A Delicious Dilemma Read online

  “I’m George Leighton, Wagner Developments’ General Counsel. Maybe we should we step inside,” the man next to Philip said, eyeing the news truck and the chanting crowds. He probably hoped they wouldn’t catch wind of them talking and come back over again.

  “Actually, I’d like to make arrangements for a more formal meeting. It really shouldn’t have gotten to this point, and I apologize for that,” Philip said smoothly.

  Val raised an eyebrow. “It’s not like you don’t have a way to reach out to me...us,” Val self-corrected, catching the look of surprise on Philip’s face. “We’ve been trying to speak with a representative for months now.”

  “We’ll just remind him again of how to reach us,” Felicia said slowly, looking from Val to Philip before handing him a business card she’d fished out of her bag. “That is, if we have someone who might actually return our calls.”

  “I’m confident the communication will be as open as you want it to be from now on.” He gave Val a pointed look, as if the words were meant for her and only her before turning his entire attention on Felicia. “Val gave me a preview of the situation when we spoke. Maybe we can resolve this without a hearing.”

  “Good to know. We’ll be in touch,” Felicia said, deliberately noncommittal. She was right not to be persuaded by anything Philip said without proof of his commitment. But he sounded so amenable that Val almost dared to hope that their protests might have yielded something positive, that Philip might be acting out of a sense of human decency. Which was downright delusional on her part, because Philip was a Wagner, and his company was only cooperating with them because they were under the threat of losing money and looking bad.

  She had to stop allowing herself to be carried away by the desire to see good intentions in people where there weren’t any. She did it with Luke and now she’d almost done it with Philip.

  “Thank you,” Felicia said.

  “And perhaps—” Leighton indicated the crowd around them “—your work is done here?”

  “We were scheduled to end now anyway,” Val answered. “You see, we are willing to work with you as long as you’re willing to work with us.”

  “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how willing we are to work with you,” Philip answered, his gaze pinning her in place. He spoke as if everything he said had a second and third layer of meaning. She glanced around to see if she was the only one who sensed this. It made her feel vulnerable and she didn’t like it one bit.

  Without acknowledging Philip, she turned away to speak to the group of protestors and thank them for coming out, promising them they’d meet again to debrief and plan next steps. Val sensed the weight of Philip’s eyes on her, but she didn’t turn to confirm if she still held his attention. She wanted nothing more than to escape back to the familiar safety of her restaurant, her home and her people, where thirst-traps like Philip couldn’t get to her.

  “How could you not tell me you met Philip Wagner?” Felicia said as they stuffed signs in the back of Val’s delivery van. Val should have known better than to think Felicia was going to let all that go without comment.

  “I... It was a social thing. I didn’t even know who he was the first time we met.”

  “The first time?” Felicia crossed her arms, looking Val up and down. “How many times have you two met?”

  Val wanted to punch herself in the mouth. “Just...twice.”

  Felicia stared at her. Val continued putting the signs in the van, arranging them in size order, as if that would make any difference once the van was underway.

  “Listen, your personal life is your business,” Felicia said, waving a finger between them. “But this thing we’re doing here is a partnership. I need to know these little details, like when you go out on a date with the son of the owner of the company you are protesting against, or I can’t be effective in helping you.”

  Val slammed the doors of the van with more force than necessary. “As soon as I found out who he was, I cut things off, so there didn’t seem to be anything to tell.”

  Felicia put her hands up as if Val was threatening to mug her at gunpoint. “I’m not saying you did anything wrong. I just need you to communicate with me.”

  Val didn’t think she’d done anything wrong, either, but the whole thing weighed on her all the same. She climbed into the cab, Felicia buckling in next to her. Val hoped she was done talking. The encounter had been cringey and Val looked forward to stuffing the events of the afternoon into a corner of her mind and ignoring them, along with everything else Philip-related.

  After they got underway, Felicia asked, “You haven’t mentioned to him your interest in buying the building, have you?”

  Val looked over at her. “Of course not. I would never give him, of all people, that kind of information.”

  “Smart girl.” Felicia grew quiet, much to Val’s relief. But it was short-lived. “I will make one observation, though.”

  Val gripped the wheel more tightly, not particularly eager to hear that observation. “Go ahead.”

  “He didn’t seem...indifferent to you.”

  Val scoffed. “Oh, please. It’s been almost two weeks since we went out. I’m surprised he remembers my name. Anyway, he’s not my type.”

  Felicia shrugged. “He might not be your type, but it’s pretty clear you’re his.”

  Val scowled but didn’t say anything more. She left Felicia at her office before returning home. Nati had rotations at the hospital and wouldn’t be back for a few hours, for which Val was grateful. It meant she could pace to her heart’s content. Val couldn’t think unless she was moving.

  She reviewed the events of the afternoon, unable to make sense of them. Wagner Developments had been ignoring them for months, using every possible ploy to avoid a meeting with community leaders until they’d been forced to go to City Hall and lodge a formal complaint against them.

