Page 3

Hannah

As soon as I close the car door, I scream out in excitement.

If anyone could see me right now, they might assume I’m having some kind of psychotic break.

My arms are flailing all around as my feet stomp on the floorboard of the car so hard I wonder if they might bust through it.

I don’t even care what I look like though, because I can finally quit that nightmare of a job.

Fuck that whole two weeks’ notice thing. I’m about to storm in there and quit in the most epic fashion ever. Someone might even want to video it and use it as a reminder of how to quit a job. It’s going to be that amazing.

I look over at the contract lying on the passenger seat of my car, realizing I never even looked it over.

Like I care what it says though. As long as I get paid, it’s good enough for me.

You only need to be stuck in a nightmare of a job once to realize you can make sacrifices to accommodate lower pay if necessary.

I pick it up, scanning it quickly for the part that discusses salary and when my eyes fall on it, I let out a gasp. Guess I won’t be needing to worry about that whole pay cut thing.

“Ten grand over my current salary!” I yell out, tossing a fist in the air. This day couldn’t get any better.

While I know this isn’t a done deal, I’m fine with quitting my job and moving in with Dylan if this whole thing doesn’t pan out. I have no idea why it wouldn’t work. I’m a damn good chef.

I dig through my purse for a pen, signing my name at the bottom of the contract even though Leo told me to return it tonight when I come back. I’m not holding off any longer. I need this final and done or at least as close to done as possible.

I walk back in and find Leo waiting, a smirk on his face, and holy shit if he doesn’t look so damn hot. He’s all tattoos and dark close-cropped hair with these deep brown eyes that stupidly draw me in.

This is your new boss, Hannah! Stop it. Stop it right now.

“I kinda figured you’d be back. Negotiations?” he asks, leaning against the bar, as he motions for me to sit down.

“Nope. Just don’t want this opportunity to pass me by,” I reply, setting the signed contract down in front of him. “I’ll see you tonight.”

“Can’t wait, Hannah,” Leo says and the way he says my name sends a wave of goosebumps washing over my skin.

“Me either,” I murmur back, looking over my shoulder as I walk back out.

Now to go and quit my nightmare job.

I pull into the parking lot of my soon-to-be former employer, taking in a hard breath, I ready myself to do what I’ve been wanting to do since the day I set foot in this place. I pull down the visor, looking at myself in the mirror, I smile.

“You got this, Hannah,” I tell myself, nodding my head. “Go tell that asshole everything you’ve ever wanted to say to him. Every single thought that has kept you up at night, unload it now.”

I slam the car door, my adrenaline pumping, my heart racing with nervous excitement. This is it. There will never be another time in my life where I will feel this vindicated. Someday I’ll tell my grandkids this story and they’ll think their grandma is a total badass.

When I walk in, I don’t bother to ask where Roy is.

I already know he’s holed up in his office, hiding from his employees instead of in the kitchen where he should be as the head chef and owner.

He’s avoiding interacting normally with his staff and he probably should be. He just makes us all miserable.

“Get that menu done?” Curt asks, when I stroll through the kitchen with the confidence of a runway model.

“Nope. And who the fuck cares!” I shout, tossing up my hands as I walk straight for Roy’s office. Without knocking, I throw the door open, catching him off guard. The stupid look on his face makes me laugh out loud. His mouth is hanging open, a pen in his hand, poised like he’s going to stab me.

“Anna, you better be here with the seasonal menu. It was due to me this morning,” he hisses and again I laugh.

“I quit, motherfucker!” I shout, and I now wish I would’ve gone home and gotten my chef’s coat so I could dramatically throw it in his face.

“I’m done with your bullying and ridicule and your ridiculous demands.

You’re impossible to work for because you’re an egotistical tyrant who has zero respect for his employees and I hope I never see your stupid fucking face again! ”

He’s standing now, his face growing redder and redder with each word I shout at him, but I don’t care. Nothing he says to me is going to matter. I don’t ever have to set foot in here again.

I know the kitchen staff has gathered behind me, pretending to work but also attempting to take in every word of my little Norma Rae style speech.

I’m killing it today!

“So write your own seasonal menu, asshole!” I call out, as I turn my back on Roy, tossing up both middle fingers as I walk out.

I worry for a moment that he’s going to chase me out to my car, but I’m sure he’s still standing there, shocked into silence that someone finally had the guts to stand up to him.

It’s either that or he’s now screaming at his current staff, telling them to pick up the slack my absence has left. And that part makes me feel just a little guilty. Just a little though. Not enough to ever consider working there again.

As soon as I get home, I get in the shower.

I have an hour to get myself ready and head back to Somerville’s for my evening with Leo.

It makes it sound like a date, when in reality, it’s more like an audition.

An audition I can’t fail because I really don’t want to live with my little brother when I can’t pay my rent.

Before I know it, I’m back in the car and pulling up outside Somerville’s.

I’m filled with that same nervous excitement I had earlier, but this time it’s a feeling that says my future is here in this job.

