Melvina didn’t know what to expect. She’d had the day off, but Riley needed to stop by Braised. He told her to come by when she finished her lunch with Mona. Melvina found herself impatient to get there as she drove the six-ten loop into the city. She wasn’t big on driving in traffic, so it was rare that she went into Houston, and usually it was Pop or Eli driving.
When she walked into Braised, a young waitress met her at the door, “The restaurant isn’t open until five, but you can get drinks at the bar.”
Melvina nodded. Before she could find a seat at the bar, Riley came up behind her, pulling her to him in a bear hug and nuzzling her neck.
“Riley,” she pleaded, self-conscious of the bar staff and patrons’ eyes on her.
He spun her around to face him, kissing her full on the lips. “This is Houston, baby,” he said between kisses. “No one gives a damn what we do. Besides, I’m the owner.” He laughed at her shocked expression.
“Baby?” She tilted her head, surveying his excitement.
“Sorry. Is it too cheesy, too much too soon?”
“Maybe just a little, but I’ll forgive you if you give me a tour of the kitchen,” she smiled.
Riley beamed. “Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about.” We’ll be back in a minute, Ran,” Riley called out over his shoulder. It was only then that Melvina noticed his brother was setting up equipment next to the bar.
“Are the Tomball Cats playin’ here tonight?”
He grasped her hand as he led her to the back.
“Yep. It’s Friday night. We try to keep live music in the bar on the weekends.” Melvina was now embarrassed that someone she knew had witnessed Riley’s steamy greeting.
She couldn’t help her jaw dropping as she took in the state-of-the-art kitchen. It put Pop’s place to shame, not that there was any competition. Braised was fine dining and Pop’s was comfort food. “If I had a grill like that, we would do thick T-bone steaks and ribeye for everybody in town. And I would give my eye tooth for a walk-in cooler like that.” Melvina pointed to a sous chef walking out of the cooler door, holding a tub of fresh lettuce leaves.
Riley chuckled, “You could. I mean, I was serious yesterday when I said we had a need for your expertise.” He paused and said in a more serious tone. “I know you’ve been working for your dad all these years, but didn’t you tell me you wanted to break free and do your own thing? I would love to see what you could do with our dessert menu and I would give you free run of the kitchen. Just come in and make your magic happen.”
Melvina was speechless. She could only dream of working in a kitchen like this, and most aspiring chefs would give anything to work at a restaurant owned by the famous Riley Nash.
“Melvina? It’s okay.” He took her hands in his. “You don’t have to give me an answer right away. I’ll show you the rest of the kitchen and you can think about it later.”
He led her to the cooling drawers in the pastry area, the massive rotisseries, brick ovens and the private chef’s table in the middle of the kitchen. It was a glassed-off room with a white linen-covered table in the center along with eight chairs and a massive, sparkling chandelier. Anyone seated in that room could see every area from prep to serve, and Melvina noted there wasn’t one leaf of lettuce on the floor or one smear of sauce on the counter. She spotted a few younger staff members in black uniforms who Riley called The Cleaners. They darted around wiping up any mess as soon as it happened.
Melvina gawked at the entire ensemble. It was a chef’s masterpiece, and according to Riley, he had planned it all. “You’re a genius. The flow of everything is so impressive. From the tiniest paring knife to the location of the ovens, you have crafted a dream kitchen.”
Riley pointed. “The warmers are near the dining area so that everything goes out piping hot to the table.”
“I love the fresh herb bins. Who would have thought to add those so that the chef isn’t running back and forth to the cooler? You are—” Her words searched for the right praise.
“Stop. You’re making my head swell, and all this cooking talk with someone who gets it is making me hard.” His eyes danced with excitement as he looked at her.
Melvina slapped at his arm. “You are looking at me like I’m a slab of brisket.”
Riley’s smile widened as he steered her down another corridor away from the kitchen past some offices, then stopped when no one else was around. He lowered his voice. “You don’t even know the half of it. Last night was just a taste of the hunger I have for you. I haven’t been able to think of anything else. I have to admit, I’ve never experienced a woman so full of passion. I wasn’t sure at one point if I could keep up. I don’t know if that says something great about you or bad about me.” He shook his head in wonder as he stroked her hair.
“Riley, about that—”
He put a finger to her lips. “Shh, hold that thought. I want to show you something.” He opened the door that led to the dining room and walked with her across the rich carpet to a glass room in the center with wall-to-wall bottles of wine. The room was at least thirty feet, floor-to-ceiling, and had a stark set of stainless-steel stairs that flowed like a corkscrew around the racks of wine. He stopped and pulled a fur coat off a rack. Melvina let him wrap it around her shoulders before feeling its softness.
“Mink?”
Riley nodded. “It’s part of the ambiance. It’s a little chilly in here and the guests who come in to see the wines like to wear it through the tour.”
Melvina made a face. “Poor critters.”
“The guests?” Riley shook his head, confused.
“No, the poor little minks that gave their lives to make up this coat.” Melvina frowned, feeling self-conscious.
Riley scratched his brow. “If it bothers you, I can get my jacket from my car.”
It touched her heart that he would offer. “No, that’s all right. I can make it through the tour.”
“Good,” he nodded.
