Catering to Love (23 page)

Mmm,” she sniffed. “
You
smell yummy,” she whispered in a dreamy voice. “I really love it when men wear cologne.”

“Then I’ll have to make sure I wear it more often.” He backed away and held her at arm’s length. “You know we could order in.”

“Not a chance, buster,” she said and twirled around. “So I guess that means you like what I’m wearing?” She was teasing him, and he knew it.

“Oh, baby.” His brows rose. “I think I like the whole enchilada. You’re smoking hot tonight!” he said and pulled
her back into his arms and kissed her. “Man, if we don’t leave now, we may never make it out of this room tonight.”

She swallowed hard and changed the subject. “And speaking of wows, you look pretty amazing yourself.” She led him to the door, turned off the light, and pulled him out into the hallway. The sound of her heels clicking against the wooden floor drew his attention.

“My God, how the heck high are those heels you’re wearing?”

“We won’t even discuss that.” She snickered. “I’m really looking forward to going out tonight. It’s been so long.” She latched onto his arm when they reached the bottom of the stairs. “I sure miss the nightlife in New York though. That was one of the things Cassie and Jamie were worried about when I decided to move here. But I do love it. Besides, New York is only two hours away, so it’s not like I can’t hang out for a few days.”

“I miss it too, Gab.”

She smiled hearing him call her
Gab.

“But I have to be honest,” he said, “I’m enjoying the peacefulness of living here too. No drama, no heavy traffic. The people are nice—it’s almost too good to be true.” He smiled. “Give it a little more time, and you’ll feel right at home. You’ve been working so much, you really haven’t had a chance to check out the area and become more involved. There’s no doubt living here is an adjustment, but you’ll get used to it.”

She reached for her coat hanging on the rack in the hallway and began to slip her arms inside when he took it from her and held it out. He was leaving her totally speechless,
and he could tell she loved every minute of it from the wide smile on her face.

“Are you ready?” he said, taking her arm and leading her out the door to the parking lot.

“I am. Let’s paint the town.”

Outside, she planted her foot on the driveway and walked gingerly when her heel slipped on a loose stone and caused her knees to buckle. He pulled her upright and held onto her while she rubbed her ankle.

“Are you all right?”

“I think it’s okay,” she said, flexing it back and forth. She laughed from embarrassment. “I think I’ve been wearing flats too long. I’ve forgotten how to walk in real shoes, but I think I’m going to live after all.”

“Well, I certainly hope so. I wouldn’t want to lose these reservations.” He winked. “Of course, we could always go back to the Sunflower Suite.” She gave him a playful punch.

“Are you trying to get out of taking me out?”

“Oh, not a chance. I’m trying to…”

“Yeah, I get it.” When he opened the car door for her, Gabi smiled at him and held his gaze for a second, before slipping into the seat. The reservations, the coat, the car door? What was next? He stared at her while starting the engine, and his sexy smile broadened. She released a deep sigh. For the first time in a long time, she felt blissfully happy to be right where she was, sitting next to him.

Gabi glanced at Corey’s profile as he slid into the driver’s seat. He was so handsome. It was hard not to stare at
him. Thankful for the darkness, she managed to sneak a peek every once in a while as they drove through town.

“Are you hungry?” he asked.

“I am. And I’m dying to know where we’re going.”

“Okay. I’ll tell you. The Lahaska Inn. Joey and I are friends with the sous-chef.”

“That’s totally awesome! I’ve been dying to check out the competition.”

“I figured as much. I especially wanted you to check out his menu. We don’t want to duplicate the same types of items he has. But wait until you see this place. It’s really beautiful. They’ve got four different dining rooms and each is decorated to accommodate diverse dining. I’m not suggesting we do that with the inn, but it’s so different from anything you’ll ever see here in Pennsylvania, or at least in this general vicinity, that I thought it was worth seeing. I’ll give you the tour once we’ve eaten, but tonight we’re eating in the piano room, which is a favorite spot and hard to get a reservation. Fortunately for us, he had a cancellation and gave it to me.”

“How long had you planned this?”

Corey pulled to a stop at a red light and looked over at her. “Not long. I took the cancellation hoping for the best. And I’ve been dying to get you out of the restaurant on a real date.”

Gabi nodded her acceptance, holding his gaze until the light changed.

The hostess greeted Corey with a warm hug. “So good to see you,” she said. “And who is this beautiful young lady?” she asked, gesturing toward Gabi.

“This is Gabi,” he said. “She’s my boss.”

“From Carters’?”

“Yes,” Gabi responded.

She extended her hand. “I’m Geri Lynn, mother of the owner, and it’s nice to finally meet you. I thought I might meet you at a Kiwanis meeting, but you don’t look familiar.”

“Very nice to meet you too. I haven’t joined the Kiwanis yet, while trying to get things up and running, but I’ve been dying to come here. I’ve heard and read so much about your restaurant.”

“Well, we’re happy to have you. All good business owners should check out their competition.”

“Oh, I’m not competition for you. You’ve already built your reputation. Mine is in New York, so I’ll be building it here from the bottom up. I’m a much smaller operation than yours anyway. Nevertheless, I’m hoping to learn from this experience.”

As they walked past two of the other dining rooms toward their table, Corey was happy to see that Gabi was quite taken with the restaurant. When the hostess led them through the Grill Room, Gabi commented, “The rooms are designed for every level of dining. What a great idea.”

Dark paneling graced the lower half of the walls in the Grill Room. Light-colored wallpaper with gold stripes complemented the dark wood and helped brighten the room. On the opposite side was a long mahogany bar busy with patrons chatting and having a good time.

