Page 9 of Executive Benefits

To my surprise, he didn’t jump. Instead, he turned and smiled at me, which was a really great smile. Something I wasn't exactly happy about, although certain parts of my body seemed to disagree with that, but I wasn't really interested in jumping into something else with another client.

Not only was it unprofessional, but Jared taught me that lesson.

I remembered flirting with him on our first meeting.

That was fun.

Maybe I did deserve a little fun.

“Julia, hello! Come on in,” Nick said, going back to whatever he was working on. I pushed the door forward and continued into the kitchen, looking around in a bit of awe.

“Wow, I’ve never been in a restaurant kitchen before.” I laughed. “It’s very clean.”

Nick’s smile grew as he turned and held a spoon with sauce on it for me to try. I could smell the garlic and other seasonings that made my mouth water. “Here, try this,” he said. I didn’t know if he was trying to feed me or if I should take the spoon, but as I stepped forward to take it, he tipped the spoon closer to my lips. Before he got close enough, I took the spoon and gave him a smile as our fingers brushed together.

While he didn’t seem fazed, I tried to ignore the tingling sensation that sparked up my hand. And the fact that my nipples hardened... I was grateful his eyes didn’t leave mine because I was positive they were showing through my shirt now. Which brought another wave of heat washing over my cheeks.

He watched me and said, “Tell me what you think. Is it good enough for the new menu?”

I tasted the sauce and my eyes rolled into the back of my head. “Wow.” It was delicious. I'd watched enough chef competitions to know what umami was, and the sauce was rich with it. “Wow,” I said after enjoying the last bit of it. “This isn’t on your menu already?”

“No. Kendra always thought red sauce would stain the white linens. She wasn’t wrong, but I think that this sauce should have already been on the menu.” He clapped his hands and gave the sauce in the large vat one more turn before stepping away. “I canmeet you out in the dining room in one sec. I have to take my coat off and clean up. Then I’m excited to get started.”

“Great,” I said, shaking out the flicker that sparked, reminding me—like I’d forget—that I was attracted to him. It looked like I was going to be hardcore attracted also. My jaw tightened as I spun and walked out into the dining area.

I could be attracted to someone but not pursue it, right? There were a lot of people in the world. Just because I wasn’t seeking out anything with a client, it didn’t mean that I was blind.

It didn’t really matter. One, I didn’t think he was attracted to me. I was probably way too young for it to even strike his radar. Two, my body seemed to not care about what boundaries my mind was sticking to. I’d have to just train myself not to be enticed by it.

I picked my bag up and looked around for the lights. Without the spectacular lighting, the crisp, white look of the room made it look more like an abandoned medical center than a warming environment. That was something I could help change.

I really loved that thought.

Now that I saw it this way, I had no doubt why Nick wanted to upgrade. If his sauce was any indicator of how well the rebrand would go, I’d say it was going to be a hit.

I found the switches and turned them on. Once it was lit up, I couldn’t unsee the sterile environment. My thoughts began to percolate. Now every white table was a blank canvas to decorate. Even with the centerpieces still in the middle of the tables.

I walked over to one of the semi-circle booths and reached for the tall vase in the center of the table. I picked it up, and it washeavier than it looked. My eyes skimmed the room for a blank spot to put it. When I realized the bar was the only empty spot, I walked over and placed it there. Then, I turned around and walked back to the table. When I got there, I took the tablecloth off and studied the spot as I folded the fabric, letting my hands move my thoughts forward.

The table under the cloth was a rich, walnut color with an amazing design on it. I placed the folded up material over the back of the booth and then looked under to see whether the table was stationary or could be moved. Happiness to see it was a table that could be moved flooded my system. Just the simple act of removing the stuff from on top of it, and the table already brought a warming appearance to the environment.

Plus, it was going to be cost effective.

I spun and went to a different table, taking the stuff off this one also. I picked a table closest to where I was, but it was still a table, thinking that if I separated myself from Nick, at least I was putting restrictions on myself.

If we would’ve sat in a booth, we would have had to sit closer together. And although my body argued with the rational thought, I didn’t budge on keeping space between us. Especially after how good it felt to flirt during our first meeting.

I patted myself on the back for creating the boundary, which helped me remember that I needed to stop focusing on Nick personally and get down to brass tacks.

By the time I was set up and seated, Nick came out with two glasses. “Here’s some water for you. Just let me know when you’re ready for lunch. I’ll whip something up for the two of us.”

“That's very sweet of you, but I’ll be okay,” I said, even though I would have loved to see what he was going to do with that sauce.

“It’s my pleasure.” He placed a hand over his heart. Now that he was in only his blue T-shirt, I could see that I was right about his physique, except it was better than I could imagine. The swell of his chest and biceps had me wondering where there was a gym in the area. Maybe I could ask him? I didn’t know much about Hearts Creek yet, so asking him about that would only be good for my health—I said, trying to convince myself. I laughed internally and turned my attention back to the meeting.

“So, I know the sauce is incredible.” I flipped open a notebook and picked up my pen. “Are you going to lean into the Italian food direction?”

“Yes.” His sapphire eyes sparkled at my pen and paper routine, and I ignored it. “I think so. I had this great epiphany last night. Woodfired pizza and hand-rolled pasta. My family is from Northern Italy, so I can bring some of those traditions into the restaurant too,” he said, his cheeks lifted with a smile, bringing out a fuller and brighter look on his face.

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