They stood looking at the huge crowd and Lena asked, “Did we miss something important tonight or is this every Friday?”

Looking around then back at her Shelly shrugged, “I have no idea.”

The big guy who’d been at the front came back out and gestured for them to come over. He pulled back the rope and leaned down.

“I spoke to Wendy, the manager, she said that was fine but you’d have to sit at the bar.”

Shelly grinned and grabbed Lena’s arm, “Not a problem big guy.” and just like that they were in.


Mason was going insane. He had orders coming in and out of the dining room faster than he could blink and Rachel was having a fit because one of her blow torches had gone missing, which she needed to make over two hundred Crème Brule’s. He’d been told table twenty three had the food critic on it and a waiter was now in the process of delivering their meals. Mason took a deep breath and saw Wendy motion him over to the corner of the kitchen pass.

“What’s wrong?” he asked automatically.

She shook her head quickly to reassure him. “Nothing’s wrong, in fact everything is going great and you have a line wrapped around your building. However, I did manage to sneak in two people, even though we’re at full capacity.”

He raised his eyebrows, “Who?”

“She’s at the bar.”

Mason looked around her and spotted who Wendy was referring to right at the very end of his old mahogany bar. The lights were low tonight and all he could see was a faint shadow of her, but her hair was falling down her back freely and suddenly he felt his stomach clench. He straightened back up and looked at Wendy. “When did she get here?”

She looked at her watch, “Oh about forty minutes ago, right during the rush. I figured I’d let you know when it slowed down a little.”

He nodded appreciating the thought, and the fact that he hadn’t been distracted by her for the last hour, but now he wanted to go and see her. He still had his interview to do but everything else was taken care of. He wiped his hands down his apron and moved over to the bar.


Lena was on her fourth Cosmo and feeling quiet relaxed as Shelly wandered off to flirt with a man sitting on the other side of the bar. She’d found herself looking around the dining room all night for Mason but she hadn’t seen him once. Deciding he was either way to busy to deal with her, or he was avoiding her, she picked her glass up and took another sip. Then she started to get annoyed because the man next to her kept trying to buy her drinks and in the end she’d accepted because he just didn’t seem to be taking a hint. So there she was, dressed up to impress a man who may or may not be avoiding her, drinking her third drink purchased by an annoying man who couldn’t take no for an answer, quickly working her way to drunk. She placed the empty glass back on the bar and looked up when she saw the bartender had stopped in front of her.


“What can I get for you tonight Miss?” Mason asked as he watched Lena’s face register shock first then embarrassment, if her flushed cheeks were telling the truth. He finally got his first close up look of her tonight and he was having a hard time staying on his side of the bar. She was dressed in a little black dress, little being the operative word. Since she was seated he couldn’t see much but what he could see he liked a lot. The dress had three quarter sleeves then scooped down low across her chest, showing off her amazing breasts, that seemed to be enhanced by a magical bra tonight, and her hair had been left out and was waving down over one of her shoulders. Her legs were crossed and the skirt had ridden up high on her thigh leaving her smooth legs bare to him and she’d finished the look with black killer spike stilettos. She finally seemed to gather her wits about her, even though he noticed she looked a little glassy eyed, then sat forward resting her hands on the bar and pushing her delectable breasts closer too him as she continued to drain all the blood from his head by opening her mouth.

“Hmmm. I was just thinking I would like an Orgasm.”


Lena wasn’t sure at what point she would call herself drunk, all she knew was she felt good and relaxed as she sat there in front of the sexy as hell Mason Langley. He was dressed, as usual to work tonight, in a white chef’s smock that had two rows of black buttons running up and down his fit body and slung low and tight around his hips was a long black apron. He looked as though he’d run his hands through his hair on his way over and currently he was standing in front of her speechless. It wasn’t until the idiot next to her decided to add in, “I’ll get that for you honey.” that she watched him raise his brow and say softly.

“I’ll take care of that for her, sir.”

Lena didn’t give two hoots about the man next to her but he didn’t seem to be giving up without a fight. “Come on man, don’t poach. I’ve bought her drinks all night, at least let me give her an Orgasm.”

