understood the logic in his decision, but it changed nothing. “Just tell me why you’re here, then leave.”
“I’m here to make things right.” Any sign of regret, doubt, or vulnerability had disappeared, and his voice rang with steely determination. “You’re not going to lose Comfort Zone. Not without a fight.”
“I’m not? How?” She couldn’t feel her lips move. She reversed her posture and straddled the high-backed chair before she slid to the floor. He was going to write a second review after all.
“I tasted one of your other menu items, and I was blown away by it.” Landon ran his hand down his face.
“When?”
The fluttering in her stomach was not happiness. She didn’t care what he thought of her baking. She was supposed to hate him. He’d implied she’d seduced him for a good review. But her indignation wavered when she remembered the flash of worry and vulnerability in his eyes. It was still a dick move.
“Lily came to my office with your pretzel bread pudding. She said she was the one who’d made the mistake and begged for a second review. The kid really looks up to you.”
“Oh, Lily.” Her hand flew to her mouth, and she blinked away sudden tears. “I can’t believe she did that for me.”
“If all goes well with my business proposal, you could give her a big, fat raise.”
“Your business proposal?” Confusion and curiosity interrupted her attempt to radiate hostility.
“I want you to guest star on my friend’s cooking show,” he said in a low voice, studying her intently.
“A cooking show? On television?” She sounded dumb, but her wit had gone on leave without notice.
“That’s the usual medium for a cooking show nowadays.” His tone was dry, but his eyes twinkled with amusement.
Great. Now he’s laughing at me. “I’ve never been on TV. I don’t even watch TV. I wouldn’t know what to do or say. I’m going to make a fool of myself.” Aubrey clamped a hand over her mouth and breathed noisily through her nose.
“No, you won’t. If it makes you feel any better, it’ll be filmed on a closed set, so you won’t have a live audience.” A corner of his mouth quirked upward. It wasn’t a full-blown smile, but it was enough to make his dimple wink at her. That dimple was the root cause of her predicament. Darth Dimple. Dimple of Doom. Count Dimpula. Oh, shit. He’s still talking. “—and the writers and directors are there to make sure everything goes smoothly. Besides, Aria would never let her guest chef look foolish on her show.”
“Aria? As in Aria Santini?”
Aria was America’s favorite celebrity chef, known for her simple, delicious Italian dishes that viewers could actually make at home. Aubrey owned every one of her cookbooks and had even watched a few of her YouTube videos. She was stunning—a tall, statuesque brunette with warm, brown eyes—and an amateur mezzo-soprano on the side. Almost too perfect to be real.
“Yes, that Aria. She’s an amazing chef and a cooking show veteran. You’ll be in good hands.”
“And she’s your friend?” Aubrey couldn’t believe it. Aria seemed so sweet and Landon was so … not.
“Hard to believe, isn’t it?” Landon arched a sardonic brow as though he’d read her thought bubble. “We’ve been friends for close to a decade.”
Plenty of time for him to have tainted her. He’d probably turned Aria into a diva from hell to complement his arrogant bastard image. And he wanted Aubrey to be on her show? She didn’t want anything to do with Landon Kim or his BFF. But he was offering his help, and she had a chance to save Comfort Zone.
Is my pride worth more than my dreams?
* * *
The blood had drained out of Aubrey’s face when Landon brought up Aria. When his friend had explained the plan, she’d instructed him to mention it was her show. She’d hinted it would be a big selling point. He’d given her grief for her narcissism, but he’d secretly agreed with her. Most young chefs would kill for an opportunity to work with Aria Santini. But he also understood how intimidating it could be.
“The exposure you get on TV will be worth a hundred restaurant reviews. And you’ll be well compensated. You could continue with the move and have the new location renovated while you’re filming in the Central Coast.”
Suddenly, he was desperate for Aubrey to accept his offer. He could help her, and it would fix the whole mess and maybe erase the haunted expression from her face.
“How