“No more than you.”
Dean started laughing. Hard.
“What’s so funny?”
Dean shook his head. “I was just thinking…” He looked Nick in the eye. “Can you imagine the look on Ginny’s face when she sees the paper?”
“I seriously doubt that Ginny’s within range of the Times.” For the first time, or at least the first time that Nick realized it, talking about Ginny no longer stung. Well, at least not as much as it had last week. “I hope the bank manager sees the paper today.” Nick chuckled. If there was one instant where he’d like to capitalize on being married into such wealth, that was it. Maybe it’d help him get a loan to buy the community center and the land it sits on.
“Yeah…” Dean agreed. He had as much invested in the center as Nick. In fact, Dean’s job depended on them finding a way to purchase the center.
Nick glanced at his watch. It was nearly noon. Good. Lecie should be here soon.
“What?” Dean joked. “You got a lunch date?”
“Yes. As a matter of fact, I do.” Nick got up and ushered Dean toward the door. “Don’t you have something to do?”
“No.” A wide grin spread over Dean’s face. “As a matter of fact, I don’t. I think I’ll have lunch with you and the little missus.”
“No, you’re not.” Nick nudged Dean out into the dining room.
“Hey wait…how about her friend Deidra?” he asked seriously. “Don’t those rich chicks hang out together?”
He was only trying to get a rise out of Nick, which is why Nick wasn’t accommodating. “Goodbye, Dean. I’ll see you later.”
Minutes after Dean left, Lecie arrived. Nick’s heart danced at the sight of her. He maneuvered his way around the tables to greet her at the front door. “Right on time. You hungry?” Lord knew, he was.
She nodded and tossed him a smile that instantly lifted his spirits.
Nick chose a table near his office, away from the windows—now that he realized he and Lecie were on the press’s radar. He pulled her chair out and waited for her to sit, then he sat next to her. Bethany was at their side as soon as Nick’s bottom hit the chair, delivering a glass of ice water for Nick and an iced tea for Lecie.
“The usual?” Bethany asked Nick. He nodded and looked at Lecie.
“Yeah.” Lecie nodded. “I’m sticking with the crab cakes. They’re awesome.”
“Salads today?” Bethany asked.
Nick looked at Lecie, she nodded and said, “Yes. I’m famished.”
Nick looked back at Bethany and held up two fingers. “Two Caesars.”
Minutes later, Bethany was back with two salads. Nick said, “It’s starting to get busy.” He looked around the dining room, which was beginning to fill. “Just let me know when our lunches are up. I’ll get them from the kitchen.”
“Will do, boss,” she said and walked away.
Nick had this fascinating light in his eyes like he used to, before Ginny’s shenanigans almost brought him to the brink of financial ruin.
“You really love running this place, don’t you?” Lecie asked, gazing around the restaurant.
“I do.” He nodded.
“It shows.” She paused, almost overcome with melancholy. “I’d love to have something that meant so much to me.”
He looked at her like he was filled with pity for her.
One of the waitresses, Diane rushed up to the table. “Keri called. She’s got the flu.”
“Did you call Ashley?” he asked.
“She’s on vacation. She’s in Texas.”
“Kami?” Desperation filled his voice. Kami was one of the part time hostesses. She and Meredith worked Keri and Ashley’s days off.
“Kami’s working her other job till the end of the week.” Diane said. “And Meredith is scheduled to take Ashley’s shift starting tomorrow. She’s working elsewhere today.”
“Damn.” Nick looked around. Lecie knew they were talking about the restaurant’s hostesses. “Can we get a waitress to fill in?”
“We’ll have to call somebody in,” Diane said.
“I can do it,” Lecie spoke up.
“You?” Diane looked at her, surprised.
Nick turned to Lecie. “I can’t ask you to do that.”
“Why not?” Lecie asked.
“Well, for one, I really don’t think it’s your cup of tea,” Nick said. Of course, Lecie knew he was just being polite. He didn’t think she could do it.
“What do I have to do…?” she asked. “Seat people at a table and tell them their waitress will be right with them?” How hard could that be?
For the next three days, Lecie stumbled her way around the restaurant, playing hostess. On the third evening, when the restaurant was half an hour away from closing, Nick passed her by in the hallway outside the supply room.
He pulled her inside. They stood inches apart. He gazed at her with adoration sparkling in his intoxicating brown eyes. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am for your help while Keri’s been sick.”
“It was my pleasure,” she said. “Even though I was a very poor stand-in.”
“You were fantastic.” He touched her cheek, caressing it. “Thank you.”
For a second, she thought he was going to kiss her, but instead he smiled softly and backed away.
Every time Lecie thought Nick was on the verge of getting closer to her, it was as though something went off inside his head, reminding him not to.
But why?
Probably because he was still in love with Ginny.
Lecie would do well to remember that, and stop letting herself get carried away by fantasies that were never going to come true.
On Saturday, Nick was in his office running inventory numbers on the computer. He’d always found it a dull, drab job in the past, but now he had a newfound appreciation for it after nearly losing Hang Ten.
He had Lecie to thank for that not happening. He’d grown quite accustomed to having her around, even in this short amount of time. He was also about to chastise himself for that, knowing full well that it was a bad idea, when Keri appeared at the door, looking decidedly pale.
“What’s the matter?” he asked. “You not feeling well again?” He hoped that wasn’t the case. He hated the thought of asking Lecie to play hostess again, especially on a Saturday.
“No,” she said weakly. “I’m fine.” She cut her eyes to the left, out toward the dining room. “I’m not sure you’re going to like this.”