She scoots the plain mug over to me.
“So how do you learn the balance?”
“Trial and error, and an immense amount of research. You’ll be starting from scratch, so you’ll have a different experience than we did. We’ve had years to figure out what sells and what doesn’t. I highly recommend you do your research in the area you want to set up in. Find out what sells, what doesn’t, and most importantly, what they don’t have. It’s all about finding your niche and doing it well.”
“And how did your family choose?”
“Well, Fresco was a no brainer. We adapted our favorite dishes. My brothers have always been into BBQ, and there was a real lack of that at the time in the mobile industry, so they went for it.”
“And you didn’t want to branch out?” Her mug clinks against the counter.
“I wouldn’t say that.” Her li
ps thin into a line, and I know I’ve struck a nerve. “When I start the day, I like to post where we’ll be on our social media sites, and if we’re running any specials or contests. Since I’ve already done that, we’ll head straight over and jump into the opening process.
An icy wall comes up between us. Who says it never snows in Southern California? It’s going to be a long day.
***
I never knew I could miss prospects so much. My back and feet are aching. Hell, my face hurts from forcing myself to smile at people when I wanted to do anything but that. I’m not used to dealing with the general public as a civilian. That’s what I have baby bikers in training for. There are perks to wearing a patch.
Right now I’m moving, help whenever you want it, to the pros and con list I’m creating for staying with the Kings. After a grueling day of following Xia around, taking in too much information, and serving customers, it’s time to break down, clean, and prep for the next day.
“You having fun yet?” Xia asks, raising an eyebrow.
I study her, not sure how to respond. She has a way of saying words without inflection, so you can only guess at the tone. I don’t want to make an enemy of the person training me, but I’m not the type to take anyone’s shit.
“It’s sweet of you to be so concerned about my well-being.”
Her eyes widen, and I smirk. “Must be the southern hospitality I hear Texans are known for.”
“You must be mistaken because I’m a SoCal girl.”
“Then it must be your sweet nature,” I counter.
Her lips turn downward at the corners, and I stave off a chuckle. I like the fire in her eyes. I step toward her.
“You wanted to show me how to break things down, right?”
She gives me a once over that takes longer than necessary. Whatever she feels for me, the physical attraction between us is mutual. She huffs and looks away. I step even closer. I’ve never been one to back down. She might run things where the truck is concerned, but outside of that, I like to be in charge. Her breathing speeds
“I’m a fast learner and a hard worker.” I can feel the heat pouring off her body. Her eyes dilate, and I see something more than irritation glide across her dark eyes. She clears her throat and averts her gaze, closing the link between us.
“We need to get this finished, so we can meet up with Ellis and Casp at the restaurant. They’ll wonder what took us so long.”
I smirk, pleased that I won our standoff. I don’t mind the cold shoulder, baby girl. I live for the chase.
“Wouldn’t want to worry them.”
Tilting her head, she pauses. “I get the feeling you’re not really concerned.”
“I’m past worrying about what others think. I get the feeling you are, too.”
“You don’t know anything about me,” she says softly.
“Not yet. After being in your apartment, I can see there’s another woman inside of you begging to get out. The girl standing in front of me isn’t the real you.”
“You talk a big game—”