Page 16 of Blame It on the Bikini
That reminder drove the smile from her face, but she didn't say that he wasn't going to get his way this time because that would make him try harder to prove her wrong. Instead, she'd take a page from his book and walk him a little farther down the road. That thought put the smile back on her lips.
Grayson gave her an inquisitive look. "What are you thinking?"
"That I wish I could have photographed you and that sheep on that lonely road in Ireland. Did anyone take a photo?"
"No. I'm not someone who immortalizes my every moment with a picture."
"Too bad. Because that would have been a moment worth capturing." She picked up her wineglass and took a sip.
"I hope you didn't take that as an insult," he said quickly. "I wasn't talking about you as a professional photographer; I was thinking about one of the women I used to see who only ordered food she could photograph, and half the time she didn't even like it. It made no sense to me."
"I'm not interested in food photography, either. Although that appetizer we just ate was definitely worth a post on social media, and I did take a photo of it the first time I ate it because I want people to see how good the food is here."
"I would have made an exception for that, too," he conceded. "It was ridiculously good, and I can't wait to see what we're getting next."
"It will be spectacular. Neither Madison nor Gabe believes in mediocrity, not when it comes to food. And even though they're on the same team now, they push each other to be better."
"I like their commitment to excellence. Too many people settle for average or good enough."
As Grayson finished talking, two waiters delivered their meals, with Madison arriving at the table, her face flushed, and her blonde hair pulled back from her face.
"Lexie, I'm so glad you brought Mr. Holt here. I'm Madison Baldwin."
"Nice to meet you," he said. "And I'm very impressed with the food."
"The appetizer was all Gabe. This course is mine," she said with a proud smile. "I hope you like fish. I've prepared a pan-roasted halibut on a saffron-infused risotto with fresh sweet crab and grilled asparagus, with a dusting of smoky ancho chili salt. The fish was caught this morning, so it's about as fresh as it can be."
"I can't wait," he said.
"Please, eat," she said with a wave of her hand. "And let your waiter know if you need anything else."
As Madison left, they both dug in and spent the next several minutes eating in comfortable silence. She hadn't had this particular dish before, and she loved the creaminess of the risotto with the salty pop of crab and melt-in-your-mouth fresh halibut. She wanted to ask Grayson what he thought, but there was no need because he was eating with genuine enthusiasm.
Everything was absolutely perfect: the incredible food, the amazing view, and the interesting man sitting across from her. The hectic mania of the wedding had completely disappeared from her mind, and she couldn't help wishing that more of her days ended like this.
Grayson didn't say a word until he had cleaned his plate. Then he leaned back and gave her a sheepish smile. "Sorry."
"For what?" she asked curiously.
"Not talking for the last twenty minutes."
"That was just a testament to the food, and, clearly, I was right there with you." She finished her last bite and wiped her mouth with a napkin. "That was excellent."
"Your friends are very talented. I can see why this place is packed."
"It's getting more popular every day, but I think they still have some nights that are slower than they would like. According to them, that's the restaurant business."
"One of the toughest businesses," he said. "My father invested in several restaurants, but only one of the three is still open. The other two didn't last more than a year. So, we don't invest in restaurants anymore."
"What if you tasted something amazing and the restaurant needed financial help? You wouldn't be tempted to invest?"
"Great food is one thing. What matters most is the bottom line."
She frowned at that reminder. "Do you ever stop thinking about the bottom line? You can't measure the value of everything by dollars and cents."
"You can, from an investment standpoint. And I thought we weren't talking about business tonight."
"You're right." She reminded herself she was supposed to be walking her sheep down the road, not yelling at it to do the right thing.
