Page 33 of Get Lost

“Chef!” Chef Mikal called when he spotted Alex coming toward him. “Are you just getting here?”

“No,” Alex answered as he shook Mikal’s hand in greeting, “just about finished up. The food was incredible as usual.”

Chef Mikal frowned. “You gotta tell me when you come in so I can hook you up. I have some new items I’m trying out for a menu switch; I would have loved for another chef to try them.”

Alex smiled, getting an idea. “Actually, an associate of mine is here as well, sitting at a table in the back of the patio. She’s not a chef, but she is a foodie, and she runs a burgeoning event planning business.”

“Yeah?”

Alex nodded. “It’s just her and three of her girlfriends.”

The chef nodded to one of the servers. “Lex? You got a sec?”

She rushed over. “Yes, Chef Mikal?”

“You have a four-top of women on the patio?”

Alex added, “They’re near the fountain, searching for the bottom of your bottomless mimosas.” He smiled, picturing Kelsey drinking straight from the bottle.

The girl nodded, her brows furrowing. “Yes, that’s my table. Is something wrong?” Her eyes widened. “Are they too loud?”

Alex laughed, shaking his head. “No, not at all. They’re great.” He probably could have kept that last part to himself.

“I’m going to send them a few new dishes to try,” Chef Mikal explained. “Think they’ll stick around a while?”

She nodded emphatically. “I just delivered a fresh bottle of champagne. They’re here at least once a month. Really good tippers.” She grinned. “And they usually stay most of the afternoon.”

Alex smiled.Good to know.

Chef Mikal nodded to Alex. “I’ll hook them up. Let me know what your friend thinks of the new menu items, cool?”

Alex clapped his friend on the back. “Will do, buddy. I’ll be back soon to try them out myself.”

Before Alex returned to his table, he tracked the server down again. “Excuse me, Lex, is it?”

She looked up and smiled. “Yes?”

“I’d like to pay for their tab, too, if that’s all right. Those four women.”

She nodded. “Sure, no problem. Let me just go let them know—”

“Actually, I’d prefer you don’t tell them until after I leave. Will that be a problem?”

She frowned for a brief second as she considered his request, then shrugged. “Yeah, I don’t see why not.”

“Great. Thanks.”

She pulled up the tab for the table, then read off the amount, and Alex paid her, adding a hefty tip to make up for whatever the girls might have tipped their server, then he headed back outside.

When he reached his table, his mother and Alyson were discussing the new restaurant location. He placed his hands on the back of his empty chair. “You ladies ready?”

“You haven’t finished your meal, Alex,” his mother said disapprovingly.

“Not really hungry anymore, Mom.” Truth was, he didn’t want to give Alyson further reason to touch him, and sitting beside her during what should have been an innocent lunch had become too personal for his liking.

Alyson looked up at him, frowning. “Where have you been?”

Alex hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “I wanted to go say hello. My friend is the chef.”

---