Page 14
Six months!
All the time we were planning our trip and shopping for houses. How could he have done this to me? The nausea rises in my belly again.
I have to end the call then. I can’t even say goodbye. I drop it on the bed and race to the bathroom to stand bent over the toilet for a long few minutes, bile bitter in my throat. But the vomit won’t come out. Nor will any more tears.
When I stand and wash my face and stare into my reflection, my eyes are red and my skin is pale. But my cheeks are dry.
At least now my conscience is clear.
The little niggling feeling of guilt is lessened, but something is still eating away like acid at the bottom of my stomach.
The memory of Noah’s horrified expression last night flashes in my mind’s eye.
I still have to make that right somehow.
So that’s why, at five twenty in the morning, I open up my laptop and begin typing the review.
After a few lines, I get up and dig through my handbag to find the notes I made. And by the time the sun is shining through the window of my room in the bed and breakfast, I’m already editing the video.
I’d normally start a story with a little clip from my table at the restaurant. But I didn’t film one last night, since I wasn’t expecting to post. Luckily I did take pictures of all my courses. So once I’ve filmed me talking, I can edit them in to show each one and the elegant way they were plated.
Just looking at them all makes my stomach rumble, and I remember I’ve been up for hours and have had no breakfast.
I push the feeling aside and keep working. Normal me would never skip a meal. No one needs to see me when I’m hangry! But there’s a good reason today. This video needs to be perfect. It’s the least I can do after putting Noah in a situation that clearly made him uncomfortable and after all the care he took to cheer me up and to prepare a beautiful meal for me.
It’s not only that. The place truly deserves recognition. It would be a crime not to let everyone know about The Snapper.
When I’m satisfied that it’s done, I publish right away and close the app.
There’s still one more thing I need to do before I can stomach eating today.
SIX
Noah
“Hey, chef, that reviewer from last night was back in here before. Did she catch you?” Billy calls out to me as soon as I push the kitchen doors open, still tying my apron behind me.
I scowl. “No she didn’t. I don’t want her in here again.”
The kitchen goes quiet as everyone holds their breath. A metal bowl clashes to the floor and the apprentice curses. “Sorry, chef.”
“Pick it up. Get on with it. Nothing to see here.”
“Yes, chef!” The sounds of chopping and orders being shouted across the kitchen resume and Billy comes over with the tablet, holding it out for me. “We’re gonna be short on eggs this week. Looks like our supplier had a shortage. They could only give us two-thirds of our order. I could get Blair to run up to the supermarket, but I wanted to check with you first since that’ll blow out costs.”
I shake my head. “Let’s not do that. We’ll take the pav off the menu for now and see if we can last until the new order comes in.”
“Yes, chef.”
He hesitates and I can tell he wants to ask about Olivia. I sigh. “What?”
“Well, it’s just that she said she posted a review and um… we might have looked.”
“Show me.” I hold out my hand, and he passes me his phone, screen already unlocked and the Instagram story playing.
Olivia smiles and leans in as if she’s about to tell the camera a secret, and I can’t help the little sizzle of excitement at the memory of those lips on mine.
Fuck.
Table of Contents
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- Page 13
- Page 14 (Reading here)
- Page 15
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- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
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