Best I Never Had: A Romance Novel by Jeannie Choe

Author:Jeannie Choe [Choe, Jeannie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Love N. Books Press
Published: 2025-02-04T00:00:00+00:00

present

When I walk into work Monday afternoon, I’m greeted by Hailey at the hostess counter. I’m still coming off the high of the wedding. Romantic lights, festive music, good food, and the chocolatey red velvet cake that Ashton wouldn’t stop raving about. And Natalia. We dropped Natalia off, her feet bare and her heels hooked on her fingers as she walked the quick trek from the car to her apartment. I watched as she waved goodbye, her small hand coming up as she wiggled her fingers at me. She disappeared, taking away every resurfaced feeling that I buried deep, making me realize how little had changed in the eight years since I said goodbye to her.

“Boss is waiting for you in his office.” Hailey points a thumb behind her toward the back of the kitchen where Pat’s office sits. I nod, ready to spend the day busying myself in the kitchen and distracting my thoughts from what all of these reverted feelings mean, and stalk past her.

I rap lightly on the door sitting ajar as I peek inside and see Pat hunched over his desk, his reading glasses on and forehead creased.

“Come in,” he calls without looking up from his desk. He looks up as I step through the threshold, and he gestures for me to have a seat.

“You wanted to talk to me, Pat?”

“Yes.” He closes the binder he was flipping through, removing his glasses and placing them gently on his desk. “Have a seat.”

I eye him. He’s never spoken to me like this, all formal and businesslike. Putting aside the uncle-nephew relationship and putting in place the employee-employer one. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah,” he answers. His voice is hoarse and tired. He clears his throat. “I just wanted to talk to you about some changes I want to make around here.”

“Oh,” I say, finally understanding. “Is Chef going to be here too then?”

He shakes his head, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. “Listen, you know it’s been a little tough with Chef and his ego.”

I scoff. To say I understand the wrath of Chef DuPont would be an understatement. I live under his constant scrutiny and his anger toward me, claiming I only got the sous chef position through the small push of nepotism. I’ve never told Pat this, but I would have been long gone had it not been Pat who hired me.

“I want him to resign,” Pat finally says.

I push my face toward him, angling my head to the side with a twisted face of confusion to make sure I’ve heard him correctly. “So you won’t have a head chef?”

He clears his throat again. “I was thinking you could take over.”

“Me?” I squeak.

“You’re the only one I know who’s qualified.”

“Pat, I–I don’t know…I mean…” I stutter. “You don’t want to hire someone new? Someone with more experience?”

“You’ve had plenty back in Chicago,” he argues. “It’s time you run your own kitchen.”

Head chef. It’s a position I’ve dreamed of stepping into since I returned stateside from France.

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