Marriage Made In Monte Calanetti. Susan Meier

the week before. “Take off your smock and get to the maître d’ stand. You are seating people.”

      The boy’s brown eyes grew round with fear. “I...I...”

      Rafe raised a brow. “You can’t take names and seat customers?”

      “I can...”

      “But you don’t want to.” Rafe didn’t have to say anything beyond that. He didn’t need to say, “If you can’t obey orders, you’re fired.” He didn’t need to remind anyone in his kitchen that he was boss or that anyone working in the restaurant needed to be able to do anything that needed to be done to assure the absolute best dining experience for the customers. Everyone knew he was not a chef to be trifled with.

      Except right now, in the dining room, they were laughing at him.

      The boy whipped off his smock, threw it to a laundry bin and headed out to the dining room.

      Seeing the white-smocked staff gaping at him, Rafe shook his head. “Get to work!”

      Knives instantly rose. The clatter of chopping and the sizzle of sautéing filled the kitchen.

      He sucked in a breath. Not only was his restaurant plagued by troubles, but now it seemed the diners had no sympathy.

      “You shouldn’t have fired Gino.” Emory Danoto, Rafe’s sous-chef, spoke as he worked. Short and bald with a happy face and nearly as much talent as Rafe in the kitchen, Emory was also Rafe’s mentor.

      Rafe glanced around, inspecting the food prep, pretending he was fine. Damn it. He was fine. He did not want a frightened rabbit working for him. Not even outside the kitchen. And the response of the diners? That was a fluke. Somebody apparently believed it was funny to see a world-renowned chef tortured by incompetents.

      “I didn’t fire Gino. He quit.”

      Emory cast him a condemning look. “You yelled at him.”

      Rafe yelled, “I yell at everybody.” Then he calmed himself and shook his head. “I am the chef. I am Mancini’s.”

      “And you must be obeyed.”

      “Don’t make me sound like a prima donna. I am doing what’s best for the restaurant.”

      “Well, Mr. I’m-Doing-What’s-Best-for-the-Restaurant, have you forgotten about our upcoming visit from the Michelin people?”

      “A rumor.”

      Emory sniffed a laugh. “Since when have we ever ignored a rumor that we were to be visited? Your star rating could be in jeopardy. You’re the one who says chefs who ignore rumors get caught with their pants down. If we want to keep our stars, we have to be ready for this visit.”

      Rafe stifled a sigh. Emory was right, of course. His trusted friend only reminded him of what he already knew. Having located his business in the countryside, instead of in town, he’d made it even more exclusive. But that also meant he didn’t get street traffic. He needed word of mouth. He needed every diner to recommend him to their friends. He needed to be in travel brochures. To be a stop for tour buses. To be recommended by travel agents. He couldn’t lose a star.

      The lunch crowd left. Day quickly became night. Before Rafe could draw a steady breath the restaurant filled again. Wasn’t that the way of it when everything was falling apart around you? With work to be done, there was no time to think things through. When the last patron finally departed and the staff dispersed after the kitchen cleaning, Rafe walked behind the shiny wood bar, pulled a bottle of whiskey from the shelf, along with a glass, and slid onto a tall, black, wrought iron stool.

      Hearing the sound of the door opening, he yelled, “We’re closed.” Then grimaced. Was he trying to get a reputation for being grouchy rather than exacting?

      “Good thing I’m not a customer, then.”

      He swiveled around at the sound of his friend Nico Amatucci’s voice.

      Tall, dark-haired Nico glanced at the whiskey bottle, then sat on a stool beside Rafe. “Is there a reason you’re drinking alone?”

      Rafe rose, got another glass and set it on the bar. He poured whiskey into the glass and slid it to Nico. “I’m not drinking alone.”

      “But you were going to.”

      “I lost my maître d’.”

      Nico raised his glass in salute and drank the shot. “You’re surprised?”

      “I’m an artist.”

      “You’re a pain in the ass.”

      “That, too.” He sighed. “But I don’t want to be. I just want things done correctly. I’ll spread the word tomorrow that I’m looking for someone. Not a big deal.” He made the statement casually, but deep down he knew he was wrong. It was a big deal. “Oh, who am I kidding? I don’t have the week or two it’ll take to collect résumés and interview people. I need somebody tomorrow.”

      Nico raised his glass to toast. “Then, you, my friend, are in trouble.”

      Didn’t Rafe know it.