She made that sound like life or death, which I was sure, according to Sam, was the same thing.
“Well, I can’t book a flight last minute,” I said. “The best I can do is cut out of my shift early and head up there in my car.”
“That’s a nine-hour trip,” Sam said. “It puts you getting here late tonight. I suppose that will have to do.”
“Yeah, it will,” I said. “Which one of us is the client anyway?”
Sam sighed. It was the same sigh she had since I met her in culinary school ages ago. She had decided, quite abruptly, that she wasn’t cut out for cooking and went into real estate. She helped me buy the condo years before and made me promise that if I sold it, I would go through her too. I was regretting making that promise.
“You are, Helen,” she said. “But please, make it here quickly. You can stay at my place if you need.”
“Why not stay at my own condo, Sam?” I asked.
“And ruin the cleanliness?” she asked. She was very big on cleanliness.
“I am sure we can clean it back up tomorrow,” I said.
“But it’s perfect,” she said.
“Fine,” I said, sighing my own trademarked sigh when dealing with Sam. “I’ll get a hotel. Can you book it for me? The one across from the school.”
“Will do,” she said.
With that, she hung up. Sam was never big on goodbye.
Shrugging, I went out onto the floor and found Rebecca. She was in the middle of helping a customer with an order, so I waited. It wasn’t often that Rebecca picked up lunch shifts, but apparently Deacon had taken the baby to work with him, and she got bored. Plus, she was clingy with the baby and needed to do something to occupy her brain or else she’d go steal little Eloise back. I told her often she could always bring the baby to work, and I’d keep her in the back with me, but I was still waiting on her to take me up on it.
When she was done with the customer, I beckoned her to join me in the hall between the office and the kitchen. I could see Finn in the kitchen, trying to surreptitiously crane his ear to hear me. Chefs had a way of knowing everything that was going on in a kitchen. Usually, it was just by overhearing gossip.
“Hey, I need to run up to Chicago tonight to take care of some stuff with the condo,” I said. “I know you’re only here for lunch, but we have the new girl here, and I just want you to keep an eye on her. I’m going to call Mom and see if she can come in tonight to cover for me.”
“Oh, don’t do that,” she said. “No need. I can work the shift.”
“Are you sure?” I asked. “What about Eloise?”
“I’ll have Deacon bring her here. I can manage the floor from the back, and she can stay in the office. Between me and the girls on shift, she will be fine,” she said.
“Great,” I said. “That would be great. Hey, one other thing.”
“Sure, what’s up?”
“I don’t have Everett’s number, and I know they are all out in the field today. So, I was wondering if I could leave a message with you that I will get ahold of him soon,” I said.
I watched her expression change from a look like she had been caught to one of acceptance. She knew that I knew that she was the one who told everybody about seeing me with him. It wasn’t that she was a massive gossip or anything. She was excited. I knew enough about her to know she didn’t do it to hurt me, but she most certainly would be stoked about it.
“Sure,” she said, swallowing any other words of explanation or curiosity.
I grinned.
“Hey, Finn,” I said, leaning into the kitchen.
He had a similar look of being caught but kept his face more innocent looking. I knew better. “Yeah, boss?” he asked.
“I’m headed back up to Chicago for a bit. Shouldn’t be long, but I honestly don’t know. You keep the kitchen running clean, and Rebecca will help keep the floor going, and I shouldn’t come back to a ruined diner, yeah?”
“Yes, chef,” he barked.
“Alright then,” I said. “I am out of here.”
The drive gave me some time to think about Everett and what had happened with him. Sure, he was fantastic in bed. Frankly, I kind of expected that with a body like his. Guys like him, slender and muscular at the same time, looked like they were athletic in the sack. Everett did not do anything to dispel that idea. He was energetic, attentive, and, most of all, fun. Ten out of ten. Would fuck again.
But he also cuddled me afterward. We lay there in the silence of the room, not talking, with his hand tracing shapes on my shoulder. He was in no particular hurry to leave me and clearly was fighting his need to get home to his cute dog. If it hadn’t been for her, I had a feeling he would have woken up in my bed. And then we would have started all over again.