4. Julia
4
JULIA
I chewed on my lip before I opened the door to the restaurant. Although I had a good first meeting with Nick, when I showed up the next night for the team meeting, some of his staff seemed less than pleased to hear my ideas.
Not that their opinions mattered in the grand scheme of things, but they did seem pretty tight-knit and I wondered if their opinions would sway Nick’s idea.
I’d always been able to think on my feet and change direction when it was needed. It wasn’t something that I'd always planned, but it was something I'd always prepared for.
“People just don’t like change,” Mia said to me before I walked in, calming my nerves slightly. “You’re damn good at your job. Don’t let your confidence in yourself fail you now.”
I laughed. “What confidence?”
“Jules, you have confidence in what you’re doing. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have moved to keep your business and land a client before you even got here.”
“Alright, fine. I am good at what I do.” I laughed, still not feeling it completely. Doesn’t matter, though. I’m going to do it anyway.
“Okay, see you in a few hours.” True to her nature, she hung up before I could respond and a small part of me was comforted by it.
I released a sigh and reached for the door.
The restaurant was quiet and the lights were off when I entered, and even though the door was unlocked, I worried that maybe no one was here yet. Then I heard a clanking from the kitchen. I looked around, seeing that no one really was in the dining room, and I headed toward the back.
Placing my bag on the bar, I gingerly knocked on the kitchen door and waited to hear something. Instead, I heard someone who sounded like Nick talking to himself. But I couldn’t understand what he said.
I chanced pushing the door open a crack, sticking my head in. I saw his back facing toward the door and said, “Hello?”
To my surprise, he didn’t jump. Instead, he turned and smiled at me, which was a really great smile. Something I wasn't exactly happy about, although certain parts of my body seemed to disagree with that, but I wasn't really interested in jumping into something else with another client.
Not only was it unprofessional, but Jared taught me that lesson.
I remembered flirting with him on our first meeting.
That was fun.
Maybe I did deserve a little fun.
“Julia, hello! Come on in,” Nick said, going back to whatever he was working on. I pushed the door forward and continued into the kitchen, looking around in a bit of awe.
“Wow, I’ve never been in a restaurant kitchen before.” I laughed. “It’s very clean.”
Nick’s smile grew as he turned and held a spoon with sauce on it for me to try. I could smell the garlic and other seasonings that made my mouth water. “Here, try this,” he said. I didn’t know if he was trying to feed me or if I should take the spoon, but as I stepped forward to take it, he tipped the spoon closer to my lips. Before he got close enough, I took the spoon and gave him a smile as our fingers brushed together.
While he didn’t seem fazed, I tried to ignore the tingling sensation that sparked up my hand. And the fact that my nipples hardened... I was grateful his eyes didn’t leave mine because I was positive they were showing through my shirt now. Which brought another wave of heat washing over my cheeks.
He watched me and said, “Tell me what you think. Is it good enough for the new menu?”
I tasted the sauce and my eyes rolled into the back of my head. “Wow.” It was delicious. I'd watched enough chef competitions to know what umami was, and the sauce was rich with it. “Wow,” I said after enjoying the last bit of it. “This isn’t on your menu already?”
“No. Kendra always thought red sauce would stain the white linens. She wasn’t wrong, but I think that this sauce should have already been on the menu.” He clapped his hands and gave the sauce in the large vat one more turn before stepping away. “I can meet you out in the dining room in one sec. I have to take my coat off and clean up. Then I’m excited to get started.”
“Great,” I said, shaking out the flicker that sparked, reminding me—like I’d forget—that I was attracted to him. It looked like I was going to be hardcore attracted also. My jaw tightened as I spun and walked out into the dining area.
I could be attracted to someone but not pursue it, right? There were a lot of people in the world. Just because I wasn’t seeking out anything with a client, it didn’t mean that I was blind.
