The Arrangement (unenhanced Edition) by AnnaRCase (books to read now .txt) 📖

Amberleigh sat on a stool at the counter and chatted with Leo as he cooked up her lunch. And it smelled fuckin amazing. He didn’t use premade dough, no he made it from scratch, and even hand tossed that shit. She clapped and was tempted to throw tips at him.  She wondered how a rich boy from a wealthy family had ended up as the private chef to Grayson. Surely, Leo didn’t need the money, so maybe he did it because he loved cooking and he liked to hang with Grayson. It was clear Grayson seemed like a different person, less formal and filtered around Leo.

Their conversations started out somewhat generic, things about cooking and the penthouse. She was bold enough to come out and ask him for some cooking lessons rather than beat around the bush, because he made her feel at ease. Like they’d been friends for years. He looked delighted to have a student to take on. Excited even as he started rattling off dishes they would make, and even seemed to get a bit carried away as he planned the Thanksgiving dinner he and Amberleigh would prepare for Grayson and his guests.

                “Reign it in there Leo, I burn water,” she informed him.

                He grinned, “But you’ve never had a teacher like me. Did your mother not teach you how to cook?”

                “My mother taught me how to roll a joint and sell our food stamps for a quick buck. She wasn’t the cooking type. Unless you count cooking her crack rocks,” she laughed.

She wasn’t sure why she told him that. He didn’t see the humor in it like she did though.

                “I’m sorry. It sounds like you had it rough. I grew up in the city, lived downtown in a building not unlike this. My father owns a great deal of real estate. It’s his building the Godwin Headquarters are located in.”

So there was one question partially answered at least. Old family friends. He and Grayson had no doubt attended the same school and ran in the same circles. It seemed to deepen the mystery even more as to why he was doing this and not following in his father designer footprints.

He slathered some buttery garlic on the top of his knots, and put them in the oven. He’d already shared half a package of pepperonis with Amberleigh, and made her a bloody Mary. It wasn’t her usual drink but she figured she could use some vegetables in her life, and it seemed something people in fancy digs like this drank.

                “If you don’t mind my asking, how did you become Mr. Godwin’s private chef?” she asked.

He laughed, “That’s quite a long story, but to make it short, my father and I don’t see eye to eye on most things. And growing up, I spent most of my time at the Godwin’s house anyway. Grayson and I met in Preschool and have been tight ever since. My father got married like ten times, and was always away on trips. I couldn’t keep his wives’ straight. I guess you can say I’m the black sheep of the family, and he is passing the golden key to his empire to my brother Pierre.”

Amberleigh nodded, not that she could relate really. She had no siblings and her mother never gave a fuck about her. Krystal had gotten pregnant on purpose to try and trap her dealer boyfriend figuring it would secure her a never-ending supply of drugs. What it got her was a kid to raise alone, and a piece of shit ex who flited in and out of his daughters life when he felt like it.  Amberleigh saw her father only a handful of times before the state removed her from her mother.

She had run into him from time to time in the Fringe, and being his daughter had offered her a bit of protection courtesy of the Psychos, the gang her father belonged to, which was ran by the Mad hatter. But Giovanni had never been a real father to her, he slipped her some money when their paths crossed, talked like he knew her for the show in front of his friends, made her promises he never kept, and then slipped back out of her life again. She hadn’t seen him in five years, as he never frequented the Cobra Club. The psychos got their pussy and booze from the Rabbit Hole, which dear old daddy had offered her a job at when she was seventeen and had just run away from the group home. She still had standards, even then, and refused his offer.

But it was hard to dwell on dark thoughts when Leo pulled a mouth-watering, still- sizzling pie from the oven. He set it on a cooling rack.

                “Not bad if I do say so myself. My best yet I think,” he grinned.

                “My compliments to the chef,” she responded. “Do you cook a lot of foods like this for Mr. Godwin?”

                “Officially, no. Grayson is supposed to be on protein rich, healthy diet. He needs it after all for all the shit he has to do with the company. He works long hours. But just between me and you, I usually sneak him something greasy late at night when most of the staff is gone for the night. Because his mother has eyes and ears all over this place. She means well though.”

Amberleigh was tempted to tell him to feel free to slip her something greasy late at night, but held back for fear her statement would be misconstrued.

                “You sound like a good friend. I hope to get to know him better while I’m here. So far I get the vibe, he's only tolerating me,” she confessed.