“Thea. Felix. We have two jobs that still need to be filled, and I think they’ll be perfect for you both.” Her high-pitched giggle echoed around the hall.
“How convenient,” said Thea testily. “What did you have in mind, Penny?”
“Persephone,” the woman barked with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “We thought you could take care of the silent auction, Thea. After all, you have a lot of experience getting donations from people. And that leads me to another request.”
Thea shifted in her seat next to Felix, and the foot of her crossed leg jiggled. “Go on.”
“Well, as one of your major donors owns the pub in Tottenbridge, we thought you could apply the thumbscrews and convince Mr. Cunningham to supply wine for the dinner dance.”
Felix scoffed, and Thea’s head swung towards him.
Why on earth would an archaeologist need donations from a pub? And how on earth did she know Daniel Cunningham? A local acquaintance had described the owner of The Five Bob as Tottenbridge’s answer to John Mayer. Maybe Thea and Daniel had a past. She wouldn’t be the only one. According to local gossip, Daniel Cunningham had been with most women in the area.
Thea met Felix’s eyes, and something icy flashed within them.
“That sounds fine, Penny,” she said, turning back to her persecutor.
Persephone had given up on correcting Thea. It was a sensible move. If she couldn’t even remember to brush her hair, what good would she be remembering names? Instead, Persephone addressed him.
“And Felix.”
The way she rolled his name set his teeth on edge. Snake-like and slippery.
“We were rather hoping that you’d handle the catering side of things. We have a limited budget, but I’m sure you could make the school proud.”
This time, it was Thea’s turn to scoff. All eyes turned to her.
“What?” she squeaked, shrugging. “This dinner dance is hardlyMasterChef.Know your audience. Read the room. Most of the punters round here wouldn’t know the difference between a Swiss roll and a sausage roll, regardless of the quality.They’d be quite happy with a bowl of crisps and a couple of ham sandwiches.”
A searing heat spread through Felix’s chest. Ham sandwiches? Most people valued his reputation for fine food and exemplary service. She obviously thought herself qualified to judge the culinary tastes of an entire community. Even if it was only a school function, he’d maintain his restaurant’s usual standards. “You’re excluding yourself from that assessment, I assume?”
“Perhaps.” A little smirk touched her lips.
“Well, at least we can rely on you to appreciate a good sausage, then.”
All eyes moved to Felix now. One gasp rang out, and more than a few mouths curved in a smile.
Damn.He’d said the words ‘good’ and ‘sausage’ in the same sentence. A cock reference inside the walls of a primary school was never good. It’d just come out. A line of perspiration formed at his top lip. Was he flustered? Felix Walsh never got flustered. He was renowned in his industry for being cutthroat. Brutal even. Unflappable.
He glanced at Thea, and she crossed her long legs towards him this time, her thigh almost brushing his. She had a mischievous smile on her face. Awesome. With all his talk of good sausage, she probably thought he was flirting.
Persephone cleared her throat and spoke over the murmurs that had sprung up in the gym. “Of course, I’ll understand if it’s too much for you, Felix. We all know how busy you are. And you’re new to the area. You may not have the contacts to pull something together at such short notice.”
Right in front of him, Thea’s lips bowed into a full-blown smirk, and Felix’s eyes narrowed. Did she think he couldn’t deliver in time? He had a chef and an entire kitchen at his disposal, not to mention access to the best growers in the area. Didn’t she know who he was?
“Not at all. Consider it done,” he said to Persephone. “And I assure you, there’ll be no Swiss roll on the menu.”
“Just his sausage,” somebody muttered. Stifled snickers echoed around the gym, and Felix shifted in his seat, its snug edges threatening to leave bruises.
“Thank you,” Persephone said, bringing the meeting back to order. “And Thea, I was wondering if, when Felix has come up with the menu, you could work together to produce a list of wines. To match his food. Let’s go all out this year. Really live up to the ticket price.”
Felix bunched his fingers into fists. Why would Persephone saddle him with Thea? A woman who looked more like a beer drinker than a wine connoisseur. He’d have to bring her up to speed so she didn’t embarrass him.
After a long beat, she spoke, and her brows drew together. “And there’s really no other jobs left?”
As Persephone shook her head, Felix’s heart plummeted. His life was stressful enough right now. He didn’t want to deal with a woman who thought crisps and ham sandwiches were the ideal menu for a charity dinner.
Thea turned to him and sighed. Her breath glanced over his cheek. Minty and light, and he fought the urge to bring his hand up to his face.
