She wanted to continue creating new things to keep people coming. One thing that drove her crazy with any business was when the menu never changed. Her favorite places were always those that brought something new to the menu often. Not just once a year or even once a quarter. If a business wanted to keep her coming back, they had to give her a reason to. They had to make sure she felt as if she’d miss out on something if she even took a week off.
“You know I’ll be back every day,” Sal told her. He truly was one of her best customers. They chatted for a while longer before Chloe turned.
Then she stopped in her tracks.
Of course it was him.
Brandon Anderson was now casually strolling up to her place of business. He walked with confidence wherever he was going. It was something she admired about the man.
And though she’d deny it even on her deathbed, she’d caved in to him . . . once. She hadn’t even told her best friends about that night. It wasn’t exactly that she felt ashamed. It was just that she had known better.
She’d been feeling down the night of Sarah’s wedding. And though she’d let Brandon know in no uncertain terms nothing would happen between the two of them . . . well, somehow she’d woken up in the morning next to the man.
She had done the ultimate walk of shame that morning and was more grateful than words could ever express that no one had seen her. Though she’d made a clean getaway, she absolutely remembered every single detail of their time together—and it had been spectacular.
The man knew how to please a woman, and she’d been pleased over and over and over again. Chloe had always been a small woman no matter how many Cheetos she shoved into her face. She’d rather have the curves her friends had, but it just wasn’t in her genetics. She was grateful she could eat whatever she wanted, since she loved to cook and do multiple taste tests, but she wouldn’t mind a bit more junk in the trunk.
But Brandon hadn’t seemed to mind her body at all. He’d touched and kissed every single inch of her. Before that night with him, she hadn’t known those words could actually be true. But his hands had slid up and down her body as if she were a string on a violin. His mouth had trailed after.
Where she was petite, he was huge. The man had shoulders she could caress all day and night and abs she wanted to run her tongue over again and again. He had a rugged face, but the sparkle in his eyes took away any roughness. She wasn’t sure why she was fighting this thing between the two of them.
He’d made it more than clear he wanted more. She could tell herself all day long it was because she wasn’t attracted to him, but that would be a lie. She didn’t have a traumatic past relationship making her afraid of love. She just didn’t want to be a girlfriend. She didn’t want to settle.
She’d seen often how amazing a relationship could be in the beginning. Both parties would be putting on their best behavior, willing to do anything for their significant other, but then as time went on and the love hormones began to neutralize, she’d also watched as they stopped pretending, as they each grew more selfish, as the fighting would begin.
Yes, she saw the perfect matches of her best friends. But they were the exception, not the rule. So she’d made it a lifelong mission to never be in a long-term relationship. And that had always worked for her.
Perfection had been her aim her entire life. And there was no way to have perfection in a relationship. The only way to somewhat have it was to never get past the beginning stages where everything was wrapped in a pretty pink bow, where hormones dictated how you saw a person.
Of course, everyone was perfect at the start of a relationship. You weren’t able to see flaws in your partner. You didn’t want to find anything wrong with them. It was all roses and chocolate-covered strawberries.
In the beginning your makeup was done to perfection, your hair neat and tidy, your clothes wrinkle-free. In the beginning maximum effort was put forth. But once you were comfortable and trusted your partner, that wall of perfection began to crumble, and you let your other half see your flaws.
It was those who had real love who saw those flaws as strengths instead of weaknesses. It was those who saw you through the frosted glass because you were their other half, and there were no such things as flaws in their eyes.
She didn’t trust that she could ever see someone in that light. And she certainly didn’t trust that a man could see her that way. Maybe Brooke and Sarah had found that. And as much as she wanted to believe they loved their husbands and their husbands loved them, she still wasn’t fully convinced the glasses wouldn’t one day shatter.
The attraction she felt toward Brandon terrified her. She could completely see herself falling for the man. She could imagine it would be absolutely perfect . . . for about three months. And then inevitably, it would all fall apart. When there was as much passion between two people as there was between her and Brandon, it was bound to go up in flames even hotter than most relationships. When those glasses broke, they’d break into a million pieces.
That would be awkward since they worked together. So knowing all of that, she had to be strong. But as he walked toward her, it was much easier said than done. The man was like a giant magnet—and she was definitely magnetized.
By a miracle of sorts, Chloe managed to rip her gaze from him. She quickly walked behind her counter and pushed her way through the swinging double doors into the kitchen, where the ovens were hot and her crew was busy cooking.
Nancy looked up, her smile quickly faltering, making Chloe wonder what it was the woman saw in her eyes. Was it panic, shock, resignation? She didn’t know. All she knew for sure was that she was so attracted to this man she didn’t trust herself alone with him. She hadn’t been able to even look at another man since their night together. If she were being fully honest, she hadn’t been able to look at another man since Brandon had strolled into town.
She went through the daily motions of life, worked hard at her place of business, and went out with her friends. But he was always on her mind. And even if she could push thoughts of him away during waking hours, there was nothing she could do to stop thoughts of him when she was asleep. He was that man. He was the guy you lost yourself in. Chloe wasn’t the girl to allow it to happen.
Besides her fear of having anything less than perfection, there was more that could go wrong in a relationship with Brandon. Though Cranston was a small town, she’d bought this restaurant on her own, and she’d made it successful—without the help of her parents. She’d been involved in every detail of the place. And though she wasn’t necessarily a wealthy person, she made it just fine on her own. That could all disappear if she were to get in a relationship with Brandon.
Just seeing him walk through her doors had threatened the very fabric of her happiness. He’d consume her. She was sure of it. She might not have experience with men, and she wasn’t afraid of them, but she knew he wasn’t anything close to ordinary. And when she did decide to play around with men, she looked for the ones who were easily forgettable.
“Chloe, what’s happening?” Brooke asked as she entered the room and took a cautious step forward. Chloe had forgotten Brooke had been sitting at the counter visiting with her and Sal. That’s how muddled Brandon had made her brain.
Chloe tried to form words as she looked at the worry on her friend’s face. Brooke knew sparks had flown between Chloe and Brandon, but Brooke didn’t know of their night together. Maybe it was time she confided in her bestie. Maybe they should call Sarah, and the three of them could come up with a plan together. That’s how it had always been between them.