Personal Chef

Chapter 23

After taking post-pool showers, Shawn and I took a Lyft to the medical office building where my ER orthopedist had her practice. Given how much better I was feeling, I was fairly confident I'd get good news.

The doctor was indeed pleased with how my ankle looked, though she insisted on another x-ray just to make sure a hairline fracture hadn't been missed before. There was no break, and I was moved into a smaller boot-splint that I could wear with my running shoes without needing crutches. I was cleared to go home!

Andrew had already arranged for us to fly back that night on a red-eye, though we could have changed the flight if the doctor's appointment had not gone well. We had a non-stop flight on Air Canada leaving at 10:15 PM and arriving in Toronto before 6:00 AM. As much as I'd liked my monthlong adventure, I was dying to see my parents again. I called them and told them my flight details, and they said they'd meet me at the airport.

Before heading to LAX, Shawn surprised me with dinner at Nobu. He knew I'd been disappointed that my ankle had spoiled the planned night out there. I'd actually been more bummed for the team missing out than for myself. I didn't say that, because I could tell he was really happy doing this for me.

I wore a simple sundress to showcase the bit of tan I'd gotten earlier, which looked slightly ridiculous with sneakers, and I had my hair down. I hadn't curled it since standing on my ankle for a long time hurt. Shawn looked very handsome in a burgundy button down and his tight black jeans. I often wondered how many pairs of those jeans he owned.

We were seated at a table in a corner towards the back. I was off my pain pills, so I opted to get a cocktail, as did Shawn. The menu consisted of "cold" and "hot" items. Instead of each picking something as an entree, Shawn insisted that we order several from each category to share. We had octopus wasabi salsa, king crab tempura, crispy rice with spicy tuna, and lobster sweet and sour. We also sampled the truffle butter wagyu. The food was absolutely amazing, and I wondered if I could recreate any of it at home. Japanese cooking was not a strength of mine, but I loved the idea of expanding my repertoire.

Shawn had not mentioned Kat once in the last few days. After a couple glasses of sake (on top of my cocktail), I found myself dying to know where they stood.

Since we'd hooked up, I'd been lying to myself about having any feelings for my boss. It wasn't professional. More than that, falling for Shawn Mendes would definitely lead to heartbreak for me.

Yes, he was attracted to me. He'd made that clear. Paige had been right all along, though I'd never tell her that since that night was forever remaining a secret. Attraction wasn't love, though. It was superficial. What I felt for him was more than that, which was why I refused to acknowledge it.

As I'd gotten to know him, I'd learned what a sweet, generous, thoughtful person he was. Watching him in musician mode during the past month made me respect his creativity. His talent was also extremely attractive. And sexy (as if he wasn't sexy enough already). I found everything about him stimulating, from his wide variety of smiles to the way his hair flipped forward when he played guitar. I could stare at him for hours, though I made sure not to.

It had really hurt that he'd gotten back together with Kat so soon after we'd connected. That proved to me that I was just a dalliance. We'd made a mistake and he'd moved on. I'd been trying to move on, too. Well, other than by fucking him in my dreams, but that was out of my control.

I still couldn't help but ask the big question.

"What's going on with you and Kat?"

His eyebrows raised in surprise, and he hesitated a moment before responding. He obviously wasn't expecting me to pose this question as we sampled the wagyu in front of us.