Walk On The Wild Side

Not this cool, blond, slim drink of imported water with a twist of lemon, please.

And yet, he was all but hanging on her every word.

“Actually,” she said, with just the right amount of defensive posturing, “my experience is more Continental. French cuisine. Mama Bennie agreed to give me a one-month probationary period. Surely you can give me that much of a trial. If I don’t pull my weight, you can give me the ax. Fair?”

No, he thought, it wasn’t fair. He didn’t have time for this. And he certainly didn’t have time to figure out what it was about her that got his complete attention. He had zero time for that. Less than zero. So why in the world he opened his mouth and said, “One month. I want that in writing, so when I fire you, you won’t bring in some fancy suit and sue me,” he had no idea.

She smiled with satisfaction, which irked him all the more. She might not have wanted to trade on her good looks, but Nick could think of no reason other than his unreliable hormones for what he’d just gone and done. She stuck out her hand, and he actually had to think about the consequences of touching her.

He almost laughed. Damn if she hadn’t reduced him to the level of a gawky teenager, sweating out his first kiss. Only he’d never been gawky, as a teenager or any other time. He’d always been a natural with women. At twenty-eight, he could certainly handle this one.

He took her hand and pumped it once, then let it drop. Warm. He hadn’t expected that. He’d expected cool, finely boned, impersonal. He’d gotten two out of three right, but that one wrong had been critical.

Warm, huh? He found himself glancing into those blue eyes. Ice princess? Or blond temptress?

He shook the thoughts from his head. She was an employee now, he reminded himself. He did have some boundaries, and that was one of them. No dating the boss.

“So, where do I begin?” She asked expectantly.

He cleared his throat. “There is some paperwork to fill out. Don’t you want to discuss salary?”

It was her turn to look momentarily nonplussed. “Oh, uh, right. I suppose so, yes. I guess I assumed I’d just start out at the standard rate for new employees.” She forced a smile to cover what they both knew was a lame attempt to sound like an everyday new hire.

Which he knew she was not.

“So, you don’t care about the money? Why do you need this job? Really.”

“I always care about the money,” she corrected. “It’s bred into the Chandler DNA.”

“Chandler?” He recalled Bennie’s introduction. Sunny Chandler. Understanding dawned. “As in Chandler Enterprises?”

“I’m related, yes. You’re not going to fire me now, are you?”

“Why should I give this job to you instead of someone who really does need employment?”

“There are plenty of jobs out there. No one will go jobless because you hired me. So why not? I’m available.”

“And why is that?”

Her smile slipped a little, but she caught it on her chin, which lifted just enough to save it. “I’d rather not go into the details.”

“You told Bennie.”

She opened her mouth, as if to deny it, but shut it and nodded. “You can ask her if you want. I didn’t swear her to secrecy.”

Nick swore under his breath. If Bennie considered Sunny one of her worthy causes, he’d have a hell of a time getting rid of her. “And she thinks I’m a soft touch,” he muttered.

“I hardly think of you as a soft touch.”

“I hired you, didn’t I?” he retorted, briefly enjoying a look of surprise, then dismay, on her face. He’d bet his last dollar she was not remotely used to being a pity case.

“I agreed to a short trial period after which I can be fired, no questions asked. Isn’t that enough?”

He was dying to know what was really going on here, and damned if he’d go running to Bennie to find out. One way or the other, he’d get her to spill the real reason she’d invaded his life. Right before he fired her and got back to business. “Rather argumentative for someone who wants a job here so badly.”

He could see her grit her teeth, but she remained outwardly calm. “I’m simply being logical.”

“Logically I should hire someone with experience.”

“In one month, if I don’t fit the bill, you can.”

“You’re a tough negotiator. Is that also in the Chandler DNA?”

“You bet.” She rubbed her palms gently on her pants. Nervous? He wouldn’t have thought it of her. “Where are the papers for me to sign?”

“Anxious?”

She grinned at him. “I only have one month to impress the boss. I don’t plan on wasting any time.”

Despite the chaos this escapade of hers was likely to create, his responding smile was remarkably natural and relaxed. He’d just realized she hadn’t met her co-workers yet. This might be the shortest trial period on record.

