Chapter Twelve
THE MAIN EVENT of the weekend was being held in the villa, a fitting location, given the stunning views of the courtyard with its magenta hibiscus plants, playful hummingbirds, and fountains.
Sincha had sent nearly one hundred invites, and Zelda was happily stressed that the RSVP list far exceeded expectations.
While it was fantastic optics for Sincha’s new expansion, it prompted Cierra into a frenzy to ensure everything would be ready for the guests’ arrival later in the afternoon.
Once she got going in the villa’s kitchen, time flew by.
At one point, Erik had offered to assist and, overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work, Cierra had taken it.
Similar to his housing event, he was a massive help, and obviously loved being a part of the action.
He joked around with some of the outside caterers and event coordinators and added a lighthearted feel to what was usually a stressful and serious process.
In the middle of plating, with the more laborious prep work out of way, Cierra noticed that Erik had now been in the kitchen with her the past three hours.
“Thanks for all your help, by the way. But, really, you can leave whenever you want. I don’t want you feeling like you have to be here or anything. It was nice of Nadine to lend you for the afternoon. Is she liking the trip?”
“No worries. This is fun for me, really. And yeah, I think so. Hope so, I guess.”
“How long have you two been dating again? Last time you mentioned her, I hadn’t realized you were together.”
“I mean, I’m not sure if we’re ‘together’ together, you know?”
Cierra scrunched her face, “Uh, she’s on vacation with you and your family? What else would it be?”
He laughed nervously. “That’s the thing, though. I didn’t really want to invite her, she kind of invited herself and I didn’t know how to say no.”
“Wait, what?”
“But then, when I asked Randy about it, he said it would be a good way to determine if we were compatible. Like, if the trip went well, then that meant we should take our relationship to the next level.”
At this, Cierra couldn’t help but start laughing.
“Oh, God. What is it?” Erik asked with concern. “Was that bad advice? Did I do something stupid?” Without saying yes or no, Cierra just looked at him with a pitying smile. “Say something!” Erik begged.
“I’m not going to say it’s the worst advice I’ve ever heard, but, it’s up there.”
Erik just shook his head. “I knew it. I knew it was too soon.”
“I mean, who knows. Maybe he has a point. Are you having a good trip?”
“I’m definitely getting to know her better.” He didn’t seem thrilled.
“Is that why you’re hiding in the kitchen? You’d rather peel plantain and hang out with the chef?”
“When you say it like that”—Erik winced—“it does sound incriminating. But I guess it would only be a problem if said chef didn’t want me around.”
“I like the company,” Cierra replied. “As long as you earn your keep.”
“I’m willing to work for it.”
At this comment, a flurry spread throughout her upper body.
Erik and Cierra looked at each other, and for the first time, she felt aware they were the only ones in kitchen.
They had been for sometime now. His dark, wavy hair was falling around his face, and he was in a T-shirt revealing his toned, agile arms. It was the first time since Erik had put his foot in his mouth at the dinner party that she took in how handsome he was.
Why are you looking at him like that?
He was dating Nadine. And she was seeing Julian. But most importantly, he was Zelda’s brother-in-law, which made him one hundred percent off-limits.
“Actually, I think I need to change before guests arrive,” Cierra lied, baffled at her sudden reaction and feeling the need to get some air.
“Yeah, yeah, of course. Me too,” Erik said, his face flushed.
About an hour later, music was bellowing throughout the courtyard; the event had started.
A gangly female DJ with three nose piercings played unobtrusive tropical house music — her fashion sense was something Cierra couldn’t describe even if she wanted to, perhaps a neon goth goddess.
Blends of synth waves and buttery horns swirled through the villa, lulling everyone into the golden afternoon.
Around the courtyard, tables were decorated with local flowers and plants holding plates full of tropical fruits and desserts.
Cierra was sending out some hired help with rounds of limey octopus ceviche, a soul-food take on a birria taco, and a vegan jackfruit adobo with plantain.
Erik had warned Cierra beforehand that many people at these events didn’t eat, so she shouldn’t be offended by any empty hands.
But to her relief, she could barely keep up with the demand.
Zelda wore a flamboyant electric teal dress; its one-shoulder style and close fit highlighted her tall frame and slender arms. Her red and violet hair, which at this point Cierra thought was touched up on a biweekly basis, was slicked back in a severe bun — making her face appear tighter than it already was.
“Everyone looks like they’re enjoying themselves, right?” Zelda asked. Her eyes were alert, scanning the room like a hawk.
