7. Sunshine
Chapter 7
Sunshine
I drove over to Main Street, humming a song that had been stuck in my head for days. Logan’s restaurant was always crowded, even though it was later in the day so most of the lunch rush had died down. I was allowed to come in through the kitchen entrance, since I worked weird hours with Logan.
Between catering and his restaurant, I wondered when Logan had time to sleep. He employed a full staff for both the restaurant and catering business but oversaw both. If he didn’t have events scheduled, he was in the restaurant, but I wondered if he ever actually took a day off. I filed that away to shoot back at him the next time he gave me a hard time about forgetting to eat.
The scent of meat, garlic, butter, and herbs greeted me, and I was instantly ravenous.
Alejandro, the sous chef, nodded at me while adding some fish into a piping hot pan. He was good looking, with light brown skin, and curly black hair that escaped his bandanna. “What’s shaking, Sunshine?”
“Nothing much,” I said, pointing at Logan. “Crashing your lunch rush for food.”
“Don’t let me stop you,” he grinned and gestured at Logan.
I took a quick left to the small kitchen set up off to the side of the main line. Since they also did catering, Logan had two different areas both with ovens, stovetops, grills, the whole nine yards. It meant that Logan could work on catering without bothering the chefs working the restaurant side.
Privately, I also thought he had his kitchen set up this way so whenever he got a wild hair to go into Mad Scientist Mode he could take over.
Judging from the number of different dishes plated up around Logan, like satellites, he’d been in Mad Scientist Mode all day. I’d never realized how much creativity went into cooking until I started working with the alpha.
“I see you’ve been at this for a while.” I took a seat at the counter. It was a high top with bar stools under it, so whoever was sitting there could face Logan while cooking.
He passed me a plate like we were in a homestyle diner and not a state-of-the-art kitchen. As he handed it to me, his hand brushed mine, and electricity zipped through me. My cheeks got warm, and I prayed it seemed plausible that it wasn’t that I was blushing, but because we were in a hot kitchen.
Logan didn’t look up at me, thankfully, his attention still on his array of plates. “I’m working on the menu for the First Responders’ Festival.”
I picked up my fork, my stomach growling. He’d plated beef brisket cut into three perfect pieces, baked beans with bites of bacon poking through, and macaroni and cheese with gooey cheese sauce. The rim of the plate was perfectly clean and despite the Southern BBQ elements of the plate, it still looked like it came from a fancy restaurant.
I took a bite out of the brisket and moaned. Mouthwatering beef melted in my mouth. The outside of the beef was a little bit charred, adding some texture, and the meat itself was moist. I swallowed and shook my head. “This is so good it should be illegal.”
Logan watched me, the corners of his mouth turned up. “Not quite that.”
If I didn’t know better, I would have thought his growl had switched to something…huskier.
It was just my mind in the gutter again.
I tried the baked beans and moaned again. They were soft and chewy, the thick brown sauce sweet and tangy with a little bit of bite. I shook my head. “I don’t even like baked beans, but this is magic.”
I took another bite, getting a bit of smokey bacon, and sighed. “This is amazing. Marry me.”
Logan laughed, his blue eyes twinkling. “Glad you approve.”
I ate some macaroni and cheese. I’d had his version before and it was always delicious, with bits of chive and leek. Logan passed me a glass of water.
I took a sip. “It’s perfect.”
Logan’s nose wrinkled, and he crossed his arms over his chest. He looked at the delicious food he’d spent hours prepping like it had offended him. “Something’s not right.”
“Don’t serve it on white plates.” I grinned, knowing that’s not what he meant.
Logan shook his head, but he wasn’t frowning anymore.
“Walk me through it. First Responders’ Festival.” I twirled my fork, perfectly happy to be in the middle of a busy kitchen with a plate of yummy food, with an even yummier chef in front of me.
“Y’all gonna be there?”
I nodded. “We’re going to have a booth with crystal and tarot readings, with some raffles.”
Every year Half Moon Bay did a festival to raise money to donate to the local fire department and the other first responders. Local businesses came to advertise and show off their products, artists came to show off their art, and it was a fun time all around. Food trucks would be a heavy presence, and I was super excited about my yearly funnel cake.
