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  Gayle cut him off again. She was good at doing that to people. “Are you having issues with your computer?”

  He sighed, placing a hand on his hip. “Stupid thing crashed and burned last night.”

  “Oh, this is your lucky day. My friend is a computer whiz. I’m sure she can help somehow.”

  Stunned, Nikki shook her head. “No, I can’t…”

  “Sure you can,” Gayle urged. “You could have his computer running in no time.”

  Logan crossed his arms. “I appreciate the offer. But I spoke with a tech last night that couldn’t or wouldn’t help. I doubt your friend will be able to do anything either. But, I have to run.”

  The way he emphasized friend made Nikki skin crawl. She wanted to reveal she was the tech on the phone last night but kept quiet and watched him walk away. His lean, masculine body excited her as he walked with the waitress to the back of the restaurant.

  “Well, you blew that,” Gayle scolded her.

  Nikki leaned in and whispered, “It’s him, Gayle. I couldn’t say anything, or he’d remember me.”

  Gayle narrowed her eyes. “What? He’s who?”

  “I was at work last night and fielded his call. He called my phone instead of the help desk line.”

  “Why didn’t you tell him?” Gayle pressed a fist to her forehead. “You didn’t want to overstep your bounds by screwing with his computer.”

  “The computer is brand new. The warranty would void if I messed with it, Gayle. Besides, he thought it was the software. At first, I tried to help him. Then he wanted me to fix his computer. You know the protocol.”

  Gayle sighed. “You are hopeless. I don’t know why I waste my time trying to help you.”

  “Gayle, don’t give up on me. He is just not the one,” she said in a small voice.

  “How do you know?”

  “Did you see him? Those eyes, his swag. I’m not programmed to handle a man like him.”

  “He’s a good-looking man… not a machine. And you are not a robot that’s programmed what to feel.”

  Nikki’s shoulders slumped. “I dated Chris.”

  “I’ve been meaning to ask. Did you and Chris actually have sex? He didn’t strike me as having an interest in doing that with anyone.”

  “Chris is not gay,” she huffed.

  “No, he was one strange dude. But forget him. Now you have a chance to step up your game and date a real man.”

  That was a true statement. Chris was not a match for her, but he was nice and didn’t demand anything from her. It was also true he was a virgin and saving himself for marriage. Nikki respected his wishes, though she would never demand sex from any man. Her deflowering came at the end of her high school year.

  She had believed the liar when he told her that he would love her forever. It still hurt she had thought she loved him and believed they would spend the rest of their lives together. Turned out he had seen her as one of the many girls he’d nailed during high school—just another girl who’d been fun for him before he moved on to the next one.

  Nikki shook off the flashback and said, “Instead of him, how about I approach the other chef? He may be more my speed.” Nikki looked around the restaurant for him.

  “There is another chef?”

  “He’s hot too and black. Ooh, there he is… over by the door.”

  Gayle tapped a finger to her chin. “Nice job, girl. He is fine. I like that he is tall and has that sexy shadow of a beard.”

  Nikki raised her brow. “Mike has a full beard.”

  “It’s a soup catcher, but he loves it, and I love him so, I deal with it. Go over there and talk to him, Nikki,” Gayle suggested.

  Nikki lifted her chin. “I will.” She took a tube of lip gloss from her purse and applied the plum red color to her full lips.

  Getting up from the chair, she brushed away any crumbs from the front of her clothes. Why shouldn’t she be bold? It was time to take risks and grow up. Plus, she was an attractive young woman. At thirty years of age, she wanted a man, darn it!

  Walking across the restaurant, she would be assertive. Her clothes were stylish and showed off her figure. Since Gayle shot down her wearing her favorite sweatpants, she threw on a white spaghetti-strap tank top, jeans, and wedge-heeled sandals. The light jewelry she wore accessorized the casual outfit perfectly.

  As she closed in on her target, the words formulated in her head on what to say to him. “Play it cool but be poised.” She pasted a smile on her face and made eye contact when he happened to look in her direction.

