Page 142 of A Chef's Kiss for Christmas

“What are you celebrating?” Ivy asked from behind the bar.

“The new year,” Warren replied, his intense gaze fixed on Anna in a way that gave her that wonderfully light feeling in her stomach. “And whatever adventures it may bring.”

Epilogue

Three months later…

After only ten minutes at work, Ivy put her head into the kitchen and caught Warren’s eye.

“Lewis wants to speak to you in the office,” she said.

“What for?” Warren called from the food storage.

“How would I know?”

“Why can’t he come in here and talk to me? And since when does he send you to fetch me?”

She shrugged. “He just said if I saw you, I should let you know he wants to speak to you.”

“That sounds ominous.”

A few minutes later, Warren knocked on the office door, then pushed it open.

“You were looking for me?” he said as he sank into the chair.

“Yeah.” Lewis’s eyes were on his computer screen while he scrolled with the mouse. “I received this letter this morning.” Hepaused in what he was doing and slid a single sheet of paper across the desk.

The company logo jumped out, but the rest of the words were a jumble that Warren’s brain couldn’t quite fathom.

“What is this?” he asked, his voice oddly croaky.

“An invitation to Michelin’s award ceremony.”

That’s what he thought he was looking at. His heart rate went through the roof. “Why are they inviting us to the awards?”

“The restaurant is being awarded a Michelin star.”

“Right.” He stared at the paper, still unable to get his brain to focus on the words. “Okay.”

“I know you always said you’re not driven by awards and accolades, and I’m actually starting to see why.”

“How do you mean?” he asked, his words sounding hollow.

“Someone from Michelin called me for a chat yesterday. Partly to warn me of what to expect when the new guide comes out next week, and it’s all official. He told me to be prepared that our online booking system is likely to go down due to too much traffic.”

“Really?” Warren asked dumbly.

“Yes. He was talking about how much busier we’ll be and how important it is not to let standards drop. Apparently, some restaurants don’t cope well with the boost in customers and the high expectations of those customers…”

Warren was barely listening. “We’re getting a Michelin star?”

“Yeah. And you know what I never really considered?”

“What?”

“Once you have a star, you have to make sure you don’t lose it. The inspectors will continue to visit to make sure we maintain standards. Imagine the disappointment of having a star taken away. That would be worse than never having one, wouldn’t it?”

Warren stared at him, not sure what he was babbling on about.