Logan didn’t usually have a food truck, but they would bring the catering van to the festival to advertise the restaurant and raise money for the cause.
I gestured at my plate. “What doesn’t feel right? The food is casual, but the plating is still elevated.”
Logan stared at the food like it held the answers to all of life’s questions. “We’re going to smoke the brisket the day before to make sure we have enough portions. Mac and cheese, baked beans, that’s all getting prepped the day before.”
I took another bite of baked beans and almost died happy on the spot. “Sounds great.”
He kept frowning at the food.
“What’s wrong? You want it to feel more upscale? Less upscale?” I tried to picture Logan’s menu at a fair.
Talk of the Town was ‘sort of’ a steakhouse, in the way that unicorns were ‘sort of’ horses. Logan had a knack for putting menus together that were delicious, but also creative and adventurous.
It was upscale enough that food critics praised his vision and artistry, enough for him to earn those Michelin stars, but accessible enough that ordinary folks like me could sit down and order from the menu without feeling like we were country yokels.
“Nah, it fits the fair.” Logan moved some plates around. “I made a salted caramel peach cobbler for dessert.”
“Oh, god.” I looked down at the food I already had in front of me.
Logan laughed and passed me some of the peach cobbler. I ate until I no longer felt like I would pass out from hunger. I pictured the catering van Logan had set up near the picnic benches last year, with the rest of the food venders.
“You could serve it buffet style.” I shook my head, immediately changing my mind. “No, that’s lame. Plating won’t be an issue.”
Logan’s shoulders relaxed and he grunted. This was familiar territory for both of us. Me thinking out loud while he pondered my suggestions.
I watched Alejandro work, running the kitchen with smooth efficiency. “Did you make these baked beans the special of the day?”
Logan’s eyes twinkled. “Yeah, we already sold out.”
I moved my plate closer to me. “These are mine.”
“They are. I got you some to go boxes set up already.”
Warmth curled through me. Logan made me food and set it aside so there would be enough for me tomorrow. I knew better than to read into it. I always forgot to eat, and he was a chef. Wanting to feed people was a requirement.
I pushed my insecurities away. “What did you serve it with?”
“I left it up to Alejandro.” He grinned over the counter at his sous chef in a display of pride. “He did a great job. Grilled bone-in pork chop with charred okra and scallions, and a chipotle peach chutney.”
“Thanks boss,” Alejandro lifted up a hand. “Pork’s almost sold out.”
“Ohhhh!” Understanding lit up inside me as to why Logan wasn’t happy with his menu, even though it was so delicious I wanted a lifetime supply. I had no idea how my brain worked sometimes, only that I loved these moments of brilliance. “Your menu’s wrong.”
“I know,” Logan growled. “I just don’t know why . Southern comfort barbecue is perfect for the fair.”
“Yes, but not for Talk of the Town.” I waved my hand over my plate, keeping the other curled around it as if Logan would take it from me. “You’ve gone too far into Southern-style food. This is the best beef brisket, mac and cheese, and baked beans I’ve ever eaten in my entire life, but outside the setting of the restaurant, it’s going to be just really good Southern food.”
“Oh.” Logan looked like I’d shocked him. “Oh, you’re right.”
“I am.” I took another bite of baked beans and swallowed. “The people at the fair are going to think Talk of the Town is a delicious BBQ joint and move on with their lives. Keep the brisket and the beans but do some other sides.”
“Something that’s more in line with the restaurant’s menu.” Logan sounded distracted.
I ate more. The tangy-sweet-heat of the food hit me, and I wanted to rewind time so I could eat it again. “Do some fancy sides. Don’t get rid of the peach cobbler though.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Logan barked a laugh. “Tell me about Mrs. Cullen while I’m mulling this over.”
While I told Logan about what Mrs. Cullen had said, he wandered around the kitchen, opening and closing fridges. It was like when I searched my house for food— except that he actually had food in his.
“She wants something that’s never been done before, but also elegant.” Logan snorted. “Said every client ever.”
“Exactly.” I wrinkled my nose. Logan started on making pickles with cucumbers and radishes, so I snitched a piece of cucumber. “What about Tex-Mex, sort of?” I looked at the food he’d pulled out. “Like…street corn salad?”
