Secret Ingredient: Love

“I’m not looking for a woman,” he said. With luck, in addition to being direct, Fran wasn’t inquisitive. This subject was off-limits. There was no point in discussing it.

Her eyes glittered, as if she wanted to ask more. But all she said was, “Then that’s why Rosie is trying to fix you up. It’s a delicious challenge. I just don’t understand why she would think I was matchmaking material.”

“There was that cute-as-a-button remark. Rosie said it, not me,” he stated, raising his hands in surrender.

He had to admit Rosie had been right about that. Funny, he could see buttons as cute, but not sexy. And Fran Carlino had sex appeal in spades. Especially her mouth. Straight white teeth showed to perfection when she smiled, which she did often. She had full soft lips. Kissable lips.

“I would prefer stunning or drop-dead gorgeous to cute, but at least she didn’t tell you I need to wear a bag over my head in public.”

He blinked and forced himself to switch his focus from her mouth to the words coming out of it. “Actually, she was right about you. You’re very attractive, Fran.”

“Be still my heart,” she said, touching a hand to her chest. “Now there’s a line to turn a woman’s head. You really are out of practice. You’re not kidding, are you—about not looking for a woman?”

“No.” It wasn’t even a matter of looking. He’d had his shot. It hadn’t worked out. End of story.

“Then if you suspected Rosie was matchmaking, but you’re not interested in participating, why are you here?”

“She said I couldn’t get you. And if I wanted to know why, I had to ask you myself.”

“Ah,” Fran said, with one emphatic nod that said she understood completely. “I get it. Brilliant strategy. And it worked like a charm.”

“What worked?”

“Reverse psychology.”

“What happened to no more amateur analyzing?” he asked.

“I forgot,” she admitted. “But this is too classic, too characteristic of reverse psychology.”

“How do you figure?”

“You’re here, aren’t you?”

“Unless this is the Twilight Zone it would be pointless to deny it. But I refuse to believe strategy played a part.”

“It’s so obvious.” She shook her head sympathetically. “Guys always want what they can’t have. If anyone knows about this it’s me. With four brothers, I’ve had lots of practice studying how the male mind works.”

“And how is that?”

“It has something to do with that whole prehistoric hunter-gatherer thing. Deny them, and they’ll go out with single-minded determination and intense focus to hunt it down and bring it back to the cave. So Rosie’s method worked. She said you couldn’t bag me. Now you’re here, spear in hand.” She watched him for a moment, then added, “So to speak.”

“You’ve been reading too many of the psychology books in Rosie’s store.”

Instead of taking offense, she laughed. “Probably. No doubt it’s nothing more than a man’s competitive nature.”

He nodded. “I’ll go along with that. So, I’ll bite. Why can’t I get you?” That sounded way too personal. “As in why can’t I get you to work for me?”

She set her empty teacup and saucer on the end table beside the sofa. As she leaned sideways, the lamp’s glow highlighted the flush on her cheek. She’d noticed his double entendre.

When she didn’t answer right away, he asked, “Do you have something against Italian cuisine? Either cooking or eating?”

She shook her head. “I love it.”

“So your schedule is tight? You’ve got more work than you can handle? You couldn’t fit me in with a shoehorn?”

“Nope. After the baby food contract is satisfied, I’m up for grabs.”

Did she realize she’d lobbed a double entendre of her own? “Then you’re taking some much needed time off,” he suggested. “Haven’t had a vacation in years?”

“Wrong again. In fact, just before you rang my doorbell, I was wondering where my next job was coming from. I had the want ads out, and marked a few things that looked promising.”

He reached over and picked up her marked up classifieds. Looking at the ads she’d circled, he read, “‘Experienced cook. Must know breakfast.”’ He lowered the newspaper and met her gaze.

She shrugged. “I know breakfast. Never met one I didn’t like.”

He glanced at the paper again. “‘Busy retirement resort seeks chef experienced in home-style volume production.”’

The corners of her tantalizing mouth turned up. “I lived in a home once, and believe you me, in my house you didn’t learn anything if not cooking food in volume. The Carlino boys could put it away faster than you can say hot and hearty.”

