Exquisite (3 page)

Nodding she bit her bottom lip.
What
was she, two?

"He said pronto."

"Pronto?" Lena repeated
not quite believing what she’d heard.

Brandy looked as though she wanted
to melt into the wall but nodded quickly still biting her lip. Lena rolled her
eyes then walked out of her office. Stalking down the hallway seething she
thought,
what was she, his child? Pronto?
Who even used that word
except for an angry parent?
Lena stopped at the bank of elevators and
tapped her foot. She knew what was coming. She was about to get her ass handed
to her on a plate for being constantly late. It was nothing new but this time
he was pushing it summoning her to his office like a petulant child. The
elevator pinged then opened and several visitors and some hospital personal
scrambled off. She stepped in, with a nurse from the 2nd floor that she
recognized but couldn't name, and went to the back and leaned against the wall.

"Floor eight, please."
she mumbled closing her eyes as the elevator heaved and started its ascent.
Lena started thinking about what she needed to do when she got home. There was
laundry, her run and then bed.
Wow, when had her life become so stagnant?
Running every night, in the park across from her house, was her form of
therapy. It punched out all the frustration and anger she held inside and she
was usually so tired when she was through that she could crawl into bed and not
have time to think of anything but sleep. Her existence was simple. It was
structured and it was solitary, just the way she wanted it to be. Finally the
elevator hit eight. Lena got out turned left and walked down to the end.
Stopping she took a deep breath then pushed the door open. Behind the desk was
McKinney's version of Brandy, the difference being no glasses and red hair, she
smiled slightly at Lena. "Dr O’Donnell. He's expecting you, just go
in."

Nodding Lena pushed the door open
and stepped inside. Dr. Roger McKinney, Hospital Administrator. He stood at
5'6,
so yes she was taller than him
. He was balding and what little hair
he did have was graying on the sides. He wore thick glasses that reminded her
of coke bottles and had a white moustache. Dr McKinney was the very picture of
how she thought the word ‘stuffy’ should be described. However, he was her boss
and for that reason she kept her thoughts to herself and respected him. He
looked up from what he was signing.

"Lena." he said and sat
back in his chair removing his glasses. Lena nodded and he gestured to the
chair opposite his desk, "Please sit."

Walking around to the front of the
chair she sat crossing her legs, "You wanted to see me?"

He raised his left hand to squeeze
the bridge of his nose while bringing his glasses down to his mouth. He bit on
the left handle and looked at her thoughtfully. "We had a complaint on you
today Lena." he paused.

Sitting straight up in her chair
she was about to demand by who, when her mind zeroed right in on a certain
delivery man.
That asshole
.

"I can explain."

"Lena. I don't want an
explanation and usually I wouldn't ever call my doctors out on one complaint but
this is the third one in four days. That on top of your lack of time management
skills and the fact you seem to have lost your ability to tell time at all,
leaves me no choice but to ask you. What’s going on? Do you need to take some
time off?"

She jammed her clenched fists under
her legs and shook her head. "No sir. This week has been rough." she
swallowed thinking that was the understatement of the century,
the whole
last nine years of her life had been rough.
She still couldn't believe that
giant
had reported her.
What a giant asshole
.

"Well just keep in mind that I
have my eye on you and try not to have anymore complaints for let's try, a
month?"

Smiling weakly she answered,
"Sure. Was that it?"

He put his glasses on the desk and
shook is head. "Actually no. I wanted to confirm you’d be at the dinner
tonight? For Dr Jones, new Gastro. I expect all the faculty to be there."

Damn it. Just what she didn't
want to do tonight
. Well at least Shelly would be there. Plastering on a
false smile so big it nearly slid off her face, she answered. "Sure, what
time is it?"

He stood, told her 9pm then walked
her to his office door. "Remember Lena. I'm keeping my eye on you."

She walked out past the
receptionist, shooting her an instant death glare, and thought,
God I'm
screwed.

