Emily, a stunning 22 year old, was raised by her mother. She returned home from college for the summer, with plans to spend the holiday with her mom, an esteemed private chef in Los Angeles. But when her mother falls too ill to fulfill a high-profile summer job, She is forced to take her place. She never expected her summer to involve working for Liam Black,the city's most sought after bachelor. Will they blur the lines or keep things strictly professional? One summer job, everything changes…..
view moreI was getting ready to resume my new summer job today. Technically, It wasn’t mine to begin with. My mom was the one who signed the six-week contract. I was just standing in for her.
I had come home to spend my last college summer with her. Senior year was just around the corner, and honestly, I couldn’t wait to get that degree in culinary arts.
My love for cooking, I inherited from my mom. A renowned chef in Los Angeles.
My father, God rest his soul, died when I was just four. Since then it’s been my mom and I. She’s all I got. So, when I returned home and found her looking pale. I knew there was no way I was letting her take on a job, no matter the personality involved.
She did try her best to persuade me otherwise.
“I have already signed the contract” she said
But I stood my ground. Her health was more crucial than anything. No way she is working in this condition. You should see her. She looked unwell.
“It is the Black family Emily. You know how powerful they are. Just let me do it. I’ll rest after this job, i promise”
She had pleaded with me. No matter how heartfelt her plea, I won’t budge. I offered to do the job myself instead. I grew up in the kitchens, assisting her through events. This won't be difficult for me to handle.
She needs to rest. So, I sent her to Houston to recover at my aunt’s place. Far away from the temptation of taking up a new job. I may or may not have threatened to never come home again if she refused.
Funny how the roles reversed. I am now parenting her. She left yesterday evening, and the house has been too quiet.
When I was done getting ready, I checked myself in the mirror. Black pants, a white top tucked in neatly, and my long black hair pulled into a ponytail. I looked the part. I nodded to my reflection, grabbed my keys, and headed out.
The address led me to one of those neighborhoods that are reserved only for the rich, powerful and Influential. Wide streets, well manicured lawns. Everything screams money. I am not surprised, it is the Black family. They dominate the business world. Real estate, IT, Hospitality. You named it. Their surname opens doors in this city.
I was granted access after I displayed my gate pass, drove along a breathtaking driveway leading to the main entrance.
Holy moly
A gigantic building was standing in front. I muttered under my breath, “This money we’re working for, some people really have too much of it.”
I parked, took a breath, and stepped out.
The number of cars in the garage is insane. My little car looked painfully out of place.
The landscape is breathtaking. A large well-maintained lawn. A fountain at the center. An elaborate garden. I walked to the front door and rang the bell. A man in his early fifties opened the door.
“Hello, I am Emily, the new Chef.” I said.
He nodded,“Okay, come on in. Mr Liam will be down shortly. Wait in the kitchen” I followed him through a foyer that belonged in the palace.
This place is huge. Larger than a typical home. A grand foyer with high ceilings welcomes you. A sophisticated living room,refined furnishing and attention to details in every aspect of the design. Every detail in this house contributes to the overall sense of luxury.
When we reached the kitchen, he left.
Wow
This kitchen is P*******t worthy. High end appliances. Ample counter space and a spacious island. Gosh! I am in love.
I was still admiring the space when a voice broke the silence.
“Well, who do we have here?”
I turned around, clutching my chest. “Oh my God, you startled me!”
There he stood. The famous Jason Black. The award winning singer. Dressed so casual in a gray tracksuit, looking like a walking billboard. Short brown hair, kind brown eyes that compliment it. With a captivating smile.
“You look even better in real life,” I blurted, then immediately regretted it.
He laughed, loud and genuine. “It feels different when you get a compliment from a beautiful woman.
”I looked down, trying to hide my flushed cheeks.
He walked over to the fridge, grabbed a water bottle, and took a seat at the island. I joined him.
“So,” he asked, “what brings you here?”
“Work. I’m the new chef,” I replied.
He gave me a curious look. “You look young.”
“I’m filling in for my mom. She’s ill. Trust me, I’m qualified. Grew up in kitchens, studying culinary arts. I know my stuff.”
His eyes softened. “I’m sorry to hear that. Is she okay?”
“She’s getting better. Thanks.”
“You’re really chill for a superstar,” I added, smiling. “I’m a fan.”
He chuckled and took a sip from the bottle. “What’s your name?”
“Emily.”
“Well, Emily, you’re cool too.”
I liked him. He is easygoing, fun and humble. Not your typical spoiled celebrity stereotype.
“But you know who’s not so cool?” he asked, raising a brow.
I tilted my head. “Who?”
“My brother. Your new boss. Liam Black. He can be intense. Don’t take everything he says or does personally”
Why did that feel more like a warning than advice?
“Got it,” I said.
We started chatting about music, and I asked about the inspiration behind his song ‘To All the Memories’. He was in the middle of explaining when footsteps echoed in the hallway.
He glanced up. “Speak of the devil.”
I turned.
Dayum!
His is a masterpiece. Liam Black had entered the room. He is quite tall and muscular. Wearing a black three-piece Armani suit that looks like it was designed specifically for him. You could tell he frequented the gym. Chiseled jawline. Brown eyes. Perfectly carved nose. Hair slicked back with just enough curls. He smelled like wood and mint. Sophisticated. Intimidating. Its evident beauty runs in the blood. I understand why he is the most sought after bachelor in this City. The man is a sight for sore eyes.
He didn’t spare us a glance. Just walked straight to the fridge, grabbed a bottle of water, and drank.
“He’s rude,” I whispered to Jason.
Jason stifled a laugh.
