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  “Good. Glad that’s settled. And while I have you in an agreeable mood, how ‘bout coming to school with me tomorrow.”

  “Bobby, you know I can’t. Between here and the hospital, I don’t have time to go to a class. Tomorrow is Thursday, and we have two big deliveries coming in”

  “Yes, both early in the morning. We’ll have plenty of time. And this isn’t just an everyday class. It’s a seminar.”

  “Still, Bobby. You know what the Thursday rush is like.”

  “Not this time. Tomorrow is the Thanksgiving Parade. Remember how empty this place was last year? Everyone will be out on the streets and we won’t have anyone coming in here until later. The team here can handle the few that’ll trickle in before we get back here.”

  Taryn looked at him. Was Thanksgiving already upon them? “A seminar, huh?”

  “Yeah. It’s supposed to touch on everything from the newest gadgets, the hottest trends and the best business tools to use for various types of restaurants. I don’t remember the speaker’s name, but everyone’s been talking about this seminar as not to miss. It’s thirty-five bucks for non-students who want to attend, but if you come with me, you can get in free.”

  “Hmmm. You're right. It will be quiet here tomorrow. I guess a seminar could be interesting.”

  Chapter 11

  Taryn hooked her hand through the crook of her brother’s arm as he led her through the school he knew so well. Greeting classmates and acquaintances, he smiled and was unerringly charming. He held his head high, and seemed so proud, yet a little nervous to have her with him.

  As they maneuvered their way to a seat up front, Taryn caught the few killer glares girls shot at her.

  “I get the feeling I’m not really welcomed here,” Taryn said. “Some of those girls literally have daggers in their eyes.”

  Bobby patted her hand. “I confess. That was part of the plan.”

  “What does that mean?”

  Near the microphone set for the speaker of the day, a small group of young women chatted. A tall, lanky blonde, a shorter, curvy brunette and a plump, cupid faced blonde milled around a cute redhead. The redhead glanced up at Bobby, shot a curious gaze at Taryn and quickly returned her gaze to her friends.

  “You spotted her?”

  “Who?”

  “Allison.”

  “The redhead?”

  “Yeah.”

  “What about her?”

  He tightened his hold on her. “She’s the only one who hasn’t succumbed to my charm.”

  Taryn looked at her little brother. “Bobby…”

  “What?” he said with innocent wide eyes.

  “Did you bring me here just to get that girl jealous?”

  “Ha, what are you talking about? With all these girls constantly after me, I don’t need to bring you here to make her jealous. Come. I’ll introduce you.”

  “Fine, but I’m going to tell her that I’m your sister.”

  He stopped abruptly and grasped her arm. “Okay, so maybe a bit.”

  “But why? You just said it yourself. You’ve got all these girls after you. Why drag me into this? And why not just be upfront and tell this Allison girl that you like her?”

  “Look, I admit it. I’m a chick magnet… no false humility there.”

  “Ha,” Taryn let out. “False humility? There is no humility.”

  “So, I’m a little cocky. The girls are into it. Anyway, I attract a lot of girls, and for the most part, I have no complaints.”

  “But…”

  “But, well, I can sometimes attract, well, let’s just say, the sort of girl who doesn’t have much to say.”

  “Ah, is my little brother maturing? Is my little brother looking for a girl he can actually converse with?”

  “Look, I just think that you're a classy act, and I think Allison might look at me differently if she sees me with you.”

  “Classy, huh? You’ve never told me that before.”

  “I didn’t want it to go to your head.” He looked lovingly at her and brushed her hair off her face. “You are a class act, Taryn.”

  “Gee, thanks, Bobby. That’s really sweet of you.”

  “See. I’m not just an ego-centric womanizer. I’m a really good guy.”

  Taryn patted his cheek affectionately. “I know you're a good guy, Bobby, but is this…” She waved her hand between him and her. “…all part of your attempt to get this Allison’s attention?”

  He flashed her a charming grin and winked. “You know me too well. Come on.”