It was 8pm and
Exquisite
had
opened two hours earlier. The dining room was full and bustling tonight. Mason
smiled to himself as he stood at the pass inspecting every dish before it was
handed over to his wait staff to be delivered to his hungry customers. Above
the chatter and laughter was the music of the greats. Sinatra, Dean and the
newer Buble and Jones. This made him happy, he loved his restaurant. It was his
second home and had been his dream his whole life. The delicious aromas wafting
from his kitchen, the people relaxing and celebrating at their tables. Smiling
he looked over to the women and men flirting with his bartenders as they sat
and waited for a table or merely sat having a drink and winding down on a
Friday night. All to the soundtrack of smooth easy jazz.
This was, in his
mind, heaven.

"Where’s the New York Strip
for table 25?"

Rachel came up sliding it onto the
pass for him to garnish with a side of baked baby potatoes in garlic and
chives. Mason placed everything carefully then put it up on the lip and rang
the service bell.

"One Bourbon Street New York
Steak, table 25. Ahh thanks Gail." he said with a wink.

She loaded her tray and smiled
turning to go and deliver the meal.

"Oh yeah Mase. It’s happening
tonight." Wendy called out as she strolled up smiling.

"Even without two extra cases
of Merlot?"

"You're one to talk? You do
know I have a very demanding boss right? And he’d be very mad if we ran out of
wine to compliment his wonderful menu." she batted her eyelashes at him
dramatically as Mason leaned over, wiping his palms on his apron, so he could
kiss her cheek.

"You’re such a kiss ass."

"Yeah yeah." she said
waving him away. She looked back out to where the waiters were pulling three
tables together for the party of 15. "You ready for them?"

Mason grinned at her, his dimples
winking. "Bring it on baby."

She laughed and turned to go and
check on the setup.

Lena pulled her car around the back
of
Exquisite,
where McKinney had told her they were meeting, and lucked
out when a car happened to be leaving. She quickly swung hers into place then
sat there for a moment to get herself ready for two hours of forced
communication. Looking in the mirror again she wiped the smudge of lipstick
from the corner of her mouth.

She’d gone with professional
business woman tonight.
Ha, who was she kidding? She went with that everyday
why would this be different?
Her sleek black pencil skirt that stopped just
below her knee and midnight blue blouse screamed professional. Her only
weakness and concession to anything flashy was her love of shoes. She was
wearing black Jimmy Choo stilettos that made her legs look even longer than
they were. Glancing at the clock she was about to vacate the car when her phone
buzzed. She looked at the text, it was Shelly,
I'm in here at the bar,
bartender is hot lol
. Lena sighed got out and made her way inside.

Mason was standing with Wendy
talking to one of their guests when he saw
her
walk in. It wasn't that
she stood out as a knockout beauty, it was the fact that she was so stiff and
rigid in such a relaxed atmosphere. He couldn't believe the
thing
had
just walked into his restaurant,
what were the odds?
He instantly felt
his hackles rise as he watched her eyes roam around his place, as though
assessing and judging it, and then from her unimpressed expression finding it
lacking.
Oh hell no sweetheart, this was his pride and joy and he let no one
leave without enjoying themselves
.

"Isn't that right Mason?"

His attention was brought back to
Wendy and the man standing with her, a journalist from
Dine Fine
. He
smiled and nodded, "Yes that's right. I learned alot from my father as
well as culinary school. Never give up the opportunity to learn your family’s
cooking secrets they’re often the special ingredient." He paused as he
watched the
thing
make her way through the tables and tap a blond at the
bar on the shoulder. The blond turned smiled, and low and behold, Queen B
managed to crack her face into one as well. Mason chuckled to himself and then
said softly.

"Excuse me Wendy I just saw
someone I need to speak to." he excused himself and made his way over to
the bar.