“I’ll get to them after I finish my order. Bennie will take you to the kitchen and introduce you to the head chef. For all intents and purposes, he will be your immediate boss.” His smile spread at her look of alarm. She’d begged for this job. He wasn’t going to apologize for the working conditions. “Just consider me the CEO.”

“The head chef…that wouldn’t be—”

“Carlo.” He nodded. “I see you’ve already met.”

“Not exactly.”

Nick shouldn’t be enjoying this so much. Really. But she was so damned cool and competent. Competent—at least in her world—he had no doubt. He remembered her warm palm brushing his. The cool part was still in question.

He reminded himself that if she walked out today, he wouldn’t go in search of the answer. She was from another world, another stratosphere, really. It wasn’t that he thought her better than himself, but there were some cultural bridges too exhausting to span just for the fun of it. He’d give this one a pass.

“I’m not sure where Bennie is at the moment,” he said. “So why don’t I introduce you to Carlo myself.”

“You just want to watch the fireworks,” she muttered.

“What was that?”

She smiled brightly at him, her eyes telling him she knew he’d heard her. “I said I can’t wait to see how all this works.” She waved a hand. “Lead on.”

He opened the door and waved a hand of his own. “Ladies first.”

“Don’t you mean lions?” she asked dryly.

Nick laughed at that. “The lions generally won against the gladiators.”

“Not the ones armed with sharp blades, they didn’t.”

Damn if he didn’t admire her sense of humor. He didn’t give her a chance in hell of making it to the end of the day, but something had driven her to this. That softened him a bit. After all, it was only one day. “Carlo isn’t as bad as all that. His bark is worse than his bite.”

“But he does bite,” she countered. “I thought so.” Then, with a toss of her blond lioness mane, she walked into the hall. “As long as he realizes I bite back, we’ll get along just fine.”

Behind her, Nick’s smile faded a bit. Maybe that’s exactly what he should be afraid of.

3

ELEVEN HOURS LATER, Sunny collapsed into a chair outside the kitchen doors. She rested her elbows onto a table and dropped her head into her hands. “I’d rather oversee a hostile takeover than do this again.” A glass of ice water appeared in front of her. She swallowed most of it in one gulp, eyes closed in abject appreciation. She pulled off her hairnet and pushed at the straggling strands stuck to her forehead, then gazed at her savior, relieved to find it was Mama Bennie.

Nick had hovered all night. Inevitably, she’d glance up from whatever merciless task Carlo had dictated she perform, only to find him watching her. Probably hoping she’d do something really stupid so he could fire her on the spot. But something about the way he watched her made her insides twitch. Sort of like when the skin between her shoulder blades itched and she couldn’t reach the spot to scratch it.

“You did well in there tonight,” the older woman said with a proud nod.

Sunny winced as she toed out of her borrowed sneakers. “I survived,” she corrected. “I think. I’m still not certain how I managed it.”

Mama Bennie took a seat across from her and folded her arms on the table. “You managed fine.”

Sunny didn’t want to think about the past eleven hours. Since the moment Nick had introduced her to Carlo and his staff, she felt she’d been treading water in a whirlpool. Barely.

Mama Bennie patted her hand. “You’ll do even better tomorrow.”

Sunny took pride in the fact that she didn’t fling herself on the floor screaming right then and there. Another night like this one and she’d crawl home over glass to her grandparents.

Nick appeared from the back and drew out the chair at the table next to theirs. He straddled it and smiled at Sunny. The smugness in that smile made her grit her teeth, but she knew she looked like over-boiled pasta at the moment, so there was little she could say in her own defense. In his place, she’d probably be a bit smug, too.

“Good thing we were quiet tonight,” Nick said smoothly. “Gave you a chance to break into the routine slowly.”

Slowly! That was slowly? She downed the rest of her water.

“She did a good job, Niccolo,” Mama Bennie said. “She’s a sharp one. She’ll learn quickly, you’ll see.” At a shout from the back, Mama Bennie excused herself and left them alone. Together.

Sunny felt that itch again as he stared at her. She figured her night was about to get worse. How that was possible was beyond her.

