“I agree, and with the reviews coming in, it might be more than a year.”
“Good problem to have,” Logan said, and Priest nodded.
“If you ever want a table, let me know. I have an in with the chef.”
“I just might take you up on that. But I think next time around we should have you three over.”
“That sounds…good,” Priest said, and found that it really did. “Right. I’ll let you get to your paperwork, then. Thanks again.”
“Anytime,” Logan said. “And I mean that.”
Funnily enough, Priest believed him, and when Logan disappeared into his office, Priest headed into his and looked down at his cell to see several more texts from Robbie.
Robbie: Aw, I didn’t scare you away, did I, Jules? Or maybe you’re too big and famous now to talk to mere mortals like me and Priest. After that cheeky little note, Robbie had added a sticking-out-tongue emoji.
Priest shut his office door and replied: I doubt you’ve scared him, but if you don’t keep that tongue to yourself, it’s going to get in a world of trouble.
Robbie: Promise?
Priest chuckled as he headed around his desk and pulled out his seat. I promise. In fact, I’m going to write a list of all the places I think you should put that tongue.
Robbie: That sounds like a honey-do list I can get behind.
Of course it does, minx. I assume our hot chef is too busy being a celebrity to write us back today. We’ll just have to remind him who his number one fans are later.
Robbie: ~sigh~ I guess so. But according to the Tribune, we’re going to have to work extra hard to keep his head in check.
So I saw, Priest wrote back, and started to check through his voicemails, only to see the restaurant’s number several times over. He was about to pick up his phone and call when his cell began to ring, and up flashed that same number.
Ahh, speak of the devil.
“And how is the number one chef in Chicago doing this afternoon? Drunk on champagne and relaxed, I hope,” Priest said. “Sorry I haven’t gotten back to you. This is the first time I’ve stopped all day.”
“Priest?” The woman’s voice at the other end of the line was so unexpected that it had Priest sitting straighter.
“Lise?”
“Yes, hi, I’m…I’m sorry to bother you, but look, is Julien sick today or something?”
Sick? Not that he knew about. “No, he was fine this morning. Why do you ask? Is he not feeling well? Maybe he’s had a little too much celebrating? Can you put him on?”
“N-no,” she said. “That’s why I’ve been calling you. He never showed up today. I thought he might be taking the day off, but I can’t reach him on his cell and thought I’d ask you.”
As Lise’s words registered in his brain, Priest’s mind rewound to this morning, to the last time he’d seen Julien as he’d kissed him and left the condo. He’d been fine.
“Do you think that maybe he decided to stay home?” Lise asked.
No, he didn’t. If Julien had decided to do that, he would’ve called or texted both Priest and Robbie.
Priest got to his feet and began to pace the length of his office as the worst scenario imaginable began to creep into the corners of his mind, but he quickly shoved it aside. There was no way…
“Lise, I’ve got to go. Let me see if I can get a hold of him.”
“Okay,” she said, and though Priest could hear the worry in her voice, she added, “I’m sure there’s a simple explanation.”
Priest hoped that were the case, but as he stood there, a feeling of dread settled in his gut. “I’m sure,” he said, and with that, he hung up and immediately tried Julien’s cell. It went straight to voicemail.
“Bonjour.” Julien’s smooth voice greeted him, and Priest rubbed at his temple. “I can’t answer your call right now, but if you leave your name and number, I’ll call you back as soon as I can. Au revoir.”
As soon as the beep finished, Priest said, “Julien? Julien? Fuck. Look, I don’t know where you are right now and you’re probably fine. But as soon as you get this, call me, okay?”
Once he was done, Priest hung up and immediately tried again, and when the call went to voicemail a second time and Julien finished his speech, Priest hit end on the call, came to a stop behind his desk, and shut his eyes.
He told himself to stop jumping to conclusions. There was probably a really good reason Julien wasn’t answering his phone or at work. But when nothing came to mind, Priest grabbed his keys and briefcase and headed for the door.
As he stormed down the hallway and past Logan’s office, Logan called out, “Everything okay?”
Priest didn’t stop. “Yes. In a hurry, that’s all.” Without waiting for a reply, he headed for the elevator.