Spark (Heat #2) (7 page)

Tyler pushes his hands against the edge of the table as the feet of the wooden chair he's sitting in graze along the floor. It's an irritating noise that grates at me.

He stands, his hand outstretched toward me. "Come to my bed with me, Chef."

Chef.

It's become a term of endearment between us. It's not a sign of his respect or admiration for the work I do. It's a prelude to a solid round of fucking followed by another.

"Why is Rolly getting a promotion?"

The drops him back into his chair. "What?"

"Maribel told me that Rolly is getting a promotion to senior chef too," I say softly tempering my frustration. "I'd like to know why I was passed up for that."

He exhales slowly. "I'm sorry you found that out from her. I wanted to tell you myself."

I narrow my eyes. "It wouldn't have hurt any less if you told me, Tyler. Rolly isn't as good as me. I'm a better chef than he is."

His eyes roam my face before they drop to my hands. They're resting on the table, laced together. My knuckles are white, my thumbs sore from the pressure of trying to restrain myself.

"Your confidence is one of the things I love about you, Cadence."  He leans back in his chair. "You're one of the most talented young chefs working in this city today."

It's hard to absorb a compliment when you know it's followed by a '
but
'.

"In my kitchen, there's much more to being a senior chef than being able to cook. I'm looking for people who can lead a team. Rolly has experience that you lack."

I thought that I could skirt around the holes in my resume by proving, through hard work and determination, that I'm qualified to lead an entire kitchen staff.

Youth isn't an ally in the restaurant industry in Manhattan. It doesn't matter that I've worked in professional kitchens longer than Rolly or that I've shown Tyler that I can lead by taking over when other chefs have bailed on their shifts. The promotion isn't mine.

"Did you even consider me for it?" I ask with my chin high. I'm proud of the work I do. I know I'm good. I don't need a title or an increase in pay to prove that. I just want to know whether Tyler ever saw me as a candidate.

His shoulders slump as he puffs out a heavy breath. "You need more time to work on establishing yourself as a force in the kitchen. I didn't have my first senior chef position until I was twenty-five."

If his words are meant to placate me, they're not doing their job. Reading between the lines tells me that my name never made it to the short-list. "You gave the job to Rolly because he's older than me. Is that what happened?"

"Rolly managed an entire kitchen before he came to Nova."

"He worked at a small diner, Tyler." I grab my phone when it pings again. "He managed a line cook and a dish washer."

"That's not the point, Cadence."

"It is the point." I drop my gaze back to my phone's screen expecting to see another message from Brendon, but it's not him.

It's Barbara, the producer from the morning show.

I read the message carefully, twice.

I've got exciting news to share, Chef Sutton. I'm about to make you an offer you can't refuse. Call me when you get this.

I glance at the time before I respond via text.

I can talk in 30? Does that work?

"Is everything all right?" Tyler cranes his neck forward to try and grab a view of my phone's screen. I cradle it in my hand, tilting it away from him.

I nod. "I think I'm going to take off soon. I want to crash early tonight."

I don’t look up but I can see him rise from his chair in my peripheral vision.

I'm on my way home. Can you stop by the studio tomorrow morning? I'll be there from 6 a.m. on.

I type a response as fast as my fingers will move.

I'll be there by 8. Have a good night, Barbara. I'm looking forward to talking.

"Cadence." He crouches next to me. "I don’t want what happens at Nova to come between us. I need you to understand why I promoted Maribel and Rolly."

I place my phone in my lap, screen side down. "If we weren't sleeping together would I have gotten a promotion?"

He pulls back to study my face. "Is that what you think this is? You think I held you back because we're fucking each other?"

My jaw sets. "I think that promoting your girlfriend would raise a lot of questions."

"I wouldn't give a fuck about any of those questions." He cups my chin in his palm. "I make decisions in my restaurant that I feel are best for the business. You're hesitant when you're in the kitchen. You question yourself too often still. You're not ready to be a senior chef. When you are, I'll move you up."

"When will that be?"

"When?" He looks away. "You're asking me when I'm going to promote you?"

"No." I pull back so his hand drops. "I'm asking when you think I'll be ready for more responsibility. I want to know when you believe I'll have enough experience to be considered for a promotion."