The argument with her grandfather seemed like two lifetimes ago. She’d started working this afternoon bent on proving her grandfather wrong. But after Nick’s fifth or sixth visit to the kitchen, she realized she was also doing it to prove Nick wrong. His opinion of her ability to function outside her rarefied world wasn’t much higher than Edwin’s.

Well, her stubbornness had gotten her through one endless shift. But at that moment, she was pretty sure she’d rather eat crow in front of Nick, Edwin and the entire Chandler Enterprises board of directors than attempt to survive another shift. She opened her mouth, prepared to give him the words he wanted to hear and deal with his humiliating I told you so, but he spoke first.

“I talked to Carlo before he left. He isn’t happy with me for hiring you at the moment.”

She looked at him. “I did everything he asked me to do.”

“His main concern is speed. When this place is full, we’re going to need someone who can do what is expected, do it well and not take all night to get it done.”

A slow burn started, making her stomach jumpy and her nerves even more ragged. “I wasn’t going slow to make anyone angry. I was doing my job to the best of my abilities.”

“Well, Carlo says he appreciates that you are a perfectionist. He understands pride in a job well done. However, washing vegetables isn’t an art form. If you want to continue here, your speed will have to improve.”

Sunny opened her mouth to tell him what he could do with his vegetables, clean or otherwise, but to her surprise, what came out was, “What time do I start tomorrow?”

She took a measure of pleasure in the obvious surprise that lit his dark eyes. Good, she thought. “I didn’t graduate in the top ten in my class by giving up when the going got tough,” she said, enjoying his sudden consternation. It was likely the only reward she would get for her hard hours of labor, so she decided to enjoy it as fully as possible. “If you think that Carlo’s bullying tactics will make me run home to Granddaddy, think again.”

Dear God, what was she saying? She was going to do this? Again?

She looked at the frown pulling at the corners of his oh-so-incredible mouth. The same mouth that had been smiling smugly at her moments before. Yeah, she thought, that was exactly what she was doing. She made a mental note to get up in time to find some comfortable shoes, extra padded bandages for the blisters on her heels and something to securely pin up her hair.

“Your shift starts at four,” he said tightly.

“I’ll be here at three.” At his raised eyebrow, she added, “I will use my own time to familiarize myself better with what is expected of me.”

“I have no time to train you. You’ll have to ask—”

“I’ve already talked to Romano. He’s going to come in early and help me.”

“I’ll just bet he is,” Nick muttered darkly. He shoved his chair forward and stood. “I still have paperwork to do. Use the rear employee door to come and go from now on.”

She resisted the impulse to salute him. “Yes, sir.” He turned away, but stopped when she added, “Thank you.”

He turned to face her. “For what?”

“Giving me a chance,” she said sincerely. “I know you don’t understand why this is important to me, but I promise I won’t make you any sorrier than you already are for letting Mama Bennie talk you into this.”

His stiff posture relaxed a fraction. “It won’t be the last time I do something foolish because she wants me to.”

“I’ll make Mama Bennie proud.” And you, she thought, then rapidly backtracked. What he thought of her wasn’t important. “You’re lucky to have a grandmother who loves you so much.”

He looked at her. “You say that as if you don’t have the same. Your grandmother would be…” He paused, then said, “Frances. Frances Chandler.” He laughed. “Don’t look so startled. I may not have the fancy degree, but I do read the papers.”

Sunny wished she hadn’t guided the conversation in such a personal direction. She smoothed another loose strand of hair and sat up straighter. Her lower back screamed in protest. She ignored it. Chandlers never let the opposition see their weaknesses. “My grandparents love me very much. It’s just…well, they show it in a different way than yours.”

She stood as a discouragement to further conversation, then swallowed a groan when the arches of her feet relaxed against the wood floor. No way was she going to be able to get into the heels she’d been wearing. Maybe ever. She’d have to fake it across the back alley to her—

Car. She had no car. And at one in the morning, getting a cab in this neighborhood wasn’t going to be easy. “Can I use the office phone? It’s a local call.”

He didn’t say anything for a moment, then relented, sweeping his arm in front of him. “After you.”

It took all her waning willpower to walk down the hall in front of him without limping. “I’ll get my things from my locker.”

“I’d rather you make your call first, so I can get back to work.”

She nodded, too busy trying to figure out where she was going to sleep tonight to argue. One thing she couldn’t argue was that, for all Nick demanded a lot of his employees, he appeared to work just as hard, if not harder.

