Chasing His Kickass Luna Back Chapter 344

Abby

Damon’s cool fingers graze across my shoulder, sending an unexpected shiver down my spine. I meet his gaze squarely and carefully step away.

“Well?” he asks, staring at my bare shoulder for a moment longer before smoothly slipping his hand back into his pocket. “What do you say, Abby?”

I pause, chewing the inside of my lip before I answer. “I’ll admit I’m a bit intrigued. But I’d like some more information first.”

Damon nods. “Of course. It’s only fair,” he says. “Let me put it plainly: you would be my new head chef. You would have your own lavish quarters here at the estate, access to only the finest seasonal ingredients and state-of-the-art kitchens outfitted with all of the latest cooking technologies…”

He pauses, his gaze intense on my face. “And I assure you, the salary and benefits would be extremely generous for a chef of your caliber. You would never want for anything ever again.”

The offer sends my pulse kicking into high gear even as skepticism nags at me. It really does sound almost too good to be true. Too easy. I fold my arms tightly across my chest, warding off the evening chill.

“That all sounds wonderful, believe me, Damon. But I have my restaurant back home, my staff who rely on me.” I shake my head slowly. “I can’t just abandon all that responsibility on a whim.”

Damon waves a dismissive hand. “You needn’t worry about them. Should you accept, I will personally buy out your restaurant.”

My eyebrows raise of their own accord. “You would do that?” I murmur.

He nods. “Indeed. I will hire the best of the best to run the restaurant in your stead, and to sweeten the deal, I’ll even allow you to choose two people from your staff to join you here permanently, should they be interested in the positions.”

As he speaks, his eyes bore unrelentingly into mine. I can’t deny that it’s an extremely appetizing offer…

“Here you could create without limits or burden,” he continues. “No more scraping for investors, no more catering to petty client tastes, no more… groveling for common people. Here, you would be revered.”

I chew my lower lip. He makes uncomfortably valid points about the creative freedom this role would afford me. Back home, my visions are checked by harsh reality at every turn. The Alpha party debacle was a good example of that.

But my gut still twists at the thought of leaving everything and everyone I know behind. I love the city. I love my restaurant. No matter how tempting the offer is, I just don’t know…

And besides, I’ve never viewed my work as ‘groveling for common people’. The common people are what made me successful to begin with.

“I don’t really view my customers as common people to grovel for, as you say,” I counter, unable to keep the bite out of my tone. “Rich or poor, all people deserve to eat good, fresh food. I just want to make that clear.”

Something hardens behind Damon’s initially charming facade, but he masks it quickly. “Of course,” he says coolly. “I only met to say that it would be a step up for you.”

I nod, swallowing. “Please don’t misunderstand me—I am incredibly flattered by your offer. Humbled, even,” I press on. “But my work, my home and community are all back in the city… near my friends.”

Near all I have left now with Karl gone once again, I think inwardly to myself. I choose to omit that part to Damon.

Damon looks away with a tight nod, a tense muscle lining his clenched jaw. An uncomfortable silence sits suspended between us then, heavy as the darkness.

I feel as if I’ve offended the prince by not immediately swooning at his grand opportunity. But in good conscience I can’t just abandon everything and everyone I know and love for the promise of lonely luxury.

After a strained pause, Damon finally turns back with a conciliatory tilt of his head. “I understand how weighty this decision is for you. The offer remains open for the remainder of your stay here, so if you change your mind…”

“Of course,” I say. “I’ll let you know for certain by the end of the week.”

Damon nods. He then steps back and gestures towards the balcony doors. “Well, it’s quite late, Abby. Please, allow me to walk you back to your rooms.”

…

With a heavy sigh, I kick off my pinching heels and flop down on my bed. My arms are outstretched to the sides as I stare up at my ceiling fan, watching it spin in lazy circles over me. It’s a pretty good representation of how my mind feels right now, I think; never-ending spinning thoughts.

Damon’s offer still lingers in my mind. It’s an intriguing offer; my restaurant and my staff would be taken care of, and it would be a step forward in my career. I could even bring a couple of my staff with me, if any of them are interested.

