Chapter 1
Tori turned her head to look at the source of the rustling noise coming from the side stage area. Costumed performers shuffled around, waiting their turn on the stage—the curtained off area of the senior center’s cafeteria. There was no “backstage” since the draped fabrics hid a cinder block wall.
Damn, he’s cute.Tori’s eyes landed again on the handsome man seated in the row behind her. Long black hair, regal nose. Even when she wasn’t trying to peek at him, her gaze was drawn to him.
He turned to her. Drool pooled in her mouth as she made eye contact. His eyes were large and black, rimmed with llama-quality eyelashes. He smiled faintly and nodded his head, indicating Tori should nudge Emily next to her.
Of course, he wouldn’t be smiling directly at me. Tori let her face freeze in a kind smile that hid angst, annoyance, and animosity.
She nudged Emily and jerked her thumb back over her shoulder. “You know him? He’s been staring over here and is trying to get your attention.”
Emily shifted in her seat to see who Tori was talking about. “Oh yeah, that’s Les. He works in the restaurant at the Vista Antigua. How do you know he’s been looking over here?”
Because he is ridiculously handsome, and I’ve been gaping at him.“Because the performers were scuffling about just past him, and I was distracted”— by him— “so I wanted to see if Bella was in the line-up yet.” Tori didn’t admit that she had been feasting her eyes on him repeatedly since that first glimpse.
Emily pointed to the opposite side of the stage. “I think she’ll come in from over there. I keep seeing big feathery things waft past.”
The two hushed and faced forward as the next act took to the stage.
A group of small girls who looked more like dandelion puffballs than ballerinas scampered to the center of the stage area.
An over-enthusiastic father and other family members cheered every time one particular little girl did a twirl. Tori felt embarrassed for them. All the little balls of fluff deserved to be cheered on, but since they weren’t, those parents were just being obnoxious.
Tori leaned over and whispered to Emily, “Is Bella really going to do a fan dance at a place that’s hosting a kiddie recital?”
“Just watch. All of those people will disappear the second their little angels are done.”
Emily was almost right. Most of the dancing fluffs were toted away once their show was complete. Tori only saw one little girl around after their number.
Tonight’s event at the community center was arranged to benefit the Wine and Roses Guild. The community showcase this month featured local dance groups. Last month apparently, they had singers, and next month there was going to be an entire play. Tori’s purpose tonight was twofold: support her new friend Bella and see how Peaz’n’Karrits Farm could integrate with and contribute to the community more.
The next group was costumed in traditional Italian dress. The women wore full skirts with bands of bright colors, white aprons, and white peasant blouses. The men wore black vests and black knee-length trousers, with brightly colored scarves knotted around their necks. They did a group couples dance to music that had too much accordion.
Finally, the group Tori and Emily were here to see! Bella had been taking burlesque lessons at the community center from some washed up celebrity who’d decided to cash in on her infamous past and teach others the art of the tease. Apparently, she had become famous as a special guest on afternoon game shows. That was so last century. According to Bella, the dancing was definitely more tease than bump and grind, but the music insinuated the latter.
If they were supposed to give the impression they were hiding their nude bodies behind over large fans, they failed. Their costumes looked like plain cotton undies from the big-box store in Napa with stitched-on sequins. There was more fabric than the average tankini. The fans looked like DIY concoctions made with copious amounts of hot glue and marabou boas. Feathers flew off at an alarming rate.
Tori gave her friend and the rest of her class kudos for getting out there and performing, for learning something new, and for contributing to the enjoyment of their local arts community. So what if the fan dance wasn’t exactly expert level burlesque titillation, but it was bawdy fun.
The last number of the night was a music video reenactment from one of Tori’s favorite bands. The song had been popular during her school years. She had been mercilessly picked on for being a boyband fan and carrying their faces emblazoned across T-shirts and binders. Yet more than half the audience sang along to the performance as the dancers on stage twitched around like marionettes told everyone, “Bye, bye, bye.”
At last, the lights in the big room came back on. Tori stretched and twisted with a fake yawn as an excuse to look around for the attractive Les. He was setting up sample-sized treats at the Vista Antigua’s display table. Local restaurants contributed the hors d’oeuvres and snacks at these monthly Community Showcases, giving them an opportunity to show off, just as the dancers had.
Emily made some lame excuse about borrowing a book and left Tori alone in the middle of a row of chairs. Tori called bullshit, she was pretty sure Emily didn’t read. Tori yawned, a real yawn this time, and sat back down. Roses? BS? That gave her an idea that just might work. She pulled out her phone to look at the online invitation for tonight’s event. There it was, the name of the person she needed to find. She flipped through her phone’s apps and hit the Hip Helena Facebook page. A quick search and a little scrolling provided her with a face to go with the name.