He opened the door and ushered her in, flipping on the light as he passed her. She looked around Nick’s cramped office. An antique oak desk piled high with papers, books and file folders dominated the room. The walls were covered with pictures of Nick with family and friends as well as with some local and national celebrities. There were also a couple pictures of an older man who could have been his father or his grandfather.

“Salvatore D’Angelo,” he said, apparently catching her interest. “My grandfather. Bennie’s husband. He came over from Italy when he was only twenty. Started this restaurant before he turned thirty. He passed away five years ago.”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I bet he and Bennie made a great team.”

Nick came to stand just behind her. He was silent, which was good, since somehow there was less air in the room than moments before.

She was about to move away when he spoke. “Papa Sal understood people. He knew everyone in this neighborhood by name. He knew when someone was going through a tough time, and he knew before anyone else when a wedding was going to take place. Everyone sought him out for advice. He never turned anyone away. He treated the well known like they were from the neighborhood and the neighborhood people like they were stars. We all miss him terribly.”

His softly spoken words made her eyes burn. “Being that well-loved is a wonderful reward for a life well lived,” she said. “I’m sure he’ll live a long time in the hearts of those who knew him.”

“He’d have probably liked you.” She stilled when Nick’s hand landed on her shoulder. Just as quickly, he dropped it. “He was a good one for bucking traditions. He liked to make people reexamine their preconceptions.”

Feeling oddly exposed, she slid from between him and the wall and faced him. “It must be hard,” she said, “feeling like you have to fill his shoes.” She realized then that they had something in common. The burden of following in their family’s footsteps.

“It’s a challenge, but one I won’t ever walk away from. My parents died when we were kids. Sal and Bennie raised all of us, but as the oldest, I knew I would run D’Angelo’s. Sal saw to it that I was as ready as I could be before he left us.” He eyed her deliberately, and she figured Mama Bennie had told him her story.

Well, fine. She was too tired to argue. Let him think what he wanted about her. He didn’t look away, and neither, she discovered, could she. Despite her fatigue and the distraction of her other problems, she felt energy fairly radiating from him. It made her thinly stretched nerves fray a little bit more. There was no denying the man had sex appeal in spades. And then there was his voice. When he talked passionately, as he had moments ago, all sorts of inappropriate things she’d like to hear him say in that same intimate voice sprung to her mind. On top of everything else, sexual tension had no place in her life.

She broke eye contact and turned toward the desk, intent on finding the phone. She caught sight of herself in a small antique mirror tucked in among the pictures and almost laughed. She looked like a raccoon that had run a marathon. And come in last. Mascara ringed her eyes, her hair was damp and stringy, and her skin was pasty. Except for two pink spots on her cheek and a red nose. From the steam, most likely.

Oh, yeah, sexual tension was going to be a big problem. Not. And he thought she got by on her good looks. Ha!

“I guess I should make that call,” she said. It was definitely time to get out of here and go home. Wherever home was going to be tonight. She wasn’t going to Haddon Hall. A fancy suite at the Drake wasn’t right, either. She’d spent the day as a working girl. She should sleep like one, too. But that left her where?

“Here.”

She jumped at the sound of his voice just behind her. She turned to find him holding the phone. “Thank you.”

“I’ll leave you to your call.”

The heat dropped twenty degrees the instant he shut the door behind him. At least it felt that way. She rested limply against his desk, staring at the phone but thinking about her new boss. There was no denying that he intrigued her. Tough enough to run a successful restaurant, soft enough to let his grandmother walk all over him.

The phone began to beep at her, and she jerked her thoughts to the problem at hand. She pressed the reset button and dialed information. After calling for a cab, she ran down a mental list of possibilities. They were dismally few and generally revolved around her platinum card. The friends she’d made at school were not close. Even if she felt comfortable enough to confide in any of them, which she didn’t, there wasn’t one of them she’d call at this hour of the morning.

A door banged in the hallway. Seconds later a taller, skinnier and somewhat younger version of Nick D’Angelo filled the doorway. He wore ratty black jeans that molded indecently to his long legs, an almost equally ratty T-shirt and a leather jacket.

