10. Noah
10
NOAH
“ I love sushi!” Maddy exclaimed as I pulled into the parking lot at Kosushi. “I’ve heard such great things about this place.”
“Glad I took a chance on it,” I replied as I maneuvered my Audi into a spot close to the building. “Not everyone appreciates sushi.”
“Well, I wouldn’t call myself an adventurous sushi eater, but maybe that’ll change tonight? You can give me pointers.”
"Happy to, though you shouldn’t count on me having all the answers. Chef Koshoji always manages to surprise me. He’s a master.”
I tried not to stare at Maddy as we walked to the entrance. Other than her bridesmaid dress, it was my first time seeing her in a dress that wasn’t meant for the office, and I had to keep reminding myself that we were colleagues. I couldn’t allow my eyes to linger on the dip in the folds of green fabric just above her breasts. And when she walked a few steps ahead of me, well, let’s just say I forced myself to ignore the mesmerizing sway of her hips. I hadn’t intended for the evening to feel like a date, but everything was adding up to a very date-like experience.
“Are you sure they’re open?” Maddy asked, glancing around the empty parking lot.
I laughed at her nervous expression. Sometimes I forgot that my lifestyle wasn’t exactly normal. “Yes, I’m sure.”
Maddy reached for the door, but it swung open before she could grab it.
“Mr. Parker, welcome back,” the woman said, inclining her head in a gracious nod. “And Ms. Malone, we’re so pleased to have you here this evening.”
“Thank you, Nozomi. We’re excited to dine with you tonight.”
We walked into the beautiful and very empty main room.
Maddy turned back to me wearing a shocked expression. “But where is everyone? It’s prime time.”
“We are everyone,” I explained as I followed Nozomi to our seats. “I rented the entire restaurant for us.”
Her jaw dropped as she surveyed the interior. It was an impressive sight, with a maze of light oak millwork hanging from the ceilings and lining the walls, making it feel like we were inside a beehive.
Nozomi led us to the captain’s table. “Chef Koshoji will be out shortly. In the meantime, may I bring you warm sake?”
“Please.”
“Um.” I pulled out a chair for Maddy and she dropped into it, eyes still wide with awe. “I’m… I’m not sure I’m going to be able to afford my half of the check.”
I laughed. “Please! This is a celebratory meal—and the whole reason I brought you was to thank you. Of course it’s on me.”
She exhaled and sagged in relief. “Okay, thank you so much.”
I sat down next to her and forced myself to remember that we were colleagues, and this wasn’t a date. It didn’t matter how beautiful she looked, the meal was a celebration for our joint efforts and nothing more.
Chef was normally a stoic, quiet presence as he prepared the intricate rolls, but even he seemed to be captivated by Maddy’s enthusiasm. They chatted, which allowed me to sit back and watch her in action. There was a glow around her, a pervasive cheerfulness that seemed to spread to everyone she came in contact with. I’d never seen Chef laugh, yet his stony expression cracked several times. And before he finished creating our first course, he fashioned a rose out of a cucumber and had presented it to Maddy on the tip of his knife with a bow.
Seems we were both captivated by her. He even winked at me before he left his station.
Maddy grabbed her chopsticks and dug into her Tuna Avo. She moaned at the first bite. “I’m in heaven.”
“You’ll never be the same after eating his creations. No other sushi will compare.” I tried to focus on my own plate because watching Maddy eat was doing something to me. The way she closed her eyes and made little satisfied noises as she chewed made me wonder how she sounded when experiencing other, more carnal delights.
No . Inappropriate. I wasn’t going there.
“Maddy,” I began, in an effort to keep the evening professional. “I want you to know how much I’ve appreciated having you on board. You’ve been an incredible help to me, in even more ways than I’d anticipated. So, thank you.” I wasn’t a warm and fuzzy boss, but I knew how to give credit where credit was due. I raised my cup of sake to her as her cheeks turned pink.
“I’m just doing my job,” she replied as she clinked her cup to mine.