  The small group of girls parted and glanced admiringly at Bobby. More deadly daggers were shot at Taryn as every girl grimaced as they swept their gaze over her.

  Allison, however, smiled politely at Taryn and looked at Bobby with abject indifference.

  “Hi, girls. All ready to hear the wisdom of our esteemed speaker today?”

  “Hi, Bobby,” the smaller dark haired girl said. “Of course we are.”

  “I just came by to introduce you all to Taryn.”

  Allison was the first to offer her hand. “Nice to meet you, Taryn. I’ve never seen you in class before.”

  “No, that’s right,” Taryn said. “I just came for the seminar today. I hear the speaker has a lot of interesting things to say. I run a restaurant in the Bronx and still have a lot to learn.”

  A tall, thin brunette came up behind Bobby and wrapped her arms possessively around his chest. “Hey, there, sweetcakes. It’s about time you show up.”

  Bobby turned to the girl and immediately lost his grin. “Rhonda, how nice to see you.”

  “I thought you said you’d call me before coming. I was hoping you’d come by and pick me up.”

  “Well, actually, you said I’d call you before coming, but seeing how I was coming here with…” He turned to Taryn. “This is Taryn.”

  Rhonda’s grin remained bright and joyous while her eyes took on a definitively evil glint.

  Before he could answer her, the pretty blonde next to Allison stepped forward and handed him a note. “Just a little thing to keep in mind.” She winked.

  “Hello, everyone.” A gruff, older looking man came to the microphone. He passed his fat fingers over his sweaty and balding head as he looked out at the in-coming crowd. “We have a full house today, so please move in to fill every spot.”

  “That’s my professor, Mr. Higgins,” Bobby whispered in Taryn’s ear.

  While all the girls turned to listen to the professor, Allison shot a sidelong glance at Bobby. Taryn caught her gaze and the girl immediately turned to look up at the professor.

  “If you could all take your seats, we should be ready to start in a few moments.”

  Bobby sat down and three girls fought to grab the seat at his side. The shorter brunette won.

  Taryn leaned into him. “So what’s the deal with this Allison girl? How serious are you about her?”

  “I don’t know yet. Might just be idle curiosity.”

  “Or just the fact that she’s not into you. You're turned on by the chase.”

  “I’ve had to chase girls before.” He grinned. “Okay, I knew, without a doubt, that they wanted me, but still…”

  “This is your first real rejection.”

  “Hey, hey. Be careful with that word. She hasn’t rejected me. She just hasn’t responded favorably yet.”

  Chapter 12

  Mr. Higgins returned to the microphone. “We apologize for the delay. Our guest had a bit of difficulty getting around the parade in town, but… better late than never, here is, the world renowned chef you’ve all been waiting for… Chef Errol King.”

  Gaping, Taryn turned to Bobby. “Errol?”

  “Yeah! Surprise!”

  “Hello future chefs, restaurateurs and lovers of good food. My name is Errol King and today I want to touch on various aspects of creating innovative dishes, finding your niche and building a strong and prosperous business.”

  As the minutes went on, Taryn listened to Errol with a
certain degree of nostalgia. She remembered her first day in class, the first words of greeting he’d spoken to the class; the first words of wisdom he’d imparted on his students.

  Errol clamped his hands together and smiled as he looked out at the eager faces. Girls openly ogled him, even the girls who just moments earlier had be in complete adoration of Bobby. Guys looked at him with interest and admiration.

  “I know you probably expect me to concentrate on French Cuisine, but, how about looking at something I’m sure is closer to your hearts.”

  “What about crème brulée?” a young man in the back called out.

  “Yeah, what about the perfect bolognaise?” another complained.

  “And coq au vin?”

  Unfazed, Errol grinned. “Trust me. What I want to talk to you about is just as valuable, if not more valuable, than all that; the importance of local cuisine.”

  “What?”

