Page 36 of The Cupcake Standard

The waiter looked uncertain, but, recognizing the air of entitlement, if not the name, hurried to do Derek’s bidding. Derek’s arm casually rested behind me as the kitchen doors flung open, and an Asian man about our age strode out, anger written in every movement. He looked to be several inches shorter than me.

His white chef’s coat was almost pristine, and his dark eyes flashed as he marched up to our table. “You cretin. That chicken was perfect, and you know it!”

The picture of nonchalance, Derek arched an eyebrow. “Bin, this is my girlfriend, Avery. If you try to serve her that subpar chicken you gave me the last time I was here, I’m going to roast you on Instagram and sink this place.”

There was a tense moment of silence before both men burst into grins, reaching for each other to clasp forearms.

“It’s good to see you.”

“How you been, man?”

Unable to keep up with who was speaking, I nodded to the scared waiter who snuck in on the side to deliver our whiskey. Then I poured myself a glass and took a delicious sip.

“Avery, stand up so Bin can get a better look at you.”

I gave Derek a stunned look, not too thrilled to be ordered around. “You want me to open my mouth so he can examine my teeth, too?”

Derek chuckled. “Please. I just want to show you off.”

A bit mollified, I scooted out to do a few model poses, ending with a twirl that highlighted my Armani gown.

Bin stared, then sat next to me to whisper, “There’s another door out the back. Blink twice if you’re here against your will.”

I threw my head back and laughed, leaning into Derek. “Nope, we’re together, a team. But only if I can get some real food. His parents tried to feed me snails and steamed spinach, and they didn’t even have the decency to offer dessert.”

A knowing look crossed Bin’s face, and he glanced at Derek with concern.

Derek waved him off, his gaze settling on me again, tenderness in his eyes. “Remind me to tell you that story after we feed her. What do you want, Cupcake? The sky’s the limit.”

So I ordered prime rib, mashed potatoes, green beans and cheesecake for dessert.

Once Bin had finished cooking our food, he shut down the kitchen to join us. “My restaurant, my decision.” Bin watched fascinated as I carefully cut half my prime rib into bite-sized bits before ever taking a bite. “I’ve never seen anyone do that before.”

Derek grinned. “She does it with just about any main dish, except pizza.”

I almost dropped my fork. “Who uses silverware to eat pizza?” My ruse to get the conversation off me failed as Derek nudged Bin and continued.

“She won’t eat anything else. She’ll eat what she’s cut up, or until she’s full. Only then will she move on to something else. That’s how I knew she wasn’t really eating the escargot tonight.” His eyes danced with laughter. “She’d take a bite of the chicken and rice then go back to the snails, saw at them a bit, shove them around, take a bite of chicken and rice…”

Of course he saw that. “You’re giving away all my secrets.” I stared at my plate, annoyed and embarrassed.

“Bin, you should have seen her.”

Derek’s tone changed so drastically, I had to risk a peek. The amusement faded, a look of intense admiration replacing it. And he launched into the story of me leaving for the bathroom, returning with my mother’s books.

I had a feeling the tale would become legend, not that I minded. I’d gladly do it again, if only to keep that light in Derek’s eyes. Maybe the next time he sat at their table, and they ignored him, he could think of that memory with a smile. I ate as I listened, savoring every delicious bite. The prime rib practically melted in my mouth, the potatoes were so fluffy they were like air and the green beans had just the right amount of crispness. And the cheesecake was creamy perfection. I made sure to compliment Bin.

Derek had ravioli. His favorite. The whiskey disappeared at an alarming rate. At one point, I had to let Derek out to use the bathroom. He took advantage of my distance by stealing the last bite of my cheesecake.

I protested, “Hey, not cool!”

He just smirked at me. “It was mine anyway.” Then he wandered, a bit wobbly, across the room.

I turned to Bin, my frown not only because I was out of dessert. “What did he mean by that?”

Derek nearly walked into another table.

Thank goodness we’re the only ones here. Bin shook his head, chuckling. “He’s half owner of this place.”

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