Okay. He’s busting my balls.
“No, thanks. It’s bad enough I have to go bartend at the club so I don’t starve. At least I know how to pour drinks. Cooking food I have no idea how to do.”
“Okay. Alex is over there,” Cassian says, pointing toward his younger son.
I flash him another smile, and when he walks out of the kitchen, I hurry over to the kitchen doors to see if I can get another glimpse of Hailey. A second later, two servers nearly bash me in the head on their way in.
Jesus, is this a racetrack? I’m trying to see out this damn window, people.
“Cade, why are you getting in my staff’s way?” Cassian says from behind me. “I thought you were here to see Alex, who is in the room you’re in.”
I turn around to answer him and another server comes bounding through the door, nearly knocking me over. I quickly step out of the way and over toward my uncle, who’s giving me a look that says he’s about to throw me out of this kitchen in about two seconds.
“Alex is the person I’m here to see. I just wanted to look out at the dining room. That’s all.”
Truly the dumbest thing I’ve ever said, and considering my past, that’s pretty bad.
This time, Cassian gives me that single raised eyebrow look that says he’s not buying a word of this bullshit. I don’t blame him. I wouldn’t buy it either. It wasn’t my best attempt at concealing what I’m really doing.
“What’s going on? You never come here, Cade, and now you’re standing in my kitchen, blocking my servers’ way, and staring out the window at my dining room.”
No point in trying to lie anymore. It seems that I’m incapable of conjuring up a good enough answer, so I admit the truth. “Alex called me to let me know someone I’ve been interested in is here having dinner tonight. I was hoping to get a look at her before I go out there.”
For a few seconds, Cassian doesn’t seem to know what to do with that answer. It’s the truth, but he probably doesn’t believe it. Again, I don’t blame him.
Then he finally smiles and says, “Is this how you usually meet women? You definitely take after your father if it is.”
Just what I need—another reminder I’m like my father, or I’m supposed to be.
As Alex joins us in the corner of the kitchen out of the way of the staff, I answer my uncle’s question. “No, it isn’t how I usually meet women, thank you.”
“Why are you still in here?” Alex asks before turning to his father. “The girl he likes is here tonight. I told him he should come down and talk to her. I don’t think she’ll run away here.”
Of course, my uncle seizes on that wonderful tidbit of information and throws his head back in laughter. “Run away? Oh, I have to see this. Just don’t make my restaurant look like some kind of crime scene she needs to flee from, Cade.”
Hanging my head, I mumble, “I fucking hate this family sometimes. I really do.”
“Awww, Cade. We’re just teasing you,” Alex says, not helping.
“Like father, like son with you two?” I ask, truly believing it was a mistake to come down here tonight. “This whole thing is stupid. She liked you better than she liked me.”
“I already went out there and talked to her. Trust me. She isn’t into me, and I already told you she isn’t my type. Her friend, on the other hand, I’m all in on. Stop talking to us and go out there.”
“Fine. I’ll do it just to shut you two up. I swear this family sucks,” I say as I walk out the kitchen doors into the dining room.
I look over at her table and see it empty. Fuck! All that talking to those two made me miss her.
Well, I’m not ready to give up just yet. I’ve already blown off my job for this attempt to talk to Hailey, so I might as well see it through. Hurrying around guests and tables, I run outside to find her walking to her car.
“Hey! What’s new?” I call out as I do my best casual fast walk toward her.
“Are you stalking me or something?”
Not exactly the response I was hoping for. In fact, she’s even chillier than the last time.
“What? No.”
“Then why are you in this parking lot when I know you weren’t in the restaurant. You have no business being here.”
Definitely not a good start to this attempt to get to know her. I try to be cool, but I have to explain I’m not some crazy stalker dude creeping up on her in a parking lot at night.
“I was in the restaurant and I have every reason to be here since my family owns this place. Well, not my immediate family but my uncles. My cousin Alex is a chef here.”
She levels her gaze on me and hums as if she doesn’t like what she’s hearing. “I know. He came over to our table and was very gracious.”
Great. Alex is gracious, and I’m a stalker who she might mace at any moment. I’m not thinking I could chalk that up to an improvement on our last meeting.
When she doesn’t say anything more, I take a step toward her and ask, “So did you enjoy your meal? My uncles run a great place here.”
“I have to go.”
Not good. She doesn’t even want to make small talk. Things are going from bad to worse. Well, not worse since she hasn’t maced me yet.
“Would you like to go for a drink?”
She looks surprised at the question and doesn’t answer for a long moment, so I hold out hope things are improving. Then with just a few words, she dashes my hopes.
“No. I have to go.”
“Are you meeting your boyfriend now?”
“No,” she says, shaking her head.
This is my in. I just have to finesse this right so she doesn’t run away again. Or drive away, as the case may be this time.
“Then why not go for a drink with me? We can get to know one another. It could be fun.”
Again, she shakes her head. “I don’t really drink.”
“Then let’s go for a walk. You walk, don’t you?”
That makes her smile, and I can’t help but notice how beautiful she is when she smiles. It’s like someone has lit her up from the inside.
“Of course I walk. Why are you so interested in me, Cade?”
A woman who gets right to the chase. I can appreciate that. No beating around the bush is the way she wants it, so that’s what I’ll do.
“Because you’re beautiful and I liked that you were watching out that window in that kitchen door at your parent’s restaurant the other day. After tonight, I know how dangerous that actually is and I appreciate it even more.”
She narrows her eyes like she doesn’t understand what I’m talking about, but that doesn’t matter. I just need to get her to say yes to the walk.
One yes and we can see what happens next.
“So you walk. I do too, so let’s do it together. We’re right here at the Riverwalk, so why not?”
“Because you might be a serial killer,” she says with a tiny smile.
“I’m not, but if you want, we can go back into the restaurant and my uncle and cousin can vouch for me. You might get trapped listening to stories about when I was a kid, though, and to be honest, I’d rather not have that humiliation heaped on me tonight. I’m willing to go back in so you can hear I’m definitely not a serial killer, though. You decide.”