Logan glared at the food like he would make it talk. And he would, eventually.
“Corn’s going to be sweet with the brisket and beans. Maybe I should do skirt steak.”
I didn’t say anything, just stuffed my face.
“Hmm. Do a lime and chili marinade on the brisket.” He started chopping limes. “What are you going to do with Mrs. Cullen?”
I shrugged. “She wants the same thing but different. I’m hoping some of her likes and dislikes will spark some ideas. I don’t think picking out a grand location with a tasteful color palette is going to work this time.”
“Let me know if you want to bounce some ideas. Luca’s really good at listening too.” He added, almost as an afterthought.
I hid my surprise at his inclusion of Luca. Of the three of them, we had the least reason to cross paths. “She wants you to cater, of course.”
Logan nodded. “Let me know what dates you decide on, and we’ll make it work.”
“I told her it was presumptuous to get you to agree when we didn’t have a date.”
“I’ll work around it.” Logan shrugged, pulling out some mangoes.
I needed to get a date as soon as possible. Logan was sweet for being flexible, but I didn’t want to take advantage of our relationship. We talked a lot during work events, but most of the time it was related to actual work.
Logan decided to push the menu from Southern comfort to Southern Tex-Mex, and made some Mexican corn salsa, and ceviche as sides. I helped taste through the salads until the mixture of tangy and spicy hit the right notes. It was a tough job, eating delicious food until I could explode, but someone had to do it.
My phone buzzed.
Julian:
Babe.
Puppy gifs followed.
Babe
Babe
Babe
What are you doing?
I’m at work
Suffering boredom
I grinned and picked up my phone. I gestured at Logan and leaned so we were both facing the camera. “Say cheese. Your omega is bored.”
Logan leaned over the counter and grinned, his face almost close enough to touch. My stomach flipped at his proximity, his herby aroma hitting me hard. I gave a goofy grin and sent it to Julian.
Sunshine:
Working on menus with Logan
Julian:
Oh yeah you can work with Logan any time
Beg him to save me some food
“Julian wants me to beg you to save him some food.” I gestured at the tin foil serving trays already prepped by the door. “Should I not take a picture of his spoils of war?”
“Nah, let him beg.” Logan still looked amused. “Thanks, by the way.”
“For what?” I looked up from texting Julian that I wasn’t sure there was enough food left.
“He was really drained the other day.” Logan glanced up briefly from slicing up red onion. “It’s hard for him to make friends.”
Guilt sliced me, sharper than the knife in Logan’s hands. Friends. We were all friends, and me mentally undressing them every five minutes wasn’t very friendly. If I wasn’t interested in them and they were constantly creeping on me I’d be upset.
“He’s great.” I shrugged. “So are you. I love my family but…”
“They’re family.” Logan gave a short nod. “It’s not the same.”
“It’s not.”
And things had been tense with Talia ever since Becca had ditched me for my exes.
“He told me about his asshole coworker.” I grimaced. “And the calendar.”
Logan growled. “Chuck better hope he doesn’t meet any of us down a dark alleyway.”
“That’s for sure.”
Julian replied with a list of random dishes Logan should make. I relayed them to Logan, and we both vetoed Julian’s suggestions.
The backdoor opened, and Luca walked in, looking like a sexy supermodel. His tie was already off, and the top two buttons of his white button-down shirt were undone. A little bit of dark hair peeked through his warm caramel skin, and I was hit by an urge to lick his chest that was so strong, I was halfway out of my seat before I came to my senses.
“Sunshine, hi.” Luca smiled warmly and gave me a one-armed hug, before giving Logan a quick kiss on the cheek. “Julian sent me to get some food before you two finished scheming.”
Logan gestured at the pile of containers.
“I know, I know. It was a nice excuse to come by.” Luca took a seat next to me, his warm vanilla spiced scent wafting over.
I opened my phone to text Julian, only to discover he’d sent me one.
Julian:
I sent over a double agent
Your move, babe
I laughed and showed the alphas the message.
“Another selfie.” Logan leaned over the counter.
Before I knew what was happening, Luca leaned to my right, and I had one of them on either side.
