“Where did you attend culinary school?”
“What school?” he asked, seemingly confused by the question.
“Cul-in-aaarrry school,” I repeated, stressing the phonetics of a word I shouldn’t have been explaining.
“Ah, yes. Well no, I didn’t go.”
“Have you worked in any upscale restaurant before?” I asked.
He shook his head, just as confused as before. I sighed and tossed his resume onto my desk. It topped the list of under-qualified applicants for the day.
“Perfect, you can see yourself out.”
His lip quivered, but I couldn’t muster an ounce of sympathy. I was looking for a consultant for my next restaurant and I’d just spent the morning interviewing a slew of idiots.
“Alright, bud, let’s go,” Zoe said, stepping into my office. She’d been hovering by the door for the last few interviews.
“Is the interview over?” he asked, glancing back and forth between us. I couldn’t confidently say he even knew what planet he was on at that point.
He stood and she directed him out of my office.
By the time I finished shredding his resume, Zoe was back at my office door, hovering on the threshold until I invited her inside.
“I cannot believe you let that guy through,” I said.
She frowned. “To be honest, we’ve had so few people send in applications, I was just hoping that by some miracle, one of them would be qualified.”
“That last guy is almost thirty and has never had a job.”
She laughed. “Point taken.”
I leaned back in my chair and dragged my hand through my hair. “I need a beer.”
“I’d buy you one but I have a hot date later.”
My brows rose.
“You know, you could have one too if only you’d admit your attraction for a certain blonde.”
“Zoe.”
She laughed. “Oh my god, it’s just too easy with you. Why can’t you admit you find her attractive? I won’t tell anyone.”
I stood and ushered her out of my office, ignoring her protests. I locked myself inside, but she was persistent.
“You’re not fooling me,” she said.
“Goodnight Zoe,” I shouted through the dark wood.
Her laughter faded down the hallway, leaving me alone with the thoughts she’d just planted in my head. It’d been three days since Zoe had first brought Lily to my attention. Since then, I couldn’t stop thinking of her full lips wrapped around me. I couldn’t stop daydreaming about her. I wasn’t proud of it, believe me . Lily would have me boiled alive if she knew I was fantasizing about her.
I reached for my phone on my desk, looking for a distraction, but there was nothing there waiting for me. I’d invited Julian to a sports bar near my house for dinner, but he’d yet to reply. I knew it was because he was walking a thin line. Lily hated me, therefore Josephine hated me, which put Julian between a rock and a hard place.
I tossed my phone back onto my desk and clenched my teeth together. Every single problem in my life was being caused by one woman: Lily Black. She was forcing Julian into an ultimatum and I was on the losing end of the deal.
I leaned back in my chair, interlocked my fingers behind my head, and caught sight of Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War” on my office shelf. The book highlighted troop movements and battlefield strategies, but more importantly, it stressed one simple idea: “Know thyself, know thy enemy.”
I smirked.
As much as I hated to admit it, Lily knew a hell of a lot about food and drinks. She’d impressed me at Gramercy Tavern, and she had twice the education of most applicants sending in their resumes for the consulting position. On top of that, I needed to keep Julian as an investor for the project.
I shredded the rest of the applications and pulled “The Art of War” off my shelf. It was settled. I was going to have to convince Lily to work for me. It was time to get to know the enemy.
Chapter Thirteen
Lily
“No! NO! You do not get to live here!” I yelled, running after the cockroach attempting to take up residence in our apartment. I lunged to drop a cup over it, but it scurried under our shared dresser. “No! Get out of there!”
There was an inch of blackness beneath the dresser and the floor and I would have rather cut my hand off than put it under there. He’d won the battle, but I’d win the war.
“Yeah, and stay there!” I yelled, kicking the dresser with my foot. That’s good. Intimidate him.
I turned back to the sink full of dishes I’d been cleaning before my little friend had interrupted me. Plates and cups were piled high thanks to the mess Josephine and I had created the night before. Julian had requested a home-cooked meal, but Josephine and I hadn’t been able to agree on what to make, so we’d each made our favorite dishes (chicken spaghetti for her, and homestyle mac ‘n’ cheese for me). We’d hovered over him as he ate, watching him carefully as he spooned the bites into his mouth.
“Uh they're both good?” he said, shifting his gaze back and forth between us.
I slammed my hand down on the counter like a disgruntled detective. “Don’t you lie to me, Lefray!”
He laughed. “I swear, they’re both equally delicious.”
I shook my head. “This isn’t over. I’m watching you.”
Josephine leaned in and kissed his cheek. “I know you’ll tell me the real winner later.”