Alex placed the last wasabi prawn on a cracker and stepped back. The charity cocktail was taking place in the ballroom on the tenth floor later that evening and the appetisers were almost ready. Once the mango and coconut hot cross buns were done baking, she would be able to leave for a walk. She needed a walk.

The scent of coconut and nutmeg wafted through the empty stations of Petrichor's kitchen as Alex prepared honey glaze. It had been four days since New York, five days since she saw her brother, five days she woke up in her bed with no recollection of how she got there.

She vaguely remembered falling asleep on the plane. Did Gabriel have her carried to her room? Did he carry her, himself? He must have, because if anyone else had touched her, she would have woken with pain.

Adding vanilla paste to the honey, she beat furiously. It was embarrassing, the thought of him walking her through the hotel like that. At least she had not faced him yet since he had not been to Petrichor in days.

Where the hell was he, anyway? It didn't matter that she didn't particularly want to see him at the moment, he owed her his time for the work she had been putting into these blasted appetisers.

Alex tucked a stray bit of hair behind her ear, then checked on the buns; another minute to go. The great Mr. Moncrief hadn't shown himself, but his rumours were circulating among the staff. Apparently he was no longer engaged to the blonde model and had been seen with three different women already.

The knowledge put her in a foul mood. Who wouldn't be pissed? He owed her his time, but was serial dating instead. "Jerk."

"Who's the Jerk?"

Alex turned at the sudden intrusion and found Luca coming through the swing door that led to the restaurant floor. His hair was dishevelled and there was stubble on his usually clean-shaven face.

"You look tired," she said, more out of surprise than anything else. Luca was a man who spent each day under intense pressure without blinking; that was the lot of a professional chef in a large kitchen.

"Are you worried about me, amore?" The glint in his golden eyes was enough to make her snort.

If he had energy to flirt, he was just fine . "I've got to glaze the buns and then I'll be done here."

Luca put a large box on the empty counter beside her, then dipped down to see the cooking pastries, "Good colour."

She slipped on oven mitts and took out four trays of buns, filling the kitchen with a coconut-mango sweetness that was warm, but not overpowering.

"Smiling suits you," Luca said, continuing in his usual vein.

"Smiling suits everyone," Alex mumbled, suddenly thinking of James and his sad expression as he looked at her that day. Her chest felt stuffy. "I'm going out for a walk. You'll do the glazing?"

"You're going to let me finish your buns?" Luca searched her face, before a grin broke out across his face. "We are definitely making progress."

"Progress my foot." Alex drew the apron over her head.

"Today you let me touch your food, tomorrow you let me...take you on a date. Makes sense, no?"

"No," Alex rolled her eyes. "So the glaze, will you do it?"

"Sure," Luca picked up the bowl of glaze, then he was pushing the box towards her. "But I want a favour in return."

Regarding the box warily, Alex folded her arms across her chest, "What favour?"

"Look, I've spent all morning doing interviews and I still have to do a photoshoot before the event," he had a 'pity-me' look on his face that was as fake as Californian snow. He sighed for extra effect,"It's going to be a long enough day as it is, Alex. And if I attend the cocktail on my own...well you know, the women will try to ravish me and I just don't have the energy to fight them."

Alex just raised her brows, telling him just what he thought of his little display. Luca laughed, his boyish charm disarming as he put his hands together in a pleading gesture, "Please principessa, attend with me, you can help keep the ladies at bay."

"I'm sorry, Bisset." She put on a saddened expression to match his game. "I would love to help, but we both know your ladies would just steamroll over me to get to you."

Luca laughed again, taking a step closer so that his scent replaced the sweetness in the air around her. His scent was fresh and comfortable, unlike Gabriel's which set her nerves on edge.

"Alright, then just come for a few minutes, just to see how the guests react to the appetisers." He watched her face, then pushed one more time, "The waiting staff might place the wrong foods next to each other...and I'll be preoccupied fighting off the ladies so the scents might mix and your precious appetisers..."

"Fine," Alex sighed, annoyed at herself for getting played by him. There was no way Luca would allow the food to be served in the wrong way, but if it did happen... "I'll come for a few minutes."

"Excellent." Luca grabbed her apron from her and shoved the box in her hands, "Since I have not seen you in anything but trousers and sweatshirts, I took a guess that you might not have cocktail attire." Before she could protest, he held up his hand. "You will definitely like it, mio Tesoro. Trust me."

Alex looked down at the package, then back at the chef who gave her one of his killer smiles. She suspected Luca would make the worst boyfriend in the world, but she trusted his taste, his skills as a colleague and perhaps, she even saw him as a friend?

Friends. Since the accident, the only people in her life that she could consider friends were Yu Yan and Bohai.

Alex watched Luca mix the bowl of glaze as he moved around the kitchen, inspecting the buns with his brows drawn together. Was he her friend? Despite the secrets between them, he was easy to laugh with and easy to work with. Plus, they shared mutual respect. Surely, that made them friends in a way?

With that warming thought, Alex took her box and left the kitchen.