Amaya
“Linny, this chef is not only amazing, but he’s hot, too.” I hoped this would convince her to hurry up so we could leave already. We were supposed to be seated for this special dinner in thirty minutes.
With a curling iron in one hand and hairspray in the other, Linaya was a flurry of activity. She wore a sapphire blue tiered sundress that showed off her sun kissed shoulders perfectly. It made me feel a little frumpy in the tailored red shirtdress I wore. It was a staple on my more casual work days.
I eyed my closet, knowing I didn’t really have time to change clothes, but the tight pencil skirt called my name.
“I’m ready, let’s go.” Linaya smiled, her full fuchsia lips on display.
The red shirtdress stayed, then. We headed over to The Promenade and sailed past Orlando’s office for the dining room. When we entered, I was met by a beautifully set table complete with candles and champagne flutes.
“Are you sure I was invited for this soiree? It’s so romantic,” Linaya whispered in my ear.
Three place settings of fine bone china graced the table. “Of course. But honestly, if you want to skip out so I can have an amazing dinner with a hot guy, I do not mind.”
“You’re here!” Orlando’s voice came from across the room. “Please come in and have a seat. Chef is just about ready for you.”
Ever the gentleman, Orlando kissed Linaya’s hand before helping her into her chair and pushing her in. He did the same for me and I was thankful for the low light hiding my blush. He disappeared into the kitchen for a moment before coming back out with a bottle of sparkling wine.
“Tierney selected the pairing himself, so please let me know if you think it works,” Orlando said. Before he served Linaya, he raised his brow to me. When I nodded, he poured her glass, though he kept it lower than our own.
I appreciated a man who looked out for people. Linaya wasn’t his responsibility, but he still made the effort to be sure it was okay to serve her alcohol and he definitely underserved her as well. His attempt to match her up with the chef, even if it was a ploy to see me, was also appreciated.
Before serving the food, Aaron came out to greet us. His reddish hair was pulled back under a baseball cap, but his blue eyes shone like diamonds when he saw my sister before him. “Mr. Daniels, Ms. Journet, a pleasure to see you again.” He looked to Linaya. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, miss. I’m Aaron Tierney and I’m hoping to be the chef at this fine establishment in the near future. Delicious, local, healthy food is my passion and I truly believe it’s a form of art. I understand, Miss Journet, that you’re a fashion major, so I’m sure you will understand.”
It was as if my sister was star struck and seated before Liam Hemsworth as opposed to a young chef. Her eyes were huge and she seemed to soak in every word Aaron said. She could only nod in reply to him. Linaya was never at a loss for words. This was a first.
As he had before, Orlando asked Aaron to join us for the meal, and this time he accepted with a little hesitance. I wasn’t sure if they had set this up beforehand, but a polo-clad waiter appeared with a fourth chair and then he retrieved an additional place setting. He seemed to know what he was doing without any direction. I shot a side-eye at Orlando and when he winked at me, I figured out his ruse.
As a foursome, we feasted on an entirely vegan dish that, Aaron proudly told me, was also nut and soy free. Chickpea noodles were served with a medley of roasted vegetables that anybody would swoon over. It was accompanied with a portabella steak that was seasoned to perfection. The conversation circled around the food, what farm it had come from, and just how artistic Aaron was. The last comment being from Linaya, of course.
“Aaron, truly, this was amazing. Could you serve this to two dozen people? Two hundred?” It was hard for me to turn my wedding coordinator switch off at times.
Aaron focused his baby blues from my sister to me. “With plenty of notice, which I understand I will have, it’s absolutely possible. With wanting to use locally sourced items to be as farm-to-table as possible, I would need a good bit of notice if you wanted two hundred portabella steaks, but as an alternate vegan meal or for a smaller party, it wouldn’t be problem at all.”
“I love that it’s all local,” Linaya gushed. “It really inspires me to create fashion looks from the Savannah skyline. Mixed textures, colors you see locally every day.” She spoke with her hands the same way I did.
Linaya and Aaron began an animated conversation about mixing colors and textures in food and fabric and I could tell that something was blossoming between them—be it friendship or something more, only time would tell.
I leaned over to Orlando. “This was brilliant. And I really like Aaron. I think you could turn this into a perfect luncheon spot if you wanted to.”
Orlando’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s a brilliant idea. I’ve wondered what we could do with this space during the week. I’ve thought of conferences, of course, but having a small dining room for luncheon during the week would be genius.”
Shrugging, I took a drink from my sparkling wine. “Just an idea. I’m full of good ideas.”
“Clearly. I know we haven’t made an official offer to you quite yet, Amaya, but I want you working with me.” He got closer and I could see the golden ring around his dark brown eyes.
With him? He wanted me to work with him and not merely at The Promenade?
He caught his words just as I had. “I want you working here. With me. I think you might be just what this place needs. A fresh set of eyes, a beautiful face for the company.”
“Really?”
There was so much more that he wasn’t saying. I could feel it as easily as I could see it on his face. His eyes were bright, excited and his mouth was upturned in a was I had not seen before. I knew I mimicked his smile. He not only wanted me working there, but he wanted me close to him. Closer. And I was ready for it.
Thoughts of Kyle tried to push their way into my mind, but I pushed them right back out. This was no place for his narcissism. And Orlando, from what I was learning, was nothing like Kyle had been.
“What do you say?” The question lingered in his eyes.
“I would love to work more closely with you,” I murmured, my lips very close to his ear.
When his eyes closed and his lips parted, I knew he was looking for more than just a working relationship. I didn’t know what would happen or if it would work, but I knew that underneath all the hidden desire were two professionals.
Back in my car to head home, Linaya acted as if she had been proposed to. “Amaya, he’s just fabulous. And he can cook. You know I can’t cook, so this is perfect. And the way he sees color and art is so refreshing. He doesn’t see it through a microscope like Josiah did. He sees art for the beauty it holds.”
I laughed as I turned onto my street. “I noticed. You two had a lot in common.”
“And did you see his eyes? Oh, those blue eyes were like oceans,” she squealed. Taking a deep breath, she finally looked at me. “You and Orlando were quite cozy on the other side of the table.”
“He wants me to work with him.” I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw my eyes crinkle and my cheeks glow.
“Oh, work with him or for him?” She play punched me as I parked.
“He said with him. He said, and I quote, ‘I want you working here. With me. I think you might be just what this place needs.’ And he called me beautiful,” I told her with a sigh.
Inside the house, we flopped on the couch. “You like him,” she told me.
As if I needed to be told. “I know. I do.” My smile fell then, and a scowl replaced it.
“Stop.”
“Stop what?”
“Stop thinking about Kyle. He is not Kyle. He is not going to run you over then back up and do it again just to make sure he got all of you.” Linaya reached her hand out to mine and pulled me close to her.
“I can’t help the fear.” And I couldn’t. Enough bad things had happened with Kyle that I immediately looked for them. From being told I was wrong about every single thing, to him controlling what I wore, being in a healthy relationship was a foreign concept for me.
“He’s not Kyle. You can recognize the fear and tell it to take a hike.”
I looked up to my baby sister. “How did you get so wise?”
“My big sister taught me.” She kissed my forehead. “Now, Aaron asked to take me to go to Telfair with him this weekend and I need something artsy to wear.”
“A date already? Look at you! I’m so happy for you, Linny.” I hugged her close. “This calls for ice cream.”