Afterburn

paused to collect myself. “I have three brothers. They can’t all take over Rossi’s when our dad retires and they don’t want to. The oldest will and the other two...well, they want their own Rossi’s.”
    “And your contribution is a degree in restaurant management and a lot of heart.”
    “I want to learn how to help them realize their dreams. I want to help other people achieve theirs, too.”
    She nodded and reached for her glasses. “Thank you, Gianna. I appreciate you coming in today.”
    Just like that, I was dismissed. And I knew I wasn’t going to get the job. I hadn’t said whatever she’d needed to hear to make me the clear-cut winner.
    I stood, my mind racing with ways I could turn the interview around. “I really want this job, Ms. Yeung. I work hard. I’m never sick. I’m proactive and forward-thinking. It won’t take me long to anticipate what you need before you need it. I’ll make you glad you hired me.”
    Lei looked at me. “I believe you. You juggled multiple jobs while maintaining your honors GPA. You’re smart, determined and not afraid to hustle. I’m sure you’d be great. I just don’t think I’d be the right boss for you.”
    “I don’t understand.” My stomach twisted as my dream job slipped away. Disappointment pierced through me.
    “You don’t have to,” she said gently. “Trust me. There are a hundred restaurateurs in New York who can give you what you’re looking for.”
    I lifted my chin. I used to be proud of my looks, my family, my roots. I hated that I was constantly second-guessing all of that now.
    Impulsively, I decided to reveal why I wanted to work with her so badly. “Ms. Yeung, please listen. You and I have a lot in common. Ian Pembry underestimated you, isn’t that right?”
    Her eyes blazed with sudden fire at the unexpected mention of her former partner who’d betrayed her. She didn’t answer.
    I had nothing to lose at this point. “There was a man in my life who underestimated me once. You proved people wrong. I just want to do the same.”
    She tilted her head to the side. “I hope you do.”
    Realizing I’d come to the end of the road, I thanked her for her time and left with as much dignity as I could manage.
    As far as Mondays went, that was one of the worst of my life.
    * * *
    “I’ M TELLING YOU , she’s an idiot,” Angelo said for the second time. “You’re lucky you didn’t get that job today.”
    I was the baby of the family, with three big brothers. He was the youngest. His righteous anger on my behalf made me smile despite myself.
    “He’s right,” Nico said. The oldest of the Rossi boys—and biggest prankster—bumped Angelo out of the way to set my meal in front of me with a flourish.
    I’d chosen to sit at the bar, since Rossi’s was packed as usual, the dinner crowd boisterous and familiar. We had a lot of regulars and often a celebrity or two, incognito, who came here to eat in peace. The comfortable mix was a solid sign of Rossi’s great reputation for warm service and excellent food.
    Angelo bumped Nico back with a scowl. “I’m always right.”
    “Ha!” Vincent scoffed through the kitchen window, sliding two steaming plates onto the service shelf and ripping the corresponding tickets off their clips. “Only when you’re repeating what I said.”
    The ribbing coaxed a reluctant laugh out of me. I felt a hand at my waist the moment before I smelled my mother’s favorite Elizabeth Arden perfume.
    Her lips pressed against my cheek. “It’s good to see you smile. Everything happens—”
    “—for a reason,” I finished. “I know. It still sucks.”
    I was the only one in my family who’d gone to college. It’d been a group effort; even my brothers had pitched in. I couldn’t help feeling like I’d let them all down. Sure there were hundreds of restaurateurs in New York, but Lei Yeung didn’t just turn unknown chefs into name brands, she was a force of nature.
    She spoke frequently about women in business and had been featured on a number of midmorning talk shows. She had immigrant parents and had worked her way through school, making a success of herself even after being betrayed by her mentor and partner. Working for her would have been a powerful statement for me.
    At least, that’s what I’d told myself.
    “Eat your fettuccine before it gets cold,” my mother said, gliding away to greet new patrons coming in.
    I forked up a bite of pasta dripping with creamy Alfredo sauce as I