Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
REMY RAN AFTER STACI but she’d disappeared into the crowd and he couldn’t find her.
He knew as soon as she’d turned ashen that all the joy of the day had been lost. He had tried to reach for her but Staci was small and quick and determined.
Determined to put as much distance between her and him as she could.
His parents were right behind them; his dad put his hand on Remy’s shoulder.
He didn’t want to have a conversation with them right now.
Everything had come undone and in the worst possible way.
He needed to sort the mess out in his head so he could do what he needed to in order to win Staci back. If that were even possible.
Without Staci cooking meant nothing to him. He was looking forward to returning to New Orleans with her by his side. Not by himself. Now that he’d found love he didn’t want to go back to his old life.
“We need to talk.” His father’s tone was solemn.
“I know we do,” Remy said. “I know, it’s just I have to go after her and...”
He’d seen that look in her eyes and he knew that if he didn’t get to Staci quick everything with her would be gone. And he couldn’t accept that.
“I’m sorry, dear,” Betsy said, “but what was that all about?”
Remy cursed under his breath and spoke to his parents. “I can talk to you both later. I’m staying at the Marquis in Times Square.”
“We want some answers now,” his father repeated.
“We’ve been worried to death about you,” his mother said.
“You’ll have to wait. I’ve made a hell of a mess, Dad, and I have to clean it up first.” He went over to his mother and hugged her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Then did the same to his dad.
“I’m sorry,” he apologized.
“This girl must be important,” his mom said.
“More important than you know and I think I just hurt her in a way I’d been hoping not to.
I’ve got to go,” he said, waving goodbye to his parents and heading out the door.
He hailed a cab and as it drove through the streets, Remy carefully scanned the crowds for a glimpse of Staci, but she wasn’t to be found.
As soon as he entered the Marquis, he called Jack. This disaster was entirely of his making and maybe if he did everything he could now to mitigate it he’d still be able to save his relationship with Staci. Though he knew it wouldn’t be easy.
“It’s Remy. There’s something I need to tell you.”
“Is it something that will make our ratings soar? I know you’ve been dating Staci—what do you say to an on-air proposal,” Jack said. “I’m actually in the bar with the judges right now and some of the other production team. Come and meet us.”
Remy agreed, though completely ignored Jack’s suggestion about Staci. He doubted she’d say yes to anything involving him right now unless it was his head on a platter. And he couldn’t blame her. Now that he knew his secret was out he regretted not telling her sooner.
When Remy entered the bar Jack waved him over and Remy ordered a Fosters from the bartender.
There was a round of greetings from everyone and Remy sat down next to Jack and turned to the producer. He took a deep breath.
“You okay?”
“Yes, I haven’t been up front with who I really am.”
“What? You’re kidding me, right?” Jack said. “We’ve got three weeks of shows in the can, Remy. Please tell me you are joking.”
“I’m not. My last name isn’t Stephens it’s Cruzel.”
Everyone in the group stopped talking when he said that and stared at him.
“Are you related to Alain?” Hamilton asked.
“He’s my dad.”
“Why would you do this?” Lorenz asked. “A pedigree like yours should be celebrated.”
“Yes, it should,” Remy said. “But I’ve spent my entire life being told I could cook because I’m a Cruzel. And I did because that was what was expected. Even at the CIA I was treated like a star pupil and I never knew if it was because of my skills or my name.”
“You decided to try an experiment to prove you had the Cruzel talent,” Pete said. “It’s an interesting idea but you’ve lied to us all.”
“I know. I’m sorry,” Remy said. “At first I wasn’t even sure if I’d make it to the second round so it seemed a challenge for myself more than for you. And I wanted you all to judge my dishes, not look at me and think of my father and grandfather’s cooking.”
“I understood that,” Hamilton said. “But what does that mean for our show?”
“I’m thinking,” Jack answered. “We’re going to have to talk it over, Remy. I’ll let you know our decision as soon as I can. Has anyone else heard about this?”
“Staci,” he said.
“Ah, is she the reason you mentioned it?” Lorenz asked.
“Yes. That and the fact that the guest judges could be anyone. I know my father won’t do television but my Uncle Pierre would jump at the chance to come on. I didn’t want to have another shock for you guys like Staci’s today.”
“That’s very kind of you,” Fatima said.