It didn’t really matter. One, I didn’t think he was attracted to me. I was probably way too young for it to even strike his radar. Two, my body seemed to not care about what boundaries my mind was sticking to. I’d have to just train myself not to be enticed by it.
I picked my bag up and looked around for the lights. Without the spectacular lighting, the crisp, white look of the room made it look more like an abandoned medical center than a warming environment. That was something I could help change.
I really loved that thought.
Now that I saw it this way, I had no doubt why Nick wanted to upgrade. If his sauce was any indicator of how well the rebrand would go, I’d say it was going to be a hit.
I found the switches and turned them on. Once it was lit up, I couldn’t unsee the sterile environment. My thoughts began to percolate. Now every white table was a blank canvas to decorate. Even with the centerpieces still in the middle of the tables.
I walked over to one of the semi-circle booths and reached for the tall vase in the center of the table. I picked it up, and it was heavier than it looked. My eyes skimmed the room for a blank spot to put it. When I realized the bar was the only empty spot, I walked over and placed it there. Then, I turned around and walked back to the table. When I got there, I took the tablecloth off and studied the spot as I folded the fabric, letting my hands move my thoughts forward.
The table under the cloth was a rich, walnut color with an amazing design on it. I placed the folded up material over the back of the booth and then looked under to see whether the table was stationary or could be moved. Happiness to see it was a table that could be moved flooded my system. Just the simple act of removing the stuff from on top of it, and the table already brought a warming appearance to the environment.
Plus, it was going to be cost effective.
I spun and went to a different table, taking the stuff off this one also. I picked a table closest to where I was, but it was still a table, thinking that if I separated myself from Nick, at least I was putting restrictions on myself.
If we would’ve sat in a booth, we would have had to sit closer together. And although my body argued with the rational thought, I didn’t budge on keeping space between us. Especially after how good it felt to flirt during our first meeting.
I patted myself on the back for creating the boundary, which helped me remember that I needed to stop focusing on Nick personally and get down to brass tacks.
By the time I was set up and seated, Nick came out with two glasses. “Here’s some water for you. Just let me know when you’re ready for lunch. I’ll whip something up for the two of us.”
“That's very sweet of you, but I’ll be okay,” I said, even though I would have loved to see what he was going to do with that sauce.
“It’s my pleasure.” He placed a hand over his heart. Now that he was in only his blue T-shirt, I could see that I was right about his physique, except it was better than I could imagine. The swell of his chest and biceps had me wondering where there was a gym in the area. Maybe I could ask him? I didn’t know much about Hearts Creek yet, so asking him about that would only be good for my health—I said, trying to convince myself. I laughed internally and turned my attention back to the meeting.
“So, I know the sauce is incredible.” I flipped open a notebook and picked up my pen. “Are you going to lean into the Italian food direction?”
“Yes.” His sapphire eyes sparkled at my pen and paper routine, and I ignored it. “I think so. I had this great epiphany last night. Woodfired pizza and hand-rolled pasta. My family is from Northern Italy, so I can bring some of those traditions into the restaurant too,” he said, his cheeks lifted with a smile, bringing out a fuller and brighter look on his face.
“So,” I said, standing. He followed suit and came up behind me. His spicy and food scent enveloped me, and it was all I could do not to lean back against him and wait for his muscled arms to wrap around me.
That might be a little unprofessional.
I touched my forehead, trying to focus, then walked over to the table I’d stripped down of everything except the wood. “These tables are beautiful. Taking everything off them is a good and easy way to get the ambiance you’re looking for and be cost effective too.”
“I think that sounds incredible,” he said. Although he couldn’t see my face because he was still behind me, a pleased smile perked over it and I was happy he liked my idea.
I wrote down a few notes then pointed to the wall separating the kitchen from the dining room. I walked over, touching it. “What do you think about losing this and letting the people watch the cooking take place? I did some research, and modern, high-level restaurants have it. Even if it’s more upscale casual.”
