Page 24 of Tasty Cherry
Maverick has already jumped in to meet Havannah with no hesitation. I steal a glance at Sebastian right as he looks my way. I immediately turn aside. We have to cut that out.
“I’m so nervous,” Brooklyn says. “Please stay with me when we meet her, so I won’t screw up.”
“I will.” But even as I say it, my anxiety gives way to despair. I already have a friend here with Brooklyn. Havannah is magical. And my dream job is possibly six months away.
But I had to go and accidentally sleep with the boss.
10
SEBASTIAN
I’m in a pickle bigger than any of the cucumbers they sell in the hotel deli.
Mila is ten feet from me in the hotel conference room, and she’s at the rock bottom of the company hierarchy. She’s an intern. Ten years younger than me. And I control whether she works here another day.
But all I can think about is her naked body under mine.
“Sebastian? What do you think?” Raya’s been talking the whole time, and I’ve completely lost the thread of the conversation.
I’m good at the smile-and-nod when Raya’s around. She’s a complainer, and I’m not here for the angst.
“I think we should get a snack,” I say.
She huffs in annoyance. “Go on, then. You’ve never seen a buffet you haven’t plundered.”
If only she knew what else in this room I’ve plundered.
I head for the serving table, allowing myself only the barest of glances in Mila’s direction. She’s talking to Havannah. She looks nervous and excited. Havannah is patiently nodding, a bemused expression on her face.
Maverick stands in front of the buffet dishes, looking over the spread. “This is better than I expected.” He adds a prime rib slider to the pile on his plate. “Lobster mac. Steak on a stick.”
“Skewers,” I say before I can catch myself.
Maverick aims one at my face. “It’s a stick, ain’t it?”
“It is.” I pick up a plate and take a couple of them myself.
He sticks the skewer in his mouth and pulls off all the meat and baked brie in one big bite.
He knows better than to act like a buffoon. He’s smart and can read a room.
He’s pushing my buttons.
I have news for him. My buttons all got mashed years ago. You don’t become the head manager of a hotel like this without having a dozen people trying to tweak you every day.
Raya, though, she’s going to increasingly resent me bringing him on if he keeps this up. And then if she finds out about Mila…
This whole intern program has gotten more complicated than it should have.
Might as well eat. I fill my plate with cheese and crudités and smoked salmon on crostini. Havannah had Chef Monique pull out all stops for these interns. But, knowing her, she’ll be watching for how they react to unusual cuisine. Events will encompass culinary styles across many cultures. Interns who act like Maverick might not be trusted with taking event details for food they find unusual.
I take a bite of the crostini and feel my head swoon with the sharp flavors.
“Not a fan of the hot cheese,” Maverick says, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
“It’s not for everybody.” I pass him a napkin. Okay, so maybe there’s a button or two that has some life to it, given that Raya is ready to pull the “I told you so” card from across the room. She hasn’t missed a thing.
Maverick wipes his face with all the panache of a toddler. “You’re fussed that I call it like I see it?”