Taste of Love - By Stephanie Nicole Page 0,55

I've been slacking, just like you have. Only a couple of weeks, though."

She nodded and turned to leave. Cameron reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her back quickly for a deep, lustful kiss that left her a little disoriented. She waved to him one last time before she disappeared through security, already feeling alone.

Just as she had assumed, Austin gave her the cold shoulder when she returned to work the next day. As much as it hurt that her friend was treating her poorly, she had to remind herself that she was the boss. She was supposed to be able to count on him in her absence.

Knowing that he was only going to be a hindrance with his sour attitude, she decided to have him start his vacation early, rather than a week later. She called him into her office to tell him, hoping that things wouldn't come to verbal blows. She already had a headache from all the paperwork she had gone through that morning.

"What's up, boss?" he asked, with a tinge of annoyance in his voice.

"Lose the attitude, Austin," she snapped. "You're my friend, but I'm also your boss. Show me at least a little respect, would you?"

Austin glowered at her. "Well, after all the pictures of your exploits this past week, you think you deserve respect, do you? Never thought you'd whore yourself, just to have the attention of a rock star." He bit back. "And to think I believed that you 'just needed a break'. I should have known you were going to see that loser when you wouldn't tell me anything."

Madison's mouth dropped open as she stared at him. The nerve! She took a few deep breaths, trying to keep her anger in check. "Honestly Austin, I didn't owe you any explanation at all. What I do with my time is my business, not yours. And to call me a whore? I thought you knew me better than that; I thought you were my friend."

Austin simply glared at her. She took one more deep breath.

"Your vacation starts effective immediately, and you have four weeks. If you don't come back with a different attitude, then consider yourself not only without a job, but without a friend too." She motioned to the door, giving him his leave.

Before he walked out, he removed his apron and threw it on the chair next to the door. "Sad to see you choose celebrity dick over our friendship." He slammed the door shut on his way out.

Madison fought the tears that welled up in her eyes. She never expected her friend to treat her that way, and she hated to pull the boss card on him, but he seemed like he needed to be put in his place.

She looked at the apron on the chair. It appeared that his decision was already made.

Instead of returning to the paperwork she had been going through, she took out the stack of resumes that sat on top of her filing cabinet. She examined them all closely, pulling only four out of the stack of more than sixty. They all had restaurant management experience in fine dining, and all had worked their way up the ranks, starting as servers. Whether Austin returned or not, she needed more help due to the growth of her business.

After scheduling interviews with the four applicants, she returned to the paperwork on her desk and decided to carry on until it was done. She had far too much to do and not enough time to do it.

Later that night when the dinner crowd started to pick up, Madison went to the kitchen to help the chefs. Once everything was under control, she went to check on things in the dining room. Every last table was full, including the banquet room. She also saw quite a few people waiting in the lobby. As much as she loved all of the business, she hated to see people waiting for so long.

Grabbing one of the servers as he went by, she told him to get a large tray of mixed appetizers and set them in the lobby for those waiting.

Madison made her rounds, stopping at each table to make sure everything was satisfactory, and she didn't receive a single complaint. Soon she was at a very familiar table.

"Good evening, ladies. Wonderful to see you again!" She smiled and sat down as they offered her a seat.

"I heard that you took a vacation, Madison. It seems as though it did wonders for you,"