Page 50 of Salty, Spiced, and a Little Bit Nice

I opened it up, reciting a silent prayer. His initial estimate hadbeen four to five thousand, so if I was lucky, it would be at the lower end of that quote.

“Threethousand? That can’t be right. Didn’t you say four to five?”

“I did.” Mike smiled, showing off perfect rows of white teeth. “But once we started the work, it turned out the damage wasn’t as extensive as we first thought.”

I gaped at him, then at the invoice, and back to him again. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely positive.”

Both my budget and I let out a relieved sigh. “I’ll organize payment this afternoon.”

“Sure.” He shoved his hands in his pocket and looked around the shop. “Nice space you got here. What are you opening?”

“A bakery.”

“Sweet.” He grinned at me, clearly proud of his pun. “Alec said you just moved here?”

“Brand-new transplant from the East Coast.”

His face turned curious. “You settled in so far? Explored our lovely city yet?”

“Not really. I’ve been focusing on getting this place up and running.”

“I’d be happy to show you around.” The curious look turned into a charming smile. “If you’re a coffee aficionado, there’s this awesome coffee shop that roasts their own gourmet beans. And they make these exquisite red velvet muffins.” He made a kissing gesture on his fingers. “It’s the best in the entire city.”

“Thanks, but I’m busy for the next few weeks. And coffee isn’t really my thing.”

His smile became flirtier. “That’s okay. We’ve also got tearooms, excellent locally brewed beers, and award-winning wineries.”

I chuckled. He was cute, but the last thing I needed right now was more distraction. “Look, Mike. You seem nice, but we justmet five minutes ago. What if you’re a dangerous axe murderer, or an organ trafficker planning to drug me and harvest my kidneys?” I tempered my words with a small chuckle.

A grin spread over his face. “Alec can vouch for me.”

Alec.We weren’t supposed to see other people during this deal, right? Even he himself had put a pause on pursuing his new relationship until after this was over.

“But sure, I totally understand if you’re not comfortable. You’ve got my number if you change your mind.”

This isn’t a date, though.My brain swiftly ran an internal pros and cons list. It was a smart business move, an opportunity for me to network and meet more people. Mike was obviously a local, and he might be useful in helping to spread the word about the bakery.

Plus, he might take my mind off Alec. Which was exactly what I needed.

Mike was walking toward the door. “You enjoy the rest of your day.”

“Saturday morning, one hour, in a public café,” I said, stopping him in his tracks. “Just in case youarean axe murderer, there’ll be witnesses who can testify that I was with you.”

“Cool. I’ll pick you up at, say, nine?”

“Text me the address. I’ll meet you there.”

“Awesome.” Grinning, he put his cap back on and pushed the door open. “I promise I’ll leave my axe at home.”

That night, I was back at Ocha Izakaya with Kim and Jenna, all three of us nursing cold drinks after a very long day. Rob and his crew had finished the kitchen today, and some of the tables and chairs I’d ordered were delivered this morning. We were ahead of schedule, and I was breathing a little easier because things were finally taking shape.

“We should make this a weekly gig.” Kim clinked her Sapporo with my Coke Zero, looking like she was well on her way to tipsiness. “The alcohol’s probably not good for my health, but I get to hang out with two wonderful friends and flirt with the cute chef. Win-win.”

“He’s been checking you out, too,” Jenna said. “Go talk to him.”

Kim considered this, then shook her head. “Maybe not. He looks a bit like Leo, my ex-fiancé. Don’t need another Leo in my life.”

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