I frowned at her. “Okay, what’s with the shrinking violet act? You threw a shoe at me. You went behind my back to call Matthew’s mom. You spoke up at that dinner after I told you not to. So why can’t you take a damn compliment when you’ve earned it? Believe me, I don’t pay them unless they’re earned.”
She looked away. “I had an ex who got weird whenever I acted too confident. And he really didn’t like it when other people gave me compliments.” She looked up at me and smiled. “But I guess I don’t have to worry about that with you.”
I wanted to demand her ex’s name so I could track him down and knock some sense into him. I couldn’t imagine having a woman like Maddy and trying to make her feel small.
But that wasn’t appropriate. So instead, I said, “I can’t even tell you how much my stress level has decreased since you’ve come on board. I feel like I can focus on my actual work instead of waiting for the next thing to blow up in my face. As you’ve seen firsthand, it’s a pressure-cooker gig, and the extra stress of worrying about what could go wrong was getting to me.”
Maddy reached out and squeezed my arm. “You work too hard.”
I glanced at her and was touched to see that there was real concern on her face. I ignored the sensation of her warm hand on my forearm and instead focused on the sentiment behind it. “I have to. My name’s on the door.”
Maddy moved her hand away to grab more sushi, but it was as if she’d left a brand on my skin.
“Yeah, but you don’t have to work as hard as you do, right? You’ve got a great team of people under you. You could sit in your office and let them do the heavy lifting.”
I shook my head and held my plate toward Maddy so she could put a few more rolls on it. “That’s not me.”
“I’ve noticed.” She laughed. “But like, do you ever go on vacation? Hang out with family, that sort of thing?”
I could feel the frown form on my face at the mention of family. Usually, I sidestepped talk about them, but it made sense for her to at least understand the basics of my background, given how closely we’d be working. Family was a frequent topic of conversation with clients, and it was best if she knew my history.
“My mother passed away when I was twelve. Cancer.”
“Noah, I’m so sorry.” She reached out to me again, this time giving a quick squeeze of my hand.
“Thanks. It was rough.” The sound of chopsticks scratching on plates filled the silence until I started talking again. “And my father had aspirations for me that didn’t work out.” I shrugged. “We’re not close.”
Maddy cocked her head, like the thought didn’t compute. I considered what she’d told me about her own father, and everything she’d given up to be with him, and realized that it was best for us to move on to less depressing topics.
“You ready for more?” I nodded toward Chef as he and his helper came out carrying the next course.
Maddy flashed a smile.
“I’m already getting full, but there’s no way I’m turning down more of that deliciousness. Bring it on!”
The rest of the meal was a haze of incredible food and great conversation. Maddy was the perfect dining companion, adventurous enough to try the most exotic rolls Chef could dream up. She seemed to drink in every bit of the experience, which was exactly what I’d hoped for when I made the arrangements.
I smiled thinking about what awaited her during the next few weeks during our time overseas. I couldn’t wait to introduce her to more of my world. Her appreciation had already made me see one of my favorite restaurants in a new light.
Two and a half hours later, we both threw our napkins on the table in defeat.
“Chef Koshoji, thank you for the best meal of my entire life,” Maddy said, blowing kisses at him.
If I didn’t know him so well, I would’ve sworn the old man giggled at her compliment. What power did Maddy hold over everyone she met, me included? We were so very different in how we approached people, but after knowing her for only a week, I couldn’t imagine her behaving any other way.
I’d worked out the billing details with Nozomi before we’d arrived, including a tip that nearly doubled the cost of the evening. But it was worth it. I appreciated everything the staff did, and I wanted them to know it.
“Ready?” I slid out of my chair and held my hand out to Maddy to help her up.
She placed her slim hand in mine and grinned up at me. “I don’t think I can leave. This place is heaven. I live here now.”
It felt too right, holding her hand. But it also felt way too much like a date, so I let go the moment she was standing. We said our goodbyes as we left the restaurant and headed out into the night.
“Thank you, Noah,” Maddy said to me as we walked across the empty parking lot. “That was incredible.”
“My pleasure. And thank you .”
