“Well, I’m honored you shared your secret, and I promise to keep it.”
He tipped his head to the side. “You don’t look surprised I changed the dog’s name so soon.”
“Like I said, I knew you couldn’t stand it.”
“Was I that obvious?”
She stuffed her arms into her sleeves. “You wereCaptainObvious. Not only did you refuse to repeat the name, but you either grimaced, cringed, or rolled your eyes every time you heard it.”
“I did not.”
“You totally did.”
His grin broadened. “Are we bantering here?”
“Bantering?” she repeated, off balance because her knees still quivered.
“Yeah. Let’s do more of it Friday night.” And there came the wicked gleam of his eyes, packed with so much promise behind it that a fresh wave of heat flared across her cheeks.
She picked up her empty cup. “I need to find Amy and say good-bye.” Bubbles of excitement fizzing in her bloodstream, she scurried from the table.
Hailey returned to theLoose Moose, grateful Noah had left the coffee shop by the time she’d finished thanking Amy. She hadn’t been sure her lurching heart could withstand another dose of Mr. Studly Muffin Pants.
Back at the Moose, she settled on the couch, computer in her lap, Bluetooth playing mellow tunes in her ears, and reviewed her notes on freezers, pantries, and food prep areas she’d recently visited. Fortunately,she’d been able to hand out all passing grades, which always made her happy, despite the grumpy kitchen staff she’d had to coax. What the managers of these establishments often failed to understand was that shewantedto give them passing grades. Shedidn’twant them to fail because not meeting standards meant the public was at risk, as was the livelihood of the restaurateur. Besides, a clean, organized kitchen simply flowed better. Keeping them in tip-top shape was a win-win for everyone.
Her phone rang, and she tapped her earpiece. “This is Hailey Bailey.”
“Hailey! Where are you, princess?” came Cliff’s baritone.
Her oily lead inspector’s voice turned her happy bubbles into liquefied clay.
Princess?The endearment was cringeworthy, especially coming from the sleazeball who considered himself her boss. She was no princess. Furthermore, she found the term insulting, and she was pretty sure HR would agree.
“Cliff,” she ground out, “please don’t—”
“I know, I know, don’t offend your inner feminist, even if I’m simply trying to pay you a compliment,” he mocked. “Sorry. I guess my version of a compliment is ‘inappropriate’ in your book.” His tone broadcast that regret was the farthest sentiment from his mind.
She held back a scoff.Inappropriatewas Cliff Meissner’s middle name. “What’s going on?”
“I wanted to give you a heads-up that I’m about an hour from Fall River. Meet me at this coffee place—Mountain something—so we can get started.”
Wait. What?Why hadn’t the jerkwad mentioned anything in his email about inspecting Amy’s place? Tempted as Hailey was to alert her friend, she couldn’t. And even if she did, it was too late to prep the place the way it needed to be prepped—not that Hailey had noticed any red flags. The kitchen had been spotless. Her worry shifted to whether Amy would still speak to her after she discovered Hailey was part of a surprise inspection. Yeah, that was a biggie.
“Does Mountain Coffee have any inkling they’re being inspected?”
“No, of course they wouldn’t, but we’re not inspecting them. I just need a serious caffeine fix … unless you want to brew me a pot at wherever you’re staying.”
She could practicallyhearhis eyebrows riding up and down his forehead, and bile burned her throat despite the relief she felt over not having toinvestigate Amy’s kitchen.
“Don’t have the supplies,” she retorted. “Besides, I’m feeling a little queasy, and I don’t want to put more acid in my stomach. Go ahead and grab your java, and I’ll meet you in front of Dell’s.”
He didn’t argue, but as she was preparing to hang up, he surprised her further. “Last night must’ve been fun, am I right?”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re feeling sick this morning, and it was Saint Patty’s Day. Did you drink too much green beer and swivel your hips on a few tabletops? Now that’s a sight I would have liked to see.” He chuckled malevolently.
Icy fingers of rage slid down her spine. Not only had he pushed the envelope completely into inappropriate territory, but he’d also ripped off the flap. Since he’d been quasi-promoted, in effect climbing a rung above her, Cliff had upped the sexual innuendos. She’d been walking a tightrope between keeping him at bay while trying not to piss him off so thoroughly he pulled his puppeteer strings and got her ass fired. Either that tightrope was growing springier or more of the safety net was being stripped away. She couldn’t afford to lose this job—or the raise that was right around the corner.
