“Actually, Grace is pretty hot in a reserved kind of way. They say those chicks are usually freaks in bed. They act all innocent and sweet, but get a finger or two in—”

“Whoa, what the f**k, Oscar?” Sal stopped rocking and sat up.

“What?”

“Can you have a little respect—she’s a nice girl, and an employee. I told you about this kind of shit already. You better not even think about messing with her like that.”

Oscar lifted his hands in the air. “Dude, this is how I always talk. What’s wrong with you?” He stopped and peered at Sal. “Wait. Are you who she’s talking to?”

“What?” Sal was still trying to calm himself. He didn’t mean to go off on Oscar, but hearing him say that stuff about Grace made him want to rip his head off.

“She mentioned she’s talking to someone, and now here you’re getting all crazy on me.” Oscar grinned. “You son-of-a-bitch, you are talking to her. You should’ve told me.” Alex leaned his head in the doorway. “You’re still back here? C’mon, it’s bad enough Sal’s taking forever to hire people. The one useless waiter he did hire is back here chatting it up when we got a full house.”

Oscar laughed and started out the door. He turned back to Sal who was now lost in thought. “Hey, man, peace.” He held up two fingers. “I know now, so don’t worry about it. Bros before hos.”

Sal didn’t even respond. He didn’t care what Oscar thought, but he’d given him yet one more thing to obsess about when it came to Grace. Apparently, she was talking to someone. What the hell did that mean?

~*~

Monday and Tuesday completely dragged. It was now Wednesday morning and Grace was mad at herself. She was presenting her menu today for this week’s final at school. A three-course meal that was to be prepared in under forty minutes. She remembered a time when this was exciting. Sitting in class now waiting for her turn to go up, all she could think about was the fact that she might be seeing Sal today. That is, if he showed up.

She went through the motions of her presentation perfunctorily. As expected, the instructor was thoroughly impressed, calling her menu a little ambitious, but that wasn’t the first time she’d heard that.

The bus ride to work was torturous. Her insides were a hot mess. This was the first time neither Joey nor Taylor could pick her up and Joey had been beside himself, even offered to call George and see if he could pick her up. Grace assured him she’d get a ride from someone at work, though she had no intentions of asking anyone. She’d taken the bus before in the evening, it wasn’t so bad. Everyone assumed taking the bus was the lowest form of transportation. She’d take the bus any day, over flirting for a ride like she’d seen so many girls at school do.

Initially, getting to work was a huge disappointment. Sal wasn’t even there. Then she heard Alex say Sal was coming in to close so he could go home early because his wife might be having contractions. Though she felt for Alex, because he seemed so incredibly nervous, she couldn’t help feeling excited. She had to remind herself she was supposed to be getting over this.

Seeing him when he walked in was more gut wrenching than expected. He wasn’t in a suit like he had been so often lately, he wore jeans and a black polo. She tried playing the busy bartender when she saw him walk in, but it was impossible not to glance over at him. He seemed concerned when he spoke to Alex, but he still turned and smiled at her when he caught her looking.

Alex left and Sal came over to the bar where she and Melanie were talking in a rare moment of no orders. “I might be an uncle soon.”

“We heard. Congrats,” Melanie said. “Poor Alex, he was a wreck.”

Sal laughed, those beautiful dimples melting Grace. “He’ll be okay.”

Oscar walked up to the bar and Melanie took the order he brought with him. Since Melanie started to make the drinks, Grace had no choice but to give Sal her attention. She smiled, trying to think of something to say but he beat her to the punch.

“How were your days off?”

“Okay,” she said, trying not to read too much into the way he gazed at her. “School, homework.”

He smiled. “I had some of your casserole.”

“Oh?” Her insides were going wild. This was insane, he was just talking to her. How did those damn women do it and look so in control?

“It was delicious. Alex is putting it on the menu, so I hope you’re prepared to share the recipe, and train all the cooks on how to make it.”

“Really?” She smiled and for the first time since he got there, she felt excited and not completely love-struck.

He smiled even bigger. “Yeah, really. Alex and Sofie were completely impressed by your cooking. You’ll be spending a lot more time in the kitchen. I think I’ve been overruled.”

“Why? You’re still not impressed?”

Sal leaned over and spoke closer than he ever had. “Oh, I’m impressed, Grace.” There was no denying the undertone of his words. She didn’t know how to respond, especially since he held her gaze and his smiling expression faded into a smoldering stare. Something jolted him and he reached for his phone, pulling his phone from his holster and glanced at it. “It’s Alex.” He answered and walked away. “What’s up?”

Grace let out a slow breath, her heart hammering away. If this is what it was going to be like from here on she didn’t know how many up close conversations with Sal her heart could take.