"Give it at least a year, Cadence. We can talk about whether you're ready then."

"A year," I say under my breath.

An entire fucking year?

"Let me hold you now, baby," he growls as his warm lips glide over my cheek. "I want you."

I turn to him, breathing in the scent of his skin. I stare into his eyes. If he's punishing me for being his lover, I can't fall back into bed with him tonight. I need to think. I need to breathe.

"I'm going to sleep early tonight, Chef. I have some stuff to do tomorrow morning."

A long silence hangs in the air before he leans forward. "I care about you, Cadence. I'm grateful that you came into my life."

I silence his words with a soft kiss before I stand to leave. He may care about me but when it comes to my career, the only person who seems to care about that is me.

"Can you tell me about the offer?" I smooth my hands over the legs of my dark wash jeans. I hadn't given my outfit choice a whole lot of thought when I was getting dressed this morning. I was too eager to get here to see Barbara. Curiosity about the message she sent me kept me tossing and turning until I finally just got out of bed at four a.m. to shower.

"We keep saying to one another that you're like a bright ray of sunshine." Barbara laughs. "I know that sounds cliché, Cadence, but you're beautiful. You have the looks of a model and talent in the kitchen. Beyond that you have a way of touching the audience. The video of you being interviewed at Nova's new location has logged more than a million views already and the comments are, for the most part, extremely positive. Our viewers want more of you."

"More of me? In what way?"

Barbara taps her perfectly manicured fingernails against the top of her desk. "I've watched your segments over and over, Cadence. You have a natural charm and presence that is rare."

"Thank you," I say with a slight grin. 

"We've been auditioning for months and the fit was never right," she goes on, "we're looking for a young, talented New York City chef who will appear  once a week during the eight o'clock hour to cook something quick and simple that any twenty- something, young professional can replicate."

"I see." I gaze at her and the woman sitting next to her. I was introduced to her when I arrived but her name escapes me now.

"Our goal is to have these segments go viral." She motions toward her smartphone. "We'll develop an app. People can sign up for free and your recipes will be made available exclusively to them.  We'll produce online videos where you'll visit local markets and demonstrate how to pick the most economical ingredients."

"You want me to guide people on how to prepare their own meals?"

"Exactly." Barbara claps her hands together. "You'll travel to food shows, and we'll set you up an Instagram account where you can post pictures of the foods you prepare."

"How much time will I be devoting to this?" I ask, realizing that it's going to involve a lot more than me showing up on their set for an hour. That's what I did with Tyler. This is much different.

"We'd expect you to be available on a full-time basis. Your schedule week-to-week will vary depending on what we plan for you."

"I work at Nova," I point out, unnecessarily. "I'm not sure I'd want to give that up."

"What we're offering you is a chance to become the face of your own brand." Barbara leans forward. "In time, we anticipate setting you up as the spokesperson for a soon-to-be opened bistro that offers healthy, organic food at reasonable prices. We're having ongoing discussions with our food experts about the possibility of a line of cookware and products with your name and face on them."

"I'm wondering about pay," I say aloud.

Barbara steeples her fingers together as she leans her elbows on the desk. "You'll receive a percentage of the ad revenue that the app generates and we'll go from there."

"I'll be paid in ad revenue?"

"We'll have a small team working tirelessly on this. When we feature a product during your segment, we'll receive a fee for that and you'll in turn get a percentage."

I sigh heavily.

Apparently fame and fortune don't always go hand-in-hand.

"This opportunity can catapult your career to the next level, and every conceivable level beyond that, Cadence. We have seasoned chefs on staff who will work with you on everything. They'll guide you from the shadows. It's your name and face that will drive the brand."

"Can I think about it?" I ask nervously. "I need some time to think about it."

"Naturally." The woman sitting next to Barbara rises from her chair. "Take all the time you need. Speak to your family, your friends. We'll put together a contract so you can have your attorney look that over."

I nod. "I'll do that."

"Your career is just starting, Chef," Barbara straightens as she stands. "We can't wait to see where it goes next."

I can't wait either. Being passed over for a promotion at Nova may be the best thing that's ever happened to me.

"You'll call if you have any questions?" Barbara extends he hand to me. "I'm here to help make the transition as smooth as possible."