But he could tell as they all looked at him that they were as disappointed as Staci had been. They’d become a family on the show and Remy had been lying to them all the entire time. He knew his reasons were solid but now he just felt guilty and selfish for doing it.
“What should I do now?” Remy asked. “I’d like to find Staci.”
“Is she lost?” Lorenz asked. The other man leaned forward in his seat staring over at Remy.
Remy shook his head. He felt like an idiot at how he’d handled this entire situation. But he wasn’t hiding anything any more. “She didn’t take the news very well and we split up. Now that you guys know the truth my priority is finding her.”
Hamilton watched him through narrowed eyes and then nodded. “Go. We will text you when we need you back here.”
“Thank you,” Remy said.
He had signed a contract with these people and though he’d read the fine print and knew there was no reason why Remy Cruzel couldn’t have entered, he wondered if they’d penalize him for misrepresenting himself.
He didn’t know and honestly at this moment didn’t care. He’d go on to cook again when this was done but he knew deep inside his soul that there was only one woman for him and that was Staci.
He also knew that getting her back would be the hardest thing he’d ever done.
It had been hard enough to woo her the first time.
Although now that the truth was out he could be Remy Cruzel.
He had nothing to hide and it was time that he stopped ignoring the truth of his emotions and made Staci aware of them.
Remy Stephens had had to lie low, but Remy Cruzel didn’t have to and he fully intended to take advantage of that.
He strode from the hotel onto the bustling sidewalk at Times Square and for the first time let himself admit that his heart ached at the thought that he might not be able to fix this and win Staci back.
STACI RAN AS HARD AND as fast as she could. When she finally stopped she realized that she’d been crying. Not silent ladylike tears, but belting sobs.
She’d had it all for a few brief seconds, she thought.
She had protected herself for so long, figured she’d been smarter this time by making Remy.
..what? She hadn’t done anything right. She’d fallen in love with the wrong man as surely as her grandmother and her mother had done.
It was sad really that another generation of Rowland woman had followed the same pattern.
She should have stayed to herself. She should have just focused on her cooking.
“You okay?” a stranger asked.
She nodded and started walking. She probably looked like something from a zombie apocalypse movie. She’d had on the camera-ready make-up, which was thick, and now it had to be ruined by her tears.
She found a Starbucks and went into the bathroom. Once she locked the door she stood in front of the mirror.
She hated the raw pain on her face, but forced herself to keep staring so that she’d always remember the real thing that Remy had given her. It was heartbreak. She needed to never forget what this felt like.
The worst part of learning that Remy had lied about everything he was from the second they met—was that she still loved him.
She buried her head in her hands and let the sobs out.
She cried for all the half-formed dreams that had been floating around in the back of her mind.
She cried for the little girl inside of her that had for a brief instant thought that maybe all those books she’d read as a kid had been right and that a girl like Staci could be truly happy.
She cried because she knew when she left this bathroom she’d never let herself be this weak again.
The logical part of her mind was trying to take over but the weepy woman inside her couldn’t let go. Staci kept replaying the scene with Remy and his parents over and over again in her head.
She pulled out her phone and called her one true friend.
“Sweet Dreams, home of the incredible red velvet dream cupcakes. This is Alysse speaking, how may I help you?”
“It’s Staci,” she said. Her voice sounded deeper than normal and so rough that she was surprised by it.
“What’s wrong? Where are you? Do you need me to come to Malibu?” Alysse asked.
Staci felt the love immediately from Alysse, her sister of the soul. “Everything’s wrong. I’m in New York, in a bathroom...Remy has been lying to me all along.”
“Is he married?”
“What? No. I mean, I don’t know. I have no idea,” Staci blurted. The lies that he’d told her now took on even more disturbing connotations.
“Okay, start from the beginning and tell me everything,” Alysse said.
Staci took a deep breath. Just having Alysse there made things a little easier.
“Remy is part of the Cruzel family. He’s been lying about who he is on the show.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know,” Staci said.
“He could have entered the competition as Remy Cruzel, so why make up a fake name?” Alysse asked. “You have to find out.”
“He lied to me,” Staci said. “I can’t see beyond that. I don’t care what his reasons were. He told me he was a man of honor.”
“He’s a dirt bag,” Alysse said. “I’m making you a tray of brownies and sending them to you.”