Tell Me With Flowers

30. Burning flames of jealousy

MILES

"Hey Miles, customer at table five wants to say a few good words to the chef." Larry said walking into the kitchen.

Usually, I didn't allow any outsider to come into my kitchen. They only distracted me from getting my job done. But these days I was lenient. When I had invited Megan in, asking her to walk in any time she wanted, my boys made a big fuss over it. Ever since that, my responses to anyone except Megan that interrupted me was a low grunt.

"Not again." I cussed under my breath, getting the Nikkei ceviche done to utter perfection.

"This is the fourth time in a row today, isn't it?" Joe asked, frying something in his pan.

There was a time when I cursed them all for disturbing my peace in the kitchen. But now, I couldn't afford to do so. They were my fans and over the years, I had learnt that fans were everything that one could have if he had nothing.

Out of all the four times, I had went to meet the group of people who had a few words of praise for me. I had stood there awkwardly nodding and smiling my head when they said that they hadn't tasted anything as excellent as my dishes.

And some of them came to the restaurant only when I worked in the kitchen, ordering the dishes that I excelled at. For the first few weeks, I felt honored but more people started to come by after my said interview. Instead of commenting on my food, they had started asking me questions about Megan and how we were doing as a couple.

That closed all the happy doors of the meet and greet. I had pushed Joe out the kitchen to pretend that he was the chef of those dishes. And when the fourth one came by, Joe had shook his head even before I had asked him for the favor.

"I'll go." Dylan volunteered. "I don't know why you guys are so worked up in being famous."

I rolled my eyes as I got back to the task at hand. As long as he was putting a face in the diner, I was fine. He tied his apron properly and tilted his chef's hat to an angle before he walked out. I left a relieved sigh before I started my work.

A few minutes later, Larry walked by again. "Miles, they are asking for the chef."

My brows knitted together in confusion. Dylan never once missed the chance of showing off, especially when the customers asked for the chef.

He had even got a few phone numbers during one such events and had had a plenty of one-night stands since he couldn't stand to commitment. The only thing that he was committed to life was our friendship and his career.

Now, with the new information, I was taken aback. The first thought that occurred my mind was that someone in his family had fallen sick and he had gone to see them. I looked at Joe for some assurance, but he only shrugged back.

"Perhaps, you should go this time." Joe said, as if Dylan disappearing was usual. "Maybe he had to use the restroom before he went there."

Joe had a point. Dylan could never hold anything in – not liquids and definitely not words. Thinking that he was still in the loo, I grumbled and wiped my hands on the cloth that was hung on top of my table before walking out.

Dylan would have another liquid session when he would meet me. He was making others wait because of him. I should probably be apologizing to them when I make it there.

But when I opened the door trying to reach there as quickly as possible, I saw Dylan laughing and talking with none other than Megan. My brows shot up in surprise. What was she doing here this early at the restaurant?

Her smile reflected on mine involuntarily. She was wearing a loose brown blouse with navy jeans. Her hair was left loose and it clung to her neck by a red-yellow stripped scarf. Her eyes were shining as she giggled at something Dill was saying.