  Then today Philip Wagner, of all people, shows up with his “you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how willing I am to work with you” shtick, as if his company had been waiting for a chance to do something all along.

  It made no sense.

  If only he knew how much she despised surprises. The last surprise she’d received had been the one Luke sprung on her, and she wasn’t keen on receiving any more. She needed to know what Philip was up to, though she doubted he’d simply offer up a confession just because.

  She pulled out her phone and scrolled through her contacts until she found Philip’s number. Without pausing from her pacing, she pressed the call button and listened as the phone rang. She expected, as busy as he was, for him to not pick up. But after the fourth ring, he did.

  “Val,” he said, the pleasure evident in his voice, but also the curiosity. “What a surprise. It’s really great to hear from you.”

  She wanted to say likewise, because it was good to hear his voice, but that was a bad idea, even if the sound made her feel like she had a can of fizzy soda in her stomach. “So, what was today all about?”

  He didn’t answer right away, which meant she’d probably caught him off guard. Good. “You’re the one who came to protest outside my building.”

  “Obviously. What I mean is, what’s the deal with you? First your company refuses to meet, barely bats an eye at the complaint we filed. Then you show up, the picture of benevolent cooperation. What are you up to?”

  His laugh had the combined effect of grating on her nerves and kicking her heartbeat into overdrive. “I’m not up to anything. You have legitimate concerns, and I want to do something about them.”

  “Just like that?”

  “No, not just like that. It makes good business sense to work with the communities where we have projects.”

  Val had nothing to say to that. Really, what had she expected? That his company had decided to cooperate because of her? Because he liked her so much that he’d become more vir
tuous? That wasn’t a healthy thing to want.

  “Why didn’t you guys do it in the first place?” she asked.

  Philip sighed deeply. “I didn’t know there was a complaint. But I should have and that’s on me. I tend to have a very narrow focus when it comes to my area of expertise. But that’s not an excuse and I apologize for that.”

  “Right. Okay,” she said. “I hope you’re serious about a compromise because a lot of people are depending on this going well.”

  Philip’s response came slow and clear. “Val, there is nothing I take more seriously than my work. My father is a little old-school when it comes to the relationship between development and the communities he works in, but times change and our company will evolve, as well.”

  Val nodded, almost convinced that he might be telling the truth. “If you’re acting in good faith, then that’s all I can ask.”

  “I appreciate the vote of confidence,” he said. “How is your culinary empire?”

  Val found herself pacing again. They were doing small talk. She could handle this. “Oh, you know, sucking the life out of me as usual.”

  “And yet you love every minute of it.”

  “Without any doubts.” She guessed it was her turn to volley something in return. “Your car? Is Étienne taking care of it?”

  “Ah.” He laughed and fizzy bubbles spread through her chest, forcing a shiver from her. “That scoundrel just got back in town after being gone for two weeks and my car spent the entire time in the garage. It’s no wonder she loves him more than she loves me.”

  “Maybe because you work too much. You should take her out more often.”

  “I like company when I drive.” His silence was heavy with suggestion, but Val knew better than to play into it.

  “My ride is a twenty-year-old, refurbished catering van,” was her response.

  “Is that what you take on your Fahrvergnügen?”

  “A who?”

  “It means ‘pleasure drive’ in German.”

  “I’m going to have to apologize in advance because my van speaks only Spanglish, and there is no pleasure involved in driving her.” Val couldn’t believe she was allowing herself to have a normal conversation with Philip.

  “All I can offer you is a ride in a temperamental Italian car that is resolutely monolingual.”

  Val gasped. “Did you just invite me for a car ride?”

  Philip laughed again and it was having a dangerous effect on her. This whole conversation was going sideways. “Sorry. I got carried away. Spoiler alert, I like you. But if you don’t feel comfortable seeing me socially, I understand.”

  “You’re right. I don’t feel comfortable seeing you socially. It would be a massive conflict of interest,” Val retorted.

  “I respect that.” He came off so agreeable, Val didn’t know if it was just an act or if he was being sincere. But he had real power, and if he was really motivated by a desire for change, he might simply need a nudge to do the right thing. Val believed in giving people a chance to step up, and she could offer that to him.

  “You know, it might help both our causes if you got to know my neighborhood. I know East Ward better than anyone.”

  “Are you offering to give me a tour?”

  Val stopped pacing again, her breath coming hard, even though she wasn’t exerting herself at all. “I’m offering you the opportunity to become better informed about the community you are impacting.”

  “And this isn’t a social encounter.”

  “Absolutely not.” Val waved her hand, even though it was impossible for him to see the gesture. “It’s raising awareness. As in me raising your awareness.”

  She steeled herself at his pause, but thankfully, it didn’t last long. “Okay. Message me the best day and time for you and I’ll make it work.”

  “I would think your schedule might be more hectic than mine.”

  “I’ll move things around if I have to,” he responded without hesitation.

  Val sank slowly into the pillows of her love seat. “This is important to me.”