Using the phone camera as a mirror, she fixed her lipstick and fluffed her hair. Tori stood up and smoothed her dress into a semblance of not looking like she had been sitting in it for over an hour. She double-checked the photograph on Facebook one more time, took a quick glance around, and made a beeline for Babs Columbo, this year’s president of the Wine and Roses Guild.
With both of her missions for the evening successfully completed, Tori sat in one of the chairs left out after the recital, now in a random mess of groups. Half of the audience had exited as soon as the show was over, while the other half hung around the snack tables. She had a small plate with four sample sized treats– her reward for a task completed. She didn’t blame them, especially with the reception spread provided by the Vista Antigua and Ristorante Vino.
Closing her eyes, Tori bit into a second mini cheesecake. The first one was good, but this one… The flavors delighted her tongue—a tangy cheesecake made with goat cheese accented with spicy pepper jelly. Oh, she was in a mouth-watering, delectable heaven.
She heard a chair move and sensed a body nearby before a male voice caressed her ears.
“You look like you are thoroughly enjoying that.”
Tori cracked her eyes open to glare at whoever had so rudely interrupted her cheesecake bliss. Her eyes instantly widened. It was the hot guy from earlier. Unable to answer with her mouth full, she shook her head. She swallowed hard, not wanting to rush her taste experience, but needing to answer before he got away.
“Not enjoying, loving. I want to marry whoever made these,” Tori confessed.
“Sight unseen?” he asked, his face breaking into a wide grin.
Oh, he was even hotter when he smiled like that. Nice teeth, great cheekbones, and the blackest eyes. A flush climbed up the side of her face. “They’re that good. I had no idea they were going to be so amazing, or I would have snagged at least one more.” She sighed forlornly. “But now there’s no way I’m even going to get near that table with all those people. And they’re probably all gone.”
“If they mean that much to you, I can get you a couple more. I have an in with the chef.” His wink did funny things to her insides.
When he returned, he handed over a small plate with three more of the perfect savory cheesecake bites.
“You work with Emily?” Tori asked, torn between diving into the plate of goodies and chatting with this amazingly good-looking man. Unable to resist the siren lure of the treat, she took a small bite. She expected that he was one of the new waiters Emily kept talking about. Even if Tori still assisted with deliveries, she wouldn’t recognize him. She never saw anyone from the front of the house when she had helped Karen. Just Chef, Mark Dalton—the general manager—or whoever was in the kitchen, which usually meant Lucas, which was why Tori no longer helped with deliveries.
“Yeah, I’m the new dessert chef.”
Tori choked on the small bite in her mouth.
The chef patted her on the back. “You okay there?”
“Yeah,” she squeaked out.
He handed her the bottle of water he was drinking from, and she downed it, too concerned with her need to breathe to be worried about germs.
“Emily said you were shy, and I should come over and say hi, give you half a chance. She didn’t tell me you would propose right off the bat.”
Tori gave him a sardonic glare.
“I’m Les. I am flattered that you like the cheesecake. And you are?”
“I’m Toe.”
“Toe? Like on a foot?”
“No, like Toe, you only get half my name, since I’m only getting half a chance.” She stood and began to move away. It was amazing how quickly a handsome man could lose his looks after he opened his mouth.
“Can I make it up to you and get your full name with more cheesecake?”
“You think I’m easily bribed with food?” Another asshat making assumptions because of the size of her butt.
“Not food, cheesecake. You didn’t see your face.” He stood and leaned close to her ear. “I’ve seen plenty of people eating food they enjoy, but you’re the first person to have a near orgasmic experience while eating one of my desserts. That was positively R-rated. What expressions do you make when you eat chocolate?”
Tori wasn’t certain if it was his proximity, the feel of his warm breath on her neck, or his words that made her shiver.
“I’m playing with a lavender and honey-lemon cheesecake with an almond honey crust to add to the menu once lavender is in full season. You want to try it?”
He was the reason Penny had requested Tori start searching for organic culinary lavender so early in the season. The mischievous look on his face screamed seduction. She felt like a right ass jumping to conclusions. Her mouth went dry as her body betrayed her and every cell became fully aware that an incredibly good-looking, eye-candy quality of a man was literally breathing down her neck. Thank God for padded bras; she didn’t need him seeing her nipples standing at attention.
“My name’s Victoria, but I go by Tori.” She found it hard to breathe but managed to gasp out the words.
“Come by the hotel next week. My supplier said she would get me some fresh lavender by then. I’ll make you a sample, and you can tell me if it’s worth pursuing.” Les winked and left her standing there.
Places in Tori’s body that she had been certain had dried up from neglect pulsed back to life. Penny would gladly hand back the hotel deliveries… she had to. Tori not only wanted to sample Les’s cheesecake, she wanted to see all of his goods.