Vicious Valentine by Patti Benning (best fiction novels to read txt) 📗

“Save it,” Vanessa said coldly. “Go enjoy your date.” She sneered. “Really, though, Helena? You could’ve done better than my ex.”

Corbin’s lips pressed together but he didn’t say anything as Helena finally turned and began walking in the direction they had originally been heading, her gait stiff. He followed behind her, shooting Vanessa a dirty look.

“Wow,” Hannah said in a low voice. “I take it we’re going to talk about that later.”

“Oh, yes, you can count on it,” Vanessa said, still glaring after the couple. “I’ve got to go now, though. I still have a shift to cover.”

After trading short goodbyes, Vanessa left the restaurant and Hannah turned to finally go into the kitchen. She found Nadia, the other new member of the waitstaff, standing behind her with a tray full of dirty dishes and wide eyes.

“Hopefully, that’s the most excitement we have this evening,” Hannah said, giving her a small smile. She didn’t want the younger woman to be intimidated by the drama. “You’ll see Vanessa around a lot. I promise, when she’s not angry, she’s a lot less intimidating.”

“Intimidating?” Nadia asked, blinking. “She’s so cool. Sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I heard enough of that to get the gist of what was going on. I would have been a mess if my coworker waltzed in here with my ex on Valentine’s Day.”

Chapter Three

The evening ran Hannah ragged. As one of the nicest restaurants in the area, Hawk’s Place was the go-to destination for Valentine’s Day dates. Some couples had driven nearly an hour to dine there, and those that didn’t have a reservation usually ended up staying even with a long wait. Hannah barely had time to think as she made dish after dish, barking out orders to Brian and Tony more sharply than she would have liked. She felt bad for Tony once she had a chance to regroup as they began winding down – he was still new there, and while he was taking to the work well, he was nowhere near as efficient in the kitchen as she and Brian were. She had snapped at him one or two times and already regretted it. She knew the horrible feeling of having a head chef berate you for something that wasn’t your fault and had wanted to avoid doing the same when she opened her own restaurant. She only hoped that she hadn’t scared him off from the job and that she would be able to make it up to him in the coming weeks by taking the time to show him the ropes more calmly. The training all the new employees had gotten had left him with the basics, but only time would give him the techniques he needed to match the pace of the more experienced kitchen staff. Even something as simple as chopping vegetables needed practice and skill to do well.

She was reassured when she saw him chatting and laughing with Brian as they finished tidying up the kitchen before closing. He didn’t look too put out, though he did look exhausted – they all were. She couldn’t wait to fall into her bed and sleep late into the next morning, but first, she had her date with Ben.

She had only had a couple glimpses of him throughout the evening – he had come in during their busiest hours to work security, and neither of them had time for anything other than a quick hello. Despite how exhausted she was, she was looking forward to sitting down and having a meal together, just the two of them. In fact, the sight of their entrées, plated only minutes ago by Brian, who had insisted on making the meal for her, made her stomach growl.

“You should go.”

The words made Hannah jump. She realized she had been staring blankly at next week's schedule sheet for the past minute or two. Brian was looking at her when she turned around.

“Go?”

He waved a hand at the door. “Go get ready for your date. We can finish closing.”

“I still have to –”

He made a shooing motion with his hands. “Look, Tony needs someone to walk him through the closing routine again, which means that it’s going to take longer than usual. I don’t mind doing it – I’ve got exactly zero plans for tonight. You, on the other hand, have someone waiting out there in the dining area for you right now. Whatever else you have to do, it can wait until tomorrow. Right now, you should go and enjoy yourself.”

“But –” She broke off, sighed, and smiled. “Thanks, Brian. You’re a gem.”

She hurried out of the kitchen, heading down the short hall to the office where she did her best to fix her hair after changing into the fresh blouse she had brought with her for her date. After a quick stop in the restroom to touch up her makeup in the better lighting, she found Ben in the dining room. He was sitting at the bar, squinting to read the labels on the bottles that were shelved along the wall behind the counter. When he heard her, he turned and his face relaxed into a smile.

“Are you on the job, or is it officially time for our date?”

“My sous chef kicked me out of the kitchen, so it looks like it’s date time,” she said with a smile of her own.

“Good.” He rose and took her hand, leading her toward a table in the middle of the room. It had a tablecloth on it that she didn’t recognize, and a vase of flowers. There was already a bottle of wine waiting for them next to the vase.

“Did you do this?” she asked as she took a seat across from him.

“Well, I wanted to do something nice. I know how much you love Hawk’s Place, but I thought if I decorated our table a little it might feel like we were eating somewhere that you