Page 134 of The Wedding Menu

Better than yesterday’sDo you have a map? Because I got lost in your eyes.

My breath catches once I hit “send,” and when no checkmark appears, my shoulders drop and I put the phone away. Maybe tomorrow.

“So it’s true. Amelie Preston is opening a restaurant.”

I turn around and notice a man standing at the entrance. His black suit almost takes up the whole space, and against the bright rays of sun streaming in, he looks like the epicenter of all that’s dark.

“Hello?” I say, not sure who he is or why he knows my name. “Do we know each other?”

He takes a step inside, and then another. The third step is when I recognize him. We’ve never met in person, but I’ve heard, read, and talked about this man more often than I care to admit.

“Not yet,” he says as he keeps advancing toward me, his pace slow as his dark eyes roam my barren walls and freshly painted ceiling. “But I’m hoping we’ll get to know each other better.”

Yeah, I don’t see that happening.

He halts in front of me and holds out his hand. “William Roberts. Wonderful to meet you.”

William Roberts is in my restaurant.

Why? I’m not sure.

Some strands of his hair are turning gray, but most retain their dark brown, almost black color. His eyes are a shade lighter but not by much, and he has a trimmed beard. By all accounts, he’s handsome. I knew that already; I’ve seen him online or in magazines. But now that he’s here, I realize he’s magnetic, intimidating. It’s not even that he’s overly tall or strongly built, which he is. It’s his attitude.

“Here’s your coffee,” I say, offering him a cup.

He graciously accepts it, then points out to the sea. “Gorgeous view. If you look that way, you can see the outermost point of land.”

I follow the direction of his finger and nod. For all the smack our restaurants talked about each other over the last year, he seems nice enough. “Yeah. This comes second.”

“Still takes the podium.” He grins, then sips his coffee. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you for a while, Amelie. Hammond has kept you locked in his kitchen, far away from the public.”

Because he doesn’t think I’m ready or worthy of any attention, and though technically the enemy of my enemy is my friend, I’m not sure it applies to this situation. “I’ve been focusing on cooking.” I offer him a light shrug. “I’m not really interested in the public part of my father’s career.”

“I can understand that.”

I wait for him to get to whatever he’s here to say, but he just keeps studying me with a look I can’t quite decipher. It’s somewhat intrusive. “So… um, how can I help you, Mr. Roberts?”

“Please call me William.”

I offer him a light nod.

“I just figured introductions were in order.” He slips a hand into his pocket. “And congratulations too.”

“Thanks.” Still doesn’t explain why he’s here. An email would have sufficed.

“And what better chance to start off on the right foot?” He takes a sip of coffee, not once breaking eye contact with me over the rim of his cup. “In fact, we should celebrate your new venture. How would you feel about escorting me to dinner tomorrow night?”

“Dinner?” A nervous giggle escapes me, and I try to hide it by looking at the blue waves crashing against the rocks beneath us. “I—if you’re here as part of some espionage ploy, I’m sorry to disappoint you, William—”

“Espionage!” He huffs out a laugh, then looks down at his coffee, a shy smile on his lips that doesn’t match anything else about him. “Look, Amelie, I know you’re an extraordinary cook. With this restaurant, you’ll do great things. It’s in my best interest to have you on my side.”

“Or we could just not have sides.”

He chuckles. “I agree. This silly little crusade Hammond is fighting against me is getting old. I have nothing but respect for your father and his restaurant.”

Cocking my brow, I give him a “Who are you kidding?” look. I’m not one to often defend my father, but I also wasn’t born yesterday. “You defined my father and La Brasserie as ‘pretentious, overpriced—’?”

“?‘—leftovers from the past,’ yes.” He thoughtfully rubs his jaw. “I believe it was during an interview withYummagazine.”

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