Heat bloomed in my chest, spreading like wildfire as my heartbeat sped up. Logan’s herbal scent blended with Luca’s cinnamon vanilla, and my hands went clammy. This was how I die, in an alpha sandwich.
I lifted the phone, snapped a selfie of us and sent it. I was grinning like an idiot, but I couldn’t keep the happy expression off my face.
Sunshine:
Idk about your double agent
We’re bribing him with food
Julian:
That looks so good
Brb faking sick so I can have join the alpha sandwich
I laughed. “Julian’s feeling left out. He says he’s going to fake being sick and come over.”
“We’ll have to all hang out soon, so he doesn’t have to go to such drastic measures.” Luca nudged my shoulder. Logan’s herbal scent of lavender, bay, thyme, and rosemary, which always reminded me of herbes de Provence, mingled with Luca’s cinnamon vanilla, making my head spin.
Just as I replied to Julian, I got a ping from my email server. Mrs. Cullen’s information. Frowning, I scrolled through the questionnaire.
“What’s wrong?” Luca put his hand on my shoulder, and it was everything I could do not to lean into him.
I told him about Mrs. Cullen, finishing by gesturing with my phone. “Her questionnaire didn’t help at all. It’s filled with random likes and dislikes. She’s focused on her charity work. She wanted something unique because she’s worried something too boring will taint her image.”
Logan snorted. “Wouldn’t want that. What about something more suble?”
“Yes, but a theme will pull it all together.” I scrolled through her answers.
Luca took another bite out of brisket. “Hmmm. Rich people are mostly bored. They want novelty.”
“She talks about her favorite memory being going to the zoo and seeing the zebras. She had wanted to see them for so long.” I took another bite out of the peach cobbler. It was perfectly sweet and tart with caramelized brown sugar.
I wanted to marry Logan if only to lock down a lifetime supply of this food. His hot body, and his hot pack members were an added bonus.
“You should do a zoo,” Luca snickered.
I scrolled through Mrs. Cullen’s answers, a vague idea forming. I didn’t have words for it yet, but it was almost there. Like a sneeze.
“She wants to be inspired.” I muttered, picking at my plate. “I should make them all take an art class.”
“Not a terrible idea.” Luca leaned on his elbow, facing me. His body language was open, and I realized I never paid so much attention to my own posture as when he was around.
The image of him grabbing Julian for a searing kiss popped into my head. No. Bad Sunshine. Too many thirsty thoughts would just make me die of unfulfilled desire.
“You should give her the feeling of being a young child, being at the zoo, seeing a zebra for the first time.” Luca gestured with his fork. “Mrs. Cullen is jaded and bored, so are the rest of them. They want comfort and wonder.”
I bit my lip, not really seeing Logan prepping food in front of me. “Like a circus.”
“That would be interesting.” Luca gestured at my phone. “May I?”
I handed him my phone, and watched as he skimmed Mrs. Cullen’s answers. I could almost see him in a courtroom, destroying a client with his careful research. “She talks a lot about her vision for her company. A circus or something equally novel would capture her interest.”
I thought of the illusion act Luna loved, Dante Trent. She’d gone to Vegas two months ago, and saw his performance, even though she hated large crowds.
The idea continued to stay just out of reach.
“Not quite a circus.” I dug for the perfect bite, with peach, crust, and brown sugar in equal proportions. “It’s too showy.”
“It would take the focus off Mrs. Cullen.” Luca nodded. “She wants people to spend the night telling her what a success her event is.”
“Exactly.” I snapped my fingers. “Something magical.”
I kept picturing a large ballroom. When we’d talked about the circus, I’d envisioned acrobats twirling in massive circles suspended from the ceiling. I’d wanted to go to that sort of acrobatic circus so badly as a child that the image had lived in my head for months.
“What did you want to do when you were a kid?” I looked at Luca. “Like going to the zoo.”
“Me?” His hair was tousled, and he had his own plate of peach cobbler. “I wanted to travel all over the world and try different foods. My mother didn’t know how to cook very well, and my father was picky.”
I grinned at Logan. “Shocking that you would end up in a pack with a chef.”