He stood next to me and looked, rubbing his newly grown-in beard. He didn’t have it last time, but regardless of boundaries, it looked good on him. “That’s an amazing idea.” He looked down at me and smiled. “I wouldn’t put on a screaming, yelling show for diners like some other famous chefs, but that would be exciting.”
He stepped over to the wall.
“What would you suggest that I do with the space in between, then?”
“Brick.” I pointed to all the exterior walls too. “Right now, this is all drywalled. We can take it off and reveal the raw brick beneath, giving it the casual feel you’re going for and also saving you some money on paint or more sheetrock. We would have to add brick to a divider.” I walked over to him and put my hand up to about his hips. “Probably to about here, but there may even be someplace around where you can get old brick to reuse for free or a small fee, which can bring in the history of the town as well.”
“Wow.” He looked impressed. That made me happy, almost giddy because my mind was racing with ideas. “What else do you have?”
I dived in, explaining all the ideas I had brewing, and he seemed to eat them up. An hour later, I had several pages of notes and a firmer idea of what he wanted.
“I’ll have to crunch the numbers for the budget,” I said as I packed my things up. “But the list in the folder will give you a tentative number on what the total cost would be. I know we’re not doing everything on the list, but if you have any questions or would like a formal write up before the budget is set, just let me know.” I pulled the strap of my bag over my shoulder and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.
“I can have my assistant send something over to you quickly.” I smiled and started to head toward the door.
“It’s amazing you found an assistant so quickly,” he said, holding the door open for me.
“Ha! Yes. I didn’t find her. She came from Buffalo with me.”
“Oh,” he said, and something flashed over his eyes. “Is she your partner?”
We got to my car and I tipped my head. “Business partner, no… Oh! No.” My smile widened, finally realizing what he meant. “No, we are not romantically involved. But we’ve known each other since we were kids, so best friends and all that.” I laughed and shifted my bag from one shoulder to the other. “I’m not in a relationship. The move was a big one, and I wanted to make sure I was settled.” Did I have to say that? No. But I liked the way his eyes lit up when he heard I was available.
I took my keys out and began to unlock my door when I felt his fingers on my shoulder. I froze for a second, trying to figure out what was happening, but when I looked at him, he had a kind smile. “Your bag strap was twisted.”
“Ah, thank you.” I unlocked my doors, placing my bag on the floor in the backseat, and gave him a tight nod. “First, you asked me about my romantic partner, then touched me.” I laughed. “I wasn’t sure what the signals were.” My cheeks blushed. I could not believe I just said that. I flung the driver’s side door open and hit his shoulder in the process. “Oops. Sorry!” I scrunched my face up.
I was acting like an ass.
I had to get out of here.
Nick stepped back as I closed the door, and I buckled in with humiliation and when I put my key into the ignition, I could still feel his eyes on me. I hid my blushing cheeks from him and started my car.
It made a terrible noise but did not turn on.
“Crap,” I said. I turned the key and pumped the brakes. Still nothing but a growling coming from my hood. I lifted my foot off the gas and went to try again when Nick tapped on my window.
With a quick huff, I gave him a wary smile. I couldn’t even roll my windows down since the car wouldn’t start. “Need a hand?” he asked.
I opened the door a crack, and he backed away. “That would be great. Thank you.”
I got out of my car again and stood next to him, crossing my arms to cover up the fact that my nipples had hardened again. It was a direct result of his kindness.
“Sounds like your battery just needs to be charged,” he said and pointed over his shoulder. “I have jumper cables in my car and it’s right over there.” He reached over and squeezed my arm gently.
I stood straighter. I liked it when he touched me. I wondered if he was feeling something too?
I hoped not. I didn’t want to make Nick think I was coming across as unprofessional or swoony. Or maybe he was just one of those people who showed affection to everyone.
Probably.
There was no way he was going to be interested in a twenty-eight-year-old.
Was there?