Another circled ad caught his eye. “‘Accepting applications for grill and taco bar positions.’ Isn’t this beneath you?”

“It’s honest work.” Her mouth pulled tight.

“Seems to me your family would help out if you’re strapped and between assignments for a while.”

She shook her head. “I’d rather not.”

“Why?” If he was in need, his family would be there for him, as Fran had said, faster than you could say hot and hearty.

“I can take care of myself.”

He decided to leave it at that. Fran Carlino had a story and he didn’t want to hear it. Nothing personal. This was all about business. “So you’re actively looking for work,” he concluded.

“Yes,” she agreed.

They looked at each other and said at the same time, “Definitely matchmaking.”

“With overtones of reverse psychology,” Alex added. “And just to clarify—I could get you? To work for me, that is?”

“Make me an offer.”

The first offer that came to mind had nothing to do with a job and everything to do with exploring the curve and circumference of her mouth. Hello! There it was again. That weird attraction, and it didn’t seem to want to let up. The realization rocked him. It had been a while, but he was pretty sure he hadn’t reacted so strongly to a woman, not even Beth. This was different. And it was something he didn’t want to think about.

Pushing the feelings aside, he reminded himself he was here on business. And if he knew anything about anything, it was work. He’d buried himself in it to get through every day without Beth.

He stood up. “An offer is a little premature. I’d like to see a résumé and references. Then…”

“What?”

“Well, I’m not sure. This isn’t normally my area of expertise. My brother Joe is in charge of human resources. He’s the recruiter.”

“So should I see him?” she offered, seeming relieved somehow.

Alex shook his head. “I’d like to handle this. Partly because it’s my project, but mostly because my brother is getting married soon.”

“When?”

“Valentine’s Day.”

“The only day of the year set aside for lovers,” she said.

“Yes,” he agreed.

“So you believe in love. You’re just not looking for it yourself.”

“That doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the significance of the day for others,” he clarified. Just not himself. “You probably have a guy to Valentine with,” he guessed.

“No. But I think it would be very romantic as a wedding day.”

He grinned. “That from the woman who would say Joe bagged a female and is in the process of dragging her—by the hair, I might add—back to his cave.”

She smiled at him. “There’s no keeping a steadfast hunter-gatherer down,” she said. “Apparently it doesn’t run in the family.”

“How’s that?”

“You’re not looking for a woman,” she reminded him.

“Right.” He cleared his throat. “If I were in charge of recruiting, I would probably want to know what job experience you’ve had.”

“Okay, I’ll get you my résumé and work history.”

He pulled his wallet from his back pocket and handed her a business card. “Here’s the address.”

“Thanks.”

Fran stood before the reception desk at Marchetti’s Inc. the following afternoon. It was late, after five, and she’d spent much of the day debating with herself. Should she play it cool and wait a week before getting Alex Marchetti her résumé? Or appear eager and needy by doing it right away? She finally reasoned that it didn’t matter. The man had seen her want ads. He knew how needy she was.

Stopping at the building’s information desk, she’d explained that she was there to see Alex. The woman had buzzed his office to announce her, and had listened to his response.

“Mr. Marchetti will see you,” she’d said. “Tenth floor,” she’d added with a polite smile.

“Thank you.”

Remembering his deep, resonant tones, Fran wondered how the woman could listen to that wonderful voice and remain impassive. On the phone, there was no distraction to mute the full power of it. Then again, the receptionist looked to be in her late fifties. Not to mention that there were a lot of offices. She probably didn’t talk to him much.

Shaking her head at her silly musing, Fran walked past the reception area to the elevator and took it to his floor. When the doors opened, she walked out and scanned the U-shaped desk and the woman behind it. Alex’s secretary.

That explained it. The information lady probably only talked to his secretary. Hence her demeanor was safe and secure.

“I’m here to see Alex Marchetti,” Fran explained to the gray-haired woman. With her cap of curls, she reminded Fran of one of the flitting fairy godmothers from the classic cartoon fairy tale.

