I nod at his words, knowing that it does count for a lot.Often the best hires are word of mouth, who you know, type of scenarios.Unfortunately, sometimes they are also the worst, especially when the recommendation comes from a friend.“Look, she’s coming in at three.She’s one of two candidates I’m interviewing today, so I’m giving her a shot.”
Dylan smiles, slapping me on the shoulder.“Great, I know she’ll convince you.Now, about that lunch for me and my baby mama.What’s good?”
After the lunch rush is finally finished and my staff are taking a quick break before they start the dinner prep, I finally sit down in my office to start the interviews.The first guy who comes in is good, trained at one of the top culinary schools and mentored under a well-known chef in Boston.
Apparently, he’s looking to travel though, which is how he’s found himself on the other side of the country now.It also likely means in a couple of months I’ll be looking for a new sous chef again because he’ll have moved on.Still, I do the full interview, getting a feel for what he’s like and how much he knows.When he eventually leaves, I pull out Hannah’s resume again, giving it a quick once over.
“Hey, Leo, Hannah Murphy is here.”
I stand from my desk as I call out, “Thanks, show her in.”
I smell her before I see her, this intoxicating aroma of sugar and cinnamon that wafts through my door before quite possibly the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life walks into my office.
Fuck me.
She’s maybe a couple of years younger than me.Tall, with long brown hair that’s loosely tied back and these seriously amazing green eyes.I actually have to clench my jaw to stop it from falling open at the sight of her.
How the fuck is this woman related to Dylan?
“Hi,” she says, smiling as she holds out a hand to me.“Hannah Murphy, nice to meet you.”
I take her hand in mine, fully intending to introduce myself but instead, I find myself lost for words the second my hand touches hers.By the way her green eyes widen at the touch, I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who feels whatever this is between us.
Shit, how the hell is this going to work?
“Uh, um, hi,” I eventually stutter, sounding like a total moron.“Leo Marsh, nice to um, nice to meet you.”
God, I need to get a fucking grip.
I let go of her hand, gesturing to the chair on the other side of my desk, indicating she should take a seat.After I go over the job description and expectations, Hannah gives me a quick rundown of her training and experience, even though it’s all here in front of me.She’s confident and assured in the way she talks, never dropping the eye contact, even as this weird crackle of electricity, that started the second she walked in here, seems to linger between us.
“Okay, and can you tell me about the last few months?”I ask when she’s done.“You don’t seem to have been working anywhere?”I ask the question even though I know Dylan told me what was really going on, because I want to get a feel for her reaction to this dick she apparently works for.
Hannah takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly, her posture slumping just a little.“Actually,” she starts, “I have been working somewhere, but it’s been awful.I know I could tell you where and then you could ask them about me, but honestly, I have no idea what the head chef will say.He’s…he’s…”
“A bit of a dick?”I suggest, wanting to ease the tension a little.
We’ve all been there, trapped in a kitchen with a raging egotistical lunatic who thinks he or she is god’s gift to the world.Unfortunately, it seems to be a common trait in chefs and one I have always been keen to avoid.It’s why I insist on every one of my staff calling me Leo.Not Chef and not Mr.Marsh.Fuck that.
Hannah lets out a breathy laugh that I swear actually makes my dick twitch.“I was going to say unpredictable, but yeah, dick also works.”She opens and closes her hands a few times, fidgeting a little as though she’s contemplating telling me who she works for.There’s a part of me that’s dying to know, but at the same time, I get it.
I actually get it more than she probably realizes.
“It’s okay, you don’t have to say,” I tell her, smiling, wanting her to know I understand.“Are you still working there?”
Hannah nods.“Yes, but I…”
“How much notice do you think you need to give?”I ask when she doesn’t finish her thought, realizing only after the words are out of my mouth that my question almost implies that she has the job.A decision I wasn’t even aware I’d apparently already made.
She doesn’t seem to notice though, as she scrunches her nose up in thought in a way that’s honestly, fucking adorable.“I actually think I could probably get away with walking out right now,” she says, chuckling.“I certainly wouldn’t be the first.”
I smile, leaning back in my chair as I run a hand over my buzz cut and watch her.She still doesn’t look away, her back straightening a little as her eyes lock with mine.It’s confident and hot and quite honestly, a bit of a turn on.I’d put money on this girl being a little feisty in the kitchen.Maybe other places too.
Hannah blinks, a tiny smile tugging at her mouth as though she knows exactly what I’m thinking.I find myself smiling back at her, shaking my head a little as I change the subject and say, “So your brother gives you a pretty good rap.”
Hannah laughs.“Yeah, but that’s because he knows I have a ton of dirt on him.”
Now it’s me laughing as I sit forward, my arms resting on the desk that separates us.Hannah’s eyes briefly drop to my forearms, maybe taking in the ink that decorates them.“Now that could actually be an asset around here,” I murmur.
