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I’d chosen to sit at the bar, since Rossi’s was packed as usual, the dinner crowd boisterous and faulars and often a celebrity or two, incognito, who can of Rossi’s great reputation for warm service and excellent food
Angelo buht”
“Ha!” Vincent scoffed through the kitchen , sliding two stea the corresponding tickets off their clips “Only when you’re repeating what I said”
The ribbing coaxed a reluctant laugh out of me I felt a hand at my waist the moment before I smelled my mother’s favorite Elizabeth Arden perfume
Her lips pressed againsthappens—”
“—for a reason,” I finished “I know It still sucks”
I was the only one in roup effort; evenlike I’d let them all down Sure there were hundreds of restaurateurs in New York, but Lei Yeung didn’t just turn unknown chefs into name brands, she was a force of nature
She spoke frequently about women in business and had been featured on a nurant parents and had worked her way through school,betrayed by herfor her would have been a powerful statement for me
At least, that’s what I’d told myself
“Eat your fettuccine before it gets cold,”in
I forked up a bite of pasta dripping with creamy Alfredo sauce as I watched her A lot of customers did Mona Rossi was closer to sixty than fifty, but you’d never know it fro at her She was beautiful and flah to give it volume and frame a face that was classical in its symmetry, with full lips and dark sloe eyes She was statuesque, with generous curves and a taste for gold jewelry
Men and women alike loved her My ly carefree Very few people realized howup She had them well trained now
Taking a deep breath, I absorbed the co, thesmell of carefully prepared food, the clatter of silverwarein happy toasts I wanted et how much I already had
Nico ca his hand overa soft squeeze
He was a customer favorite at the bar, especially with the women He was darkly handsome, with unruly hair and a wicked smile A consu out at the bar for both his great drinks and sexy banter
“How about cha slid onto the bar stool next tocouple whose reserved table had opened up
I blinked
She s our interview, dressed casually in jeans and a pink silk shell Her hair was down and her face scrubbed free of makeup “Lots of rave reviews about this place online”
“Best Italian food ever,” I said, feeling my heartbeat quicken with renewed excitement
“A lot of thereater over the past couple of years A into practice things you’ve learned?”
Nico set two flutes in front of us, then filled theht,” he said, butting in
Lei caught the stehtwhen to disappear, moved down the bar
“To get back to what you said” she began I started to cringe, then straightened up Lei Yeung hadn’t made a special trip just to berate e of ive hih it”
I nodded The exact circumstances of their split were private, but I’d inferred a lot froazines and filled in the rest froether they’d had a culinary empire comprised of a stable of celebrity chefs, several restaurant chains, a line of cookbooks and affordable cookware that sold in the millions Then Pembry had announced the launch of a new chain of eateries bankrolled by A-list actors and actresses—but Lei hadn’t been part of that
“He taught ot as etting too used to s I need fresh eyes I want to feed off soer”
“You want a protégée”
“Exactly” Her mouth curved “I didn’t realize that until you pointed it out I kneas looking for so, but I couldn’t say what it was”
I was totally thrilled but kept my tone professional I swiveled toward her “I’m in, if you want me”
“Forget about nor I’ll need you on weekends, and I ht I work all the time”
“I won?
??t complain”
“I will” Angelo caured out who I was talking to and, as usual, none of them were shy “I need to see her every once in a while”
I elbowed hi, half-finished loft apartelo’s wife, Denise Most of the ti one another too often
Lei thrust out her hand and introduced herself to Nico and Angelo, then to my mom, who had wandered back over to see what the fuss was about My dad and Vincent gave shout-outs through the serviceAwith a basket of fresh bread and olive oil imported from a small farm in Tuscany
“How’s the panna cotta?” Lei asked me
“You’ll never have better,” I replied “Have you already had dinner?”
“Not yet Lesson nuood stuff”
I bit on ot the job?”
She held up her flute with a brisk nod “Cheers”
Chapter 2
One year later
“GOD, THE RUSH,” Lei said, her feet tapping beneath the dining table “It never gets old”
I grinned, having caught the bug froether We’d experienced a lot of highs, but today—a cloudless late-Septe and wooing, ere going to close a deal that would snag two of Ian Pe ago and a major coup for us
Lei had dressed for the occasion and so had I Her Diane von Fürstenberg wrap dress was vintage and her signature red Paired with black boots, she looked fierce and sexy I debuted a dark gold shell snagged froarette pants the designer had paired with them The ensemble was chic and reflected a new me, a Gianna who’d evolved a lot over the previous year