  “I know it is. Consider it done.”

  She didn’t overthink his motives. She might regret it, but she chose to believe that this was something that mattered to him, as well. “Thank you.”

  The small huff she heard on the line sounded like a laugh, soft and natural, without any affectation on his side. “I’m so glad you called.”

  Val didn’t know what more to say, so she said goodbye and hung up. She glanced up at a small painting of a flor de maga, the red hibiscus that was also the national flower of her family’s island. Bright and swollen with color, fragile as crepe paper. The way Val felt. If a breeze came in too hard, she might crumple up into a ball. The day had been a lot and she had reached her saturation point.

  As she prepared a bath, the only thought that returned to her was that she had called Philip and she had invited him to tour her neighborhood. She could choose to question his motives, and she definitely did not trust him. But she knew if she looked a little more closely at her own motives, she would discover that they were not as pure as she wanted them to be. And that was a problem of another order of magnitude.

  Chapter Twelve

  After Philip’s conversation with Val, he was too excited to work on his project, and he knew he wasn’t getting anything else done. He couldn’t believe the turn events had taken. This morning, he was just plugging away as usual at one of his designs, focused entirely on solving technical issues in the plan. Then Val came along and blew up all his concentration, first with the protest and now with this neighborhood tour.

  It wasn’t a date, she’d said. It was work. But there was no way to convince his nerves of the distinction.

  Étienne had only just returned from another one of his photoshoots, barely even cleared airport security, but Philip was already on the phone, hoping he’d be up for a game of tennis.

  “You hate tennis,” Étienne said. He wasn’t wrong. Philip’s father had insisted that he learn to play golf and tennis so he’d be in a position to play with clients in a business capacity, even though neither was his preferred sport.

  “But you don’t. And I already reserved a court.”

  “I have been sitting for hours,” Étienne said thoughtfully.

  Philip looked around at his office, feeling zero motivation to return to work. “I need to get out of here.”

  “Needy boy,” Étienne said. “What time?”

  An hour later, Étienne arrived on the court, decked out in one of his signature outfits—crisp, white shorts and a snug white-and-lime-colored sports shirt that brought out the undertones of his dark skin. He looked like he’d stepped out of a Sports Illustrated advertisement for Wimbledon and was strutting like a model.

  Philip looked down at his well-used Nike sneakers, mismatched shorts and T-shirt and realized he didn’t even qualify for the fashion competition.

  “Frater!” Étienne called from across the court, tossing a bright yellow towel over his shoulder. “Did you borrow those shorts from your father?”

  “No, they’re yours.”

  Étienne’s horror pulled a laugh from Philip. “I refuse to claim them.”

  “Okay, sure. Which side of the court do you want to start on?”

  “Doesn’t matter, since I will thrash you either way.” Étienne pointed with his racket to the opposite end of where they stood. Hedges lined the court, shielding them from view of other players and passersby.

  “Dreaming big? Just serve.”

  Étienne obliged, sending the ball hurtling toward Philip for a warm-up before they began playing in earnest. The exchange was punctuated by the satisfying snap of the tennis ball against their rackets. Philip wasn’t in love with tennis, but it was a sport that required his total concentration, which helped to clear the thoughts that had cluttered his mind s
ince his conversation with Val. Sweat ran down his forehead, while Étienne played with perfect equanimity until he scored the winning point of the set.

  Étienne tossed a bottle of water to Philip before uncapping his and taking a long drag. Étienne had soundly thrashed him but he was grateful for the calm provided by the physical exertion.

  “Do you remember Val Navarro? From that night you dragged me out to East Ward?”

  “How can I not? She almost deflowered you before casting you aside.”

  “Leave it to you to make everything sound like a soap opera,” Philip retorted over Étienne’s laughter. “Seriously. She was protesting today outside Wagner Towers.”

  Étienne stopped chortling. “Uh-oh.”

  Philip filled him in on their conversation, though he kept a few things to himself: The flash of recognition in her eyes that had been more than just shock. The quick recovery before she blew him off as if they hadn’t shared a connection. And how much that false indifference had grated on him.

  “And you know, I get it. In her mind, when she looks at me, all she sees is who I work for.” Philip placed his hands on his hips, looking up into the clouds as if an answer to his problems might fall like a brick from heaven and land on his face.

  “You’re not your company. And you are certainly nothing like your father. You’re different. You always have been, or I wouldn’t be able to tolerate you,” Étienne said as he crossed the tennis court. “But she doesn’t know that, because she doesn’t know who you are.”

  “I’d like to change that. I have never been in a situation where my very existence is a direct threat to anyone.” Especially someone he could come to care for.

  “She feels threatened because she is at a significant disadvantage with respect to you.”

  “But I’d never take advantage of her.”

  Etienne clapped a hand on Philip’s shoulder. “That might be, but from her perspective, she is in a precarious situation. It may be difficult for you to grasp how that might make her feel because, and excuse me for saying so, you’ve never been poor.”