Page 31 of Bake You Mine (Port Fortune #1)
It’d been one mother of a shift at Elevation.
Their computer system hit the shit just as a private dining group of fifteen arrived.
Liam had been on the phone with customer support while trying to run a kitchen for a packed house.
He reminded himself that this business was a roller coaster, and sometimes the wheels came off.
Like when you were stuck on top of one of the loops, hanging upside down for dear life.
On nights like this, the lack of space was evident, with servers carefully maneuvering around one another to pick up orders. Customers lined up outside instead of in the foyer because tables weren’t being turned over fast enough—the space simply wasn’t large enough to meet the demand.
Once the system was running again, he barely had time to think as the kitchen cranked out orders. It was one of those nights you only knew had ended when the number of tickets dwindled, and you finally had a chance to look up.
A few women lounged at the bar. One had her head on her hand, staring longingly at him.
Sasha strode into the kitchen. “It’s past closing, and I think your fan club wants a parting selfie,” she whispered.
He groaned, which prompted his sister to say, “It comes with the territory, hot chef.”
He was more than that stupid hashtag. Chip and Diana mentioning it in their little video deepened Liam’s doubts that no one cared about his food, only his face.
“Take the photo, and I’ll get them out of here.”
Liam rushed to the bathroom to clean up.
He walked out for the photo, ignoring how the drunkest woman of the bunch hung on him.
Luckily for him, Sasha tolerated no unwanted touching, so she took a moment to tell them they didn’t have to go home, but they had to get the hell out of there.
His luck ran further when the women’s Uber pulled up, and Sasha ushered them outside and locked up behind them.
She kicked off her shoes like they owed her money and bent over to pick them up. “Where are you off to tonight? Hot date with Aubrey?”
If only. “Nah, she’s at home. I’m thinking of heading to the new speakeasy off Tulip Turn, The Far End? I know the owner, and he asked me to come by.”
“Ooh, that sounds like a wonderful idea. You buying, big brother?”
She’d return the favor soon enough. “For you, the world, lil sis.”
Sasha helped him finish cleaning up, and they walked over to the speakeasy, chatting easily about their mother’s clandestine relationship with the butcher.
“She acts like I didn’t see the man’s branded van pulling out of our driveway! C’mon, Mom. You can’t have him spend the night and expect to keep it a secret.”
“What did she say when you called her on it?”
“She told me he was dropping by with a delivery. At eight o’clock in the morning. I mean, how dumb does she think I am?” She paused under a streetlight to adjust the strap on her shoe.
“She should know better than to lie to you. Anyway, I think Mr. O’Malley is nice. Hopefully, she’ll tell us the truth when she’s ready.”
They approached The Far End, and Liam pulled up their social media page to find the clue for that night’s password. The eye-level window slid open seconds later when he knocked on the door.
“Password?”
“Kiwi. ”
The door rattled open, and they stepped inside. “Steve, my man, you can’t use emojis for passwords.”
“Why not? Port Fortune is too small for this place to be uber exclusive.”
Liam laughed. “Fair point. Remember that place in New York we went to that moved around every week, and you had to figure where it’d be based on the clues they’d upload online?”
Steve threw his head back in laughter. “Oh man, those were the days. Hey, I’m glad you’re here, Liam. I have a friend of mine I want you to meet.”
After he and Sasha settled at the bar, a man approached from one of the booths. Liam turned, his mouth gaping at the sight of Jason Morse, co-owner of Devour, one of the top restaurant groups in the DC area.
He was the kind of guy with the power to make those pie-in-the-sky dreams a reality. His most recent project was a ten-million-dollar food market in Georgetown. He was always after innovative talent in the DC area and beyond.
Liam whirled around on his stool. “How do you know Jason Morse?”
“We went to culinary school together. A chef in his former life, which makes him better than a lot of these douchebag businessmen.” Steve waved to Jason. “Hey, Jase, meet the hot chef himself, Liam Linley.”
Jason eased his large frame onto the stool next to Liam’s. “Nice to finally meet the social media phenom in person.” He reached out a hand, and Liam shook it.
Liam inwardly cringed. Although he couldn’t deny that the dumb hashtag had brought him to the attention of someone like Jason Morse, it wasn’t all bad.
“I’m in town to check out Steve’s new place,” Jason said. “I’ve heard you might need a place of your own. I read about the competition in The Port Fortune Pinnacle . Gotta keep up with all the local restaurant scene news.”
“He stays one step ahead of his enemies that way,” Steve joked.
Jason’s gaze slipped past Liam to Sasha. Liam bristled, knowing his opinion of Jason would drop one hundred points if he creeped on his little sister, especially given the golden band on his ring finger. He was used to guys drooling all over her. Luckily, he had nothing to worry about.
“Brother and sister, I’m guessing? Man, the resemblance is staggering.”
“You’re perceptive,” Liam observed, before introducing Sasha to Jason.
“Have to be in this business. That means I know talent when I see it.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sterling silver business card holder. He slipped a card across the bar top. “Give me a call once your competition is over, Liam. I’d love to talk.”
Jason shook his hand once more before making his way toward the door. Liam took the card and held it up to the light. It was gold-engraved on heavyweight paper. Jason Morse didn’t skimp on a first impression.
“I told you Jason’s the real deal,” Steve said. “He wants me to move to DC, but no way, man. My big city days are over.”
Sasha rubbed her hands together. “What about you, big brother? This could be a plan B.”
Liam couldn’t deny it; he was flattered to garner interest from someone like Jason Morse. And yeah, his brain was halfway out the door already, crafting dreams he’d never have considered five minutes ago. He tapped the card on his palm. He’d have to wait and see where life led him.