Spark (Heat #2)(14)

"I'm sure he'll be here soon." I wave to Percy, the co-host of the show, when I see him walk through the front door. "Otherwise, we'll have to share the spotlight with each other."

She doesn't even crack a smile at my attempted joke. "I was so nervous last time. He helped me get through it. If Tyler doesn't show up, I'm not doing it."

"He'll be here," I say quietly, hoping I'm right. There's no way in hell I'm going on national television by myself.





CHAPTER 12


"You're sure you've got it all, Cadence?" Hunter asks, walking over to the makeshift make-up area. "The fire was caused by faulty electrical wiring in the wall of the apartment above Nova."

It's the first I've heard of it. I expected Tyler to tell me once he knew but I realize that he's been juggling a lot the past couple of weeks. "I got it. Electrical fire."

"We hope to open in six weeks." He looks at his watch. "We're going to honor all of the reservations that were in place before the fire. Make sure you mention that."

I look toward the front doors. "Are you sure he's not coming?"

"There's an emergency with his niece." Hunter rests his hand on my shoulder. "He wants to be there for his sister. He's counting on you to pull this off."

Everyone is counting on me to pull this off since Maribel started breathing heavily into a paper bag. She hyperventilated when Hunter told us that Tyler was a no-show. That left me to take center stage to talk about Nova's rebuilding.

"Why don't you appear with me?" I straighten, glancing at my reflection in the hand held mirror the make-up artist gave me when I sat down on this folding metal chair. She's highlighted my eyes and lips with colors that complement the dark green, sleeveless blouse I'm wearing. I paired that with jeans and nude heels. "It's your restaurant. I'm sure the viewers would love to hear from one of the owners."

"I'm strictly behind the scenes." He studies me. "I can see that you're nervous, Cadence, but you're a natural. All you need to do is talk about what we lost and what we're doing now to rebuild."

I nod. He's right but the problem is that this is not my restaurant. I'm not even a senior or head chef. I'm a junior chef who has no inside knowledge of what's going on behind the scenes to rebuild Nova. I'm one of the last people who should be doing this interview.

"The interior designer is on her way over." He glances at his smartphone. "If she makes it in time, we'll let her on camera to talk about the redesign details. If not, focus on the employees and how much it means to all of you to have Nova back."

I'm quiet while he speaks to Barbara, one of the producers who just walked over to us. I rally my courage hoping that when the camera starts rolling I'm not going to f*ck this up.

***

"I have a feeling this piece will go viral." Pamela wipes the remaining tears from her cheeks. "I felt like I was there with you, Cadence, watching Nova burn to the ground."

I rub both my hands over my face, clearing off my own tears. I planned on staying on course. I wanted to convey all the information that Hunter gave me but that went to hell when a video clip of the restaurant burning was shown to the viewers. I watched it on a monitor that the crew had set up for Pamela and Percy.

I felt overcome almost instantly and when she turned to me, after the clip ended, to ask what I was feeling when I watched Nova being destroyed, I let it all out. She expertly guided me through a series of questions that I know weren't scripted.

I talked about the fear I had when word spread that someone was trapped inside. I spoke about what a great place it was to work and about Tyler and Hunter's vision for the new restaurant.

When she asked if we all planned on sticking together I told her that the tragedy had created a stronger bond and that we were all eager to get back to work to show our appreciation to Chef Monroe. I was adamant when I explained that we were determined to help rebuild his dream.

My gaze follows Hunter as he strides quickly across the room toward me.

Fuck. Just f*ck.

He doesn't look thrilled. He doesn't even look happy. I messed this up because I couldn’t keep my emotions in check. He counted on me to be a professional and instead I was emotional and sentimental.

"Mr. Reynolds," I spit out his name as he nears. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" He pulls me into his chest, his large arms circling my shoulders. "Cadence, you were incredible. I'm so proud of you."

I reach up to clench the front of his dress shirt in my hands. I don't have a brother. If I did, I'd want him to be just like Hunter Reynolds. He's strong, successful and his bear hugs chase all the bad bits away.

"I didn't talk about the new design." I pull back. "I meant to but then I saw that video clip from the news."

"You put a real face to our story." He rests his hands on my shoulders. "You helped everyone understand what we lost, what Tyler lost."

I don't know if that's a good thing or not. I had a job to do and I lost sight of that. "You're not upset? I didn't screw up the relaunch?"

"Hear that?" he asks at the ping of his phone. "That's Tyler. He's been messaging me non-stop since you went on the air."