Total pages in book: 33
Estimated words: 31254 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 156(@200wpm)___ 125(@250wpm)___ 104(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 31254 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 156(@200wpm)___ 125(@250wpm)___ 104(@300wpm)
There isn’t a better restaurant in town than The Plate and there isn’t a better chef than Brooks Neal but that doesn’t mean he’d make a good partner. My life is falling apart and so is my career as a food critic now that everyone knows I’ve slept with Chef Neal. I’m not sure how to right my faltering ship but I know it’s not with him! But he’s so hot and he’s kind and I can’t stay away.
Brooks
I can make any dish perfectly. I know the exact wine pairing for each course. There’s no one in the city that makes a superior meal. None of these skills are helping me to lure Slater back to my bed. Her life is unraveling but mine will be completely cooked if I can’t win her over. The only thing I can do is turn up the heat until her icy heart melts and I make her mine forever
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
Chapter One
SLATER
This is probably going to make a bad situation worse, but that still doesn’t stop me from ordering a dirty martini. I have never had one before, but in the movies the girls order them when they’ve had a shit day, and I’ve had a shit week. Maybe I should have made it extra dirty even though I don’t know what that means.
The bartender places the drink down in front of me before moving on to the next patron at the bar. It’s not that busy, which is surprising being it’s a hotel bar, but there is a decent crowd. I pull out my phone and take a picture of the cocktail.
It’s a habit, I suppose. Except I typically review food. There will often be a wine pairing, but I'm not very knowledgeable about wine. No, that is what my now ex specialized in. He’s a sommelier and claims to know everything about wine, but he also thinks he knows everything about freaking everything. It’s charming at first, but it wears on your nerves after a while.
Once upon a time I would listen to him ramble on or try not to get my feelings hurt when he'd correct what I said. I was so stupid. Naïve, really. I only have myself to blame. I should have known better when he slid into my DMs only to then slide right into my best friend’s vagina.
I pick up my martini and take a sip. It burns all the way down.
"That bad?" a man asks, taking the seat next to mine at the bar. When I turn my head, my heart drops. Not only because the man is beyond handsome, but I know who he is. I've been trying to get into his restaurant back home for a few months now. The Plate is the hottest reservation these days.
I'm a food critic, but I try my best to go to restaurants without them knowing that I'm coming, which can make it harder to get into places. How the hell did I end up at the same hotel and bar as Brooks Neal? Neither of us lives here.
I shamelessly know way too much about the man, but that still isn't a ton. Believe me, I’ve tried all my usual tactics to learn about the newest top chef, but they haven’t panned out. While Brooks is a big deal and everyone knows who he is in the foodie world, he is fairly absent on social media. The only time you can get some details on him is when he does a random article or TV appearance to promote a new restaurant.
Oh, and the occasional gossip you might hear, which I try and pay no mind to. The internet can take a tiny detail and make it bigger than it is. Basically, do anything to create a more compelling narrative and story, and people will eat it up, whether it’s all fiction or not.
Damn, it's going to suck when word gets out about my ex and me.
"It's strong," I admit, while taking in every inch of Brooks. He's bigger in person. People generally hate to hear that, but it's not a bad thing when it comes to him. A person should really have no right to be this handsome, and that's not a filter over him either. Every inch of Brooks is all him, from his sun-kissed brown hair to his dark green eyes and lickable physique. I wish he was on the menu for me to try. Wow, Slater, get it under control.
"How about I try it?" he offers as he signals for the bartender to come over. The bartender offers Brooks the wine menu, but he turns it down.
That makes him even hotter. He really is the opposite of my ex in every way. Felipe would have already given you a full rundown about all he knows when it comes to wine and would be in the middle of criticizing the menu to the bartender. I want to kick my own ass for putting up with him for so long.
That was always so embarrassing. My best friend Sara said it was hot how much he knew.
Maybe that should have been a red flag, but I was new-ish to the whole making friends thing when Sara came into my life.
“I’ll have what the lady is having. Thank you,” he says to the bartender. Hot and polite. I would have never guessed. Usually chefs of his caliber tend to be dismissive and rude once they get a taste of success.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” I take another sip of my drink, trying not to make a face as I force it down. Next time I’m going to try to stick to one of those girly pink concoctions instead of this.
“Damn, that is rough,” Brooks agrees. “I should stick to cooking with my vodka.”