As they made their way through the room, they came to the doorway that connected the rooms. On each side of the doorway were large frosted windows with etched designs. The windows were framed in the same light wood that extended around the lower half of the walls. Gabi was quite taken by this room. Small, intimate, and cozy—a perfect spot for lovers with a table right in front of the black piano.

“Wow, perfect table,” she said as they were seated.

Placing the napkin on her lap, the hostess handed them both menus. “Good luck with Carters’, Gabi. I hope we see you again.”

“Thank you. I’ll look forward to returning here as well. Come visit us sometime. I’ll give you the best seat in the house.”

“We might just do that. Thanks.”

“I hope you’re not upset with me for telling her who you are,” Corey said.

“No. That’s okay. I would have preferred to remain incognito, but honestly, now I don’t have to pretend to be someone else.”

“Good,” Corey said. He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “I am glad you’re here with me.”

“I am too. Very glad.”

Gabi clutched her stomach. “What a fantastic meal,” she groaned. “I’m stuffed.

Corey laughed. “I’m pretty full myself. It looks as though they’re about to close. Would you like to go somewhere else to have an after-dinner drink?”

“Sure, why not?”

Corey stood and walked over to her chair and pulled Gabi to her feet. When their eyes locked, he leaned in and kissed her. Something she’d never get tired of, now that she knew the real Corey. The Corey who had finally left his demons behind and realized being free is so much better. “Thank you,” she said.

“For what?”

An excited smile crept up her face. “For our first date, for dinner, for a wonderful day and evening, and for the chance to…”

“The chance to… what?”

Gabi told herself to calm down and stop moving so fast. A tinge of anxiety played in her chest while she tried to think of something to say in answer to his question. “A…
a chance to spend quality time and get to know you better in a different setting… and for being with me to check out the competition,” she finished nervously. She released her pent-up breath through her nose to avoid showing him how she felt and was thankful he didn’t have psychic abilities to read her mind. If that had been the case, her secret would have been no secret. She smiled. She had to be kidding. She hadn’t wiped the smile off her face since they’d arrived. They’d been like two lovebirds. The laughter, the kissing, the way they’d shared a taste of their food, and the gazing into each other’s eyes. If it was a secret to anyone, they hadn’t been paying attention.

Holding her hand tightly, Corey led her out to the parking lot. “Gabi…” Corey stopped talking and stared at her.

“What?” she asked. He continued to stare. “What were you going to say?”

“Nothing.”

“Yes, you were. What was it?”

“You’re beautiful.” He gave her a loving smile. “I know I shouldn’t be saying things like this to my boss, but I can’t help myself.”

“I told you,” she smiled sweetly, “I’m not your boss tonight, rememb—”

The last of her words were smothered by his lips. They sent a delicious sensation through her and stopping was the last thing she wanted. Sitting opposite him in the restaurant with their knees touching had made her feel powerless over her growing feelings for him. But what about their working relationship? Would the events of their budding relationship make it harder for them to work together? She decided now was not the time for making decisions. Now was the
time to throw caution out the window and concentrate on having fun, even if only for a night. It had been a long time since she’d felt like this, and she was going to relish every minute of their time together.

They drove in silence to Fiddlers’ Hangout, his hand tightly clutched around hers. Corey turned to look at her. No longer able to fight his undeniable attraction to her, he didn’t want it to stop with tonight. But he’d wait until they were alone to talk about it. Seeing the expression on her face as she stared back at him gave him goose bumps. He watched Gabi swallow hard when their eyes met. He was feeling the same magic she was, and he promised himself the best was yet to come. There’d be no turning back now. No more trying to hide their attraction to one another. He wondered how she’d handle it at work. Admittedly, he hadn’t scored very high marks in taking her orders, but if he wanted to keep her, he needed to continue being accepting of her as his boss. Of course, he could always quit and work elsewhere. That might preserve their relationship. But then, he wouldn’t be around her all day, and he would miss that. Too much.

Walking inside Fiddlers’, they found a small table near a vocalist who was singing folksy music.

“Do you like this kind of music?” he asked, before the cocktail waitress took their order.

“I do. I used to hang out at The Den on Ludlow Street in the city and listen to music like this.”

“I’ve been to The Den,” he said with surprise. “Looks like you and I have more in common than we thought. The
more I’m around you, the more I learn about you, honestly, you’re even cooler than I ever gave you credit for.”

He loved her facial expression every time he gave her a compliment. She giggled as her cheeks flushed from embarrassment.

“You’re going to give me a big head.”

“Would that be so bad?”

“Not when we’re out on a date it isn’t, but maybe when we’re in the kitchen,” she covered her mouth with her hand. “I’m sorry. We weren’t going to talk about work.”

“That’s right. We weren’t.”

The cocktail waitress delivered their drinks, and Gabi held up her glass for a toast. “I know I just said this, Corey, but this has been absolutely wonderful.”

His hand brushed her cheek. “It has been for me too.” He kissed her hand. “The way I feel right now… wow… I can’t believe what’s happening to my insides.”

“What’s wrong? Do you have a stomachache?” she winked. Her bright smile told him she understood. “I just needed to hear you say it,” she said.

“Yes, I’m definitely feeling it, and I don’t want to lose what we’re building here.”

He chugged back his drink. “So what do you think? Shall we get out of here?”

“Sure, but I hate for the evening to end.”

“Who said anything about it ending?” He winked and helped her to an upright position.