  Oh Yeah.

  His dark skin glistened under a coat of sweat. It was hot in the kitchen, and the heavy chef’s coat and apron had to add extra heat. None of that bothered her. She would make him sweat in other ways once they got to know each other.

  He seemed to like what he was seeing as she got yet closer to him. She let her lips part slightly, biting down on her lip. Then, suddenly, he turned away from her when the restaurant door opened, and a woman carrying balloons and two small children entered. The woman swept into his arms, giving him a passionate kiss as the kids swarmed around the lower part of his body.

  Nikki stopped in her tracks, watching the moment. She heard the kids shout a resounding “Happy birthday, Daddy,” and he smiled from ear to ear as he hugged and kissed each child.

  “It’s Ron’s birthday,” the familiar sexy voice said.

  She turned her head and saw Chef Yummy standing beside her. “That would’ve been my first guess since the balloons gave it away. It’s nice his family came to celebrate with him.”

  “They are a lovely family. They’ve been married for years.”

  She nodded. “So rare to see these days. Well, I was on my way to wash my hands. Please excuse me.”

  “Do you have an OCD or something?” Logan asked.

  Nikki turned around slowly. “Excuse me?”

  “I’m curious why so many trips to the restroom? The décor can’t be that appealing because it is basic as far as bathrooms go. Or had you hoped to introduce yourself to Ron, but Vonnie and the kids showed up, and you backed off.”

  Nikki made a face and stared at him. “Should I take that as an insult or a compliment?”

  He shrugged his shoulders. “You don’t look like a homewrecker so I’m going with the OCD theory.”

  Her spine stiffened, and she tossed her head back. “You’re correct; I’m not. But I’m not OCD either. I just like clean hands.”

  “Huh, that’s cool. I’ve been wrong before.” He sighed when his name was called from the kitchen. “This is gonna be a long day. Who knew computers would rule every aspect of our lives?”

  “Yes, they do play an important part. Look, if you want, I’ll look at your computer. I can’t promise what will happen.”

  He raised his brow. “What about what you said at the table? What changed your mind?”

  “Chef Sloan, I’m the technician you were on the phone with last night. I’m Nikki Graham.”

  Chapter Four

  Logan’s eyes followed the curves of her body. She was nothing like he’d pictured in his head. The clothes she wore emphasized a perfect hour-glass figure he wouldn’t mind getting acquainted with. His heart clenched in his chest as he listened to her talk.

  Her smile spelled kindness and sexiness rolled into one. He shifted his position as the blood pounded its way to the front of his pants. Just smelling the sweet scent of perfume drifting from her body made him get an erection.

  Logan pulled himself together enough to talk. “Really? It’s nice to put a face with the voice. Not the one I had pictured.”

  Nikki smiled. “Let me guess—glasses, pimples and mousy looking?”

  He blushed. “I’m taking the fifth as you did, Ms. Graham.”

  “Refusing to incriminate yourself,” she said with a laugh. “Nice move.”

  “Hey, it’s the American way. Seriously, the computer is a pain in my backside, but you’re a patron in my restaurant, not here to work on my com
puter.”

  “It’ll only take a minute to determine if the problem can be fixed.”

  He smiled. “So you’re that good?”

  She nodded. “Yeah, I’m that good.”

  Logan led her to the back office where the computer was located. Flipping on the switch, he rolled an extra chair from the corner over to the desk. “I’ll sit here and you take the big chair.”

  “Thank you. Okay, let me take a look at what’s going on with the computer.”

  He watched her fingers click a series of keys, hoping to bring the computer to life. To his surprise, letters scrolled rapidly up the screen. She kept tapping away, filling the monitor with codes and symbols, and he had no clue what they meant.

  Her fast-moving fingers were slender, and the fingernails were painted pale pink. The lone ring she wore was an opulent pearl set in a gold band. It could have been an engagement ring or a ring that symbolized something special in her life. Whatever the connection, he would not ask about her personal life. But seeing her in person has changed his perspective about nerds.