“Truly.” Luca winked at Logan, a moment shared between the two of them. My heart twinged, and not just because I wanted them. They both wanted each other as a person, they both saw the other as who they really were. Instead of trying to change each other, they embraced their partner.
“What was yours?” Luca brushed his hand down my shoulder. Heat followed his touch, and my brain stopped working for a moment.
“What?” I blinked.
“What did you long to do as a child?” Luca smiled at me like he knew my mind was in the gutter.
“Cirque du Soleil. I wanted to be one of those ribbon dancers until I figured out I have no coordination.”
Luca laughed. “How unfortunate.”
I held Luca’s gaze, his hazel eyes boring a hole into me. Logan wasn’t big on eye contact, which was fine, but Luca seemed to do nothing but look directly at me like he could see right into my soul.
“She wants her dreams to come true…” I said, thoughtfully, pausing again while still staring into Luca’s eyes, until I realized he was waiting for me to continue.
My cheeks heated. “It’s like…” I gestured with my hands. “Sorry. Thinking out loud.”
“Continue.” Logan was still focused on his cutting board. “I like hearing you think while I’m cooking.”
“If I could figure out what each attendee’s secret longing was and somehow fulfill it…”
“You would be a rich woman,” Luca finished. “But maybe you can simulate that during the gala.”
“But how…” Images began to appear in my mind. The room would be decorated in dark blues and purples, with turquoise and gold laid over. It will feel mysterious, magical.
I looked over at Luca again, who was staring intently at me.
“Everyone has things they long for,” Luca said softly.
The conversation was turning too intimate, too personal. Like he knew my secret desires, as if he’d climbed inside my heart to see what forbidden things lay there.
“How would I even begin to get each person’s secret desires…” I shook my head, still caught by his eyes, images of a gala swirling in my mind, but now with me in the center of Luca, Julian, and Logan. “It’s so personal.”
“It is.” Luca brushed his hand over my wrist. “But surely you can evoke those emotions?”
“Make it feel like a dream.” Images of me with them swirled in my mind, so clear it felt like a premonition.
The door to the kitchen opened with a snap, and I looked away, the moment lost.
I could want them with all my heart. It would change nothing.
But maybe that yearning could help me. Everyone wanted something bigger and better. Grasping for things just out of our reach was human nature.
“Maybe make it interactive.” Logan adding, squirting lime juice into the marinade. “People wish they could fly, swim in the ocean with dolphins, that sort of thing.”
I wrinkled my nose. “I don’t think my budget will let me import dolphins.”
“It won’t have to. Just work your event planning magic. You don’t have to do the thing to feel joy and wonder from it.”
“True.” I bit my lip again, fiddling with my fork. I was finally full, but I didn’t want to declare the meal done, because that would mean my time here was over. “I’m gonna look into spaces in the area. It will help me put it together.”
Logan grunted. “Let me know when you want to start going over the menu.”
“Why not be creative?” I pushed some more food around my plate, savoring the last few bites. “You know Mrs. Cullen, and you know the event. I’ll tell you when I have more ideas, but feel free to brainstorm.”
Luca grinned. “Music to our ears.”
“That’s a good plan.” Logan said, with the faraway look on his face that said he was already plotting the menu.
“You two have the same expression.” Luca laughed, stealing some of the corn salsa. “No wonder you work so well together.”
Warmth flared inside me. I ignored it as best as I could and spent the rest of the night at the restaurant, clowning around with the two of them.
Luca talked about one of the heavy cases he was working on. It was corporate law, so nothing dramatic like cheating spouses and custody battles, but it was a lot of tedious paperwork and hunting for clauses in contracts.
We went home after the restaurant staff finished cleaning the kitchen. By the time I crawled into bed, I was wired. Exhausted, sure, but super pepped-up about planning menus, the upcoming festival, and how to make Mrs. Cullen see reason.
It was becoming too easy to picture more evenings like this. I knew better. They weren’t my pack. Logan had said as much at the restaurant, and so had Julian when he’d asked for platonic snuggles.
It did nothing to stop my epic crush. But that’s what it would do—crush me—if I let it get out of hand. Better to keep things friendly and stop letting myself picture their mouths on my skin, their arms around my body.