Although, I don’t think any of them would want to come. Maybe Daisy and Ethan? But from what I understand, they just signed a lease on a new apartment together.

Then there’s John and Anton, but John has a daughter in the city who he has shared custody over with his ex-wife, so he won’t leave. Not to mention Anton is rebuilding his relationship with his own wife and daughter.

There’s Chloe and Leah, but Leah isn’t one of my staff; she just helps out occasionally and has her own desk job, her own life. Plus, Chloe might actually be dating someone now. Logan, no less. And I’d be damned if I dragged her away from potentially finding love after all these years.

Yes, Damon’s job offer is tempting. But I’d be alone here; I’d really need to start over completely.

Is that what I want?

Out of instinct, I reach out for my phone and navigate to Karl’s contact. Surely he’ll have some insight on the matter. But then, just as my finger is hovering over the call button, I freeze.

I can’t call him. We’re over. What was I even thinking?

As I hold my phone, the little picture of Karl stares back at me; he’s gazing coolly into the camera. Not smiling, although I can see a hint of one tugging at the corners of his lips. Just seeing him like this makes me want to sob.

Tears prick at the backs of my eyes as I slowly lower my phone back down onto my chest and clutch it as if it will somehow bring us back together.

God, why did he have to do this? Why couldn’t he have just talked to me? Why did he feel the need to go behind my back and push us apart again?

Suddenly, as I’m laying there and fighting back tears, there’s a knock at my door. I quickly shut my phone off and sit up, wiping my eyes. “Come in.”

A moment later, Chloe slips into the room with a curious look on her face. “Well? Give me all the juicy details,” she demands, crossing the room to sit next to me. “How was your fancy little not-date with Prince Charming?”

I roll my eyes at her playful prying, even as I oblige and begin to explain everything. I give her a brief rundown of the confusing, emotionally charged evening—including the surprise job offer.

Her eyebrows lift higher and higher the more I tell her.

“So he just offered you a coveted job on the royal staff? Just like that?” Chloe whistles under her breath. “Can you even imagine working for real royalty full time?”

When I merely hum noncommittally instead of swooning outright, she nudges me with her elbow. “Oh, come on,” she says. “What’s not to love about that offer?”

“I don’t know.” I shrug, flopping back fully onto the expansive mattress now. My nerves are beyond shot. “It would mean pulling up my whole life overnight to move somewhere I barely know. Away from everyone. Away from you.”

Even just saying so out loud makes my throat tighten with uncertainty. The very notion rattles me. I’ve never not had Chloe and Leah by my side.

Chloe nods slowly, clearly trying to be delicate. “Look, I understand your hesitation. But maybe doing something totally new and different could wind up being really fulfilling too, you know?” She offers an encouraging smile. “A fresh start.”

I know inherently what she’s implying. My failed relationship with Karl has left me at loose ends.

“A fresh start is intriguing, I’ll give you that,” I say softly. “But away from you and Leah? Away from all the others? I just don’t know…”

Chloe chuckles. “It’s just a few hours, Abby. Maybe you could negotiate funded trips back and forth from Prince Damon. He’s clearly got a soft spot for you. He’d likely say yes.”

Her words make me blush, but not for the reasons she thinks. It’s true; Prince Damon does clearly have a soft spot for me. Maybe he’s even a little obsessive, only knowing what he’s seen about me on TV.

I wish he didn’t, though.

Finally, I manage a shrug. “You’re right. I guess I’ll think about it.”

“That’s the spirit.” Chloe pulls me in for a tight hug, and I allow myself to relax onto her shoulder. Tears prick at the backs of my eyes again, but I quickly blink them away. By the time we pull apart, she can’t even tell that I was just on the verge of crying.

“A fresh start, Abby,” she says gently, taking my hand in both of hers. “It could be good for you. After…”

Her voice trails off again, but we both know what she’s referring to. I inhale a deep breath through my nose and nod stiffly. Maybe she’s right; maybe after multiple heartbreaks with Karl and a failed engagement to Adam, it’s time to try something completely different.

Even if it hurts like hell.

“Yeah,” I say. “A fresh start might not be the worst thing.”