There it was again. The feeling of connection that felt worlds away from anything professional. Walking next to her in the moonlight after sharing an incredible meal… if it were anyone else I’d have already kissed Maddy a few dozen times by this point. I’d definitely be sweeping her into my arms right now, before we got in the car, to show her what was in store once I got her home.
But that wasn’t an option—not least because I couldn’t risk making things awkward between us right before embarking on a three-week trip. There was a lot riding on this, and I wasn’t about to complicate it by starting something with the best assistant I’d ever had.
Even if her mouth looked like the softest place I’d never been.
“What’s wrong?” Maddy asked, looking up at me.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“No, you made a noise, like your car has a flat or you forgot your wallet inside.”
I cleared my throat to cover my embarrassment at getting so caught up in my fantasy of kissing Maddy.
“No, no, everything is fine. I, uh, was thinking about our early morning.” I opened her car door, and she slid in. I slammed the door shut and gave myself a mental slap to the face as I walked to the driver’s side and climbed in.
“Speaking of tomorrow, any last-minute notes before we leave?”
That was more like it. Business talk. I eased onto the road.
“No, I think we’ve covered everything. Just remember it’s going to fly by, and you’re going to be busier than you ever thought possible. Oh, and add in some jet lag, too.”
I glanced at her as the corner of her mouth kicked up. “I don’t think I’ll get jet lag. I’m a pretty good sleeper.”
"You think so? We’ll see. Even the strongest can get their asses handed to them once they hit the second day.”
“Is that a challenge?” she laughed. “Because I’m willing to make a wager.”
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel. How was it possible that Maddy made everything seem fun? Even a business trip I’d been dreading was now looking more like an adventure thanks to her.
“Sure, let’s make a bet. If you can make it through the first three days without surrendering to jet lag, you win. If it gets you, I win.”
“Deal. Obviously we’re not talking money here, so what’s the prize?”
I had so many inappropriate things I could’ve said in that moment, especially considering how she was looking at me. “Uh…”
“Dinner!” she exclaimed. “If I win I get to choose a restaurant where we have dinner on the night of our third day. But I’ll have you know it’s not going to be someplace fancy. It will be a hole in the wall so small you bump elbows with the table behind you, and the best dessert you’ve ever had is made by the chef’s grandma. I’ll talk to the folks who run the newspaper stand or coffee shop and find out where the locals go.”
“Well, that sounds like a win for both of us.”
She tipped her head. “I didn’t suppose you’d like those sorts of places, Mr. Rent-Out-The-Whole-Shushi-Restaurant.”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Maddy Malone,” I smiled at her.
The way she beamed back at me? It killed me not to reach for her hand and bring it to my lips.
She chattered happily during the rest of the drive to her house, and I was content to let Maddy be Maddy. When I parked outside her place, I automatically jumped out of the car before she could even unbuckle her seatbelt. This was where my manners eclipsed everything; I always opened the door for women.
When she got out she hesitated, standing closer to me than I’d intended. “Thank you, again, for an incredible evening. I had the best time.”
“It was my pleasure. I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
I think we both felt it—a magnetic pull to move closer still to explore what was happening just below the surface.
I tried to think of something to say. Anything to cover up how badly I wanted to kiss her. I was about to tell Maddy something inane about her passport to break the tension when she placed her hand on my arm then went up on her tiptoes.
And kissed me.
Her lips brushed against mine and lingered there. I couldn’t hold back—but right as I began to reach up to wrap my arms around her she moved away from me. Her fingertips flew to her mouth and her eyes went wide in shock.
“Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I did that! I just wanted to say thank you, and I, uh, sorry !”
She looked absolutely horrified by what she’d done. I started to reassure her that it was fine, but every sentence that came to mind just made it worse.
It’s okay, I’ve wanted to kiss you since I walked in on you half-naked.
It’s fine, I want to fuck you so bad I’m ready to throw my professional ethics out the window.
She spun on her heel.
“I’ll see you tomorrow morning,” she called over her shoulder as she rushed to the door.
I watched her go, and tried not to think about the fact that I could still taste her sweetness on my lips.