Food Frenzy

By Linn Edwards

Ethan is in between college and law school, helping out in the family restaurant for a year while his aunt recovers from a stroke. His mother Zoe runs the business, but it’s still overseen by his grandfather Fergie, for whom the restaurant is named.

They’re approached by Jeremiah Thomas, a writer for the magazine Foodie Today, who is interested in doing feature article on diners in America. Ethan and Fergie are all in, but Zoe doesn't like the looks Jeremiah gives her son over the counter and wants none of it.

There’s an immediate attraction between Ethan and Jeremiah ... over food and each other. Given the short time they have, Ethan throws caution to the wind and plunges into what’s supposed to a few nights of fun.

But law school and deepening feelings on both their parts loom on the horizon. Can they serve up a delicious helping of a life together?

• Language: English
• Publisher: JMS Books LLC
• Release date: Nov 10, 2017
• ISBN: 9781634864886

Book preview

Food Frenzy

By Linn Edwards

Published by JMS Books LLC at Smashwords

Visit jms-books.com for more information.

Copyright 2017 Linn Edwards

ISBN 9781634864886

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Cover Design: Written Ink Designs | written-ink.com

Image(s) used under a Standard Royalty-Free License.

All rights reserved.

WARNING: This book is not transferable. It is for your own personal use. If it is sold, shared, or given away, it is an infringement of the copyright of this work and violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review.

This book is for ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It may contain sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which might be considered offensive by some readers. Please store your files where they cannot be accessed by minors.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are solely the product of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously, though reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Published in the United States of America.

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Thanks go out to my local coffee shop where much of this book was written on an iPhone, a wireless keyboard, and a phone easel. They kept the caffeine flowing.

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Food Frenzy

By Linn Edwards

Chapter 1

Ethan worked the counter after an early stint at the grill of the family restaurant. It was only 7:30 A.M., and they were packed. He had gone through several dozen eggs already and had to remix the pancake batter again. It would calm down around ten and then crank up at 11:30 for their lunch crunch. Fergies served breakfast all day, and even the lunch crowd would want their eggs, real home fries, and biscuits and gravy. Their coffee was roasted regionally and stronger than most places in town. It had an addicted audience. They still brewed their own iced tea and offered the ever-popular Southern Sweet Tea and unsweetened tea. He could almost predict what some people would order when they came in through the door.

He glanced up as a young man in shorts and a T-shirt came in and looked for a table. Ethan wiped his hands and went up to the stranger, immediately noticing the man’s aftershave and the clearness of his eyes. He had a little reddish-blond stubble on his chin and all but neat, perfect thick hair. Running his hand through his own unruly curly hair, Ethan caught his breath and found his voice.

How many in your party? Right now, all I have open is the counter, but one of the back booths should open up soon. Ethan grinned. They have to be on duty soon.

The young stranger looked back at two booths of burly policemen and grinned. Ah, a good indication the coffee here is good. And the counter is fine, thanks.

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Jeremiah found himself alone on one of the four stools in front of a short counter that looked into the pass-through to the kitchen. He sat to the left of the cash register and had a clear view of where the wait staff fixed the toast, coffee, soft drinks, and other things to go with their meals.

The counter afforded Jeremiah a good overall view of the small but tidy diner. The restaurant sat maybe seventy-five when full, and it was certainly busting at the seams this morning. People were coming in for take-out orders as well, and the phone rang incessantly with people calling in orders. He noted the wait time for take-out was an impressive twenty minutes. Looking through the pass-through was a fast-paced, short order ballet of well-practiced choreography in the small, efficient kitchen.

Jeremiah was also impressed with how often the wait staff and busboy used the hand sink to wash their hands. He didn’t see the usual hand sanitizer anywhere. The young man who seated him came back around with fresh coffee to top off his rather large mug and asked him if he had decided. Jeremiah blushed a bit and admitted he still needed some time. The dark-haired young man wore a white T-shirt with the diner’s logo and black cotton pants. He had on comfortable shoes and a bright, infectious smile.

Sorry. Still looking through this menu.

The young man grinned and put more little cups of creamer and packets of the yellow stuff Jeremiah had already