  “Working with the ingredients readily available to you. Working with the culture around you. Creating dishes that bring the best of what’s around you and delivers it all on a plate.”

  As Errol spoke of the quality of ingredients available in New York and the inspiration of Parisian techniques, Taryn started to formulate her own take of a French New York dish. She thought of ways of bringing the refinement of French cuisine into the foods New Yorkers loved.

  “Okay, so now,” Errol said, “I invite you all to return to the kitchen stations and I challenge you to pair up and create something original, spunky and elegant. We have a little more than an hour, so let’s get to work.”

  Taryn instantly turned to Bobby who in turn had his eyes on Allison. “You're not gonna dump me now, are you?”

  Bobby turned to her. “Of course not. I have more class than that.”

  In the large room with dozens of cooking stations, Errol roamed around and peered over the shoulders of every pairing that were deep in secretive conversations. “I’m here if you need any technical advice, but I will not be doling out ideas, nor will I comment on the ideas you have.”

  Taryn caught Errol’s professional glance. His lips held just the slightest hint of a knowing grin. She turned to face Bobby and leaned her head close to his. She hoped he wouldn’t notice the heated blush that blossomed over her cheeks. “Before I tell you what I have in mind, do you have any ideas?”

  “For now, I’m blank, so let me hear what you’ve got.”

  “Okay…”

  “Once you’ve got your idea down, choose your ingredients and get to it.”

  Together, Taryn and Bobby fine-tuned their take on a French classic.

  “I remember reading something about using hot spices in something like this,” Bobby said.

  “Spicy like what? Hot peppers? Curry? Ginger?”

  “Hmmm, I think ginger could be interesting.”

  They worked together like a well-oiled machine. Bobby almost read her mind and she hardly needed to talk to him at all.

  Taryn held the spoon up to Bobby and he leaned in to taste.

  “Wow.” He cocked his brow. “That’s even better than I anticipated.”

  “Really? You're not just toying with me?”

  “No, this is great. Just thicken up the sauce a bit and we’re good to go.”

  “Good.”

  Within a reasonable amount of time, they put down their utensils.

  Happy with the result, Taryn winked at Bobby and waited as everyone around them scrambled to finish in the minutes that remained.

  “Have you thought of a name for your innovation?” Bobby whispered into her ear.

  With a pleased grin on her lips, Taryn nodded.

  “All right. We’ve reached the end of this seminar and have only a few moments to see and taste what you’ve all made.

  Errol headed to the couple closest to him. “And what have you concocted?”

  “We took a French classic, crème brulée, and added a touch of New York spunk,” the young girl said.

  Errol picked up a small spoon, dipped it in the creamy dessert and tasted it. He pressed his lips together and frowned. “What spunk, exactly, did you add to this?”

  Batting her lashes innocently, the girl looked up at him. “Pureed raspberries.”

  Dumbfounded, he stared at her for a stunned moment. “What part of a raspberry represents New York?”

  She shrugged and looked at her partner who shrugged. “It’s red and bold.”

  Errol patted her shoulder. “I think you need to work on it some more.”

  He moved on to another couple and another, and while Taryn watched him, she was surprised by the lack of venom in his remarks. He offered constructive criticism without demolishing the students or their ideas. When he came to her station, she wondered if he’d be as lenient.

  Errol tasted their dish. “Interesting. Flavorful. I see New York and there’s a definite touch of Paris. This is quite good.”

  Pleased, Taryn tried to contain her pride. “Thank you. Bobby’s the one who thought of the New York side while I brought in the French aspect.”

  “And what would you call this creation?”

  “A Taste of Errol.”

  He cocked a brow. “How fitting.”

  Nodding, he moved on. When he’d seen every new concoction, he applauded the class. “You’ve all shown a great deal of creativity and quite a bit of audacity. I know some of you missed the mark and your dish was less than perfect, but don’t let that dissuade you from creating. All your ideas had merit. I hope you learned something from this exercise and hopefully it will serve you in the future. Everything and anything is possible. You just have to find the best way to make it work.”

