“What do you mean he quit?” I asked, hoping that I’d be able to successfully change the subject. “Mr. Klein told me that he retired.”
Nolan raised an eyebrow, but before he could answer, I heard the door’s latch click, and it opened behind me.
More angry than relieved, Nolan barged his way past me and the sous chef who had opened it. He glanced at her with fury still burning in his eyes. “Put the persimmons back where they belong.”
He marched off, and the sous chef looked at me with something resembling sympathy as she put the crate back where it had been.
I was about to follow Nolan, either to actually help or to ask more about Gregory, but as I stepped outside of the chilled pantry, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I checked the screen.
It was a text, reminding me that I needed to receive the celebrity guests that were coming in for the wedding tasting. They were already waiting in the lobby. I had no choice but to leave Nolan with the chaos that I’d created, and, hopefully, I’d get another chance later to prove to him that I wasn’t just a blithering idiot.
4
Landon
I was standing by the front doors of the hotel, awaiting our newest VIP guests, when from the corner of my eye, I noticed Adriana hurrying toward me from the direction of the kitchen. She seemed flustered and somewhat upset, but by the time she reached me, her face was stoic.
“Problem?” I asked, but she shook her head.
“It’s handled,” she insisted.
I wasn’t sure I believed her, but whatever it was, I would deal with it later.
The doors slid open to reveal Dahlia Monroe, her fiancé, Forrest Kingsley, and his mother, Celeste. Beside me, I immediately noticed Adriana’s cheeks turn red. I wondered whether she was reacting to the famous singer’s arrival or to something else.
I stepped in front of her, reaching out my hand in a welcoming gesture before offering them a small bow.
“Welcome to The Pacific,” I said with a smile. “I’m Landon Klein, General Manager, and this is Adriana, our concierge. She’s here to make sure you have everything you need. Don’t hesitate to reach out to either of us whenever you need to.”
Adriana smiled and nodded silently, but I could still see in her eyes that there was something bothering her. It was certainly strange. When I’d left her after the Reggie incident, she had seemed completely fine to me. What had happened in the time since that could have rattled her like this?
“Dahlia Monroe,” Adriana said tentatively, smiling at the gold-drenched woman in front of her. “Big fan. And…”
She glanced from Forrest to Celeste, and it was obvious that she had absolutely no idea who either of them were. Clearly, she hadn’t bothered to learn either of their names from the brief she had been given. That was something that she would have to address quickly if she wanted to keep working here.
“Forrest,” I said, stepping forward to shake his hand and cover Adriana’s faux pas. “You’d be delighted to know that our golf course has recently been reworked, and all our carts replaced. And Celeste, I have instructed our chef to ensure that not a single peanut will be present in the kitchen for your entire stay.”
“Good,” Celeste said, and I was relieved that she seemed not to have noticed Adriana’s mistake. “Speaking of which, I’m absolutely famished. It was such a long flight.”
“Forrest insisted that your chef is one of the best,” Dahlia added, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “So I thought we’d give him a shot for the wedding, you know?”
“I’m sure he’s grateful for the opportunity,” I answered smoothly, though I was ready to bet Nolan would have told her to shove that shot somewhere else if he’d heard her explanation. He knew how good he was, and he had no patience for anyone who doubted it.
But that was why he almost never interacted with guests.
“Please, follow me,” Adriana said suddenly, her face now bright and enthusiastic. “We’ve prepared the private dining room for your arrival.”
She walked ahead and the guests followed, with me making up the rear. I was surprised that she’d pivoted back to her usual confidence so quickly. She walked as if she knew exactly where she was going in life, with her shoulders straight and her head held high. That had been one of the reasons I’d liked her during her interview. Instead of every other over-starched collar and stiff upper lip that had walked in here, Adriana seemed to truly believe that she could do anything, and that was an attitude that would carry her far in this line of work.
“We’ve used the silk covers, as you requested,” Adriana said over her shoulder to Dahlia. “And only silver cutlery, nothing gold or aluminum. We wouldn’t want the wrong metal to affect the taste of your food.”
“Finally, someone who understands!” Dahlia exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “Everyone always says I’m crazy.”
“The Pacific prides itself on quality,” Adriana said as she reached the end of the hallway to the private dining hall. “After all, whatever is worth doing is worth doing perfectly.”
“I’d have to agree,” Forrest drawled, and I was glad to hear him speak. From what I knew, he was a man of few words; so, the fact that he’d said anything at all must have meant that he liked Adriana.
Adriana led the group to the table, and I moved myself swiftly into place to assist in seating them. I went to pull a chair out for Celeste, but Adriana had the same idea at the same time.