She saw smiling faces, heard a few laughs, and some of the lower chefs raised their hands in quick goodbye waves. Riley hugged Sar
ah at the service hatch, and said goodbye to Parker as he darted out from the restrooms to get back onto the floor.
She had nearly finished making her rounds, stopping at the hostess station and avoiding the tables that Sarah had taken over from her, when Riley stopped to say goodbye to the bar staff and Peter flagged her down.
“Hey Townsend, don’t head out just yet.”
“What’s up?” Riley frowned; Jill had given her the all-clear—what reason could Peter have to waylay her?
“Customer in the corner over there asked me to send you his way; he wants to have a drink with you.” Riley’s frown deepened as she racked her brain, trying to remember the people who’d been at her tables. “From the looks of him, I’d at least give him ten minutes to hear what he’s got to say.”
Riley glanced around. “Which guy? Someone from one of my tables?”
“Nah, he just came in,” Peter said, shaking his head quickly. “Considering your luck lately, maybe he’s a prospector.” Riley smiled at the term; it was what they called the headhunters working Hollywood, seeking out the up-and-coming talent, who sometimes came into the restaurant.
“I’ll see what he has to say, I guess,” she said, thinking that her night was taking stranger and stranger turns by the moment.
Peter pointed out the table, but Riley couldn’t see whoever was in the booth. She headed in the direction of her mysterious caller. It was weird being in the restaurant as a customer, instead of as an employee—even before she’d started working at Le Roi, Riley hadn’t been inside except to drop off her application and have her interview. The menu was too expensive for her budget, and once she’d started working there any thrill at spending a bonus or windfall from a lucky gig had disappeared in the knowledge of what was happening behind the scenes.
At first Riley felt a tingle all over, wondering if the man waiting for her was a wealthy patron; someone who might have wanted to date her, but had avoided it while she was working at the restaurant, only to take his chances now that she was free. But as she approached the table and finally caught sight of the man Peter had directed her to, Riley’s hopes sank. The man at the table waiting for her was gorgeous, and sharply dressed enough to fit Peter’s description of “someone interesting”, but he wasn’t a mysterious stranger. Riley took in the tailored suit and the glinting cufflinks, but no amount of visible wealth would be enough for her to feel excited about a meeting with her ex-boyfriend, Alex.
FIVE
“In case you weren’t aware, Alex, stalking is a crime in the state of California,” Riley said, meeting his gaze as she stepped into the booth.
There had been a time when she would have been thrilled to see him sitting near the bar at the restaurant; Riley had been bewitched by Alex’s boyish smile, curling hair, and designer stubble, but she’d long since told him to get out of her life and stay out of it; it had taken her finding him in bed with another woman for her to realize that his lavish spending and high rolling lifestyle were nothing more than a distraction from his nasty personality.
“Good to see you too, Ri-Ri,” Alex said, giving her the smooth, sleek smile that Riley knew so well. “At least stay for a drink and hear me out.”
Riley considered turning on her heel and walking away, but her curiosity at what he was doing at her place of work, after a year of no contact, got the better of her.
She sat down at the table. “I’m only doing this because I don’t want to make a scene, and I know how you’d act if I tried to walk away,” she said matter-of-factly.
Alex slid a drink towards her; it was one of Peter’s pricier concoctions, a mixture of three different alcohols and fruit juices so well-balanced that she’d seen more than one patron at the restaurant underestimate their tolerance and leave the bar weaving. She took a quick sip.
“You’re looking as effortlessly beautiful as always,” Alex said, giving her a nod. “Did you get a new personal trainer?”
“I do my own workouts,” Riley said, shrugging.
Up close, Riley thought that Alex looked like he was doing well for himself—his suit was more finely tailored than the ones he’d worn when they’d been dating, and in addition to the bright cufflinks, he wore a Cartier watch on one wrist that she thought might actually be genuine; at least it was a much better knockoff than any of those she’d seen on him before.
“All that yoga is doing you some favors then,” Alex said, giving her a quick leer. “I remember how flexible you were back in the day—you must be able to stick your feet behind your head by now.” Riley felt her cheeks warming up. The gloss on the outside is better, but he’s the same guy he always was, she thought, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.
“Can we get to the point, please? I’ve got people to meet with. What are you doing in my restaurant?”
“I’ve been hearing some interesting things on the grapevine,” Alex said, steepling his hands in front of his face.