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<div style="text-align: right">aven miller<br/>
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<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua'">A soft hum left her lips in response to his comment. Danielle would be here. And while Aven knew that Rafael and her had spoken about Aven, it was a whole nother thing to see her in the flesh. A faint trickle of nerves crept through her at the possibility of Danielle and Sebastian meeting. No good could come from that. Sebastian knew nothing of how Danielle looked, but there was no doubt that Rafael's wife would most certainly hold a special kind of spotlight once everything was set. <br/>
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Aven's face instinctively leaned towards Rafael's open palm. Her hazel eyes - fiery and nervous - dimmed for something a little smokier at the touch. His thumb trekked over her satiny cheek in a soft, hypnotizing rhythm and Aven's heart lurched in yearning. Whatever guilt that'd roped its poisonous rancor over her slipped like silk. "No," she softly answered. As foolish as it was, she wanted to love and be loved by him like they'd done in the past - no matter how fleeting and half-baked it'd been. She needed to see if it was the same. She needed to figure out if it was worth all this - the torment, the guilt, the lying that felt like a chip cracking at her with every pretty word woven and spoken. <br/>
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It felt worth it. For just these few brief private moments, Aven's body, mind, and soul called for Rafael - finding a home in his touch, burying its comfort in the piercing run of his gaze. She lifted her eyes up to meet his magnetic blue's, teetering her lips to the palm of his hand and kissing him gently there. "I'm hoping you haven't either," She felt her heart steadily pound up in her chest and every inch of her tensed in wariness. What if he did? He'd gone home to Danielle - talked to her, seen her. Perhaps he'd realized that whatever it is that happened last night was a mistake. Maybe he'd realized it as soon as he'd pushed himself out the door, Seattle's cold air washing away whatever air of lust that'd transpired between the two. Was it familiarity that had his body planting itself so wickedly against hers? Or was it was she felt?<br/>
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Aven did well to keep her worry contained, hidden being a playful smile. She stepped back from his embrace before someone else walked in their general direction. And in good time too - Louis, the gossip of the bunch maneuvered in their direction, and Aven was masked professionalism all over again. "Sorry to interrupt, Chef, but Alejandro and the guests have started to arrive," The <i>guests</i> were the two hundred selected people set to arrive - a range between influencers, food critiques, old-time acquaintances that'd watched Rafael prosper, and of course, his wife, a person Aven was still extremely unsettled at the thought of seeing. No matter. Aven would be the epitome of calm and collected, and most likely remain firmly in the kitchen primarily because of her position as sous chef. <br/>
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Still, when she heard the sudden sound of people filing into the restaurant, Aven's body pulsed with nerves. Her stomach knotted and immediately, her eyes trekked over the entrance to check for Sebastian or Danielle's arrival. She doubted Sebastian would come so soon. He still had work today and had planned to drop in for support near the end of the night when the Head Chef would partake in a few words. Just as Louis turned, Aven grazed past Rafael, her pinky lightly hooking with his. "Good luck," she murmured quietly, offering him a quick, foxish grin before slipping back onto her designated station - prepped for the incoming orders that'd take place. </span><br/>
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