Fran had to conclude that if Alex had had any say in hiring his secretary and the information lady, he had deliberately surrounded himself with females unavailable to him. He wasn’t kidding about not looking for a woman. Fran couldn’t help wondering why. A hunk like him could probably have anyone he wanted, but he’d taken himself out of circulation. She wasn’t the only one with a long, yet interesting story. But she recalled the sadness in his brown eyes and had a suspicion his didn’t have a happy ending.

“He’s expecting you,” the older woman said with a smile. “His office is down the hall to your left.”

“Thanks,” Fran said.

She quickly found his door, and knocked.

“Come in.”

There was the voice. She took a deep, bracing breath, then entered his office. Alex sat behind the desk. Today he had on a tie, a paisley print in shades of brown and gold complementing his tan shirt. The long sleeves were rolled up. She couldn’t suppress one small, appreciative sigh.

“Hi,” she said.

“Hi,” he answered. “What can I do for you?”

She clutched her portfolio briefcase tightly. “Here I am, as promised.”

“I wasn’t expecting you so soon. Anytime this week would have been fine.”

“I thought you were anxious to get started.”

“And I thought you were busy finishing up your current assignment.”

“Just tying up loose ends,” she explained, struggling for perky.

His words made her stomach fall like the sudden drop on a roller coaster. He didn’t want her. The thought flashed through her mind, and disappointment quickly followed. She couldn’t tell whether she was disturbed professionally or personally. That sent her to a whole different level of emotional confusion. She’d been involved with a guy who had dumped her after he got what he wanted. She hadn’t done anything for Alex yet. Her self-esteem would plummet to the basement if she were jettisoned without even being on board.

“Have a seat.” He indicated one of the two leather chairs in front of his desk.

“Thanks.” She sat down and crossed one leg over the other, hearing the whisper of her nylons. She noticed Alex glance in that direction, but was pretty sure his desk blocked his view. And she was glad about that.

On top of her debate about whether or not to show up at all, she’d had a hard time deciding what to wear. It was December in southern California, but unseasonably warm. Should she show up in a suit with a skirt that was businesslike yet feminine, or a pantsuit that was professional and didn’t draw too much attention to her as a woman? Based on their meeting the previous evening, she hadn’t been able to decide whether he was retro or progressive on that last point.

She’d finally chosen an outfit that made her feel professional and confident. Her chocolate-brown suit filled the bill nicely. Its not-too-short skirt and the fitted jacket that hugged her hips and stopped about six inches from her hem made her feel good.

He stared at her for several moments, then finally said, “May I see your résumé?”

“Of course.” She quickly unzipped her briefcase and removed a folder. “I also have letters of recommendation from each of the companies I’ve worked with.”

Alex scanned the sheets, giving her a chance to scan him. As he concentrated, frown lines appeared between his dark brows. He had a well-formed nose and a nice mouth. Very nice, she thought with a little shiver. His cheeks and jaw sported a five o’clock shadow. Incredibly male with just a hint of danger, she decided. But the wire-rimmed glasses debunked that impression pretty quickly. His wrists were wide, dusted with a masculine covering of dark hair, and his hands, with their long fingers, looked lean and strong.

“Very impressive,” he said.

“Yes, indeed.” She gave herself a mental shake and, with an effort, switched gears back to business. She cleared her throat. “They seemed to be happy with my work.”

He set the last letter on top of the folder. “With a health-conscious consumer public, the fat-free muffin mix is very timely. So is the frozen vegetable stir-fry.”

“Not to mention the recipe booklet for the dried soup mix,” she reminded him. “I included hints to cut fat and calories.”

“I see,” he said, looking at her. Was that appreciation in his eyes?

Maybe. But that didn’t dismiss his vague tone. She would bet her double boiler that he had mega-reservations about hiring her.

“Why do I hear a ‘but’ in your voice?” she asked.

“You have no experience in entrées.”

“Not as a consultant, that’s true. But as my résumé states, I was trained at a prestigious culinary school. Making entrées was part of the curriculum. I know which ingredients freeze well.”

Alex met her gaze. “I was hoping to find someone with more—”

“Seasoning?” she questioned when he hesitated.

The corners of his mouth turned up slightly. “Frankly, yes,” he said.

