Served: A Facile Restaurant Omnibus, Volume 2

By Jacey Conrad and Gia Corona

The next installment of collected Facile Restaurant short stories by Jacey Conrad and Gia Corona.

Can you stand the heat?

The insanely sexy antics of Facile’s staff continues in the second volume of hot ebook shorts -

The Facile Omnibus, Volume 2, offers an enchanting assortment of spicy, sassy heroines. In STEAMED, hostess Abby gives a recently dumped customer the night of his life. Pastry artist Lydia takes no lip from the world’s pickiest diner in WHIPPED, no matter how mouth-watering he may be. In SIZZLED, food critic Lakshmi just wants to sate her hunger ... for food and her delicious, yet frazzled, ex. Waitress Tessa has hit relationship rock bottom, but is determined to cure her ills with some booze-fueled hate sex in SAUCED. And finally, in SERVED, you get a look at each of the couples as they wrap up their steamy night’s work.

Each story features a new pairing and setting over the course of one insanely complicated dining service at Facile, delicious bonbons of naughtiness intertwining all of the characters and their problems.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jeanette Battista
• Release date: Feb 18, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310583797

Jacey Conrad

Jacey Conrad is a sushi-loving, pop culture nerd living in semi-rural Kentucky with her high school sweetheart husband and two impressionable children. She delights in horribly made mutant shark movies and watching Sean Bean die in his various cinematic incarnations.

Book preview

SERVED Volume 2

A Facile Restaurant Collection

Jacey Conrad and Gia Corona

Copyright © 2015 Jacey Conrad & Gia Corona

All rights reserved

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of these authors.

Table of Contents

Steamed

Whipped

Sizzled

Sauced

Served

About the Authors

Steamed: A Facile Restaurant Short Story

Abby DuLane surveyed her tiny realm, an annexed territory in the kingdom of Facile, where the diminutive brunette ruled with an iron fist. The hostess station, the gateway to one of the most exclusive and celebrated restaurants in the great city of New Orleans, was Abby’s territory. And no matter how many cries of, But it’s a special occasion! or But I know Xavier Blackwell, personally, Abby heard, she would not violate the sacrosanctity of her reservation book. No reservation, no table, end of story.

Her coworkers had enough to deal with, frankly, with those who did have reservations. The Dick at table 17, who’d run the kitchen crazy substitutions because he seemed to have a phobia of fat-based calories. The Parker anniversary party at private table 21, half of which seemed determined to steal anything not nailed down to their table, while the other half groused at each other like they were being paid to wreck the celebrants’ evening. Honestly, people needed to pass some sort of licensing test before they were allowed out in the world.

Abby considered herself the first line of defense in keeping order at Facile, the armor that protected the cool, luxuriously appointed interior from the frenetic energy of Bourbon Street. The only person more committed to ensuring the patrons had a life-altering, damn-near-sexual culinary experience at the recently opened restaurant was the manager/owner, her boss, the aforementioned Xavier Blackwell. And he could be downright terrifying.

Abby adjusted the hem of her form-fitting black halter dress, ignoring a tourist’s attempt to slip a ten around the mahogany hostess stand. Unlike the bar and waitstaff, Xavier and his partners required no uniform for the seating staff. He only asked that Abby and her shift partner, Marianne, wearing something dark and elegantly provocative. According to Marianne, the dress, paired with her bare tanned shoulders and chicory-colored hair that she wore in a loose bun, made Abby look like a debauched ballerina. As long as the dress didn’t cling in the steamy heat of the restaurant’s foyer and Abby could move easily between the tables, she didn’t care how she looked.

At least, that’s what she told herself, right up until the large gift-wrapped package with legs marched through the crowded huddled around her station. The gold-and-silver papered box, roughly the size of one of Facile’s two-top tables, stopped just short of her wooden throne and dropped slowly out of sight, revealing a great big hunk of adorable.

Holy Lord.

The gift bearer was tall, towering two heads above her five-foot-mumble-mumble frame, with broad shoulders and a narrow, tapered waist. He was a collection of irregular features - a strong, square jaw, a Roman nose, full, soft lips – that shouldn’t have worked together, but somehow, they created an open, friendly face that Abby just wanted to stare at for an hour or two. His hair was sandy and longish, but carefully combed back into a respectable side-sweep. He was wearing a stylish, but worn, dark suit, as if it was his best set of clothes and he wore it often. His eyes were a bright, clear hazel, a mix of greens and browns as compelling as any blown glass sculpture she’d ever seen. He grinned at her and she noticed a slightly crooked canine that was just fucking fascinating.

And she was probably supposed to stop staring at the nice man and start talking right about now.

Just one more look at the eyes, she told herself.

Yep, they were gorgeous.

And his ring finger, which was beautifully, blessedly bare.

Still not talking.

Gah.

She pasted on her best professional smile and chirped. "Hello, sir, welcome to Facile. Do you have a reservation for you and your rectangular friend?"

He laughed and it was all she could do not to shiver. Uh, actually, I’m supposed to bring this by for the Parker party? It’s my friend’s parents’ anniversary and this is their gift.

Well, aren’t you a sweet thang? she said, teasing him.