When they approached the top of the stairs in the wine cellar, Melvina could see the entire restaurant. She hadn’t noticed before that the walls didn’t go all the way to the ceiling where the kitchen was separated, so from up here she could see the pastry chef icing a cake while the band started playing at the opposite end in the bar. It was a glittering display of candlelit tables, gleaming kitchen, and crystal glasses at every table.
“It’s beautiful,” Melvina marveled.
“So, what do you think? Will you come here to work?”
Melvina paused as a quick list of pros and cons skimmed through her brain. “I admit it’s tempting, and when I first met you, I wanted to ask you to back me in my very own bakery. I’ve saved a little, but nowhere near the amount I need to land the whole thing. I need an investor, but now—you, me, the whole thing between us. I don’t think we should mix business with pleasure. It could ruin everything. Besides, even though this is my dream kitchen, it’s not my dream. I don’t want to give up on my idea of a boutique bakery that lets me off at five p.m. like the rest of the world. I want to have a life one day.”
Riley nodded in comprehension. “I would have backed you and your bakery. I still will if you want. I’ve got enough money. Hell, I don’t even know what to do with half of it.”
His eyes assessed her as she shook her head. “It’s too late for that now. I was hoping to ask you before we got to know each other.”
He crinkled his forehead in thought. “Wait, you mean because I slept with you, I can’t invest in your success?”
“I’m saying it would just cause problems down the road. It would be complicated.”
He bent toward her and brushed his lips softly over hers. “Well, I don’t agree. I don’t want to scare you off, but I see a long future for us together. You’ve got just what I’ve been looking for. I hope maybe you’ll want to share some of those dreams with me.”
Why is he saying all this? Surely he could have any woman he wants. Why me?
Melvina felt hypnotized by his husky voice and heartfelt words. She looked down at the restaurant and saw Ran talking to a patron at the bar.
Riley touched his forehead softly against hers, “Okay, enough of the tour for now. Let’s go have a drink.”
Oh no!
Melvina’s heart sank as they approached the bar. Riley’s hand curled possessively around her waist. Before she could say or do anything, Manny turned around to greet them.
“Mr. Nash.” There was an audible silence as his greeting stopped abruptly, leaving them all in discomfort before picking back up again. “Melvina, I didn’t know you were here.”
The disappointment in his eyes tore at Melvina’s heart. The chief had been nothing but kind, and he’d expressed his interest in her the night he’d taken her to dinner. And she’d shown interest in return.
She hoped Manny didn’t feel like she’d been leading him on. Damn, this was awkward. She didn’t want this to happen.
Sensing things were strained, Riley nodded to the bartender, “Hey, Luke, why don’t you bring the fire chief a cold beer on the house.”
Manny waved him off. “Naw, that’s all right. I was just stopping in quick to see about the calendar event. Celia is planning two competitions between Harris and Montgomery counties, with a first round here at Braised and a second round at Bubbles, then a final barbecue outside the station when the calendar gets released. She came over to the station insisting I talk to you today. She thought you might say yes if I asked you in person.”
Melvina inwardly groaned. That bitch! Mona’s dig had now landed her in an uncomfortable position. Thoughtless of Manny’s feelings, it was proof that Celia only cared about herself. She probably thought she was killing two birds with one stone, systematically showing Manny that Melvina had feelings for Riley and clearing the way for her own hooks to land in Manny’s unsuspecting back. Well, maybe not so unsuspecting. He did ask her not to bring Celia to the firehouse. It was possible he would still survive the hunt. Manny deserved a nice partner after all the hard work he did for the community.
“Sure, Chief. Anything to help out. You got a day and time? I can go put it on the books now.”
Manny pointed to Melvina. “Melvina here is the planner. I’m just supposed to ask.” He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
Riley turned to his brother. “You wanna play that evening?”
Ran’s smile was mischievous. “Oh, if Raphe is strutting his stuff down the catwalk, I don’t think I would miss it.”
They all laughed. Manny nodded to the group. “Well, it sounds like my work here is done. I’ll let you figure out the details amongst yourselves. I need to get back to the station and check on the boys.”
Melvina remembered him mentioning at the meeting that he had today off. “Don’t you ever rest, Manny?”
He started backing toward the door as he placed his Rockets ball cap back on his head. “No rest for the weary.” He winked. “Y’all take care.” And with that, he was gone.
Melvina couldn’t help but to feel crestfallen. She had never been in this situation in her life. She had mooned over Manny for years and now here she had blown it on a chance with Riley. Manny was solid, salt of the earth, community oriented, an all-around great guy. What did she know about Riley? He could cook. He was great in bed. He was a city boy now and famous across the nation for his reality cooking show debut. He owned one of the hottest restaurants in the fourth largest city in America.
Melvina was a country girl by all rights. Houston was a forty-five minute drive with no traffic, and she rarely left her cozy little hometown. She was out of her league and she knew it.
Riley had been talking to his brother about the upcoming event and the night’s plans. He barked out a few orders to the staff and then interrupted her thoughts. His voice was soft. “Mel, you okay?”
“Don’t call me Mel.” It was an automatic response. She had been called Mel throughout high school and she hated it. Only Eli, Pop and Mona were allowed to call her Mel, because she knew they only did it with affection. “Sorry, it just brings back bad memories.” She placed a hand on his arm to soften her words. Ran had left them and was continuing to tune his instrument. “Riley, I need to go. I’ll take a rain check on the drink. You’ve got things to do, and,” she paused. “I need to get back to Magnolia.”
