Dirty Chef
“These are absolutely amazing, Elise.” I inspected the three open boxes on the counter, filled with truffles, cake pops, and bite-size cupcakes. They were the smallest I’d ever seen and so perfect for our dessert at Coho.
“When you told me you were going to infuse them with alcohol, I took the liberty of preparing them for you.” She picked up one of the tiny cupcakes, and I’d already seen the little holes at the top. “I have a list with all the flavors and ingredients for you too. I’m not sure all of them will go well with liquids.”
I nodded, prepared for that. It was why we’d ordered so many of them. Adam and I would experiment tonight.
“Do you have time to sit down for a bit?” I asked.
“Yeah, sure.” She smiled happily and went over to the counter behind her. “Is it an espresso day or cappuccino day?”
I grinned. “I won’t say no to a cappuccino. Or—unless you have bad news about your brother. Then I’ll need something much stronger.”
Our families had a bit in common lately. Isla’s stepbrother had gone missing last winter, worrying all of us, and Elise’s big brother was the one who’d found him. And, okay, family was a strong word. I wasn’t part of Isla’s immediate family, no matter how close we were as friends, so I didn’t push for too many details, but I knew it was going to be a long recovery for everyone involved. Adam and I had almost stalked Jack for updates before we learned of the rescue.
“I’m fresh out of bad news, thankfully.” Elise was as relieved as I was.
“Good, I’m so glad to hear it. I bet your girls are thrilled to see their uncle again.”
Elise let out a soft laugh. “Pretty sure Ave is more thrilled. He’s missed his workout partner.” That was Elise’s husband. She was so young, in her early twenties, and she had everything settled. The image of Adam flashed before my eyes in an instant, and more hope brimmed closer to the surface. I was a fool.
Elise and I sat down at the window with our beverages, and we chitchatted about family, friends, my ideas for the newborn twins’ party, and work.
I gave her a warning too, knowing she was easily overwhelmed, that once Adam and I had settled for four or five treats, we’d be ordering a lot of them.
“Oh, that’s fine,” she assured. “In fact—” she stood up and darted behind the counter again “—I made something with Adam in mind. I’ll box up four of them for you. You can add them to your experiment. He’s always trying weird stuff, and I remember him saying he liked this flavor. Or scent, rather.”
Adam liked everything in this shop. It was why he’d only come with me once or twice. He had a sweet tooth.
Elise returned with a small box that revealed four dark chocolate truffles with purple glitter on them. “They have a lavender vanilla filling.”
“Ooh, that’s exciting!” I loved lavender. Which made me wonder if Elise had made a mistake. I didn’t know Adam liked it, but it was one of my favorite scents.
On the other hand, I’d never doubt Elise.
“Have you decided what types of alcohol you’ll be using?” she wondered.
“We’re thinking the treats will tell us,” I chuckled. “We have a list of what we suspect will go well, though.”
It was going to be fun to sample everything tonight.
* * *
My last errand of the day was to have lunch with my dad’s older sister, with whom I’d lived as a teenager. She came up from Seattle every now and then to get away from the city noise, and she had a cabin up in Westslope, a northern district of Camassia, that she shared with three women from her bridge club.
She knew entirely too much about me, and she’d sniffed out the truth before our food had arrived.
Now I was on my way back to the restaurant with her “words of wisdom” going on a loop in my head.
“What’s that thing your mother always says? Chi non risca, something. You’ve been in love with Adam since you were a child, dear. I understand it’s a big risk, considering his history, but it’s time to take the leap. You are everything to him.”
Chi non risica, non risica.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Let’s go venture everything, then.
I wasn’t surprised to see Adam had left the restaurant. Griffin and the staff were preparing for tonight’s service, and I figured Adam was upstairs getting ready in our own little kitchen.
“Hey, hon.” Griffin flashed me a quick grin, busy with prep. “You on tonight?”
I shook my head and adjusted my grip on the pastry boxes so they rested on my hip. “Just saying hi. Adam and I are experimenting with the Valentine’s menu.”
“Cool. I saw the post on Insta, and he’s been using the smoker in the back.” He gave me his cheek, and I dutifully hopped up and kissed it. “That’s better. Not to be a dick, but get outta my kitchen.” He winked.