Tamping down her disappointment, she asked, “How long have you been looking?”

“Awhile now,” he admitted. “Casually at first, because I was fleshing out the idea and brainstorming the ad campaign. I had a verbal agreement with a chef, but he bailed out on me when he got an offer for his own restaurant. So when I found myself back at square one, I started looking at our own personnel in the restaurants, without pressuring anyone.”

“And?”

He shook his head. “No dice.”

“Then what?” she asked.

“I was hoping to land a well-known name in the business, but that went nowhere. I also talked to culinary schools. I interviewed some students who came highly recommended.”

“Apparently that didn’t go well?”

He shook his head. “Either they were starstruck, with ambitions of working at world-famous restaurants in New York, or their specialties leaned toward froufrou and artsy.”

“Not on the same wavelength?” she asked, adding a dollop of understanding to her tone.

“That’s putting it mildly.” He leaned forward and folded his hands, resting them on his desk.

She tried, but couldn’t summon sincere sympathy. Not when she wanted this job so much. She couldn’t help feeling grateful that he was having a difficult time filling the position. It boded better for her.

“I hate to say this, but it sounds like you don’t have a lot of choices left,” she said.

“You noticed.” He sighed as he ran his fingers through his dark hair. “Look, Fran, I worked through lunch and I’m starving. What would you say to an early dinner? The very first Marchetti’s Restaurant my father opened is across the street. Would you care to join me?”

Part of her wanted to say, “Lead me to the linguine.” The other part said her presence here at all was the main ingredient in a recipe for trouble. But she needed a job. And this assignment was leaps and bounds better than grill and taco bar positions. Her only concern was Alex Marchetti. He didn’t seem like the type who would turn the project over to even the most experienced chef, which she was not. That meant he would be a hands-on employer. Shivering at the thought, she reminded herself his hands wouldn’t be on her. This was work, not personal. The business of cooking had been personal once and she’d promised herself that she wouldn’t ever let it be again.

This instant and powerful attraction to a man had never happened to her before. She was guessing, but felt it had something to do with the fact that Alex had dropped by without warning last night. She hadn’t had time to erect her defenses. He’d slipped past her fortifications before she could arm herself against his arsenal of looks, laughs and loads of sex appeal.

But she couldn’t let a little thing like that stop her. If she was the type to run from confrontation, she would be a teacher today instead of a chef.

“A business dinner would be fine, Alex. I’d like very much to check out Marchetti’s menu.”

“You’ve never been to one of our restaurants?”

She shook her head. “Sorry.”

He stood up. “It’s time we rectified that.”

“Hi, Abby.” Alex gave his newest sister-in-law a kiss on the cheek.

He and Fran had just entered the restaurant. As assistant manager, Abby happened to be filling in for the hostess. He didn’t miss the look on Fran’s face. Her expression registered surprise, disapproval and a distinct “Do I really want to work for a guy who kisses his employees?”

“A table for two, Alex?” Abby asked, smiling politely at Fran. Her blue eyes glittered with curiosity.

Alex had always thought the penchant for meddling was an inherited Marchetti trait. Apparently it was passed on through marriage, he realized as his blond sister-in-law gave Fran a thorough once-over. But in all fairness, Abby wasn’t accustomed to seeing him with a woman. And there was something about Fran—a sparkle, a sense of fun humming through her, a subtle sexiness.

He cleared his throat. “A quiet table please, Ab. We have business to discuss,” he added quickly. Squash the rumors before they got started. No sense fueling the family gossip mill. The meddling Marchettis needed no challenge or encouragement.

“I have the perfect table,” Abby answered.

He looked at Fran, the doubtful expression in her eyes reminding him he hadn’t made introductions. “Fran Carlino, I’d like you to meet Abby Marchetti. She and Nick have been married…” He stopped to think how long it had been.

“Six months, and we’re still on our honeymoon,” Abby stated with stars in her eyes. “But who’s counting? It’s nice to meet you, Fran.”

“My pleasure,” Fran said, visibly relaxing.