Bless him, he ducked his head and blushed. He fucking blushed like a schoolboy. Honest-to-God blushed. A beautiful flush of pink across his cheeks that made him that much cuter. She could corrupt this man in so many ways. Her thighs got a little slippery just thinking about it. It’s a good friend that will deliver a forgotten gift on the fly. He owes you a drink.

Actually, it wasn’t forgotten, just finished at the last minute, he said, carefully propping the package against his hip. Abby pointedly ignored the huff of annoyed diners behind him, the ones giving her the "stop making conversation and just seat me already!’" looks.

I work in a gallery down the street – Fractal Images, Mr. Adorable said. I restored the happy couple’s wedding photo and my coworkers did some custom framework. We just finished today, otherwise, Jason would have brought it with him.

Abby checked the ring finger again, just in case, and ratcheted her smile up just a little warmer. And now you’re even sweeter. I want to buy you a drink myself.

She was rewarded with a bump to his blush. His cheeks flushed even redder, giving the smooth sweep of sun-kissed skin a healthy, ruddy glow. Uh, I don’t really dri- He glanced across the dining room and started. He would have dropped the package had Abby not steadied it with her hand. What the hell?

The blush and all of its adorable pinkness drained out of his cheeks, leaving his face paper-white and stricken as he stared into the dining area.

Abby jostled his arm gently. Are you OK?

That’s my girlfriend, he said as Abby followed his gaze to the blonde across the bustling dining room. The girl in question was gorgeous in that icy, pastel manner that was damn near impossible to pull off in the bone-melting heat of the Big Easy, and she was fawning all over some guy in a sharp blue suit at Table Eight. The man’s accent grew thick as molasses as he spat, She told me she was working tonight.

It’s possible that she’s having dinner here with a client or her cousin or something, Abby suggested kindly…. Even though she rather hoped the blonde was a cheating cheater who cheated cheatingly.

Cheatingly could be a word.

As if the universe heard Abby’s plea, the blonde started sucking chocolate mousse from the suit’s fingers, practically giving his digits a blowjob right there at the table.

Abby chewed on her ample bottom lip and acquiesced. Maybe not.

Mr. Adorable started breathing heavily, pulling at the fraying collar of his shirt with his free hand while Abby took on more of the picture frame’s weight. His face rippled into an angry snarl as the blonde giggled and gave the suit’s finger one last lick.

Oh, no. She’d seen this scenario play out enough times to know that a very loud, hysterical scene was about to play out and someone was going to end up with a drink or dessert thrown in their lap. Xavier detested loud public scenes in his dining room, and detested employees who allowed them even more.

Marianne? Abby whispered, shoving at his shoulders as he moved toward the blonde’s table. Could you take over for me? I’m going on my break.

Compact and raven-haired with Southern charm to spare, Marianne nodded and stepped up to the podium. Abby caught her new friend’s wrist and pulled him into the nearby coat closet/lost and found and shut the door behind them. It was a cramped space, especially while lugging the big gift box around, but big enough to put his burden aside and shove him back toward the wall when he tried to duck around her.

No, wait, gah! she cried, throwing her arm around his waist and pressing him back. While he had the clear size advantage, Abby used her lower center of gravity to slow him down… well, not by much. But the hesitation gave her time to plant her feet against his calves and scramble up his body so she didn’t get bowled over. He slid his palms under her ass to balance her weight, stumbling back against the wall with an Oof.

Abby slung an arm around his neck to stay upright. He pitched forward, as if he could shake her off, but Abby wrapped her legs around his waist and squeezed. She grabbed the nearby closet bar, meant to hang forgotten jackets, and used her hips to force him back against the wall.

He was like a raging animal, confused and unaware of his surroundings or the potential criminal charges of his actions. Right. Decisions had to be made, quickly.

She grunted, making his head snap up, his pupils wide and angry. She leaned forward, covering his mouth with her own. He inhaled sharply, but the bull-breathing stopped. He made a startled noise and wrapped his hands around her arms, pulling her close. She’d meant to stop at a peck on the lips, just something to make him suck in a quick breath and interrupt the hyperventilation cycle. But now, his large hands were sweeping over the line of her back, the warmth of his skin seeping through the thin jersey of her dress. She moaned and he seemed to swallow the breathy little sound. His tongue made a gentle sweep against her bottom lip.

Then, as suddenly as she started the kiss, he stopped it, pulling away from her and staring through her with his muddled green eyes. The intensity of his gaze made it impossible to determine what he could be thinking. Was he angry with her for touching him without permission? Turned on? So mired in What the fuck? that her kiss hadn’t even registered?

I’m sorry. I’m not trying to take advantage. I was just trying to get you to stop breathing so fast… and it went a little sideways, she said.

It’s OK, he assured her, his hands slowly dropping away from the small of her back and ghosting over her ass. She started, surging forward and landing against Mr. Adorable, both of them thumping against the wood paneling.

His mouth dropped open at Abby’s face. She was pink and panting from their wrassling match. You’re strong for such a little thing.

Before she could retort properly, he glanced down and realized he was basically groping Abby’s ass. His hands sprang up, leaving her to slide down his body. And she couldn’t help but notice the bulge of his zipper as she slipped over it. Her mouth popped open in surprise, but she managed to pull it together enough to ask,