Part 3 (1/2)

His buddies would think he was crazy if he let on his true track record. He'd hadn't slept with a woman for over a year, when the one-night stand he'd planned to have became an awkward confrontation with a love-starved woman who threatened to slit her wrists because he didn't love her.

Alex didn't know what, exactly, he was waiting for, but the more he tried to put Sarah Lazin out of his mind, the more stubbornly she insisted on sticking in it. Her blue ice eyes winked at him from the freezer when he went to do inventory. The complimentary cups of coffee he poured his best customers reminded him too much of her sleek brown curls. The flowers he'd ordered made him think of her fresh, light scent...

It took another trip to the freezer for him to cool off. By the time he gathered the wait staff for pre-dinner instructions, he'd managed to get himself a little bit under control. ”Full house tonight, folks. I want to see everyone hopping. You know I won't be here later tonight, so I'm trusting all of you to make things swing.”

”I didn't know you liked to swing, Alex.” Jennifer, the blonde hostess, gave him a wink. Today she wore a vibrant red suit of some s.h.i.+ny material. Though not inappropriate in any way, the suit still managed to show off a good deal of tanned thigh and bosom. Jennifer's honey-colored hair was swept off her face and emphasized her high cheeks and vivid, cornflower-blue eyes. She was what his buddies would call a hottie.

”Save it for the customers,” he told her good-naturedly.

”You're such a flirt,” Wendi, one of the waitresses, told Jennifer. She flung her waist-length braid of chestnut hair over her shoulder. The two were best friends.

Jennifer rolled her eyes toward her friend. ”And you're not?”

The rest of the staff had drifted away to their other duties. Alex, his mind already on other things, began looking over the list of the night's specials.

Emma's homemade gnocchi was one of them, and Alex looked forward to sampling some of it himself.

”We'll miss you later,” Jen said.

Alex startled. So involved in the specials, Alex hadn't noticed the tall blonde next to him until he felt her breath on his cheek.

She pouted. ”The night s.h.i.+ft isn't the same with Frank.”

Frank Philips was the night manager. A short, balding man with a wife and six children, he was both personable and efficient. Still, he wasn't exactly Jen's type.

”You'll manage,” he told her.

She ran her fingers lightly over his arm. ”Where will you be tonight? You hardly ever leave the restaurant on Thursday nights.”

Alex shrugged off her grasp. ”I have a meeting. Now, Jen, if you don't mind...”

”Sure. Lots of work to do. We know, Alex.”

Wendi giggled. ”What a slave driver. Don't get out the whips and chains, Alex.”

”Wait until after work,” Jen added, and the pair finally left him alone.

Watching the two women undulate away from him, Alex, for the first time, found their harmless flirtation annoying. Though he appreciated a beautiful face and body as much as any man, he emphatically did not date employees. Even if that had not been one of his personal rules, Jen and Wendi were too predacious even for him. He preferred to do the pursuing.

Not that it had done much good with Sarah.

”I should've kissed her,” he mumbled grimly.

But he hadn't kissed her. For some reason, he'd lost his nerve. Staring at her up tilted face, her lovely eyes closed and those perfect lips just ripe and waiting for his mouth to close on hers ... All at once, all he could think about was how much he liked her. She was smart and funny and s.e.xier than any woman he'd been out with in a long time. He wanted to kiss her, sure, but not just standing on the sidewalk. When he kissed Sarah Lazin, he wanted it to be in a place and circ.u.mstance where a kiss did not have to end the evening.

”'lo, boss,” Emma chirped from behind him. Tomato sauce smeared her chin and flour smudged her cheek. Alex could imagine Michel's Gallic shudder at the appearance of Emma's white top, which was spotted with more sauce.

”Mike said I was supposed to come and talk to you about the tomato sauce.”

Thankful to have his thoughts torn away from the intriguing and annoying Sarah Lazin, Alex frowned at the young woman in front of him as sternly as he could. It was a hard effect to master, especially since Emma's green eyes twinkled so merrily. She grinned at him, her freckled nose squinching.

”Too spicy, Emma. You know what I've said in the past about spicy sauce.”

”Ah, c'mon, boss.” Emma threw up her hands. ”Don't you know spice is the variety of life? Or something like that anyway.”

Alex sighed, but smiled at Emma. ”Do you do this just to get on Michel's nerves or mine?”

Emma squeezed him around the waist affectionately. The top of her head barely reached his shoulders. ”Both, boss. It's my mission in life to keep you men on your toes. Besides, adding more sugar would ruin that sauce. How can you put a sweet tomato sauce over my homemade gnocchi? It'd be a sin. A culinary sin.”

”Just remember, Emma, you're the sous-chef. Michel is your boss.”

”I can get around that,” Emma retorted saucily.

”I bet you can.”

With just a smile, Emma could have Michel not knowing whether he was slicing or dicing. Alex had seen it more than once. Though they'd never so much as gone on a date, Emma was clearly certain of the chef's romantic inclinations toward her. It was equally obvious to any who knew them that Michel would never admit to such an attraction.

”Boss?

”Hmmm?” Alex turned back to the specials list.

Thursday nights were Italian night at The Foxfire, with several pasta dishes in addition to Emma's gnocchi featured. Completely involved with perusing the menu, Alex didn't notice Emma's silence until he turned to find her staring at him, bemus.e.m.e.nt clear upon her freckled face.

”Who is she?” Emma's merry green eyes glinted knowingly.

”Who is who?”

”The bit of fluff who's got you so riled. I could tell something's been on your mind all day. All week, too. You haven't been out of the house except to come to work, and I've actually been able to make a phone call or two. Was it that busty blonde who likes to ride horses? Or the skinny chick who always smelled like gardenias?” She paused, as though a horrible thought had just come to her. ”Please don't tell me it's Wendi.”

Alex set his jaw. ”You know better than that.”

Emma sniffed. ”Thank G.o.d. So who was it?”

Alex shook his head. Emma knew way too much about his social life. He supposed that was the problem when you not only hired your niece as sous-chef in your restaurant, but let her live in your house, too.

”It doesn't matter, Emma. She wasn't interested in me.”

Emma stepped back, looking impressed. ”Was she blind? I mean, boss! Look at you! Every woman who walks in here wants to be on you like b.u.t.ter on a cob of corn!”

”Thanks, Em,” Alex replied dryly.

”She really didn't go for you, huh?” Emma appeared sympathetic. ”That's a first.”

Her casual a.s.sessment of his love life suddenly annoyed him. ”You make me sound like some kind of Don Juan.”

”And you're not?” She raised her eyebrows at him and looked so much like his older sister he might have laughed ... had he not been in such a bad mood.

He scowled instead, showing her his back. ”No, I'm not. Dating a lot of woman just means I haven't been lucky enough to find the right one yet, that's all, Emma.”