“Good morning, dear brother,” Jason said. “Your chef is here.”
Liam finished his water, turned slightly, and nodded once at his brother “Jay.”
Then those eyes fell on me.
He didn’t say a word. Just stared. I couldn’t read his expression. Disapproval? Curiosity? Annoyance?
One thing was clear.
This summer just got a whole lot more complicated...
For once, I wasn’t rushing to pack, unpack, survive a heartbreak, or fight my feelings. I was just… existing. A little tired, a little bruised, but undeniably home.After graduation, I took a breath. Then another. My mom cleared her schedule just to spend more time with me. She pushed back her job assignments with that soft smile of hers, saying, “You’ve done enough chasing, baby. Let’s pause and figure out what feels right.”So I paused.No Michelin-star job offers. No chef competitions. Just space. And the quiet to figure out what mattered next.Instead, I leaned into the one thing that kept chasing me, an audience.The Mason tour. The viral photos. The whirlwind of public attention that came with being linked to Liam Black. It all added up to a growing online following–curious, relentless, waiting for my next move. And for the first time, I had something entirely mine to offer.I decided to build something small. Honest. Me.Food vlogging.Nothing too polished. Just stories told th
Jay wanted a blowout the second I landed in L.A. A ridiculous guest list. I shut it down before he even finished his pitch.“Come on, Emily. Just a soft launch? Your welcome-back era needs champagne.”“Three days, Jay. I need to unpack my life before I celebrate it.”He groaned like I’d just canceled his birthday. “Fine. But I’m still doing something. No take-backs.”That’s how I found myself three nights later in his living room, barefoot, dancing off-beat to a trending TikTok challenge with Jay and Sophia. Party shreds littered the floor. Pizza boxes decorated the counter. And tequila ran heavier than common sense.Jay went all out, despite our “just us” rule. Streamers, balloons, even a custom cake that read: Welcome Back, Chef Emily, Queen of Our Stomachs.Sophia stared at it and burst into laughter. “Jay, you’re unbelievable.”“It’s heartfelt!” he grinned.We danced, shouted lyrics we didn’t know, and collapsed in a heap of limbs and laughter on the rug. My stomach ached. My chee
The holiday break didn’t crash in with confetti or leave with fanfare. It just slipped through the cracks– soft, still, and quietly necessary.The days blurred into cold mornings and familiar routines. Just life, moving forward in small, quiet steps.When the semester resumed, everything moved faster than I expected. The final term was a blur of masterclasses, industry panels, timed challenges, capstone presentations, and practicals that ran on caffeine and second winds.There was barely time to think about anything else.Not even him.Well… almost.Sophia sent countdown texts like a wedding planner prepping a bride.“Two weeks to freedom, chef girl.”Lisa, in her usual fashion, scheduled mock interviews with me “for fun,” even though she aced everything. Our nights were filled with laughter that spilled past curfews, and nerves we disguised as caffeine highs. And Kelvin, true to his word, respected the line I’d drawn. His name still lit up my phone sometimes, a funny meme or random
It didn’t happen overnight. The shift was small at first. Subtle. Like someone had peeled away a layer of fog I didn’t even know I’d been walking through.Chef Conrad didn’t yell the next morning. He didn’t sneer when I accidentally sliced my truffles too thin. He didn’t call my name like it was a slur on his tongue.Instead, he nodded. Once.Not a compliment. Not forgiveness. But acknowledgement.And it was enough.For weeks, I’d braced myself for the next blow, the next humiliation. But after Liam’s visit, after that moment outside the office when everything in me cracked open and I let it, something changed.In Conrad. In me.He didn’t become soft. That man didn’t have a soft setting. But the personal edge disappeared. The storm in his eyes when he looked at me dulled to gray.And for the first time, I could breathe in his kitchen.---School moved fast.Too fast.One day I was practicing soufflés until my arms ached, the next I was submitting mock business proposals for my final p
It had been a month since I buried myself in the intensity of my final year, hoping the pressure of deadlines and the heat of stainless steel kitchens could numb everything I still felt for Liam Black.It worked.Sort of.Chef Conrad Wells was another story."Strict" would’ve been generous. "Ruthless" came closer. But if I was being honest, it was personal.He didn’t just critique, he scrutinized. Didn’t just instruct, he hovered. Every move I made, every stir, every garnish, his eyes were there, sharp and waiting, like he wanted me to break.He made me redo a demi-glace three times during a lunch rush.He swapped my partners so often I could never find rhythm. Gave me the toughest meat cuts. Marked me down for presentation issues others got away with. At first, I thought I was imagining it. Maybe I’d forgotten how to take criticism. But deep down, I knew the truth.This had everything to do with Liam.Maybe he’d seen the gossip blogs. The viral clips. The headlines that once plaste
The air at LAX always had a strange kind of weight. Maybe it was all the hellos and goodbyes stitched into the walls. Or maybe it was just me, standing there, suitcase beside me, staring at the departure gate like it might eat me whole.Mom parked the car in the quiet section of the terminal lot, but neither of us made a move to get out right away. The engine ticked softly as it cooled, a quiet echo to the silence sitting between us.“I had six miscarriages before you,” she said.I turned to her, stunned. Her eyes didn’t waver, just stared ahead like she was watching the memory replay through the windshield.“The doctors gave me a name for it, but your father… he just called it heartbreak. After the last one, we both just stopped hoping. We said maybe it wasn’t meant for us. Maybe we weren’t meant to have a child.”She looked at me then, really looked.“And then, you came.”My throat closed. “Mom…”“You were our miracle, Emily. You still are.” Her voice cracked. “So if anyone deserves
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