Must Date The Chef

|| 9.

"Udo is stubborn but he can also be very sweet. It all depends on which side of him you see first, the side he shows," she says.

I don't like how she calls his name with a familiarity that I do not possess. Now that I know he can also be sweet, I want to see that side of him. All I have gotten so far is arrogance laden with more arrogance and the gentlest kisses I have ever received. I want to know all sides of him like she does.

"You know him so well," I state, she nods, ignoring the barely concealed jealousy in my voice. I hate how I sound but I can't help it. "How come you two are not dating?"

I am fishing, hoping for her to slip up, give me more useful information but the gaze she directs my way chills me to my bone and I quickly rephrase my statement.

"Some of my friends are single, I'm asking on their behalf. I'm not saying you two-"

The iciness with which she replies me is similar to my welcome. "He's off limits."

That's my cue, I take it as a warning to stay away from him and seal my lips about our kiss but my body yearns for more of it. I nod again, trying to redirect our conversation to her reason for being here.

"There are two people, a male and a female. I like the female more and I'll invite..."

The rest of her words are lost on me as I repeat her warning in my head, Paul is off limits. For some reason, that's not enough to stop me from picturing us together or missing him and I nod in response to all Chi says, not a word registering in my head.

*    *    *

The door to my office bursts open, my head raises to give the person a lecture until I see it's Chi. Today is Friday so she's back to wearing the hotel's T-shirt and black jeans. Her sneaker is the latest Adidas version and I cannot help but wonder as I always do if she's doing something outside this job.

"I'm so sorry to disturb you but you have to taste this." She set a stainless flask on my desk. "I specifically asked him to prepare this for you and if you don't like it," she pauses to sigh, "I will painfully let him go. But believe me, he's a great cook."

"He?" I ask and Chi nods. "What happened to Anna? The lady we agreed on."

Our friendship is still new and the fear of coming off as judgmental has stopped me from asking how she manages her high tastes but if she has gone against my orders and hired someone else, I may lose it.

Anna is one of the best female Chefs here in Calabar, her recommendations, the food she prepared when we asked them to come in showed that. I heave a sigh and swallow, it's partially my fault too, I let her in charge of work I should have done myself.

"I let her go," Chi answers and I scoff.

"Stop looking at me like that," Chi starts and I roll my eyes. "She doesn't like the pay."

A peal of laughter slips from me, that is ludicrous. "She must be a thief, a criminal."

We offer the best salary to chefs, if not, we will not have about five hundred people applying for a position with only one slot.

"That's exactly what I said." Chi laughs. Her head moves from side to side as she repeats Anna's reason with air quotes. "She graduated from a cooking school in London, she can't accept such a salary, it's too small."

I break down in laughter at the tiny voice Chi adapts, it's eerily familiar to Anna's. "So who did you pick, Tony? He's not bad."

She shakes her head. "UD."