“Now this is a nice if unexpected surprise,” he said. “I was beginning to think old Niccolo was going monkish on me. So, who are you and why is my brother keeping you trapped in his office? I could rescue you, if you like.” He extended his hand. “Joey D’Angelo, knight in black leather.” His grin was infectious.

Suddenly Sunny didn’t feel quite so exhausted. What was it about D’Angelo men, anyway? She laughed. “I’m afraid my steed is already on its way. But thanks for the kind offer.” She shook his hand.

He held on to her and bowed deeply. “Anytime, fair maiden.” After pressing a warm kiss on the back of her hand, he released her and straightened. “And your name? My big brother doesn’t ever get around to introducing most of his dates to the family. He has some strange idea that we scare the ladies off. Go figure.”

“I’m not so certain he’s afraid you’ll scare them off so much as spirit them away.”

His eyes widened in surprise. “A live one. Nice change, brother.” He laughed. It was as engaging as his grin. It made Sunny wonder what Nick would be like if he loosened up a bit. But then, Joey didn’t have the demands on him that Nick did.

“I like you…what did you say your name was?”

“I didn’t. It’s Sunny.”

“Now there’s a woman with intuitive parents. My folks? Joseph.” He snorted. “Are you kiddin’ me?” He shook his head. His dark hair was so short it didn’t move. Another contrast with his brother. Interesting. She’d have figured Nick for the controlled short hair and Joey for the wilder, messier look. Hmm. But more intrigue she didn’t need. She was not about to get involved with the D’Angelo brothers.

“I think Joseph is a fine name,” she said. “Very strong.”

“Biblical. Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard it all.”

She laughed. “Somehow I don’t think you’ve let it slow you down all that much.”

He shot her a mock sly grin. “I see my reputation precedes me.” He moved closer. “So, exactly why are you in Nick’s office?”

“I’m a new employee here and I was just making arrangements for a ride.”

“Get out! Nick hired you?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Yes, he did. Why do you ask?”

“I like it when you get all ice princessy on me. Very nice. I bet that makes Nick nuts.”

“I don’t think much fazes your brother. And he hired me because you’re leaving early for school.”

He looked honestly chagrined by the reminder. “I know. But Mama Bennie and Nick understood. I just figured they’d find someone without having to advertise.” He studied her a second. “Unless one of my cousins got married without me knowing, or you’re Italian on your mother’s side about six times removed.”

She laughed again. “Nope. No Italian in my history.”

Joey’s grin returned. “Well, then, I guess my brother finally came to his senses.”

“Actually, it was Mama Bennie who—”

Nick came into the office. “Sunny, your cab is—Hey, Joey.” He caught his brother in an affectionate bear hug. “I thought you were already headed east.”

“I was. But then Steve backed out on me.” He turned to Sunny. “What a pal, huh? I mean, he agrees to sublet my apartment, then backs out on me when his girlfriend invites him to move in. I ask you, is that fair?”

“Perhaps she made a more tantalizing offer,” Sunny teased. Then the light bulb went off in her head. “Hey, maybe I can help you out.”

Nick stepped between them. “No.” Gone was the easy affection he’d exuded moments ago.

“What do you mean, no?” Joey moved his brother behind him and pasted on a wide smile. “This is between me and the lady.” He looked over his shoulder. “Unless perhaps you were planning on her stayin’ at your place?”

“No!” When Sunny and Joey’s eyes widened at his sudden vehemence, Nick frowned and tried again. “I mean, where she stays is none of my concern, as long as she reports to work on time.”

Joey turned to Sunny. “Perfect. Because it will be hard for her to be late if she’s sleeping right upstairs.” He held out his hand. “Come on, I’ll show you the place and we can talk terms.”

Sunny blinked. “Upstairs? You live over the restaurant?”

“You bet. It’s a great place. I even cleaned it up for Steve. The bum. Although I’m thinkin’ now maybe I owe Steve, you know?” He hustled her from the office. Over his shoulder, he said, “Cancel the cab, Nick. She won’t be needing it.”

Nick responded by grabbing Joey’s arm and dragging them both back to the doorway. “Hold on just a minute. She’s only here short-term. I’ll find someone to rent your place. Just leave me a spare set of keys.”