Your Alluring Love (The Bennett Family 6)

Chapter Ten

Alice

Next Monday, Blake and I are preparing a prelaunch party for Blue Moon. Only the family is invited, and they give feedback on anything they believe can be improved. I’ve done this ever since opening my first restaurant, and it’s served me well. I can count on them to give me honest feedback before opening the doors to guests and reviewers. I invited Nate too, but he’s swamped at work. Since he officially accepted the job here last week, his schedule has become even nuttier than mine. We’re finally having our first date next week. After being kissed out of my shoes, saying that I’m looking forward to it is an understatement.

“This is going to be perfect,” I exclaim, drumming my fingers on the bar. Excitement courses through my veins. “Do you need help?”

“The bar is my domain.” Blake’s behind it, crushing some ice for drinks. “You’re not allowed to touch anything.”

Smiling lazily, I lean across the bar, grasping one of Blake’s squeaky clean glasses and then promptly removing my hand, leaving my fingerprints on it. He points a menacing finger my way.

“Stop.”

“Come on, you’re the fun brother. Why so serious?”

“Just want things to work out perfectly.”

***

At six o’clock sharp, the family starts arriving. Ava and Sebastian arrive first with baby Will. My big brother pulls me into a bear hug while Ava sniffs the air, rubbing her son’s head.

“Oh, this is going to be a feast,” she exclaims.

Logan and Nadine arrive next, closely followed by Max and Christopher and their fiancées. I’ve always had trouble telling the identical twins apart, but it became significantly easier ever since they each have a fiancée on their arms. Neither pair has set their wedding date yet, but we’re expecting it any second now. Max confided in me that he and Emilia wanted to throw the wedding this year, but then Emilia’s grandmother died, and no one was in the mood to celebrate anymore. The poor woman had Alzheimer’s, and her last months were very hard.

My parents, Daniel, and Pippa with her family close the convoy. The only one missing is my baby sister Summer. I invited her, but she had a ton of work at her gallery in Rome. She would’ve caved if I’d pressed more, but I would’ve felt like an idiot making her fly over just for this.

Blake and I give the family the grand tour, starting with the bar area. I’m so proud of our work it’s ridiculous. Finding the perfect location for Blue Moon took a while. My other two restaurants are high in the hills, with scenic views of the city, but I really wanted one on the waterfront. So when the opportunity came up to buy an old restaurant in Fisherman’s Wharf and refurbish it, Blake and I bought it immediately. The view of San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance is fabulous, and we made sure to build in large panoramic windows so guests can enjoy all this beauty. The interior is sleek and elegant, but also warm. The walls are the color of champagne, and the furniture is a deep, dark brown with tints of red. Victoria Hensley, Christopher’s fiancée, was the decorator, and she did an excellent job.

During the tour, I let my brother do most of the talking while I focus on everyone’s reactions—what catches their attention, what has them wrinkling their nose, and so on. A lot can be learned from body language. Sometimes people can’t pinpoint exactly what they dislike about something, so they don’t mention it at all.

Afterward, Blake starts preparing cocktails for everyone. Soon he becomes overwhelmed, so I join him.

“Alice—”

“Yes, this is your man cave, but you’re going to give yourself carpal tunnel if I don’t help you.”

My brother elbows me playfully but doesn’t reject my help.

“They weren’t so excited for my bar opening,” he comments.

“Because the ultimate payoff here is a feast. Food will always be a bigger attraction than booze in our family. Keep that in mind, little brother.”

Once everyone has emptied their cocktails, we invite them over to the restaurant area.

Over dinner, everyone shares their impressions, and I jot everything down. Blake listens intently, following up any criticism with smart questions.

“You’re so much better than me at asking for feedback,” I murmur to him. “Love your questions.”

Blake winks at me. “Thank fuck you’re writing everything down. I never bother and then forget half the feedback. We make a great team.”

“We do.”

When Blake and I first decided to work together, I wasn’t sure how this would pan out. My relationship in the past with him can be summed up as follows: I covered up his and Daniel’s wrongdoings whenever necessary, and by way of thanking me, both my darling brothers teased me incessantly. But we’re working together beautifully. I love having someone I can trust completely by my side, running things. I don’t trust people outside the family easily, and it takes me a while to warm up to anyone new on the staff. Probably why I have such a hard time relinquishing control to my restaurant managers.

Logan raises his glass. “Alice and Blake, you’ve outdone yourself.”

“Say, Logan,” Daniel interjects from across the table, “what’s it gonna take for you to give me some