Read Turn up the Heat for Free Online Page A

couldn’t change his olive skin, dreamy brown eyes, and chestnut hair: the perfect example of tall, dark, and handsome. On the one hand, I felt as though Snacker was the brother I’d never had. On the other hand, it was impossible not to drool a bit every time I saw him. I wiped my chin. “Owen left his truck here last night, so I drove him in to get it.”
    “Come on in. I’ll make you some breakfast. And Owen? I’ve got an order for you, if you’ve got a minute.”
    “Yeah, no problem, man.”
    These two were forcing cordiality for my sake, and the result was totally unpleasant. The Adrianna incidents that had taken place in the winter still created plenty of tension between Owen and Snacker. The bad feeling was especially unfortunate because, if Snacker had never hooked up with Ade, these two might have been friends.
    Owen followed me up the stairs. Snacker released his hold on the door as I passed through Simmer’s back entrance. Since Snacker was trailing right behind me, Owen was forced to grab the heavy door himself. Owen muttered “Asshole” under his breath.
    “You’re here early, huh, Snack?” I asked. “I thought you chef types didn’t have to come in until later?”
    “Too much to do, too little time,” Snacker said as we passed the doors to Simmer’s storage rooms. “And we’ve got an early delivery today, so I wanted to be here. Our produce guy keeps trying to drop off rotten shit all the time, so Josh and I have been keeping an eye on him and going through everything before we sign for it. Last time, I refused the brown cabbage, and I had to run out myself to a supermarket. But I don’t mind opening, because I usually get a few minutes to myself before other people come in. Anyhow, I’m glad you guys came around the back, because the front is locked, and we’ve got the music cranked.”
    Did they ever. We entered Simmer’s main dining area, and Stevie Wonder’s “Superstitious” echoed throughout the room. The doors to the kitchen were propped open, and even this early, delicious smells poured out. With all the lights on, the restaurant didn’t have its usual atmospheric illumination. The floors showed their dirt. Stray napkins were piled on tables, and half-filled glasses sat on the bar. I knew that Wade and Kevin had closed last night and wondered whether they had cut out early and whether they were going to catch some heat from Josh and Snacker for some of this mess.
    “Hola!” A warm voice rang out, and a Hispanic woman in her sixties appeared with a vacuum in hand.
    “Hola, Belita,” said Snacker with a smile. “This is Chloe and Owen. Belita is one of our cleaning people. We couldn’t open without her. Come give me a sweet kiss, señora.” Snacker held his arms out and grinned.
    “Oh, Jason. I always have kiss for you,” Belita said happily. I always forgot that Snacker’s real name was Jason. It seemed that half of Josh’s friends went by names other than those on their birth certificates. Clearly not needing a second invitation, Belita wrapped her arms around Snacker and planted a big smooch on his cheek. “Okay. Now I work.”
    Snacker turned back to Owen and me. “You want that order now?” he asked Owen.
    Owen nodded. “Yeah. I have to get going soon if I’m going to make all my deliveries on time.”
    “Come on back to the office with me. I’ve got it written down there.”
    I wasn’t crazy about leaving Snacker and Owen alone together for even a second, but the coffee had run through me, and I needed to hit the bathroom. I left the two feuding boys on their own and went to the ladies’ room. Simmer’s restrooms had been totally remodeled when Gavin took over, and I wished that my own bathroom at home were half as luxurious as they were. The entire ladies’ room was tiled with hand-painted ceramic squares in rich earth colors, and the three sinks were made of copper and had coordinating faucets and knobs.
    Belita and a young Hispanic woman were busy