Lena looked around the restaurant.
It was packed. People at tables, people sitting and standing at the bar. A
lot
of people, period. Too many for her taste but she was sure the owner was happy
with the turnout. The smooth melody of Nora Jones, Don't Know Why floated
through the air. Spotting Shelly, in a red dress perched on a barstool flirting
away with the
hot
bartender, Lena grimaced slightly then made her way
over. She tapped her on the shoulder and Shelly swiveled around. She smiled and
looked Lena up and down then narrowed her eyes.

"Hi there Lena. I'm so glad
the library closed early enough for you to get away."

Lena glared at her then smirked
taking the seat that was vacated beside her. "Well we keep shorter hours
then the corner you walked off."

Shelly didn't take offense, in fact
she laughed out loud, moving over so Lena could sit. "Lena, that was
great! Seriously, that was funny. So honestly? You like my dress right?"

Lena looked at it again, the red
dress was skintight and had two inch straps holding it up. It had a straight
cut across her chest then came in tight under her breasts. It remained tight to
mid thigh and she had completed the look with bright purple heels.

"I like your shoes."

Shelly laughed and took a sip of
her Cosmo. "That's because you’re a shoe whore."

Lena looked up the end of the bar
for the, now missing,
hot
bartender."Well I guess I'm not doing
this right."

Shelly raised an eyebrow at her.

"I mean who do I need to suck
face with or bat my eyelashes at to get a drink in this place?"

"Well you could start with me
and see if you get anywhere."

Mason waited as she turned around
on her seat. He quickly decided he would’ve given a weeks earnings to have a
camera right then to capture the expression that came onto her face. It was a
relief to him that her face
could
actually move. Before about ten
seconds ago he’d thought it was stuck on pissed off but right now it was
morphing. He watched her as she registered shock, disbelief and finally, a new
level of
downright
pissed off.

"You? You work here?" she
sputtered out, which he found refreshing and slightly victorious, since it
would seem she was a hard person to rattle. As her friend sat staring between
him then her, he leaned on the bar with his left hip.

"No. I waited outside all day
for you then followed you here and jumped behind the bar."

He watched her green eyes narrow as
she took a deep breath trying to gather patience, he would assume. Much like he
had this morning when she’d dressed him down in the waiting room.

"God, could this day get
worse?" she muttered to herself. Mason switched his attention to her
bodacious friend and cranked up the charm.

"Well hi there. How rude of me
not to introduce myself." he grinned as he saw the
thing
glare at
him.

"I'm Mase. I met Lena this
morning at work. This is such a nice surprise to see her here."

He watched her friend turn to look
at Lena, "You two met this morning?"

Before Lena could say anything he
jumped right back in. "Oh yes, didn't she tell you? I brought her
flowers."

Mason had to try really hard to
stop himself from laughing as he watched Lena's mouth fall open and her eyes
get even narrower as she tried in vain to glare him to death. He continued to
smile at her then turned that smile back to her friend who was sitting there
looking dumbstruck.

"No she didn't tell me
anything like that."

Turning to face Lena her friend
asked, "Lena? Is there something you need to tell me?"

Leaning on the bar Mason could
smell a hint of vanilla. "Yeah Lena, is there?"

She tilted her head to the side and
one curl slip free from the clip at the back of her neck. Her eyes looked him
over like he was a bug she wanted to squash then she dismissed him with those
eyes, turning to Shelly.

"The only thing to tell you
Shelly is that morning this
gentleman
decided that when I was not
simpering at his feet he would go behind my back and report me to
McKinney."

Mason watched, confused.
Who the
hell was McKinney?
Then she turned back to him and hopped off the barstool
picking up her purse.

"Now. We have to go and join
the table over there with the other faculty member's of St Luke’s. So why don't
you try and be good at one of your job's today and get the drink orders recited
to you since you have trouble reading, flower man."

The
thing's
friend looked
horrified but Mason just stood with his arms crossed and smiled a shit eating
grin, nodding silently having a feeling that would annoy this prickly little
woman even more. However, right before she was about to saunter away Wendy
rushed over past the women.