Stepbrother Bad Boy's Baby Boxed Set(18)

"I know that, dumbass. What I'm saying is, offer Krystal something more than money and tattoos, and she'll be happy to have you as part of her life. Understand?"

I thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "I got it. Listen, one last question, if you don't mind."

"Go ahead, but a short one. I gotta get back to work."

"What's her favorite movie?"

Kimberly laughed again, and I could hear the ice in her voice thaw as she did. "She's a chef. What type of movies do you think she likes?"

The phone went dead in my ear, and I hung up. Sitting back, I thought for a long time, then set the handset back on its base. I walked back into my room, and sat down to think. Finally, I got an idea, and went over to the laptop I had bought the other day. It was pretty decent, not a top flight gaming rig but I didn't need one for what I wanted to do. Krystal was letting me cadge off her Internet signal, and I pulled up my browser so I could start to learn.





Chapter 9





Krystal





"He did what?"

"He actually called and asked me about you. You know, if I didn't know better, he sounded like he has a crush on you, babe."

I was on my meal break before service time, that golden hour before final prep and service began. Traditionally, it was the time that a lot of restaurants would gather and let the staff fill their bellies with the scraps and cutoffs of what couldn't be reused or repurposed from the raw ingredients, and Alinea was no different. I'd finished my bowl of rice, beef and vegetables, and was sitting in the alley behind the restaurant, just getting some fresh air. Well, if you can call alley air fresh. "No way. Kim, he's my stepbrother."

"Who you've known for a total of about one week if you add up all the time you've actually spent in the same city together. Don't tell me he doesn't push some buttons physically for you, Krystal. I know your type too well. Hell, even I have to admit he’s nice on the eyes.”

I groaned. This is what getting drunk one night with a good friend does for you. "Perhaps, but you also know there's no way in hell I'm even thinking of going there. First off, he's now family. Second and more importantly, he's acted like a total * for most of his life."

"And while that’s true, his intentions were good this time," Kimberly told me. She explained the conversation they'd had, and how she'd told him what his little stunt had caused in the restaurant. She ended it with telling me about his final question. "If my guess is right, you're going to come home to an apology and an invitation to watch Ratatouille."

I laughed despite myself. "Well, there are worse ways to get an apology. Alright, alright. He's forgiven for his little stunt. But that's strike one. Three strikes and he’s out.”

"And right into the Hilton or something even more upscale," Kimberly joked. "You know, it's not really my place to stick my nose in, but you were the one who asked me to look into John Castelbon those years ago. Julian doesn't know the truth. Shouldn't we tell him? I feel like a lot of his act is just that, an act. He's hurt and scared, he blames everything on his father, and he thinks his mother was some sort of saint. Maybe he needs a wakeup call."

I thought about it, and shook my head. "There'll come a time Kimberly, but not right now. Hey, my break is almost over, I need to get back to work. Thanks for the heads up."

"No problem. Enjoy your Disney movie," Kim joked, and hung up on me. I put my phone back in my pocket, and headed back inside. I still had a dinner service to get through, no matter what Julian might have planned for me.



* * *



Krystal



The lights were dim when I came in the door, just after midnight. It was a Wednesday evening, which traditionally at Alinea meant dinner service was light. In keeping with the preparations for Iron Chef, Horst had let me and Shannon's other team members go as soon as the last plate was off the pass, so I actually walked out at just after eleven fifteen. I thought about taking a cab but decided instead to take a ride on the bus like normal. Unfortunately my timing was just off, and I ended up not getting home until after twelve.

"Hello?" I said as I closed the door behind me. "Julian?"

I heard a started sound from the sofa, and Julian sat up, obviously surprised. "Krystal? Oh God, what time is it?"

"Just after midnight," I said, setting down my bag and coming over. He had set up his laptop computer on the coffee table, and it was pretty obvious he had fallen asleep. "You must be getting caught up from jet lag."

Julian yawned and stretched before wiping his hands over his face and nodding. "Yeah, I must. Wow, jeez, sorry."

I chuckled and sat down next to him. With his hair a bit dishelved from sleep, he looked cute, a lot more innocent than I'd ever seen him before. "It happens to us all. I've gotten used to being able to catch some sleep on a moment's notice. So what's loaded?"

"Well, I figured you'd be coming home late, so I didn't want to keep you up all night. First off, I wanted to apologize about last night. I didn't mean to disrupt your work or to cause you any problems."

"Thank you," I said, smiling. "Just to let you know, Kimberly called me during my break. She told me about your conversation. Regardless of the result, I know your intent was in the right place."