“We have two minutes,” I tell him, and he snaps his fingers.
“One minute, people,” he announces, walking toward his staff. “If I say two minutes, they might get lazy.” He winks at me, and I see everyone is doing something.
The first course goes off without a hitch and I stick my head out for a second to make sure Avery is okay. The best thing I did was make sure the kids had someone to take care of them. Luckily for me, someone from Matty’s side and Sofia’s side stepped up to the plate.
I slip out of the kitchen, walking over to the head server, who is standing by the wall with his hands behind his back. “How is it going?”
“Smooth,” he tells me. “Almost time for the second course.”
When I push open the door to the kitchen, I clap my hands. “Next service is ten minutes out.”
The sounds of pots and pans fill the kitchen as the voices go higher and higher as the pressure is on.
“What are you doing?” Presley storms into the kitchen, followed by her sisters.
“Um,” I say, not sure exactly what she’s asking, “working?”
“You did this so much better than we would have,” Clarabella declares to me, her eyes shining, and I wonder if she’s being sincere or if she’s gotten in the sweet tea. Either way, I’m taking it as a compliment.
“No, I didn’t.” I shake my head. “And it’s not over until the last person leaves. You taught me that.” I point at Shelby.
“Yes, you did, and now it’s time for you to come out and enjoy it with us.” Shelby grabs me by my hands, pulling me away from the kitchen. “You have given your orders. If they need you, they know where to find you.”
“I don’t really think,” I start to say but then stop when I see Sofia push open the kitchen door. Her face is in a scowl, so I stop moving my feet.
“Oh, you better get your ass out here and help me celebrate my wedding,” Sofia orders, pointing over her shoulder.
I look at the four of them. When I applied for the job, I was hoping I would get it. Even in the interview I felt like part of the team. The way I came in and they took me under their wing. They accepted Avery without batting an eye. They accepted me with all the baggage I had. They did more for me in the short time I was with them than my family did my whole life. “Fine.”
I smile at them as we walk out of the kitchen door. We walk toward the table, and I look around, stopping in my tracks. My eyes focus on Stefano squatting down in front of Avery, next to the dance floor. He must feel my eyes on him because he turns his head and looks our way.
“Oh my God,” Clarabella says in a whisper beside me.
“Is that…？” Shelby now tries to ask the question but stops.
“Oh my God, she has his eyes,” Presley observes, her hand going to her mouth, “and smile.”
“I know,” I finally say.
“How did you not know?” Shelby looks over at Sofia.
“How was I supposed to know?” Sofia hisses back at her. “Do you think I walked around staring into his eyes. I’ve met him twice.”
“Didn’t you go on vacation with them for two weeks?” Clarabella asks her.
“Again, I didn’t walk around looking into his eyes.” Sofia glares at them. “How was I supposed to know that his tall, dark, and handsome Greek-slash-French cousin was her baby daddy?”
“He’s Greek?” I ask shocked, and see Presley and Clarabella roll their lips.
“And French,” Shelby points out before turning back to Sofia. “Does he speak both?”
“I know he speaks French for sure. He was talking to his mother in French,” Sofia informs us all,
“like pure French.”
“That is so hot,” Clarabella says. “The only thing I know in French is voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?”
“Who doesn’t know that saying?” Sofia folds her arms over her chest. “It’s universal.”
“How did you not know this?” Shelby asks me.
“It didn’t really come up.” I throw my hands up.
“You know what did come up?” Clarabella looks over at me. “His dick.”
“That came up, for sure,” Presley chimes in.
“You told me it was the best sex you ever had,” Sofia reminds me.
“It’s been a while,” I tell them, not bothering to mention to them that when I finally had sex after
him, I felt way off. It was the last date I ever went on. “Can we stop talking about this?” I finally plead, not really wanting to picture his dick any more than I have been.