He gave a quick response about being in a meeting but also that he couldn’t think of anything. He then hastily added,Good luck!
“Anything interesting?” Heather asked, gesturing at Brad’s phone.
“Oh. Yeah, I, uh… See, a friend of mine is a producer at the Food Channel.”
“I’ve been trying to get tickets toChampion Cheffor eons! You know a producer there?”
Brad knew there were only so many favors Aaron could do for him before the higher-ups started to get suspicious. He’d already gotten Lindsay in the door; he couldn’t do the same for Heather. Nor did he really want to, since they’d just met.
“Yeah, uh, he’s buddy of mine. I just connected a writer friend of mine with him.”
“Oh, could you do that for me?”
Brad pressed his lips together. “I mean, he doesn’t work onChampion Chef, so I don’t know what good that would do.”
“Who’s your friend?”
“Aaron Ramirez.”
“I know him by reputation. His shows are usually really innovative. You know him?”
“I mean, we went to culinary school together.”
“Sure. It seems like all the chefs I’ve met between the ages of, like, twenty-eight and thirty-four know each other. Usually from culinary school, but also six degrees and all that.”
Brad nodded. That was pretty true. “The culinary world is smaller than you’d think.”
“You think you could introduce me?”
Brad frowned. He didn’t know how to put her off. How did he usually turn down a woman? Well, he’d fake number her, or he’d gently turn her down.This is just tonight.Or,Oh, actually, I’m not looking for a relationship.
“I don’t know if I have enough clout with him to get you in, and also, you and Ijustmet.”
Heather leveled her gaze at him. “Really? You’re going to turn me down.”
“Look, I agreed to an interview about my work here at the café. I happen to have an old culinary-school classmate who works at the Food Channel, and I wouldn’t even have mentioned it had I not just gotten a text, but my friend and I are not that close and you and I are strangers.” Brad hated lying, especially since Aaron was probably his closest friend, but he was starting to really dislike Heather.
“I’m a reporter for theTimes!”
“Again, I’m sorry, but we just met, and I don’t have that kind of leeway.”
She glowered at him. And, all right, now she was pissing him off. She was either here to interview him or she wasn’t, but if she was going to be this belligerent, he wouldn’t help her.
“Fine,” she said, standing. She had a snotty note in her tone. This wasn’t like fighting with Lindsay. Lindsay had passion and stubbornness, but this woman only had spite. “This article may not even run. I don’t know if my editors at theTimesare even going to care about some baker at a cat café.”
“All right,” said Brad. He understood now. She wanted something in return for publishing this interview. He wasn’t going to bite. He wondered if Diane had been aware that Heather would try to barter something from Brad, who’d apparently gained a reputation for being connected in the industry, or if she had just latched on to his comment and not let go. Either way, he wouldn’t lose any sleep over letting her slip out the door.
She gathered up her stuff. “Good day, Mr. Marks.” Then she stormed out.
Paige walked into the room after she left. “Did you insult her mother or what?”
Brad sat back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. “She wanted me to do her a favor in exchange for publishing an interview with me in theTimesabout my work here.”
He dropped his hands to see Paige’s facial expression. She looked back at the door, as if she was sorry the reporter had left. Then she looked at Brad. “A sexual favor?”
“What? No, no, nothing like that. Why would you think that?”
Paige shrugged. “I don’t know. You’re a very attractive man, which you probably already know.”