It’s my dream job. A place that is lowkey and fun, a place that will allow me to showcase my talents in food and drink pairings, and a place where I won’t begin to question my ability.

I head back toward the kitchen and find Leo waiting for me.

He smiles and I swear my insides turn to jelly, my legs suddenly wanting to give out from underneath me.

This is going to make working for him really hard.

Maybe he has some weird quirk that will make him horribly unattractive.

Maybe he has smelly feet or bad grammar. Doubtful.

“Hey, Hannah,” he says, greeting me, and again with my name. Why does he make my name sound so damn sexy coming out of his mouth?

“Hey, Leo. Ready to get started?” I ask, sounding a little overzealous and possibly desperate.

“I thought we could talk about a few things first and then we can team up on some new menu ideas. What do you say?”

“Sounds perfect.”

He escorts me back to the same office from this morning and pulls out a chair for me to sit down across from his desk.

I scan the room for pictures of his wife or girlfriend or boyfriend or whoever but come up short.

There’s nothing but a few pictures of the orchard and the vineyard, and some before and after shots of buildings that I know were renovated by Tessa.

Score one for me!

You’re not hooking up with your boss, Hannah. Especially a boss who literally hasn’t even formally hired you yet.

“We’ve been a little short staffed, so it’s really good to have you on board. I wanted to give you a quick rundown of how things work here since we’re not your typical city restaurant.”

“Been there, done that, and I’m ready to try something new,” I reply, again sounding stupidly asskissingly desperate.

Shut up, and listen, Hannah!

“You’ll be working at both the Somerville and Apple Jacks restaurants,” Leo says, tossing a thumb in the direction of the building.

“I’m in charge of both, so I go back and forth.

Some days you’ll be here at Apple Jacks and other days there.

Right now, Jack and Lauren are working on expanding the restaurant at Somerville’s so that means there will be an opening for another head chef once that is complete.

They’re also expanding their catering business which will require a lead chef too. ”

“So there’s definitely an opportunity for advancement,” I add, and Leo nods. I just hope I’m not getting ahead of myself.

“Is that important to you?” Leo asks, and fuck my life, I did get ahead of myself. “Obviously, we’d like to keep employees, but we also understand that the Somerville name is relatively small—”

I cut him off, which is once again, me getting ahead of myself, but my mouth just won’t seem to stop today. “But there’s a sense of respect and camaraderie here, and the idea that the owners appreciate the hard work and effort that their employees put in.”

I stop talking before I tell him I don’t want to ever leave because leaving would mean I wouldn’t be able to stare at his gorgeous face every day at work.

“Jack and Lauren are great to work for. I think you’ll really like it here,” Leo now says, turning on that perfect smile of his.

“I do too.”

“Let’s get to work,” Leo announces, clapping his hands together once and grabbing a binder. He opens it up to the first page, handing it to me, he explains this is a list of new ciders that Jack has been working on, and next to them are Leo’s menu ideas.

We chat for a bit, tossing around ideas and letting things play out before deciding that we’re going to get started on a squash soup. It’s simple but will showcase some of my skills.

Leo points me in the direction of where I can get set up and he begins working a few feet away.

With the restaurant still open, he can’t devote all his attention to me, and given they are short staffed already, he needs to be working.

Orders will be coming in and I can only hope he’ll let me help out if needed.

“The pork chops with onion gravy and cinnamon apples are the most popular dish on the menu, but people really love seasonal specials. The seasonal menu is always a big draw.”

The second he says seasonal menu, I shudder. I’m never going to be able to hear those words and not think of that prick Roy Langston. I must have even made some sort of guttural moan because Leo looks over at me, his eyebrows going up.

“Sorry, my old boss hated every idea I had for the seasonal menu and now I have menu PTSD,” I joke as I begin to create the roux for the soup.

“The guy sounds like a real jerk. You won’t find that here,” Leo says, winking at me, and holy shit, just that simple gesture has my heart fluttering. Forget that dick Roy Langston, Leo Marsh is healing my confidence one wink at a time.

“Thanks,” I reply, as I watch Leo begin to chop an onion and it has never looked sexier. The muscles in his arms are flexed, his tattoos peeking out from his sleeves, making me wonder if he’s tattooed anywhere else.

I quickly look away before he catches me and thinks I’m some kind of weird stalker or worse that I have some kind of kitchen fetish.

We work in silence for a while with Leo filling orders from the restaurant and me perfecting the soup recipe.

The restaurant is buzzing, and I feel bad that I’m working on something that won’t be able to help Leo out.

It’s obvious that they’re in need of more employees and I start to wonder if I should mention that I have some friends I left behind when I quit my other job so abruptly.

“How’s it going?” I hear Leo ask, and when I turn around to answer him, I nearly crash into his firm and perfectly muscled chest. Our faces are only inches apart and if I leaned forward just slightly, our lips would be touching.

I let out a slow breath, and as I do, Leo reaches over and tucks a few stray hairs behind my ear. His touch sends my body into a tailspin, as my mouth goes dry and any chance of answering him is long gone.