A slow, smug smile crossed her face before she replied. “Actually, I created the menu. Almost every item on it is an original recipe of mine. I kept some guest favorites from the previous management, but I wanted to put my own stamp on it. If a chef could follow my recipes and make the proper presentation, then I hire them.”
Ryder was…stunned. “So…you went to culinary school?”
“No. My parents thought the idea of me wanting to be a chef was laughable and forced me to take business courses. I went to UNC in Wilmington and majored in business, but I worked for several different restaurants during my time there and learned everything I could from the various chefs. Plus, when I inherited the café, I was still in school and needed to keep things going as they were. I eased my way in there and made my changes slowly and I think I’m finally at a point where I’m happy with all of it. That’s why I felt it was time to make the leap into buying the property and building something of my own.”
Damn. He had to respect that. She was working her way up, she wasn’t impulsive, and clearly she had a good head on her shoulders for someone so young.
“All the more reason I believe you’d be the perfect choice to work with on this project,” he said pleasantly. “We’d not only work on a menu, but I’d also want your input on the overall restaurant design, décor, and, most importantly, setting up the kitchen. I have no doubt that you know all the best equipment to buy and the kind of layout required for maximum efficiency. I want top-of-the-line all the way. I’ll admit I’ve done some research but I’m certainly no expert on it.”
Her laugh was loud and unexpected. “And you think I am? Ryder, come on. I don’t think we need to pretend with each other. You offered this position because you felt bad, but I’ll bet you can hire someone with a lot more qualifications to do this with you. And with the money it sounds like you’re willing to spend, I would highly recommend you hire someone with more experience in the business. You deserve to hire the best in order to achieve what you’re looking to do. I know my limitations, but thank you for the offer.”
“But…”
Peyton stood and smiled down at him. “Now if you don’t mind, your arrival interrupted my dinner plans, so…”
He had no choice but to come to his feet, and he couldn’t believe she was turning him down. And not just out of dislike for him, but because she didn’t think she was good enough. In all his years in business, he’d never met someone who willingly walked away from an opportunity that would greatly benefit them.
“Fifty thousand dollars,” he blurted out and watched as her eyes went wide again.
“Ex…excuse me?”
“That’s what I’ll pay you for your help on this project. I’m expecting it to take around three months to plan everything out, meet with Austin on the designs, hammer out a menu...and at the end of that, you get the money to do whatever you want with it.”
With a mirthless laugh, Peyton walked away from him and went to her kitchen and got herself a bottle of water without offering him one. She took a long drink before looking at him again. “You’re crazy. You know that, right?”
“Why? Because I know what I want and I believe you’re the person to help me achieve it?”
“Ryder, be serious! That’s a ridiculous amount of money for three months’ worth of consulting, for starters. Money that would be better put to use by hiring someone with more experience.”
“Seventy-five thousand,” he countered.
“You’re not listening to me,” she said with annoyance as she walked back over and stood in front of him. “I’m not qualified for this. What you’re looking to do is way beyond my skill set.”
“I beg to differ. Just from the little I know about you, I know you are the only person who can handle this.” He paused and met her defiant gaze. “One hundred thousand dollars.”
“Stop trying to throw money at me!” she yelled. “You can’t get your way all the time! And throwing piles of cash at me to convince me to help you is just…” She shuddered. “It’s awful and does nothing to improve my original thoughts about you. If anything, it just confirms it.”
“And what were your original thoughts about me?” he asked, curious.
“That you’re the kind of guy who throws money at people to get what you want,” she said as if he were an idiot. “I would have thought that was obvious.” Then she looked him up and down, her nose wrinkled. “And don’t you own any casual clothes? You show up here in your thousand-dollar suit, you showed up at my café in a tuxedo and…by the way, what the hell was that even about?”
Now it was his turn for his eyes to go wide. “Um…I needed a dinner catered.”
“Not the food,” she said with annoyance. “The tux. Who shows up at a small-town café in the middle of the afternoon in a tuxedo?”
Raking a hand through his hair, he murmured, “I was being photographed for a magazine article right before I got the call that I needed to get dinner, so…”
“And you didn’t think it was weird to drive around town in a tuxedo? You couldn’t take five minutes to change into…you know…normal clothes?”
Okay, the conversation was getting way off-track and he knew he needed to reel it in.
Fast.
“I don’t see what that has to do with anything. As I was saying…”
“But it does,” she interrupted. “Don’t you get it? You’re very off-putting and condescending. And when you add in the throwing money at people thing, it’s beyond offensive. Maybe you should think about working on getting a consultant to help you work on that.”
For a moment, Ryder was too stunned to respond. While he appreciated honesty, he wasn’t used to anyone being quite so blunt with him. Most people he approached with a business opportunity were flattered. He would have thought once Peyton got over her disappointment with the property that she’d realize just what an amazing prospect he was presenting her with. And if money wasn’t going to convince her…
“One hundred thousand dollars and I build your restaurant on the property I just purchased,” he stated, and knew immediately that he had her.
“What?!”
Nodding confidently, he explained. “You tell me what it is that you want on that plot of land, and I’ll build it. Just like the restaurant at the resort, you can have input on the building, design, décor, and menu.”
“Input? Seriously?” she asked, her arms crossed as she struck a somewhat sassy pose.
“Well, it’s my money we’ll be playing with, so let’s say it will be a team effort. Fifty-fifty.”
“Eighty-twenty,” she countered.
“Sixty-forty.” Because he was enjoying the fact that she was considering this.
“Seventy-five twenty-five. Final offer.”
If it were anyone else, he would have laughed because ultimately, he had the final say, but…he’d give her this one. Holding out his hand, he said, “We’ve got a deal.”
Peyton gave him a cautious smile, and when she put her hand in his, Ryder felt like he might crush it. It was small and soft, but she had a firm handshake.