The woman snorted. “Maybe I’m just wondering what’s so fascinating about reviewing spaghetti and meatballs, Miranda eats. Your readership must be slipping.”
Whoa. Miranda pushed up out of her chair, back ramrod-straight. “Just trying to compete with the educational, inspiring review of the gyro from your review last month.” The sweetness of her smile flashed pure malice. “Take-out Greek must be the new rage. Or so says the truck on the corner of 8th Avenue.”
Allison gasped. Gavin looked back and forth between them, as if watching Wimbledon and refusing to miss a serve. “Umm, ladies, may I get you a glass of wine on the house?”
They ignored him.
“You know how I like to encompass all food genres. All classes of people. Your work is so one-dimensional. Perhaps that’s why I’ve been invited to review Americanize Steak House before the grand opening.” Allison licked her lips in triumph. “I guess he’ll be calling to cancel your invitation.”
Miranda gasped. “I was supposed to do a column on his opening and you know it! We set this up months ago.” Her body shook. “What did you do to pull this coup off?”
Allison drew her lips back in a sneer. “It’s called talent. But I’m sure you could trade sexual favors to bump you back up the list.”
Gavin jerked back. Holy shit, were women allowed to trade insults like that? Miranda jumped up from the table, and suddenly Allison was in her face. One glance around the room showed the men in his family completely entranced with the idea of a cat fight. Ah, hell, no one was breaking this up unless he stepped in.
“How dare you? I don’t need to mix business with pleasure like you do. Favorably reviewing all of your boyfriend’s restaurants is despicable. My career comes first, and I respect the public.”
“Umm, Miranda, maybe we should get some air?” He grasped her shoulder to ease her back, but she shook him off like a prized fighter.
“I bet you’d sell out your career for a cheap lay.” Allison sniffed and looked down at her. “I’ve been in the business much longer than you. It’s a proven fact in the industry. Mix criticism with pleasure and you have a disaster.”
A stillness came over his lover and his gut clenched. Uh-oh. Something big was going down, and he had a bad feeling. A triumphant expression crossed Miranda’s face. He didn’t have a moment to process the result.
“Maybe you don’t take your career as seriously as I do. You see, Gavin is both the owner of Mia Casa and my lover. I wrote the review while we were dating.”
With one quick movement, she grasped his head and pulled his mouth down to hers. He heard the whoosh of his own breath at the openly carnal, open-mouth kiss, the gasp of Allison, and the laughter of the crowd. With a huge wet smack, she released him, and gave her enemy a brilliant smile.
Allison stared at them both. “Impossible. You trashed your own lover’s restaurant?”
Miranda beamed. “Damn straight, I did. I’m hardcore. Don’t forget it, Allison.”
With a saucy grin, she walked out the door.
Point, set, and match to Miranda.
Score.
Yeah, he loved the hell out of that woman. Now he had to find a way to keep her, save the restaurant, and get his partnership. He was due to hear back from his boss by the end of the week, and he hoped to God he wasn’t out of time.
…
Gavin sat in his office and studied the spreadsheets. A slight throb at the back of his neck warned him a headache was on the way. He rubbed his temples and tried to concentrate. His future lay before him in all its former glory, and suddenly instead of the yellow brick road, it looked more like the road to Perdition.
He clicked the mouse and brought up the email. His boss was quite clear in his intentions. Gavin’s time was officially expired. He was due in China by the end of the week. The airline tickets attached slammed him back into reality. If he did his job, he’d finally get his partnership.
A partnership he didn’t even know if he wanted anymore.
Everything seemed to have changed this past year. In a cutthroat world where profit and flexibility for travel meant success, he’d carved out a name for himself and a reputation that preceded him. He’d been proud of the accomplishment, but after walking into his fourth meeting of the day, he realized he’d reached thirty years old and lived on antacids and caffeine. Burn-out flickered at the edges of his life. He lived in conference rooms and out of suitcases and briefcases. He’d been in Rome and never viewed the Coliseum. Lived in London for two weeks and couldn’t say what the Queen’s residence looked like. Life passed him by, and thoughts of what he gave up with Miranda tortured him.
Before his father called, he’d taken a long vacation and traveled for pleasure. For knowledge. For self-actualization. He studied self-help books and got hooked on the mastery of ancient yogis who reached enlightenment and had nothing in their pocket. When he reached India, something clicked deep inside. Finally, he found the truth. Peace was all from the inside, and had nothing to do with how many accounts can be closed in so little time.
Yet, with his own making, he’d trapped himself. Cloaked in a surface life of travel and profit, he had no idea how to step off the endless hamster wheel. When Pop called him to save Mia Casa, the missing puzzle piece clicked into place. For the first time, he felt like he’d found home. With Miranda back in his arms, he’d finally found love.
But was it too late? He’d be in China for three months. His family accepted his help, but he no longer belonged to the restaurant world, and would never yank that from his brother’s grasp. Lately, Brando had worked hard to become more responsible. Hell, he’d been covering his own ass with all the evenings he missed trying to forge a relationship with Miranda. No, his brother deserved the restaurant. Gavin made the choice years ago to walk away.
It had just been the wrong choice.
A knock sounded on the door and his father stepped in. “Tony says he doesn’t have enough tomatoes.”
Gavin grasped for patience. “Pop, there’s plenty there. Remember, you have to look at the inventory chart. Here, I’ll show you on the computer.”
Archimedes snorted in sheer disgust. “I do not like these fancy new programs. Too many colors. Too small print. Makes my eyes hurt.”
“You have to learn it. I’ll be leaving soon.”
“Ah, you are going back, huh?”
Temper and guilt nipped at his nerves. “I don’t have a choice, Pop. I only took a leave of absence to help. We’re going to be okay. I’ve been showing Brando the ropes, and I’m hiring a general business manager to run the day-to-day. I’m also increasing the wait staff and getting Tony a new assistant chef from the Culinary. Marketing is paid up for the next year.”
Archimedes nodded and slowly lowered himself into the battered chair across from the desk. “All of the loose ends are neatly tied up, yes? You have poured much money into Mia Casa. We all have a role here. I guess this one was yours.”
His words ripped like a bullet and shredded flesh. Gavin leaned forward and drilled his father with his gaze. “Are we going to have one of these conversations again? When you tell me one thing but you really mean another? Just say it, Pop. I’ve disappointed you. I chose a different career than the family restaurant and you’ll never truly forgive me. Why don’t we just get it out there for once?”
All the surface niceties splintered beneath his father’s knowing gaze and it only made Gavin more pissed off. Pop studied him, and suddenly he was back in his youth. “You are wrong, Giovanni. You always have been. I will always support my children going after their dreams, as long as this makes them happy. You cannot run a restaurant with just money. You must love what you do and be passionate. Then it will be successful.”