she cast her gaze down. “My reputation is riding on this show. I need to know what I’m walking into. Are you creating controversy for the camera, or are you telling the truth?”
He should have been insulted that she’d even suggest he played to the cameras, but the quiver in her voice revealed the true reason she stood in his office. Someone had hurt her in the past, chipped at her confidence. She wasn’t here to argue; she was here for validation. Her defensiveness, Ty realized with a pang of sympathy, was nothing more than a shield.
He held up his right hand. “I swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”
“Thank you, Judge Cates.” She stood in the doorway, silent, shifting. Finally, “Um, I guess I’ll be going now.”
“Wait!”
Had that come from him? Sure enough, he was on his feet, walking toward her. “You want to taste some great capers?”
One of her sculpted eyebrows rose and a slight smile played on her lips. “You mean other than the ones I used in my sandwich?”
“Yeah. I know a great little place down the street.”
“Is that allowed? A judge and contestant fraternizing?”
It was most definitely not allowed. Good thing that wasn’t what was happening. “It’s not a date. Call it professional research.”
She nodded. “In that case, let’s go.”
…
“This is where you wanted to take me?” Ashton eyed the small restaurant. The place was mainly takeout, with a large counter and just a few small tables against the wall. A quick scan of the menu hanging behind the counter revealed the cuisine as Mediterranean.
“Just because a place doesn’t have a million dollars worth of furnishings doesn’t mean it doesn’t have damn good food,” Ty said.
“’Damn’?” Ashton tsked. “What would your mama say if she heard you talking like that? I bet she raised a better Southern boy than that.”
Ty grinned. “She’d tan my hide. Come on.” He put a hand on the small of her back and led her forward. Ashton grew instantly warm where he touched her, inanely wishing her cotton shirt wasn’t in the way so she could feel his skin against hers.
A plump woman with beautiful olive skin and long black hair streaked with gray grinned as they approached. “Mr. Ty!” she exclaimed with a heavy Greek accent. “We haven’t seen you in a while.”
Ty took the woman’s hand and leaned in to kiss her cheek. “Sorry, Sophia. Crazy schedule.”
“But now you bring a beautiful woman with you.” She gave an obvious wink, causing Ashton to blush.
“I’m not… We’re…” How to explain?
Ty took care of it. “This is a fellow chef, Ashton Grey. I told her if she wanted to know how a caper was supposed to taste, she should come here.”
Sophia puffed up proudly. “You want an order of fried capers? Sit, sit, I’ll bring them out to you.”
Ashton and Ty chose a bistro table by the window. “How’d you find this place?” Ashton asked. Whenever she had a free night, she usually tried to hit the newest Chicago hotspot to feel out the competition.
“My best friend Scott introduced me to it.”
“Is he a chef also?”
“Scott?” Ty laughed. “Scott doesn’t know a black truffle from a shiitake mushroom.”
Ashton gasped in mock horror. “And you’re still friends with this cretin?”
“I’m just using him for his bowling score.”
Ty bowled? For some reason, Ashton couldn’t picture it.
“Here you go.” Sophia set down a plate. “Fried capers.”
Ashton studied the dish. The capers were the size of peas and opened like a flower in bloom. They had been fried to a golden brown, but the distinct olive-green color was still visible. She picked one up and sniffed. They were seasoned with something—mustard seed?
“Oh, just eat it.” Ty grabbed the caper from her hand and held it up to her mouth.
Spine tingling, she opened her mouth and allowed him to drop the caper in. She bit slowly, allowing the flavors to blend on her tongue. The
He should have been insulted that she’d even suggest he played to the cameras, but the quiver in her voice revealed the true reason she stood in his office. Someone had hurt her in the past, chipped at her confidence. She wasn’t here to argue; she was here for validation. Her defensiveness, Ty realized with a pang of sympathy, was nothing more than a shield.
He held up his right hand. “I swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”
“Thank you, Judge Cates.” She stood in the doorway, silent, shifting. Finally, “Um, I guess I’ll be going now.”
“Wait!”
Had that come from him? Sure enough, he was on his feet, walking toward her. “You want to taste some great capers?”
One of her sculpted eyebrows rose and a slight smile played on her lips. “You mean other than the ones I used in my sandwich?”
“Yeah. I know a great little place down the street.”
“Is that allowed? A judge and contestant fraternizing?”
It was most definitely not allowed. Good thing that wasn’t what was happening. “It’s not a date. Call it professional research.”
She nodded. “In that case, let’s go.”
…
“This is where you wanted to take me?” Ashton eyed the small restaurant. The place was mainly takeout, with a large counter and just a few small tables against the wall. A quick scan of the menu hanging behind the counter revealed the cuisine as Mediterranean.
“Just because a place doesn’t have a million dollars worth of furnishings doesn’t mean it doesn’t have damn good food,” Ty said.
“’Damn’?” Ashton tsked. “What would your mama say if she heard you talking like that? I bet she raised a better Southern boy than that.”
Ty grinned. “She’d tan my hide. Come on.” He put a hand on the small of her back and led her forward. Ashton grew instantly warm where he touched her, inanely wishing her cotton shirt wasn’t in the way so she could feel his skin against hers.
A plump woman with beautiful olive skin and long black hair streaked with gray grinned as they approached. “Mr. Ty!” she exclaimed with a heavy Greek accent. “We haven’t seen you in a while.”
Ty took the woman’s hand and leaned in to kiss her cheek. “Sorry, Sophia. Crazy schedule.”
“But now you bring a beautiful woman with you.” She gave an obvious wink, causing Ashton to blush.
“I’m not… We’re…” How to explain?
Ty took care of it. “This is a fellow chef, Ashton Grey. I told her if she wanted to know how a caper was supposed to taste, she should come here.”
Sophia puffed up proudly. “You want an order of fried capers? Sit, sit, I’ll bring them out to you.”
Ashton and Ty chose a bistro table by the window. “How’d you find this place?” Ashton asked. Whenever she had a free night, she usually tried to hit the newest Chicago hotspot to feel out the competition.
“My best friend Scott introduced me to it.”
“Is he a chef also?”
“Scott?” Ty laughed. “Scott doesn’t know a black truffle from a shiitake mushroom.”
Ashton gasped in mock horror. “And you’re still friends with this cretin?”
“I’m just using him for his bowling score.”
Ty bowled? For some reason, Ashton couldn’t picture it.
“Here you go.” Sophia set down a plate. “Fried capers.”
Ashton studied the dish. The capers were the size of peas and opened like a flower in bloom. They had been fried to a golden brown, but the distinct olive-green color was still visible. She picked one up and sniffed. They were seasoned with something—mustard seed?
“Oh, just eat it.” Ty grabbed the caper from her hand and held it up to her mouth.
Spine tingling, she opened her mouth and allowed him to drop the caper in. She bit slowly, allowing the flavors to blend on her tongue. The
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