chaos of the likes he’d never seen before, but he could see the rhythm of it, too. It was nothing like the corporate environment he was used to, and he was the first to admit he wasn’t sure he could hack the high pressure of the kitchen.
Then again, maybe he wasn’t suited for the corporate environment either. He thought he did a good job running things with his brother after his father passed away, and yet everything had unraveled so quickly and easily. Someone hated them all enough to destroy his family, their careers and his father’s legacy. If they didn’t catch the culprit behind it all and there was no future for him with Wingate Enterprises, Sutton honestly wasn’t sure what he was suited for.
He didn’t have a passion for his work like Lauren did. He’d been groomed his whole life to run his father’s company and he’d never given anything else much thought. If the person who set them all up succeeded in getting Sutton and Sebastian put behind bars, there would be a bleak future for both of them. In a year’s time, Lauren would be fulfilling all her dreams, and Sutton would be... He shook his head. He didn’t want to know.
“Here you go, sir. One beef Wellington with whipped potatoes and grilled asparagus.” Amy approached him with a beautifully assembled plate and gestured over to the side of the kitchen where there was a clear bit of stainless-steel countertop and a stool where he could sit. “The best seat in the house,” she added with a smile.
He took a seat and accepted the plate with anticipation. This was just what he needed to get those dark thoughts out of his mind. It had been years since he’d had a good beef Wellington and he was certain this would be one of the best. One bite later, he knew he was right. He didn’t know where Lauren went to culinary school or what great chefs she’d studied under, but she had a gift. A gift that deserved a classy environment, not a cramped truck parked along a curb.
Sutton couldn’t wait for service to end tonight. He wanted to take Lauren home to celebrate her success. She deserved it. And hopefully when everything was said and done, he would still deserve her.
Ten
Lauren opened the front door of her house later that night and found Sutton standing on her front porch with a bottle of expensive French champagne in his hand.
“Ooh...” she said, accepting the bottle and looking over the label. “You’d think we were celebrating.”
Sutton stepped inside and was quick to slip out of his suit coat and tug at his tie. “I know you’re probably exhausted, but we can’t let this moment pass without a little bubbly.”
Lauren nodded and locked the door behind him. It had been the longest day she could remember, but she was oddly energized. Her mind was buzzing with everything that had happened and she couldn’t sleep even if she tried. “I’m sorry I’m underdressed for the occasion.” She’d showered when she got home and was wearing only a silk robe when he came to the door.
Sutton eyed the loosely tied robe and the damp strands of her hair with a look of stark appreciation in his gaze and shook his head. “You’re overdressed in my opinion.”
Lauren chuckled. She had a little something in the closet he might like. “Open this up while I change.”
He walked over to take the bottle back from her and carried it into the kitchen. From her bedroom, she could hear the loud pop of the cork when he succeeded. She quickly slipped on a rose-colored chemise with lacy trim along the hem and a deep V that plunged between her breasts and made her way back to where he was waiting for her. Pulling two crystal flutes down from the cabinet, she set them down on the quartz countertop and watched while he poured them each a glass.
Sutton set down the bottle and picked up the flutes filled with golden bubbly liquid. His gaze met hers and dipped lower to admire her new attire. He swallowed hard and his fingers tightened around the delicate crystal stems of the glasses. His chest swelled with a deep breath before his eyes met hers again. There was a hard glint of desire there. There was no question that he wanted her. The intensity of his stare stole the air from her lungs.
Tonight was special. They had both worked hard to make it a success and their celebration should be equally rejoiceful. With a sly smile, Lauren eyed the champagne and got an idea. Without accepting the glass he offered, she turned her back to Sutton and strolled out of the kitchen. As she crossed the threshold into her bedroom, her fingertips curled around the hem of her chemise, pulling it up and over her head. Her damp hair spilled back down around her shoulders, tickling her bare shoulder blades. She tossed the barely worn negligee across the chair in the corner and turned around.
Sutton had followed her into her bedroom as she’d hoped. He stood just inside the doorway, clutching the glasses in an attempt to keep control. She was surprised he hadn’t snapped the delicate stems in half by now.
Lauren stalked across the room toward him, completely naked. She stopped just in front of him and reached past the glasses to the button of his collar. Her nimble fingers made quick work of his dress shirt, moving down the front until she could part the linen and place her palms on the hard, bare muscles of his chest.
He stood stone-still, his eyes partly closed as she touched him. It was all he could do with his hands still holding their drinks. He reopened them at last when she took one of the glasses from him and held it up for a toast.
“To The Eatery,” she said.
“To The Eatery,” Sutton repeated, his voice low and strained. He didn’t drink; he just watched Lauren as she put the champagne to her lips and took a healthy sip.