I can't help but smile at the confidence in her tone. She knows what an incredible opportunity she's handing to me. "I'll keep that in mind."

"We want you for this, Cadence. Maggie and I know that you're the perfect choice."

I heave a sigh hearing the other's woman name again. I don't have to walk out of her with just a smile and a nod. I can actually thank them both personally for considering me for this.

"I have a daughter your age, Chef." Maggie pats my shoulder. "Your parents must be very proud of all that you've accomplished. I know that I'd be honored to work alongside you."

They see the value in me. They're offering me something that Tyler may never. It's a chance to show the world that talent's worth isn't measured by age.

"What is there to think about?" Sophia breaks the yolk of her egg with a gentle pierce from the fork as we both watch it spill onto kale salad. "It's a once in a lifetime opportunity, Cadence."

"You're right," I agree. "If my end goal was to be a celebrity chef this would be a no-brainer, but it's not."

She takes a bite of the food. "You can cook an egg like no one else can."

I smile at the sweet compliment. It's an egg though so I'm not about to let that go to my head. "There's no guarantee that this idea of theirs will even take off. What if it crashes and burns and I don't make a cent?"

"You can't think that way, Den. You'll have so much exposure from this that you'll be able to land a job at any restaurant in the country."

I've considered that. I know that being on national television once a week, even if it is only for five minutes, will help my career in more ways than I can imagine right now. I'll be recognizable. There are many chefs, some in the industry much longer than me, trying desperately to get their name out there. I'm being handed that on a silver platter.

"What did your mom say?"

I look across the kitchen island at her. She adores my mother. They hit it off immediately when she came to visit me two months ago. Sophia thinks my mom can do no wrong. She's almost right. She's flawless in my eyes. She's helped me reach my potential by constantly reminding me that I'm good enough, in every way.

"My mom said that she wants me to envision my life if I'm not working in a restaurant." I shrug. "I told her that's impossible. I've worked in restaurants, in some capacity, for as long as I can remember."

"You'll work in a restaurant again one day." Her smile fades. "Think about the big picture, Cadence. Don't think about where you see yourself in a year. Think about where you want to be a decade from now. That will help you decide which path will get you there sooner."

I nod, knowing that she's right. "I think I should tell Tyler that I'm considering doing it."

"Talk to him before you've made a decision?"

"He's been in the industry longer than I have," I point out. "He's a celebrity in his own right. He has insight into that side of things. His input would be valuable."

"That would be a big mistake," she warns. "He just passed you up for a promotion. He likes having you working for him. He'll tell you to turn it down so he can keep you under his thumb."

"Tyler's not like that." I shoot her a look. "Besides, I'm not going to ask him to help me make the decision. I'm just going to give him a heads-up and see if he has any thoughts."

"You don't think he'll tell you it's a bad idea?"

"I don't know what he'll say."

"I don't think he recognizes how good you really are." She points toward the stove behind me. "You create better food here than anything I've ever had at a restaurant."

"I know that I'm good. He thinks I'm good too."

"He thinks you're good. He thinks Maribel and Rolly are better."

"He thinks they're better for the position because of their experience," I concede. "I think he's wrong but part of me wants to stay at Nova to prove to him that I'm better than both Maribel and Rolly combined."

"You need to start thinking about your future." Her lips move as if she's going to say something more, but then she stops and takes a deep breath. "He doesn't see your potential, Cadence. Why are you willing to shortchange yourself?"

"I'm not doing that. I know I'm good. I also know I could be better."

"Those sound like his words, not yours," she challenges. "You're great at what you do. You're not perfect but he's not either. Don't let his talent outshine your own, Cadence. Brendon saw something in you. That's why he wanted you to keep working alongside him when you graduated from culinary school, right?"
I bow my head.

"Don't let that decision be in vain. You gave that up when you left him."

"That's not what happened. Brendon never wanted to help me grow as a chef. He ignored every single one of my ideas." I'm as exasperated as I sound. "My future at Axel under his thumb was limited. I have potential to move up at Nova."

"What you feel for Tyler is messing with your common sense." She stands and picks up her plate. "Are you sure he wants you to grow? What if a year from he tells you to keep cleaning vegetables because someone else is better at entrees? If that happens you'll never forgive yourself for passing this up."