“I’ve got a corner booth, quiet and secluded.” Abby led the way through the romantically lit, almost empty restaurant. “You picked a good time to come in, Alex. The dinner rush hasn’t started yet.”

“Good.”

His sister-in-law seated them. “I’ll send the waiter over. Enjoy your dinner. Good to see you, Alex,” she said, then she was gone.

He knew she’d wanted to say, “Good to see you with a woman.” He wished his family would get over worrying about him being alone. They would have a field day if he told them that visions of Fran kept popping into his mind. Followed quickly by a nagging feeling that he’d done something wrong. He pushed that thought away. He wished his caring but misguided relatives would find another charity case. He’d been taking care of himself—alone—for a while now. And he’d been doing a pretty good job of it if he did say so himself. That reminded him of something Fran had said that he’d wondered about.

Alex looked at her across the table. “Before we talk business, would you mind explaining the remark you made last night? About being able to take care of yourself?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“Curiosity. You were a shade defensive.” He shrugged. “I just wondered why you would feel you couldn’t count on your family.”

“I can count on them. I just choose not to. Because I would hear about how if I was married, I wouldn’t have to ask them for help because I’d have a man to take care of me.”

“And you don’t want a man in your life?”

“That’s oversimplifying.”

“How?”

She clasped her hands together and rested her forearms on the table. “My family is big on following in footsteps. My four brothers followed my father into the construction business. A lot like your family. The difference is yours seems to accept Rosie’s decision to be an independent businesswoman.”

“Your family hasn’t accepted your career?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think my father knows what to do with me. He’s never gotten over the fact that I wasn’t a boy. Plus girls can’t work construction. I was supposed to do what my mother did—marry and have babies. He wants me to find a man so he won’t have to worry about me anymore. I feel a lot like the Olympic torch, getting handed off to become someone else’s responsibility.” She sighed. “He would want me in a nunnery if he knew about the jerk in cooking school. But that’s a sad, boring story,” she said, looking as if she would like to call back those words.

Alex laughed. “What’s wrong with allowing someone the privilege of looking after you?”

“I’m not a responsibility. I can take care of myself. A man would quadruple the home-front workload. My career would suffer.”

“And your career is important to you?”

“You bet your corporate office it is. I love what I do. A good thing, since culinary school was no picnic for a woman. I didn’t go through that so I could play second fiddle to a guy and his laundry.”

“So a job with Marchetti’s is important to you?”

She nodded. “You said it yourself. I don’t have experience with entrées. This job would give me that and, with a little luck, put me on a course closer to my ultimate goal.”

“Which is?”

“A restaurant of my own.” She met his gaze. “You’re wondering why I’ve taken a detour from that.”

“Yeah.” She’d read his mind. He hoped she couldn’t read the rest of his thoughts as easily. Or she would know how interested he was in her mouth and how it would feel and taste. He forced himself to concentrate on what she was saying.

“I’m sure you’re aware that there’s a certain prejudice against women in this business.”

“I’ve seen some,” he admitted.

“School was tough, but I was naive and thought when I finished it would be behind me. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a position I wanted in the restaurant field. When I was offered a consulting job, I took it, even though it veered away from my objective.”

“So you want me to hire and train my competition?”

She laughed. “When you put it like that, it wouldn’t be very smart. But realistically, my goal is quite a way down the road. And it doesn’t matter what my future plans are. You need someone now. And I’m the best person for the job.”

“You certainly are cocky.”

“That implies you don’t think I can do what I say.”

He shook his head. “Let’s just call me skeptical.”

“So give me a chance to prove myself.”

“That’s tempting.”

She frowned. “Let me ask you something now.”

“Okay.”

“Would your reluctance to hire me have anything to do with the fact that I’m a woman?”

Yes, he admitted to himself. But not for the reason she thought. There was something about Fran. She’d made him notice her. And he didn’t want to notice any woman. But he was as dedicated to his career as she was to hers. He wasn’t going to just turn this project over to her. He intended to oversee it. That meant he would see her—a lot. What would it be like to work closely with her?

But, as she’d pointed out, he was out of options. “No,” he lied. “The fact that you’re a woman in no way impacts my decision about whether or not to offer you the job.”