  As the class cleared their stations and left, Taryn noticed the number of times Errol glanced at her. He seemed anxious, rubbing his hands together in a way that was so unusual for him.

  “Aren’t you glad you came with me?” Bobby said with a sharp nudge of his elbow in her ribs.

  “Yeah, this was really a lot of fun.”

  He gave her a fraternal pat on the back. “It was.” He glanced past her at a group of girls. “Think you can get a ride back home?”

  Taryn looked at him with a stern frown. “Now you're going to dump me?”

  “Come on. I’ve seen how you’ve been eyeing Errol and he’s barely taken his eyes off you. You're just as eager to dump me as I am to… well not dump you, but, hey, all these girls are vying for my attention. I can’t let them all down.”

  Grinning, Taryn looked at the eager girls waiting just outside the class. “So, who’s the lucky girl?”

  He shrugged. “I haven’t decided yet. We’ll see how things go.”

  “Go then.” She slapped his shoulder. “Have fun.”

  He walked away before she’d barely finished speaking.

  “Have you been left stranded?”

  Crossing her arms over her chest, she turned to Errol. “Apparently Bobby has some catching up to do.”

  “How’d you like the seminar?”

  “Interesting, but then I guess you already know that.”

  “I was hoping it’d be. You know, I didn’t just compliment your dish because… well, because it’s you. I really enjoyed it. In fact, it’s unfortunate I could take just one bite.”

  “That’s good to hear. I’ll admit I was a bit nervous.”

  “How d’you come up with that name?”

  “I don’t know. I guess it’s a bit of an homage to my mentor. I mean, you were in New York when you realized you wanted to be a top chef and I thought this dish represented your roots.”

  “I’m honored.” He reached for her hand, but Taryn shot a glance around the room and pulled back when she saw a few lingering female students.

  “You're not officially a student here and I’m not officially a teacher. We can fraternize, you know.”

  She chuckled and allowed him to take her hand. “Old habits, I guess.”

  He brought her fingers to his lips. “I can think of some other old habits we co
uld maintain.”

  A jolt of excitement raced through her and she was instantly aroused. Once again, she glanced at the students, girls who seemed eager to speak to Errol, but who now fidgeted as they watched them.

  “I think you’ve just disappointed a few of your fans,” Taryn said.

  Pulling his shoulders back into a professional stance, he released her hand and turned to address the girls. “Can I help you with anything?”

  The three girls glanced at Taryn with envy and looked at Errol in dismay. Two of the girls shook their heads, waved and walked away, but the third approached him.

  A hot and spicy number, her dark curls trailed down to her lower back. Between her tight and low riding jeans, and the short and frilly shirt, her midriff was daringly exposed. “You're a good cook,” she said with the confidence New Yorkers were known for.

  “Why, thank you.”

  “I was wondering if you do house calls. I would love to have you cook dinner for me some time.”

  “Now, that’s a very interesting invitation, but it’s not really something I’d do.”

  “Ah, well,” she shot over her shoulder as she swung her hips to the exit. “Your loss.”

  For the first time since knowing Errol, Taryn was amused by the come on of a girl instead of threatened by it. “Looks like you broke her heart, poor thing,” she said with a sarcastic grin.

  “Your heart is the only one that concerns me. Come on. Let’s get out of here before someone else decides to come back for something.” He led her outside, but instead of heading to the parking lot, he walked toward the front curb.

  “Where d’you leave your car?”

  “Right here,” he said as he came up to a limousine.

  “You know, you don’t have to try so hard to impress me, Errol. You already have my interest.”

  The chauffeur held the door open as they got in. “Take the long way home, Russell,” Errol said.

  Taryn immediately noticed the bottle of Crown Royal tucked in the bar and her party juices began to flow. Excited and giddy, she sank into the plush leather seats and gazed out the tinted window before turning her thrilled gaze to Errol. “I take back what I just said. This is really great.”