Page 138 of A Chef's Kiss for Christmas

“Please can you get here quickly? I’m slightly hungover, and I can’t cope with drama.”

“I’ll come,” Anna said, already off the couch. “Try to keep Warren in the dark until I get there.”

Fifteen minutes later, she strode into the hotel dining room. She gave Ivy a quick smile and made a beeline for Dennis and Jen.

“Hello!” Jen placed her napkin on the table and rose to greet Anna. “We’re on a secret mission,” she said, her silly grin causing Anna to wonder how much wine she’d drunk.

“Warren doesn’t know you’re here?”

“Not yet. We don’t want to disturb him while he’s busy.”

Dennis raised his hand to beckon Ivy over, then told her to bring an extra chair for Anna.

“How long are you here for?” Anna asked while shooting Ivy an apologetic glance.

Jen took her seat again. “Just tonight.”

“Not much happening with the business on the first day of the year,” Dennis added. “So we thought we’d come and check out the place our son has devoted all his attention to.”

“The hotel is gorgeous,” Jen said. “Warren didn’t mention that the place was so upmarket.”

“And you never thought to look into the place he worked?” Anna muttered, annoyed that they were probably about to wreak havoc on the sense of harmony she’d been living in.

“Our room is lovely,” Jen crooned.

“Andthe food?” Anna asked, her jaw tight as she loomed over them. “Did you already eat?”

“It wasverygood,” Jen said.

“Yes,” Dennis agreed. “That tasting menu isn’t bad at all.”

“Oh, my god.” Anna dropped her chin to her chest as she sighed. “Warren’s food is amazing.”

“That’s what we said.” Dennis straightened his tie. “It really was decent.”

“No!” Anna spat, aware of Ivy hovering beside her with a chair. “Those aren’t compliments. When you speak to Warren, say the food was fantastic. Do not say that it’snot bad,ordecent,or any other mediocre adjectives. You can say delicious, incredible, mouthwatering… You should say he’s talented and that you’re proud of him. Do you understand?”

Dennis swilled his wine, with an amused glint in his eyes. “Feisty, this one, isn’t she?” he said to Ivy.

“Apparently so,” Ivy replied, chuckling.

Anna’s gaze swept the busy room – lots of guests were on starters, some partway through the main course.

“I take it things are busy in the kitchen?” Anna asked Ivy.

“Yeah. I imagine it’ll be another hour before things calm down.”

“In that case, why don’t we move to the lounge and have a drink there?” she said to Warren’s parents. The suggestion was firm enough that it sounded more like instructions, but Dennis and Jen smiled approvingly.

Ivy told them there’d be a staff member in the lounge to take their drink order. Then she patted Anna’s arm and mouthed her thanks before moving away.

In the lounge, Dennis ordered a bottle of wine. When it arrived, Anna felt a jolt of panic at the thought of spending an hour making small talk with them. Hopefully, the dinner rush might be over sooner than Ivy predicted.

For a while, they talked about the hotel and the area. With the neutral conversation and the wine, Anna stayed relatively relaxed. Until Dennis shifted the conversation, asking about her work, then she felt herself tense up.

“It’s a very quiet time of year,” she said, the words feeling practiced. “But after the Christmas rush, it’s good to take a break. I’ll start back at the flower shop later in January.”

“And what about that idea of expanding to having your own physical shop?” Dennis asked. “Have you thought any more about that?”