Chapter Two
Julien
The bar is already crowded from what I can see, and I’m regretting the decision to meet down here. We could have met in my hotel room; I’m not comfortable in crowds, and since my brother got the records for me, he took pleasure in torturing me with this request.
“Stop scowling, bro. It’s not even that busy inside the bar.” It’s not crowded yet, but I still don’t care for it.
“Shut it, George,” I grumble through clenched teeth, walking into the bar area of the hotel and finding a table off to the side near the door. “Let’s take a seat right here.” I want to escape as soon as we finish up.
“Sounds good to me. I’ve brought all the documents you asked for.” My assistant was supposed to do it, but he flaked out on me, claiming he misunderstood my instructions, leaving the prepared documents on my desk. Finding good help is hard these days.
I unbutton my suit jacket and sit down while George pulls out his satchel. “How many candidates do we have for tomorrow? I’m tired of going through all these without skill or work ethic.” My assistant immediately comes to mind.
He sets the files on the table. “These are the batch that are doing the bake-off tomorrow at this hotel. All of them are talented, high marks in school.” It’s a small stack of manilla folders. I haven’t had time to look at them sooner because I have three bakeries across the Chicagoland area.
“But the true test will be how they handle the pressure,” I tell him. That is always the most challenging part for these kids. It takes more than mixing ingredients; love for the art has to be in it to make it work.
“Hello, gentlemen. What can I get you to drink?” our waitress asks, standing a little too close to me. Fuck, I can’t stand when people are nearby. I twist my chair, scooting it slightly back away from her.
“We’ll both have a Modelo. Right, sweetheart?” George says to me, putting his hand on mine, rubbing it back and forth softly. He’s the only one I let get away with it because he’s my brother and knows me too damn well.
“Yes, dear,” I answer, smiling tenderly at him.
“Always the super-hot ones,” she huffs, walking away from us. I hold back a laugh and sit back in my seat, but not before smacking his hand.
“That never gets old. God, one of these days you’ve got to get used to women flirting with you—or men, if that’s the case.”
“It’s not the case.”
He throws his hands up just to make sure I’m not offended, which I’m not because I’m sure he’s had questions over the years. “It’s cool, bro. Either way, I’m still your brother and happy to be your deflector.”
“Thanks. How about we go over these files so I know what I’m looking for tomorrow?”
“You want to show up late and avoid meeting the bakers and just taste their desserts, don’t you?”
“It’s all I’m there for.” I don’t want to participate in the spectacle or the small talk between the competitors.
“You know they do have to work side by side with you, so you’ll have to like them a little.”
“Yes, but not all of them will be there. Besides, it’s not so much the bakers that bother me; it’s all the assistants and managers talking and wanting to speak with me, trying to pick my brain, steal my recipes.”
“Julien, it was one time.” You only need one good betrayal in your life never to trust a motherfucker again. There are sayings about that shit for a reason.
“Yes, and the bastard made a fortune on it.” When I worked for my first bakery, I was just sixteen and I’d come up with a fantastic dessert and the owner stole the recipe, claimed it as his, and then sold it commercially, making a killing.
At that age I had no financial recourse, so I held my head up high and kept my mouth shut. Maybe that’s why I don’t like people. “And we have completely crushed him financially. We’re three times wealthier than him, so he can go fuck himself.”
Our waitress returns with our drinks and says, “Here you go, fellas. Please let me know if you need anything else.”
“Thanks. We’re good for now.” He winks at her, and she smiles because my brother, even pretending to be my boyfriend, is still a charmer. We’re the exact opposite, and maybe that’s why we work so great together as a team.
“Excuse me. We’ve just gotten a lively crowd in.” I look over to the area she pointed to, hoping to avoid the crowd and thinking maybe we’ll go somewhere else, like back to my hotel room, but I’ve changed my mind.
I’m not going anywhere with George. I’m following that beautiful creature wherever she’ll lead me, even if it’s to hell and back, because I found my other half. All this time. I stare at the woman in the little black dress. She smiles as she takes a seat and even with all that unnecessary makeup, I can see that her lips curve genuinely toward the hostess who seats her. Looking at the rest of her party, I see they’re all women, which is good. If another man had been there, I’d have to break his jaw.
“Earth to Julien, tuck your damn tongue back in your mouth. You look like a wolf cartoon character right now.” I feel wolfish, and she’s my prey. I’d love to eat her up from head to toe, stopping to enjoy her creamy center.
“I don’t have my tongue out,” I grunt, waiting for her to look my way.