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<div style="text-align: right"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 22px">rafael silva<br/>
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</span>​</div><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Rafael reached into the hallway closet for his black chef’s coat. His intent was to make this conversation about business. He took off his shirt and slipped into the black coat. Rafael knew they'd been testing their menu since opening and the soft opening they had went well. Rafael didn’t expect today to go smoothly, but he also didn’t expect them to be far from perfection. He knew his team was aware of how important this was to him and Rafael wasn’t above firing someone if he felt they were behind a mistake or disruption.<br/>
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He finished with the last button and leaned against the wall watching Even carefully. She seemed very calm. He recalled a time when this sort of energy used to make her nervous. It was refreshing to see her collected and acting every bit like the chef he knew she could be; the fledgling he had mentored into a master. He tore his gaze away from her to reach for the menu he’d placed down on his desk upon getting ready. Rafael looked it over, making sure there were no typos. He had no reason to doubt that Aven was on top of everything. They both sought out perfection, and they'd work their fingers until they bled to assure all demands had been met.<br/>
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It seemed Aven wasn’t completely the voice of all anxieties. He straightened up when she leaned in, even though no one made any mind to the two. Why was he so surprised? Aven’s relationship with Sebastian wasn’t at all new to him. It’d make sense that he'd show up considering how much he cared for Even. . . how much he loved her. His tongue sweat over the inside of his teeth, making a smacking sound in thought. Of course, he was upset, but they were one in the same.  <br/>
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<i>"I...told him that it's just work between us.”</i><br/>
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He chuckled halfheartedly. “I suppose I can't be upset now can I? Danielle informed me that she’ll be here as well.” He wasn’t sure whether or not it was worth it to worry about something out of their control. Both of their partners would be here to support them, and it was up to them to see through this act until the end of the night. This wasn’t at all new to Aven and Rafael,  but would the sneaking around get old sooner this time for her? The head manager called for Rafael’s attention then. He knew they had little time to spare before the doors were officially to be opened. “Have you changed your mind about tonight?” Rafael’s voice had dropped lower as well, though with every pot and pan being moved in the kitchen, it was hard to hear the shared whispers between the two in the first place. Had she been wracked with so much guilt from last night and Sebastian’s attendance that she came to her senses?<br/>
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Rafael looked over his shoulder and when he was certain they were alone he reached his hand out to caress her cheek. Through all this madness, Aven always was his peace. She knew what was going on in his head, she worried about what he did before the thought had a chance to even formulate. He was more anxious about his wife being in the restaurant than anything that could go wrong. What were Danielle’s intentions?<br/>
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