Alpha's Moon

Chapter 15

Leaving Delores with a quick farewell, Gabriel reached the restaurant just as a couple were turned back for lack of space.

"Mr Moncrief!" Jacques rushed forward from his position behind the host desk.

"Has that been happening a lot?" he nodded towards the receding backs of the couple.

"For the past three days," Jacques admitted looking halfway between pleased and concerned. "A popular food blogger was in and put up an article about the new dessert. Coupled with Luca's increasingly popular image, our social media team tell me we've hit the jackpot."

"I see," Gabriel took several steps into the dining area, noting the delighted expression on the diners faces. Politicians, businessmen, celebrities, tourists; Petrichor was catering to one and all. Jacques moved ahead of him, holding his arm out towards the right corner of the restaurant where the tables had more privacy.

"I will show you to Mr. Theo's table."

Gabriel followed the manager at a leisurely pace. The crowds had noticed his presence and some familiar faces sent him polite greetings which he answered in turn. A moment later, he spotted Theo sitting at a table tucked away between two large potted plants. Unexpectedly, he was not alone.

Waving Jacques away with a quick thank you, Gabriel looked only at Theo as he took a seat, "I was told Chef Bisset rarely leaves his kitchen. What promises did you make to lure him out?"

Theo laughed, shaking his head, but it was Luca who replied. "Promises? Hah! I'll have you know that your friend over here is very high maintenance. He wouldn't accept that we had run out of the dessert of his choice, so I had to bring him the one I had saved for myself."

"There are no Boston Buns left?" Gabriel glanced at the table which had an empty plate and half drunk espresso.

"It was exquisite," Theo grinned, rubbing it in.

"I'm glad," Gabriel smiled right back at his cousin. "You deserve the treat, it will give you the energy you'll need to deal with the stack of last minute paper work the FDA sent over."

"Again!?" Theo covered his face with his hands, groaning.

"Sounds fun!" Luca said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Then he put his hands on the the table to push himself up.

"Wait," Gabriel stopped him half way out of his chair. "Tell me how the cooperation is going. Is Chef Turner fitting in with your team?"

A slow smile spread across the mediterranean chef's face, drawing even more eyes in their direction. As it was, every woman in the vicinity was casting glances in the direction of the table that looked like a gathering of Mr World finalists. A group of moms on a lunch out had already given the trio knick names as they giggled over martinis; Baby-faced Blonde, Chef Charisma and Mysterious Millionaire.

"Fit in? Not a chance," Luca laughed, relaxing back into his chair. "I doubt Alex could fit in anywhere."

The casual way Luca said 'Alex' irked Gabriel, but he pushed the feeling aside. "So, you're not happy with her work?"

Luca looked at him as if he had grown horns. "Don't you see how well the Boston Bun is doing? She is incredible." His eyes took on a faraway look as he thought of the woman in the kitchen. "Professional, talented, impossible to pin down." He was smiling again now as he looked at the other two men at the table. "My staff is awed by her talent, so no one questions her strange hours or her adversity to getting close to people. They just feel lucky to watch her work her magic."

"It sounds like you are the one under her spell," Theo snorted. "Are you two dating?"

Gabriel's fingers curled, the muscles in his arms suddenly tense.

"No," Luca replied, sending a scathing glance towards his boss. "I was told Mr Moncrief would have a fit if we did. Something about workplace ethics..."

Forcing his muscles to relax, Gabriel took a deep breath. This conversation was not going the way he planned. It shouldn't matter to him if the two Chefs wanted to date and yet the thought of them alone in the kitchen, Luca's hand on Alex's waist, his fingers on her cheek... irrational anger that narrowed his eyes. "Well thought, Bisset. Don't let your personal matters affect my restaurant."

"Yes, yes," Luca let out a sigh, then turned back to Theo. "Her contract is up in a little under six months. I have never waited for a woman in my life, but this one...she is special."

"Oh, come on. All women are special in their own way," Theo scoffed, but Gabriel knew that Luca was right. There was something truly different about Alex Turner. Something that had made it impossible for him not to think about her several times a day despite his desire to push her out of his mind entirely.

But she was human, damn it! How special could a human be? He had to be exaggerating her appeal in his mind. It was all due to the strangeness of the circumstances under which they met and the high levels of stress he had been under of late.

"Alright, I better head back," Luca stood up.

Telling himself he needed to face her to prove once and for all that she had no effect on him, Gabriel addressed the French-Italian. "Send Chef Turner out when you get there."

"Why?" The suspicion in Luca's voice was not lost on either of the other men.

Theo patted the Chef's arm before Gabriel could react. "Calm yourself, friend. Don't you know Gabriel isn't interested in...women without pedigrees?"

Pedigrees? Really? Gabriel raised a brow at the choice of words, but Theo just shrugged.

"Pedigrees?" Luca repeated, then he laughed. "I suppose millionaires are only interested in millionaires, eh Moncrief?"

Making a sound of disgust, Gabriel pulled his phone from his pocket to check for urgent messages. "Send me Turner and some strong coffee, Bisset. All your useless yapping has tired me out."

"Yes, Sir," Luca gave them a mock salute, then he turned to smile at the sea of hopeful faces that looked his way.

"He seems really into our Mama Fan," Theo said, watching Luca greet his way across the restaurant.

"It's Luca," Gabrielle snorted. "He is into all women. Usually several at a time."

"True," Theo laughed, then he finished the rest of his espresso. "Although, somehow I get the feeling that he might be serious this time."

Gabriel's mood darkened at his cousin's words. Firstly, because he agreed. But more importantly, because he suddenly wanted to smash something.