Bossing the Virgin
By: Lila YoungerAnd believe me, Logan could make me stumble. Every time I look up into those aqua blue eyes, that powerful body, the easy way he carries himself and commands the attention of everyone around him. It’s like getting close to the sun. I can feel my body straighten, every nerve acutely aware of where he is in the room, a thrill of desire curl around my belly. I can’t help it. I have no illusions though; a man like Logan probably has a girlfriend, someone equally beautiful and successful as he is, who could easily move around in his social circle. Best not to go down that road at all.
“So this is the last dish,” I say as I put down a plate of grilled salmon tacos in front of Logan.
“Wow!” he says, “This is an amazing plate of color you have. It looks and smells fantastic.”
“It tastes fantastic too, I promise,” I say.
I watch as he takes a bite and closes his eyes momentarily.
“It is good,” he says, once he’s swallowed. “This stuff is fantastic. And you think we’ll be able to have them in every restaurant?”
“Oh for sure. It cooks really fast, and the avocado salsa can be incorporated into salads and burgers easily. The corn makes a great side too, giving the customer more options for their entrees.”
“I love it,” Logan says, taking another bite. “You’re catching on fast.”
“Thanks,” I say. “I’m really enjoying the challenge.”
I sit down across from him and dig in to my taco too. This is the last dish that I’ve made for the menu relaunch and I wonder what will happen now. Will Logan disappear back to his office? I find myself thinking of different ways that could bring him back. I’m really enjoying our lunches together.
“So would you say this is true to your cooking style?” Logan asks once he’s finished devouring one of the tacos on the plate. “I notice you’ve got a medley of cuisines in your food.”
“Not exactly,” I say with a smile. “You wanted Red Canyon Steakhouse to be representative of the area right? And even though I know Mexican food really dominates in California, there’s also the idea of fresh and local, Asian foods, all of that. I don’t think you can say American food is just burgers and apple pie anymore. We have so many different peoples and cultures all coming together that a little crossing over is natural, and I think that extends to food too.”
I pause for a moment to think.
“I think if I could pick one cuisine to cook forever, it would probably be closer to Italian food. I’d love to be able to spend a long vacation in Europe one day, learning how to cook regional foods in Italy. Poking around in a local’s kitchen, learning what their grandmothers passed down. Making pasta by hand. That sort of a thing. Not right now of course,” I say quickly, remembering that I’m talking to my boss, not a friend. “But maybe in a few years when things have settled down.”
Logan looks at me thoughtfully.
“That makes sense to me,” he says. “Cooking doesn’t seem to be a static sort of thing. It’s a skill that continually evolves and gets better. I think there’ll always be room to grow and improve when it comes to food.”
“Exactly!” I exclaim. “And what about you? Were you always planning on taking over your father’s company?”
“No, it was never my plan. That was totally my father’s. I wanted to live up to his expectations though, so I went to business school and put in my dues at the restaurant. I figured I’d have another twenty years before I’d be asked to step in.”
“What would you have done instead?”
“Something in the tech world maybe. That’s where all the exciting stuff is these days.”
I’m surprised by the fact that a guy like Logan would want to go into tech. It seems to me something well, sort of geeky. Definitely not for a guy who looked like the star quarterback in high school. He catches my look and laughs.
“Tech isn’t just for nerds anymore. It’s made its way into every facet of our lives, and soon anyone who doesn’t understand it will never make it in business. I might not be the one actually making an app, but I want to be able to decide which one will be the hot new thing, or what companies to invest who’ll become the next Apple. That sort of thing.”
