Chances (Mystic Nights #1)(52)

Both girls were ecstatic, thrilled to have Aliya and their new niece or nephew as part of their family.

They headed to the dance floor together when the next song started. It was a fast one, by Lucas Stryker. And they both loved his music.

Joseph stood beside his mother, watching his sisters join Jonathan and Aliya on the dance floor.

“You did an excellent job with the party. The food was fabulous tonight, wasn’t it? The new chef did a superior job.”

“Yes, he did. And that reminds me. I have not thanked him yet. Can you go do that for me, son? I want to stay a while longer. It makes my heart glad to see these two starting their life together.” Her eyes were fixated on the young couple whose lives were finally headed in the right direction. A life she’d never gotten the chance to live. She hoped her other children found their mates soon.

“Of course, Mom. I’ll be back in a bit,” Joseph stated as he bent to give her cheek a quick kiss.

He left the ballroom and headed through a door in the back that led to one of the many kitchens at Mystic Nights. The noise of the clean up was well under way. He found the new head chef calling orders, and directing some of the night staff as to what needed to be done to be ready for tomorrow. He was very imposing, but effective, too. The kitchen bustled with activity.

Joseph stopped to thank several of the workers, until he reached Louis, the French chef they had hired three months ago.

“It was my pleasure to cook for the family tonight,” Louis bowed slightly and accepted the compliments Joseph extended on behalf of his mother graciously. “My new sous chef, well, she is quite talented. She helped make everything a smashing success.”

Ah yes, Joseph remembered he had requested after only one week that the old sous chef be sent to one of the other kitchens. He couldn’t work with him. They feared they had hired a Prima Donna. But since, there had been no further incidents in the kitchen. Louis wanted to hire someone of his own choosing to fill that position. Joseph hadn’t met the woman yet.

“Then I should thank her, too,” Joseph stated as he shook the older Frenchman’s hand in parting.

“She is near the back,” Louis stated dismissing him as he turned to finish coordinating the cleaning of his kitchen. The man was exacting and precise. The hotel’s cuisine was getting even more rave reviews since he started, and he was drawing in food critics and new business.

Joseph then made his way towards the refrigerators which were near the service entrance and where the deliveries were made for all of their produce and food. He noticed the door ajar to the outside, but did not see the new sous chef anywhere. He didn’t even know what she looked like.

He peered outside into the night.

He saw movement by a small car, an old blue beat up Nova. The trunk was popped open, and a young woman with a fall of midnight black hair was lifting a crate into the back.

That was odd, he thought. Why was she taking food meant for the Mystic? He went out the door despite not having his jacket. He had removed it inside and not thought to put it back on. Although it was March, it seemed the winter was not done with them yet in Connecticut.

As he got closer, he was becoming more perplexed as the young woman bent over and lifted two more crates labelled with the Mystic insignia and placed them into the trunk of her car. Her backside was nice to look at was another of his initial thoughts. But then his suspicious nature was back in place. If this was the sous chef that Louis had hired, what was she doing putting things into a car, instead of bringing them in? He couldn’t make out what was in the crates, but they were clearly labelled.

He was about twenty feet away when she spotted him. She jumped and was clearly startled. It was made even more evident when her arm reached up to grasp the trunk and she banged it closed with a resounding clash that rent the night air.

“Excuse me,” he spoke first. “I didn’t mean to startle you.” He spoke the words softly. He tried to keep the suspicion out of his voice.

“Well, you did,” she snapped. Her dark brown eyes sparkling in fear, or bewilderment. “You really shouldn’t sneak up on a person like that. At night. A woman alone.” She was angry. With him? She glanced at her car briefly, lowering her eyelashes, the little black fans showcasing her classic beauty. But soon those snapping eyes gazed upon him once more. She was a tiny thing, but stood tall before him. She didn’t back down.

He stood across from her now. Just a few feet away. She recovered, and placed both of her hands onto her generous hips. He couldn’t help but glance at that part of her body one more time. The girl had curves. All of the important ones. He liked what he saw. He could tell she was native, too. Her olive skin and her strong cheekbones identified her as Pequot.

“I’m sorry. I was looking for the new sous chef. My mother wanted me to thank the kitchen staff for the excellent work in preparing the food for my brother’s engagement party.”

Her eyes went round. She recognized the man before her now. She had been too startled before. “You’re Joseph Sassacus,” she stated the obvious, and reached her hand out to him. “Well, you’ve found me then, I’m the sous chef, Jewel Diamente.” His smirk at her name caused butterflies to swirl in her stomach. He was massive. A brick wall. But incredibly handsome.

Jonathan took her small hand in his. The woman was shorter than him by at least eight inches. He was six foot tall.