“You- you do?” I ask, shocked that he’s already made the decision. “I would love to! I can start today even!”
He laughs.
“Well you don’t have to do that. How about tomorrow though? You’re one of the most important parts of this update, and I want to get you into the kitchen to see what you can do. There’s going to be a lot of paperwork for you to take home and fill out today too, which we will need as soon as possible. My secretary, Mrs. Stiller, can give you those.”
“Of course,” I say, blushing. “That’s wonderful. Thank you so much for the chance.”
Logan gets up and I do too. He holds out his hands again and we shake. His blue eyes capture mine, and it feels like he’s going to say more, but he releases my hand and moves around the desk to escort me out. I let go of the breath I’m holding and grab my purse, giving my head a little shake. What is wrong with me? Logan’s my boss. My boss of the dream job that I’ve wanted for forever. I can’t mess it up by mooning over him. I have to act professional.
Once we’re out of the office, Logan gives directions to Mrs. Stiller, then says goodbye and heads down the hall. She quickly goes over the paperwork. Logan wasn’t kidding. There’s a stack at least an inch or so thick. I already know that I’ll be spending most of the day going through it all, but I don’t care. I’m hired!
That night, I whip up a bacon carbonara while Violet uncorks one of her fancy wines. It’s a decadent meal that’s perfect for celebrating my new job. We throw ourselves down onto the couch and throw on the television to watch America’s Next Top Model while we eat. It’s a guilty pleasure for the two of us.
“To Mikayla’s new job!” Violet toasts.
“To finally getting off your couch!” I joke. I’ve been here only a few nights, but already my back is killing me.
“To new beginnings,” she says a little more solemnly.
“I’ll drink to that.” We drink our wine, and I pause.
“Hey,” I say softly. “Thanks for always being here for me.”
“What are friends for?” she says, smiling.
I’m really lucky to have Violet. When I discovered that my boyfriend Jake had cheated on me practically from the beginning of our relationship, I completely fell apart. Never mind how foolish I had been to believe that he would wait for me... I’d been dazzled by his wealth, the way he showered me with gifts and made me feel so special even if I wasn’t from the same social circle he was that I had looked past everything. It wasn’t until Violet showed me pictures that I finally had to face the music. Love had never come easy for me. I’m naturally shy, and it was easier to focus on school instead of trying to make dating work. I met Jake when I moved to the city for culinary school and completely fell head over heels. I almost dropped out of school for him. I couldn’t believe I’d almost let him convince me to give up on it.
Having my first boyfriend turn out to be such a douche, well, that just messes with a girl’s confidence. He’d taken everything else away from me, but I wasn’t going to let him take my dream too. So I put men to the side and made food the only thing in my life. After culinary school I felt rudderless. I’d applied at over a dozen places, but none of them wanted me. Hearing my classmates all find work made me start to doubt myself, and I ended up moving back home and working at a Denny’s for almost a year. I knew that if I wanted to become a great chef though, I had to come back to the city. So I asked Violet if I could crash on her couch and sent off another round of applications. I asked everyone I knew if they heard of any job openings. And here I am.
“So,” Violet says, leaning in. “What do you think about your new boss?”
My eyes fall down to my plate. Where to start? With the dreamy blue eyes? Or the perfect body and ass? Or with the fact that Logan reminded me a lot of Jake? He’s rich, powerful, and probably used to everyone listening to him and doing what he says. I can’t get involved with him, no matter how sexy he looks. My heart can’t stand to be broken in half like that again. I stab my pasta and twirl it onto my fork. Best not to think about Logan at all.
“He’s okay I guess. Kind of reserved. I don’t think I’ll be seeing him much.” Technically no lies were said, but I still felt as though I was lying to my best friend, just a little.
Logan
I am more confident in my plan once I hired Mikayla for the job. To be honest, she wouldn’t have been my first pick. Fresh out of culinary school, not too much experience under her belt; it all added up to a big gamble. But I’d already interviewed a more chefs than I can count, and none of them could accurately describe the direction that I wanted to take Red Canyon Steakhouse. More than a few of them were concerned about changing the menu at all. But complacency was the reason we were in this mess to begin with. Even restaurants need to keep up with the times.