A Taste of You

4: A Pathetic Display of Love and Affection

I wake up in a pissy mood on Tuesday. The Seattle weather compliments it well. I run errands, making my local vendor rounds searching for inspiration in available ingredients before heading into the restaurant.

I'm there early. I walk the restaurant in the late morning light. It's peacefully silent compared to the hustle and bustle of the dinner hours. I lean against the bar and get a sense of tremendous pride.

Against all odds, I've succeeded in a saturated restaurant market. I'm right to double down on my investment and deny myself any distractions, no matter how lonely I may get.

I set to work, getting lost in my cooking. The kitchen fills with wondrous smells. Tonight's special - risotto carbonara with crispy bacon and charred brussel sprouts. I am just plating when I hear the back door open.

I call out. "Come check out tonight's special."

I'm hoping it's Mateo so we can clear the air. And so I know eveything is okay between us as colleagues at the very least. Ronnie walks into the kitchen. I try not to look disappointed.

Ronnie notices. "Hoping for someone else?"

I ignore her. "Grab a fork and tell me what you think."

She does as she's told and once the mouthful hits her tongue, she moans. "It's criminal how good that is. Homerun, Ali!"

At mention of baseball, my thoughts turn to Thursday's meeting with Ethan. I shouldn't be excited about seeing his handsome face again, but I am. I'm lost in my thoughts when another fork stabs a bite of risotto. I look up and my eyes meet Mateo's.

"What have we here?" He looks tired and speaks to no one in particular, but there's a slight smirk playing on his lips. He takes the bite, leaning his head back as he chews. "Mmm, that all day and night!"

I blush. "Thanks for the compliments, guys. We have tonight's special."

"Dibs!" Ronnie claims the plate and scurries away.

I laugh and turn to Mateo. "I have more if you'd like a serving before your shift. I'm surprised, but happy to see you."

"Yeah, me too." He answers coolly and doesn't meet my eyes as he gets to work. Thankfully, his steely demeanor wears off as the day progresses. Over the next day, we're back to full banter, but without the physical contact.

By Wednesday at close, I'm starting to crave him. He is wiping down his station for the night. I walk over and lean back against the counter behind him, watching him work. His smooth muscles flex as he stretches and bends.

"Like something you see there, Ballas?" He asks without turning.

"Just thinking it's a shame you wiped all that excess flour up. I recall a certain fantasy of yours involving me bare-breasted against the counter. You were where again?"

He stops and I hold my breath seeing if he'll take the bait. He turns and smiles at me, warily. "I'm headed to the bar with some of the waitstaff. You could come with us, you know?"

Damn. He's going to hold steady on this whole out and public thing. Well, if he thinks I'm stubborn he hasn't seen nothing yet.

I decline. "Nah, I'm good. I have an early morning. Goodnight, Teo."

As I walk away, I try not to show my disappointment. Fine, I've lost my friends with benefits status, but at least he's here. And I remind myself I do have an early morning...with a taken man. Dammit all, anyway.

***

I am decidedly not a morning person, but I awake the next day cheery with anticipation. I shower and put a bit more effort into my look than I usually do for an evening of work at the restaurant. Casual tee and jeans, but I throw on some bulky jewlry and a blazer. I swoop up my massive head of curls into a low bun. I look polished, but not overdone.