  “Well, can the computer can be fixed?” he asked, willing his senses to ignore that the woman seated next to him was a total hot ass babe.

  “Um, there is some suspicious coding that could be nothing but garbage,” she said, with her focus directed at the computer. “If I work on the computer, it will void the warranty.”

  He scoffed. “I banged on the keyboard in a fit of rage. I’m sure I already killed the warranty.”

  “Awe, you abused the keyboard? No wonder it shut down on ya—gotta be nicer to the keyboard.”

  He raised a brow. “Interesting. I tried to be nice to you and got shot down. Somehow we ended up together anyhow.”

  “I did not take the invitation seriously. But had I known you were a chef, I might have thought about it.”

  If he had known how gorgeous she was, he would have insisted on them having dinner. “I’ll give you a pass—next time I won’t.” Logan saw the look on her face and smiled. He was kidding. She was not aware of his odd sense of humor. “I’m joking,” he added immediately.

  “A pass? Anyhow, the computer can be repaired. It will take about a day to do it.”

  “The restaurant is closed tomorrow. Is that too soon for you to start?”

  “Tomorrow…”

  The door opened, and the same waitress that had been complaining earlier poked her head inside. She seemed to be highly irritated now. “Logan, please come deal with the mess in the kitchen or I’m quitting! You have to get it under control.”

  Logan closed his eyes and rubbed his temples wishing he could quit. “I’ll be there in a minute.” When he opened his eyes, Nikki was watching him. “I have to take care of the war in the kitchen before I have a massacre on my hands.”

  Nikki shut down the computer and said, “Sure, I’m done. Chef, I’ll be here around mid-morning to work on the computer. Will there be someone here to let me in?”

  Finally, a glimpse of hope lifted his spirits. The computer would be working again and the restaurant would return to normal. “Yup; I’ll make sure of it.”

  “Great. Make sure to leave me a note with passwords and login information; I’ll need those once I rest the computer.”

  “Will do,” he said.

  Logan entered the kitchen to find it calm and the workers at their respective stations. Washing his hands first, he put on a pair of rubber gloves before taking an order slip off the counter.

  Grabbing a knife, Logan placed a chicken breast on a meat board slicing it in half. Ron placed a bowl of vegetables on the other side of the prep station. Logan asked, “Did you handle the uproar?”

  “Yeah. It wasn’t major,” Ron said as he diced vegetables into bite-sized pieces. “So, what’s going on, Logan?”

  “Beats me, I guess these guys aren’t used to thinking on their feet. They got used to the computer doing the work for them.”

  “I’m not talking about those knuckleheads. What’s up with you and that chick?”

  “What chick?” he replied, playing it off. Ron wasn’t just a chef but his best bud and business partner.

  A long-Clevelander, Ron and Vonnie had welcomed him into their home for the holidays when he couldn’t make it back to Pittsburgh.

  “Don’t play me, man; you know who I’m talking about. The stacked beauty that was checking me out before Vonnie showed up. I swear that woman has perfect timing,” Ron said with a chuckle.

  “Not like you would do anything with another woman, anyhow.”

  “Man, you’re crazy.”

  “Seriously? You’d cheat on Vonnie after eight years of marriage and two kids?”

  Ron tossed the diced vegetables into the bowl. “My imagination ain’t dead.”

  Logan laughed. “Just like I thought. You would never do anything to jeopardize a stable marriage.”

  “I love my wife and wouldn’t cheat on her, but that woman was banging. So, how do you know her?”

  “I don’t. She’s going to get the system up and running so these clowns can do their jobs.”

  Ron stopped working and looked at Logan. “She is going to fix the computer?”

  Seasoning the chicken, Logan tossed it into a pan of hot oil, searing it quickly. “Believe it or not, she is a computer whiz. She claims she’ll have the system up and running tomorrow.”

  “Hot damn; ain’t nothing hotter than a smart, sexy sistah. I bet she could get your system running again too.”

  “My system is fine; I’m just too busy to be bothered with dating. Besides, being busy means we’re making money.”

