Page 12 of Talk Turkey To Me
“It’s a party town from what I hear. You go out a lot?”
“I have some friends from school who live in the area and there’s the crew from the restaurant of course.”
He didn’t miss that her answers were short and vague and realized that Jay had been right. After his friend had delivered the second plate of lemon tarts to the table he’d come back with the news that the Montcrief’s were arguing about more than just him being named head chef. Jay had said he overheard Lily saying she hated her job in New Orleans and wanted to come home. The words had filled Myles with a hope he hadn’t dared to let grow but now that he had her talking, he thought maybe, just maybe, they might get their second chance after all.
“Do you still see the old gang from high school?” Lily countered before he could prod her further.
“It’s a small town.” He shrugged.
“So you still see Asha then, how’s she doing?”
The words felt like a blow to the gut and from the way Lily tilted her chin up defiantly, that was exactly how she’d meant to deliver them. She’d felt him getting closer to something she didn’t want to discuss and this time instead of simply shutting him down, she’d dug up their past and thrown it in his face to remind him of just why he didn’t get to know about her life anymore.
He should have known it wouldn't be that easy, not with his Lily. If he was going to win her back, win her over, he’d have to confess to all his sins and grovel. But on the other hand, if she was still upset with him about that, it meant she still cared, right?
Chapter Five
Throwing Asha’s name at him was the equivalent of throwing a hand grenade and she knew it was overkill but it was the only thing she could think to do at the moment. During their time in the kitchen together, she’d felt Myles begin to slip through her defenses again. He was charming and funny. He’d always been those things. And his smiles still managed to make parts of her all warm and fuzzy. When she’d asked him to tell her his story about coming to work at The Mont she’d thought it would be a good reminder of why she had to keep her distance from him. But instead of pushing him away, as she listened to him talk about the injury that had nearly taken his leg, after he’d shown her the scars, she’d felt herself softening towards him. Then he’d gone and started talking about cooking the way she’d only ever heard her fellow chefs talk about it, as if it gave them something they’d been missing. He’d said that Dave and learning to cook had saved his life and she’d wanted to cross the room and wrap her arms around him. She’d had to shake the desire to be closer to him away and luckily, when he’d started pressing her about her own life, she’d come out of the daze long enough to know she needed to throw some barb wire between them.
Asha was certainly that.
She was the girl that Myles had chosen over her. The one who had ultimately broken them up and sent Lily fleeing town in a river of tears. She was the girl that Myles had ruined them for and the worst part was that he had known it would hurt her and done it anyway.
Because it had been common knowledge that Lily had never liked the girl when they’d been kids. Asha Dutton had been a bully on the playground and a mean girl in the hallways. Asha had picked on anyone outside her social circle and despite the fact Lily’s family owned the nicest restaurant in Compass Creek, she hadn’t measured up to Asha’s standards of friendship and instead ended up a target more often than not.
Myles had known what it would do to her to see him with Asha, of all people, but he’d done it anyway. He’d purposefully hurt her and so now, she lashed out to hurt him in return. Putting the ghost of Asha Dutton right between them in the middle of the kitchen and the little reunion they’d been having.
From the way Myles pursed his lips it was clear that he knew what she was up to. She swore she saw disappointment in his eyes before he looked away and went back to what he was doing. She blew out a breath and started to mash the potatoes she’d been peeling but a few seconds later his voice drew her attention again.
“Yeah. I see Asha around town.” He met her gaze when she glanced over, “She ended up marrying some guy she met in college. His name is Brad. They moved back here not long after college. She works in the Mayor’s office and he’s the local vet. Nice guy. They have two kids and they come into The Mont every few weeks for family dinner.”
“Oh…” Lily licked her suddenly dry lips, unsure how she was supposed to respond to all of that information.
“Not that you actually care.” He tipped up an eyebrow and she bristled.
“You’re right. I don’t. But it’s sweet you know so much about her. Does her husband know you two had a thing?”
Myles rolled his eyes, “We didn’t have athing, Lil. It was one night and a huge mistake.”
“Well, at least we agree on something.” She sniffed before focusing on her peeler again.
They worked in silence again but this time, there wasn’t anything companionable about it. It felt tense with things left unsaid. She wished she hadn’t brought up Asha in the first place because now it was all she could think about. That night. Finding Myles with the girl she hated with every fiber of her being. The things he’d said to her after.
“I’m actually really curious about something…” He broke the tense silence and Lily found herself holding her breath, unsure what he would ask of her this time. She glanced over and he wasn’t even facing her. He had turned and was pushing buttons on the large ovens built into the wall. He glanced over his shoulder when he felt her watching him. “You and Kayla still talk right?”
Lily nodded, hesitant at the mention of her best friend.
“So, if you and Kay still talk, how is it that you had no idea I was working here?” He turned back to face her. “That’s been bugging me all night because I knew you two must keep in touch and she’s in here with her family at least once a week so she’s well aware I’m back here. Did she seriously not warn you?”
She bit her lip and looked away, not wanting to answer him but unable to keep the truth inside after she’d pushed him on the Asha thing only moments before. She sighed. When she glanced back at him he was still standing there, waiting.
“I asked her a long time ago not to keep me in the loop on what you were doing.” She saw him wince as if her words were a slap in the face and she groaned, “Look I didn’t want to know who you were dating or running around with after I left town. Iwas hurting and I wanted to pretend you didn’t exist. I made the request a long time ago but Kayla’s always honored it.”
His lips twitched and she shot him an annoyed glare.
“Don’t overthink it. Like I said, it was a long time ago.”
Still, he grinned, obviously pleased that she’d still cared enough not to want to hear about his dating exploits even after what he’d done. She went back to her potatoes but she could still feel his eyes on her. She glared at him.
