gourmet breakfast and then headed down to the studio, luckily without a hangover. After makeup and another big cup of coffee, Tarin joined me to record my part before the men arrived.
I chose the two that I wanted to dance with again, then stood in a back room as the three men came up the stairs and lifted their boxes. I could see them and their reactions, but I couldn’t hear them. They had no idea that I was watching either.
So when the first dancer arrived, and I saw him again, I had the chance to study him for a moment. He was an attractive man, and today he wore cargo pants and a tight t-shirt that made his chest and shoulders look broader. He moved directly to the box, but before he lifted it, he closed his eyes for a moment, and I swear he seemed nervous as he pulled the invite out of the envelope.
His eyes lit up, and he grinned, and I found myself biting my bottom lip as I stared at his smile. He most definitely had a very sexy smile. He lifted the card, said something to the camera, and then glanced around briefly before he grinned and headed to the stairs.
Okay, good reaction! Had he looked around because he knew I had been watching?
The second man came up a while later, and he was wearing jeans and a polo. He was cute, but I realized that I was more attracted to the first guy. The man lifted the box and frowned. He dropped the box on the table, shrugged, and said something to the camera before he hit the stairs.
His reaction made me realize that I had been right about him. As I waited for the third man to come up, I wrung my hands. He was a really tall man, and his shoulders were broad. He just screamed safety to me, and I frowned. Why did I need a man to make me feel safe? I didn’t, but it would be nice to be held in big strong arms.
Although dancer number one had a firm grip when he had held me. I’d feel safe in his arms too, and cherished, and a little sexy—maybe a whole lot of sexy.
I watched dancer number three check his box, and his smile burst out when he saw the invite. He looked pleased as he took the stairs down, and a few minutes later, Holly came up.
“What did you think of their reactions?”
“I think I chose correctly.”
“I do too. Are you leaning more toward one or three?”
I laughed and put my hands over my face. “I have no idea!”
“Alright, well, you get out of here, and we will start your new routine on Monday morning.”
“What is the next routine like?”
Holly grinned. “I can’t tell you, but I have seen it, and you are going to love it!”
“Alright, I’m going to trust you.” The two of us headed toward the stairs as the production crew went about gathering all the gear. A bunch of dancers appeared out of nowhere and headed into classrooms on the second floor.
“Any word about the restaurant?”
“No. I hope to hear something soon. I was told that I should hear by one. If so, I can be open tonight on a reduced menu at five.” As we reached the first floor, my cellphone began to ring, and I pulled it out of my purse. “This is it!”
I answered the phone quickly and found Mr. Rushmore on the other end. “The tests came back negative.”
“I knew they would. So I can open tonight.”
“Yes. You can open, but if we get another report, you will be closed down longer.”
“You aren’t going to receive another complaint, at least not from my kitchen.”
“Yeah, we’ll see.” He grunted and hung up.
“We are open. I gotta run. I’ll see you Monday morning, Holly.”
“Good luck,” she told me as I hustled out the door, sending a text to my kitchen crew group message on my phone.
Kitchen open. Report to work ASAP to prepare.
Within a few moments, I started receiving thumbs-ups and okays, and I hailed the first cab I saw and felt better than I had in a long time as I sat in the back. For a moment, I dwelled over the two men I had chosen to have second dates with, but as the cab grew closer to the restaurant, my mindset changed, and I began to plan the menu and how things would have to go tonight to