  Ron shook his head. “Look, man, I’m all in when it comes to the business. But, don’t wait too long, or one day, you’re gonna walk in this kitchen and find your grandkid perfecting your signature dishes.”

  Logan took a minute to reflect on Ron’s words. “Yeah, it has been a while.”

  “It has, and you deserve a night of fun. So if a little something jumps off tomorrow; go for it.”

  “I’ll admit she is pretty but not my type,” Logan said. It was hard to get the sentence from his mouth without the lump in his throat choking him.

  “Blondes are your thing and not black women,” Ron said. “I get it.”

  Logan removed the chicken from the pan and placed it on a plate. “I’m not saying anything is wrong with black women. Anyhow, how do you figure she’s black?”

  Ron chuckled. “Those lips and hips don’t come from injections and implants, buddy; that shit is natural. But I ain’t mad at you for having a type. Just don’t let it prevent you from having options.”

  Options.

  There were no options when it came to women. He liked women who were blonde, with blue or green eyes, curvy, and busty. Unfortunately for him, Nikki Graham did not meet those qualifications. Although she was beautiful, funny and smart; she seemed ultra-reserved.

  He asked Ron. “How many women did you go through before choosing Vonnie?”

  “There were a few. Vonnie grounded me. I was too damn wild before we met.”

  “I heard the stories of your life before marriage. Now you push swings, help choose wallpaper patterns, and go to PTA meetings. It seems to me that when the right woman comes along, there goes the guy’s manhood,” he said as he put the completed plate up on the counter for pick up.

  “Say what you want. When I’m with Vonnie, I have a woman who loves me and not some thirsty chick waiting to cash in on my success.” Ron picked up the large bowl of vegetables and walked away.

  Logan wiped his hands on a dishtowel staring at Ron as he disappeared around the corner. He had no comeback because what Ron said was true.

  *****

  Nikki returned to the table and flopped down in the chair. “See, if I had kept my behind in bed I wouldn’t be in the predicament I’m in now.”

  Gayle stared at her. “What took you so long? I was beginning to worry something had happened.”

  “My original plan was thwarted. For the last
twenty minutes, I’ve been locked in an office with Chef Yummy.”

  Gayle’s eyes lit up as she leaned her chin on her hand waiting with anticipation for Nikki to spill the beans. “What happened? Do you have a date with either chef?”

  “No. The cute black chef is married with kids,” she huffed. “However, I will be spending my Sunday fixing Chef Yummy’s computer.”

  “You sly dog! The two of you locked together in a closed restaurant with no prying eyes around,” Gayle teased. “Make sure you wear something sexy to get his hard drive running.”

  “I swear you have a dirty mind. Nothing will happen tomorrow other than me fixing the computer. It shouldn’t take me long to get it up and running.”

  Gayle grabbed her purse and smiled. “I’m sure it won’t take you long to get him up either.”

  Nikki felt her cheeks flush. “Stop it, Gayle.”

  “We have to go before we’re late for our nail appointment.”

  “Right.” Nikki looked for her check. “Do you have the check for my breakfast?”

  “Apparently, Chef Yummy is grateful for your help; he picked up our tab.”

  Nikki closed her wallet and rolled her eyes. “Are you sure it wasn’t because you were flirting with him?”

  Gayle stood up from the table and smoothed her hand across the ruffle of the low-cut blouse. She was not ashamed to show off the ample girls. She did it in a tasteful way. “Honey, I’m too much for him to handle.”

  Nikki laughed. “You’re probably right. Plus, Mike will fight any man threatening to take you away from him.”

  Gayle pursed her lips. “He better fight for me.”

  Chapter Five

  Nikki pondered what to wear. She didn’t know why it mattered how she dressed to work on a computer. She’d end up on her knees crawling under the desk anyhow. It was supposed to be ninety degrees today, and if the air conditioning weren't on in the restaurant, it would be hot. Sitting on the edge of the bed clad in nothing but her bra and panties, Nikki stared at her feet. Gayle had talked her into getting her toes painted a deep shade of red.