“Sorry.” She backed out of the kitchen in time to hear Jake’s voice rise above the din of conversation.
“At least people know what they’re eating when they buy my hot dogs.” Jake poked his fork at the pork croquette on his plate. It occurred to Colby that Jake would be the type to show up for a happy-hour deal, but not necessarily stay to eat. Maybe Alec had been right about her idea.
Colby hustled to their table in time to hear Jenna’s cool reply. “Eating with silverware must be a real change of pace.”
Jake shot up—his chair screeching against the wood floor—drawing everyone’s attention. “Bunch of snobs, praising bullshit food that people pretend to like, but everyone goes home hungry.”
Colby glanced over her shoulder and saw Mrs. Morgan’s cheeks turn red. Another black mark against the Cabot family in the Morgans’ book.
“Please sit down,” Colby implored. “If there’s a problem, may we discuss it privately?”
“No problem. I’m outta here.” Jake tossed his napkin on the chair and squinted at Gentry. “You comin’?”
“You’re making a scene.” Gentry kept calm, but Colby wanted to strangle the jerk.
“That’s on them.” Jake pointed at her dad and Jenna, then stormed toward the front door.
“See what you did?” Gentry sighed, almost as if she enjoyed the fiasco.
“Let him go.” Jenna sipped her wine. “He’s beneath you.”
“You are a snob,” Gentry sniped. Offering Colby an apologetic look before taking off after Jake, she said, “Sorry.”
Painfully aware of the eyes watching them, Colby fixed a calm grin in place. Not that she wanted to regress to a life of brave faces, but the skill she’d acquired during her marriage did come in handy in a crisis.
“Sorry, honey,” her dad muttered as she turned away to salvage the scene that had distracted everyone.
That’s when she noticed a victorious light in her mother’s eyes. Rarely did Jenna fail at anything, so Colby’s mom delighted in being present when she did. Despite her mom’s gloating, Colby loved Gentry and her dad and couldn’t shake the sinking feeling that her sister’s current path would lead somewhere terrible. After living through Joe’s and Mark’s deaths, she would’ve thought her family might stop taking one another for granted.
Tonight they’d pulled her attention from watching for people’s reactions to dinner. Had Jake’s response been the anomaly?
Focus. Dessert. Dessert was next. For the first time in forever, she thought she might prefer a stiff drink to the Grilled Pistachio and Chocolate Mille-Feuille she knew would be coming.
Determined not to get distracted again, Colby meandered around the tables and paid attention, as Alec had asked. By the time the dessert dishes were being cleared, Colby’s back and feet ached. If she was this wiped out, how could Alec keep upright?
His methods weren’t her favorite, but he’d pulled it off. With the exception of Jake’s tantrum, the night had been amazing. Alec had brought her one step closer to success. He might not seek the spotlight tonight, but he deserved it.
Crossing to the back of the house, she found him watching the plates as they came into the kitchen on the bus trays.
“Come take a bow.” She smiled because he looked like a marathoner who’d just crossed the finish line.
Following a brief hesitation, he nodded. When they entered the dining room, Hunter stood and clapped, which led to a round of applause from the rest of the guests.
He blushed and winked at his mom before bowing his head. Seeing him flushed yet proud might’ve been Colby’s favorite part of the night.
“Thank you for being our test crowd.” He walked to the center of the dining room, smiling. “My goal is for the service and meals to rival this beautiful space, so please be sure to pass along any complaints. Your feedback will be appreciated. Have a good night and a safe drive home.” He waved briefly and, turning slightly to her, murmured, “Let’s talk once everyone’s gone?”
“Okay.”
He promptly returned to the kitchen.
Colby ignored her throbbing feet and made one last round to each table to offer her personal thanks as well.
On his way out, Todd quietly asked, “Have you given any more thought to Thai?”
Although flattered, she wished he’d stop asking. She couldn’t make herself feel more for her friend than she did, despite him being capable of offering the open, respectful relationship she needed after dealing with Mark. “I’m sorry. I adore you and our friendship. I’m just not looking for more. But I’d love to grab lunch soon.”
Todd’s disappointed sigh preceded a nod. “Anytime.”
She kissed his cheek and sent him home, certain she’d made the right decision.
After the final guests had left and the waitstaff and kitchen help were nearly finished cleaning up, Colby ducked into her office to shut things down. She removed her shoes and rubbed her throbbing feet. She moaned just as Alec walked in holding two glasses of champagne.
He set one beside her, unbuttoned his chef coat, and slumped into a chair. “I dismissed the staff. Long—but good—night. Cheers.”
The unbuttoned collar gave her a perfect view of his throat working to swallow the champagne. He had an elegant, strong neck. Everything about him seemed so deliciously masculine lately. Instead of the infatuation filling her with hope, it made her sad. What if, after all this time, the one person she might be able to fall for was the least suitable person of all?
“I’m shocked you can keep your eyes open, especially after last night’s late-night cat rescue and coffee klatch.”
Another rosy blush colored his cheeks. “I’ve always liked your mom.”
“Someday I’d like to hear about the commune. Of course, whatever you told her has convinced her that those are her people, so maybe I’ll see it for myself when forced to visit.” Colby sipped her champagne, shoved her feet back into her shoes, and sat against the edge of her desk. “So, are you satisfied with the cooks?”
“I’m never satisfied. But we can build on this.” He leaned forward then, elbows on his knees, eyes alert. “Tell me what went wrong in the front of the house.”
Oh God. He’d performed his role to perfection, while she’d basically failed to do the one thing he’d asked. She braced for one of his spectacular temper tantrums.
“For the most part, people seemed pleased with everything.” She smiled, hoping he wouldn’t push.
“I noticed one untouched pork croquette. And the Grey Mullet with Pickled Mushrooms didn’t look like a favorite.” He frowned. “Did I miss anything?”
“The pork dish was Gentry’s boyfriend, who never tried it because he stormed off after he and Jenna got into an argument.”
“Oh, well, that’s good.” Alec smiled.
“Good?”
“If he tasted it and didn’t like it, that would concern me. But if he didn’t even eat it, then I’m going to stick with it. The others who ordered it cleaned their plates.” He nodded. “What else?”