Chapter 2 – Theo
2
THEO
“I need those shrooms five minutes ago, Kent. Where the fuck are you, and why are you falling behind?”
It’s afternoon and usually an easy day, but I’m up to my armpits in work, thanks to the F and B manager. Who thought it was a good idea to have a bridal shower with the most difficult bride in the world, two days before the wedding?
Allegra Sullivan, that’s who.
“Here, chef,” he says, and I take what he has offered. I run a tight kitchen, and I can be a bit of a pain in the ass. All the best chefs are. I didn’t get Michelin star status by being a pushover, and my family name didn’t help in the least. In a lot of ways, it hurt because people expected me to fail. What they didn’t understand was that I eat and breathe food. It is my life.
By the time we finish up the lunch menu and the food for the shower, my entire body’s screaming for rest, but I have dinner to worry about. I could walk away, but I don’t want to. Yes, my staff is well trained and could handle the dinner themselves, but we are stressed this weekend. I want to succeed, and I am not about to let Allegra win. I think she planned all this to break me.
Nancy comes hurrying in.
“Where have you been?”
“Talking to Allegra. We had an issue with the BFH. She’s taking care of it.”
That is one thing I can say about Allegra. The woman knows how to stand up for the staff. She does not allow any of our customers to abuse them. She says the customer is not always right, but she does it in a way that makes the customer think it is their idea.
“You didn’t come to me?”
She shakes her head and avoids eye contact. I love Nancy. She’s been a fixture here at Darling for a long time. I think she started in the kitchen when I was in high school. Anyway, she’s a sweet woman, so it makes sense that she’s the head pastry chef now. Fits.
“Nancy. What aren’t you telling me?”
“It had to do with the cake and changes the BFH wanted. Allegra said not to worry and just go with what we have.”
There is something else.
“Nancy.”
She sighs and motions with her head. I follow her into the office, and she closes the door.
“Allegra’s under a lot of stress, but I couldn’t change in midstream just because that bitch wants a bigger cake than your brother had. First of all, he’s like a little brother to me, so her cake will never be as wonderful as his.”
I smile at that. Darling takes pride in our employee relations. A lot of our staff work their way up in our resorts just like Nancy did. We think of them as extended family.
“I sense a but here.”
“Her phone kept going off, and every time it did, she twitched. I don’t know what is going on, but I’m super worried about her. I know that you don’t think she’s a good manager?—”
“Now, hold on. I don’t like her, but she is an excellent manager. I just wish she wouldn’t try to manage me.”
Nancy’s mouth twitches.
“What?”
She shakes her head. “I heard she’s got family coming in this weekend, and she’s been avoiding calls. I think her brothers are trying to get her to move back out west. I really don’t want to lose her.”
Air seems to stall out in my lungs as I blink. “You think she’s thinking about leaving?”
I should be rejoicing, but for some weird reason, a sense of panic threads through me. I plop down in my office chair and shove a shaking hand through my hair. What the fuck is going on with me? I shouldn’t be freaking out.
“Theo?”
I shake my head and clear it of the insanity.
“Yeah?’
“Are you all right?”
I nod and look up at her. “Yeah, probably need to grab a bite to eat.”
She shakes her head. “Arnie says chefs can be so bad when they are working.”
“Your husband is a smart man, but I still think you should leave him for me. We are the perfect couple. I make dinner. You make dessert.”
She shakes her head and smiles at me. “Eat. I’m going to get back to work on the mini cakes for dinner tonight.”
I nod and watch her leave. Of course, I don’t get any food, not right off. I have to figure out just what the fuck that was. It felt a bit like a panic attack. At Allegra leaving? So weird.
There’s a knock at my door, which opens, and Milo sticks his stupid head in. Don’t get me wrong, I love my brother. We have never been particularly close because our personalities are so different. But in the last year, we have gotten closer.
“What do you want?”
His smile gets wider. It is annoying how happy he is these days. Don’t misunderstand me. I’m delighted that he’s finally married to Hazel. Those two were mooning over each other for years. And, yes, I am excited about being an uncle later this year. But…I just didn’t expect to get so damned jealous.
Me, the man who thought bachelorhood was proof that God loves me. Only, I’ve been working so damned hard lately, and I haven’t been hitting anything in any way in a really long time.
“I just wanted to check on you. Allegra said we’re having issues with Rachel.”
“When has Rachel not been a problem?”
Rachel Burton is a socialite with a need for a rich husband. She found it in Jason Knowles. They fit each other and, seriously, I don’t give a damn how they live their lives, but since they are terrorizing my staff, I have a problem with that.
“True. Have you?”
I shake my head. “Other than this damn shower Allegra set up without getting my approval.”
His mouth twists into a demented smile. “Funny how you didn’t have a problem with Earl.”
“Earl kept his nose out of my business.”
“And you are making more money out of this kitchen, thanks to Allegra. Take it easy on her. I get the idea she’s stressed.”
That catches my attention since Nancy just mentioned it too.
“Stressed how? Like thinking of leaving stressed?”
The amount of alarm on my brother’s face would be comical if the situation wasn’t worrisome. Yes, I would like her to leave me alone, but if Milo is panicked, I don’t have to figure out why I freaked out.
Yes, I know what avoidance means because I am excellent at avoiding complications.
“Leaving? What makes you think that?”
“Nancy said she was worried she would leave. Something about her brothers wanting her to move out west.”
He visibly relaxes. “Oh, that, yeah, no, she won’t move out there.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Something she said one time about her brothers driving her crazy. She said they always did better with a few states in between them.”
“Oh. Well, one of them is here this weekend or is coming this weekend.” And why do I care so much?
Nancy stops by again.
“Her brother is in the lobby if you’re interested.”
“I am not.”
She rolls her eyes and goes back to work.
Then I completely contradict myself and pop up out of my chair and head out of my office. I ignore Milo, who is cackling behind me and texting—probably with his wife.
I make it to the lobby. It’s busy with people checking in for the day, and it takes me a couple seconds to find Allegra. She’s in the arms of some huge Neanderthal.
Anger hits me so hard I almost lose my breath. I have no idea why, but I want to hurt another human being for the first time in my life.
“Oh, fuck that,” I mutter as I march over to where he’s manhandling my food and beverage manager. I might be annoyed by her, but I’m not letting some other man throw her around like she’s some kind of bag of potatoes.