“I think so,” Cierra said. She picked up the mini plantain adobo. “Wanna try it?” she asked, knowing full well Zelda had eaten nothing so far that day.
At first, Zelda frowned but eventually let up. “You’re right, I should eat something. Looks like everyone else is too.” And as she bit into the rich appetizer, her head nodded.
“Cierra, you have a gift.” Quickly, she finished and wiped her mouth precisely, so as not to not ruin her lipstick. “All right, gotta get back to work.”
A few hours later, the moon was showing above the courtyard opening.
Nadine walked past Cierra, startling her from deep thought.
“Hey, everything all right?” she said with a faintly tipsy laugh.
Wearing an sage-green silk dress, she looked breathtaking.
A gold feathered earpiece hung from each of her lobes.
“Oh, yeah, I’m fine. Always a little nervous during an event. And also”—she motioned to the elaborate surroundings—“I mean, look at this. Look at you.”
Nadine blushed. “Thanks. Yeah, it’s been something else. God, it must be so cool having this job. All this access. Plus, you killed it. I could overhear people raving about the food the entire time.”
Sure, she had access, but not the kind that allowed her to enjoy it in the same way.
At the end of the day, she was still the help.
No matter how friendly she felt toward the Lawsons, or how friendly they were toward her.
And even though Nadine seemed normal enough, she was here in a different capacity.
“It’s interesting, for sure. Better than my last job.”
Erik walked toward the two women, somehow looking even more attractive than before.
He was dressed in dark tan linen suit bottoms and a cream-colored, short-sleeved button down.
Coming up from behind Nadine, he placed a gentle kiss on her cheek, eliciting a tiny squeal from her; they looked like a couple out of a Macy’s catalog for a summer party photo shoot.
In stark contrast with Erik and Nadine’s matching stylish attire, Cierra realized just now that her professional chef’s jacket had mystery smudges in certain spots.
“How are we doing tonight, ladies?”
“Pretty good. Yourself?” Cierra asked.
“Bored to death. Zelda keeps pawning me off to charm sex-starved middle-aged women,” he said with exasperation. “Seriously, I’m gonna start charging a fee.”
“So, we’re both on the clock, then,” Cierra replied.
Erik laughed. “Yeah, no such thing as a free vacation. But at least things look like they’re winding down.”
Watching Erik and Cierra’s back-and-forth, Nadine gulped down the rest of her drink with a bored expression. But he was right; the DJ was disassembling, and small groups of laughing people were slowly filtering out.
“Actually . . .” Cierra brought her phone out. “Would one of you mind taking a quick video for me?”
“Uh, sure,” Nadine and Erik agreed, but looked confused.
“It’s just for my Instagram page. I’d shoot it myself, but—”
“Oh, right! Duh, of course. Gotta feed the content monster, right?” Nadine said with a sly grin and a strangely pointed look at Erik.
Cierra laughed, slightly embarrassed. “Yeah, something like that. It’s okay if you don’t want to, though. I can do it my—”
“No, no. Here, give me that,” Nadine said as Cierra handed over her iPhone.
In front of a decorated table, Cierra started to pose when one guest sheepishly made his way over to their group, hovering near Erik. The man’s face held a look of nervous excitement.
“Hey, can I get you anything?” Cierra noticed the onlooker was clearly focused on her.
“Sorry, I just wanted to say that was one of the best vegan dishes I’ve had, well, ever at one of these events.”
Cierra stood there, touched. “Thank you.”
“Do you know she’s on Instagram? She has a bunch of recipes and stuff, if you’re interested,” Erik said.
“Really? What’s your handle?” the onlooker asked.
Before Cierra could say anything, Erik responded, “It’s @bigapplechef, yeah, that one right there.”
Cierra’s new fan had pulled out his phone instantly; an anticipatory smile brightened his face. “Great. Well, thanks again. Have a good night, everyone.”
“Sure thing,” Cierra said. As he walked away, she beamed internally and turned to Erik. “I had no idea you followed my account!” she said, her cheeks reddening slightly in embarrassment.
“Yeah, apparently you’ve got a huge fan right here,” Nadine said flatly, her words slurred and accusatory. Still holding Cierra’s phone in her hand, she thrust it suddenly into Erik’s chest. “Why don’t you take the video? I think I’m gonna head to our room.”
Cierra glanced at Erik as Nadine stormed away, nervous that she had done something wrong. “Is everything okay?”