Tempt Me (Tattoos and Temptation #1) - Mia Monroe Page 0,1
why I’m here. Speaking of, I was about to pop over to see Saint. Want to tag along?”
“Let’s see,” he taps his chin. “Do I want to see my sexy husband, plus grab a cookie? Yes, yes I do.”
I laugh. “Let’s go then.”
Jude grabs his phone, sliding it in his back pocket as we hustle past the customers and artists to get outside.
“What do you want to talk to Saint about? I didn’t think you two talked much.”
“We don’t. Do you remember Lucien?”
“Yeah, your friend who lives in Cali?”
“Right. His little brother, Felix, is looking for baking work. He’s been abroad working for a decade, and he’s coming home. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to see if Saint has something.”
Jude’s face lights up. “Does he do fancy baking shit?”
“The fanciest.” I push the crosswalk button. "Sugar work and chocolate, but he can bake anything.”
“Dude. You don’t need Saint, you need Briar. He needs an addition to the special occasions shop.”
“Oh. Seriously?”
“Yeah. Briar’s gonna freak. It’s been so hard finding someone with the skill set he needs. Even the guys on the other side don’t fit what he’s looking for.”
“Sweet. Can you help navigate it?”
“I got some pull with Briar.”
I chuckle as the light changes and we start to cross. “I imagine you do.”
It’s hot and muggy today, the tail end of summer not leaving without a fight. All I can think about is getting to the weekend and hitting the beach. Well, Sunday. I’ll be at the shop tomorrow. Saturday is our busiest day.
“Do you think the new guys are working out?” I ask Jude.
He nods. “Yeah. I like being able to take walk-in customers again.”
“That’s good. Thanks for trusting me on those hires.”
“Had to, man. I’m finally learning I can’t do it all myself.”
“It’s a good lesson.”
We step inside the shop, waving at Genesis as Jude leads me past the front to Briar, who's working on frosting a cake in the back. Briar looks up and smiles.
“Hi, lover,” he says, offering his cheek for a kiss.
Jude laughs, grips his chin, and steals a kiss from his lips instead. “Hey, sugar boo. Got something you need to hear.”
“Okay, I’m listening, but I have to keep going. I can’t let the buttercream warm up too much.”
“Apollo,” Jude says. “The floor is yours.”
“Hey, Briar.”
“Hi.” He smiles, glancing up briefly, but returning to some intricate pattern he’s swirling onto the top of the cake.
“Do you remember my friend, Lucien, he came out with us?”
“Yep. Super sexy French accent.”
I laugh. “That guy, yes. His brother is returning to Miami after being abroad for the last decade. He’s looking for work, and he’s a baker.”
“Cool.” Briar doesn’t look interested at all. Jude gives me a look.
“Right, um, he specializes in chocolate and sugar work.”
Briar stops what he’s doing and looks up. “Are you serious?”
Jude grins behind his husband.
“Very. He’s been working at some high-end restaurants, and he mentored with a few big names over there.”
“In France?” Briar clarifies.
“Yes. He was in London for a bit, and I think maybe Italy, but the majority of the time was in France, where he’s from.”
“I can't afford him,” Briar says, shaking his head. “There’s no way.”
“Why are you saying that?” Jude asks. “You don’t know what his salary requirements are.”
“It’s the same issue I always have. People with highly specialized skills want way more than we can pay. They want prestige too, and while we’re very popular, we’re not winning Michelin stars.”
“I don’t know what those are,” I begin, “but I think you should talk to him. He’s more interested in the working environment than money. Felix is…” I pause. How do I explain him? “I haven’t seen the guy in ten years, but he’s got a very big personality, and it’s really important to him that he can be himself.”
Briar pauses his swirling again, twisting his lips. “Is he LGBT plus?”
“Yeah.” I nod. “But that’s not what I mean. He’s just…” I shrug. “You should meet him. He’s great. He’s one of those people that you want to be around as soon as you meet them. He’s quirky and funny and really sweet.”
Briar nods. “I would love to talk to him. I’m just trying not to get my hopes up. I get turned down a lot. Even the benefits that Saint offers, that are unheard of in this industry, aren’t enough for some of them.”
“I think you’ll find that he’s more open on the salary than you might think.” I don’t want to tell them that Felix,