Lena kept her eyes locked with Mason’s and watched his jaw tense up. The he nodded. “Fine I’ll let you get her the drink sir.” he reached under the bar and pulled out a glass and all the ingredients he needed, including a more than decent amount of vodka. He slid it across the bar to her and looked at the man, “$13.00 please.”

Mason took the money and Lena noticed the man looking over at her. She turned to him and smiled. “Thanks. I needed that.”

“You’re welcome honey. What’d you say your name was again? Rebecca?”

She heard a cough behind her and knew it’d come from the bar. She nodded, “That’s right.”

Looking back at Mason, ready to play, she took a sip licking her lips, “This place is busy tonight.”

He looked as though he was about to say something when a tall stunning redhead pushed her way to the bar and gushed in a high pitched voice. “Mason! Oh my god it’s been way to long sweetheart.”

She looked around and Lena saw her skim right over her like she wasn’t even there.

“This place is packed! I don’t  suppose,” she said leaning across the bar, to a mute Mason, “We can run out the back for a minute or two for old time’s sake?”

Lena looked across the bar at a wide eyed bartender and narrowed her eyes at him.


Mason could not believe what was happening. First he’d had to stand there and watch some moron drool all over the delicious doctor, while he’d just wanted to reach over and punch him out, and now just when he was about to start flirting outrageously with the curvy goddess, Trisha had to show up. God, could this moment get anymore awkward? He looked at Lena, who was glaring at him like he was dog shit on her shoe, then turned to try and get rid of the immediate problem, Trisha.

“No Trisha, not tonight. Can’t you see we’re jam packed in here?”

He watched Trisha look around again and this time she actually physically bumped into Lena, who turned her glare on her.

“Oh I’m sorry.” Trisha then spun back around and leaned over smiling at him, “Opps. Now I’m running into your customers.”

Mason saw the moment Lena heard and watched her shoulders stiffen and her back straighten. Oh shit, he was thinking, that was her grenade lobbying pose and Trisha and him were in the line of fire. Just as he was about to say something to her he saw Shelly walking over toward them. She looked at him, then Trisha and then lastly at her friend and he watched as the usually friendly doctor got a look on her face that almost matched Lena when she was pissed. Fantastic. Just what he needed, the only ally he had now hated him. Turning back to Trisha he said in a sterner voice. “You should leave Trisha I can’t get free tonight.”

She pouted then asked, “How about tomorrow night?”

He was about to say, how about no night, when he saw the writer from Delicious being escorted over to him by Wendy. He bit the inside of his cheek and willed himself to calm down, he was a professional and although this was turning out to be a huge clusterfuck, he could deal with it. He noticed Shelly had taken a seat beside her friend, who was still glaring at him in the hopes of him disintegrating into a pile of ash, and she was whispering something in her ear. Lena didn’t turn to face her, just arched an eyebrow and kept deadly silent.

“Mason.” Wendy said all smiles as she brought forward Peter Ryder from Delicious.

“Excuse me.” she said and finally, finally, saved him by pushing Trisha out of the way. Finally taking a hint Trisha waved, “Call me.”

Not likely, he thought, if he ever got out alive.

“Mason. What a wonderful place you have here.”

Smiling stiffly and wiping damp palms on his thighs he glanced over at Lena, who was still seated, back ramrod straight grimace in place eyes glaring at him.

“Thanks Peter. I hope you enjoyed yourself tonight?”

“Oh yes.” he said with a chuckle, “But not as much as you I’m sure. Who was the redhead?”

He winced and just when he thought things couldn’t get worse Lena threw her grenade.

“Oh. She’s number thirty four.”

He watched the train wreck unfold in slow motion as it slowed down to a complete crawl before plowing into him.

“Excuse me?” Peter asked with a laugh turning to face, who he assumed was, an attractive stranger. Lena smiled at him but her eyes stayed cold.

“The redhead. She’s number thirty four on his list. Didn’t you research him before you came?”

Peter glanced over to Mason who was now looking at Lena like she’d lost her mind. Shelly, who’d been seated beside her, stood up.