Page 95 of Small Town Swoo
“Excuse me? Who is this?”
“Oh, that’s right, you blocked me, like a toddler having a tantrum. But I have a new number.”
I froze. “Niall?”
“Good of you to remember my voice, considering the fact that you didn’t even think to mention me in your little Hugo Martin interview.”
“You saw it?”
“Yeah. One of the line cooks showed it to me. Imagine my surprise when there was no mention of the mentor who hand-chose you to be his protégé and taught you everything you know.”
My mouth was dry, and my gut instinct was to stay silent and take it. Or even hang up. But somehow, from somewhere, I found the moxie to talk back. “You didn’t teach me anything but self-doubt. And what would you even want to take credit for? My boring ideas? My average technique? My unsophisticated palate? All you ever did was tear me down.”
“That’s how it’s done, Chef. That’s how you learn.Although you were never a very good student. It’s nice your family has a tired little tourist trap that can employ you to flip burgers for people who don’t know any better. God knows you wouldn’t have found work in any kitchen that matters.”
My stomach clenched in that horrible way it used to when he’d belittle me. “Fuck you, Niall! I don’t care what you say about me, but don’t ever insult my family or our restaurant. Why did you call me anyway? Was it just to ruin today for me? Is it that you can’t stand to see me do well?”
“I called to congratulate you. It’syouringratitude that’s turning this into something else.”
“Don’t ever call me again, Niall. I’m—” But I didn’t get a chance to finish my sentence because the phone was yanked out of my hand. I looked up in surprise to see Dash standing there like an angry god, his face mottled with fury, the phone to his ear.
“Listen, motherfucker. If you ever contact Ari again, I will fucking burn your restaurant to the ground.”
Too stunned to move, I watched his scowl grow more menacing.
“Yeah? Well, as far as I’m concerned, you’re a fucking nobody. Stay away from her.” He jabbed at the screen, ending the call, then yelled into it one more time. “Fucker!”
“Dash.” I grabbed his wrist. “It’s okay.”
“It’s not.” His chest was still puffed up. “That asshole doesn’t get to call you and upset you. Not on my watch.”
“You don’t have to watch me, Dash. I’m a big girl. I’m fine.”
His shoulders slumped, and he crouched down next to the chair. “Fuck, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. When I heard his name, I just snapped.I figured he was calling because he’d seen the post about you and wanted to make it about himself.”
“You were right. But I could have handled it. I’m not the same person I was last year. That said...” I smiled. “Thanks for standing up for me. That was an excellent display of emotion. Where did it come from?”
He exhaled, shaking his head. “I don’t know. Just the thought of him treating you the way he used to—ofanyonetreating you badly—made me want to smash things.”
I smiled and reached for the phone, blocking the number he’d called me from. “No need to smash or burn. I can’t have you getting arrested before you win that Oscar.”
“Might be worth it,” he said.
Laughing, I rose to my feet and drew him up with me. Then I put my arms around his neck and held him close. “Niall would never be worth it. Like you said, he’s a nobody. And you’re my somebody.”
His embrace about swallowed me whole.
NINETEEN
dash
“The Taj Mahal!”Ari shouted.
“Yes!” Mabel pointed at her with the dry erase marker and jumped up and down. “Girls win again!”
It was the third time in a row the girls’ team—Veronica, Kelly, Ari, Mabel, and Adelaide—had beaten the boys’ team, consisting of Austin, Xander, me, Owen, and Dad.
“The Taj Mahal?” Xander, who’d hardly taken his arm off Kelly’s shoulder all night, got off the couch and went over to the board. “What about this scribbled mess says Taj Mahal to you?”
