A Date with a Foodie (The Dating Series Book 7) Read online

  Praise for The Dating Series

  McLaughlin and Dover give sex appeal a heart.

  —Isha Coleman

  In less than 100 pages, theses 2 authors have made me laugh, blush and fall in love with their characters.

  —Yoneidis Martín Martínez

  I loved it, I couldn't stop laughing and smiling!

  —Dana for Bloggin’ With M. Brennan

  The Dating Series has been, by far, my favorite reads of the year. I’ve devoured them all and can’t wait until the next one comes out.

  —Crystal

  Y'all I loved this series... and this book was my favorite!

  —Lauren

  Praise for Society X

  There are no words to describe how much I LOVED DARK ROOM. My two favorite authors come together to write an EPIC SEXY story! Parker is off the charts SEXY!! I couldn't get enough of him!

  —Amy, Goodreads

  Two of the most amazing authors come together to write this hot and steamy story.

  —Tamara, Goodreads

  Let loose your inhibitions, because being in the Dark Room will have you googling to see if one is near you.

  —Lexy at All Is Read

  After Dark Room, book one in this series, I was expecting BIG things from this book. Dark Room was a top read from me. I am a huge L.P. Dover fan and an even bigger fan of Heidi McLaughlin... but man these two ladies together are dynamic.

  —Brianna at Renee Entress’s Blog

  You know this book is going to be hot when they give you a warning before you start the reading the book! What I love about this book is it's ability to surprise me. I should know by now to never underestimate Heidi & LP when reading their books.

  —Annie, Goodreads

  What a steamy and hot read!! It started out steamy and sweet and ended with suspense and excitement!! Loved it!!

  —Kim, Goodreads

  Out of all the Society X novels, Play Room is hands down my favorite. I loved Alexandria and Kai together. They were sweet almost from the moment they met. This series was addictive from the start, and although it's over I look forward to what these two authors come up with next.

  —Rebecca, Goodreads

  Heidi McLaughlin & L.P. Dover deliver once again!! Loved the latest in the Society X series! Okay let's break this down shall we?!

  —Amber, Goodreads

  The Dating Series

  A Date for Midnight

  A Date with an Admirer

  A Date for Good Luck

  A Date for the Hunt

  A Date for the Derby

  A Date to Play Fore

  A Date with a Foodie

  A Date for the Fair

  A Date for the Regatta

  A Date for the Masquerade

  A Date with a Turkey

  A Date with an Elf

  A DATE WITH A FOODIE

  THE DATING SERIES #7

  Copyright © 2020

  Heidi McLaughlin & L.P. Dover

  All rights reserved.

  The right of Heidi McLaughlin to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her under the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000. This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without prior written permission of the publisher. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and events are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  COVER DESIGN: MadHat Studios.

  EDITING: Briggs Consulting

  Contents

  1. Madeline

  2. Adam

  3. Madeline

  The Foodie

  4. Adam

  5. Madeline

  6. Adam

  The Foodie

  7. Madeline

  8. Adam

  9. Madeline

  Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops

  Orange Dreamsicle Floatini

  Pulled Pork Recipe

  More Books from Heidi & L.P.

  Also by Heidi McLaughlin

  Also by L.P. Dover

  About Heidi McLaughlin

  About L.P. Dover

  1

  Madeline

  Growing up, I never imagined my life would be the way it is today. When people say they eat, sleep, and breathe their work, I can honestly say I believe it. I live it. Then again, it’s kind of nice living in the third-floor apartment above my restaurant. All I have to do is get ready for the day, walk down two flights of steps, and voila, I’m at work. Winning that cooking competition right after I graduated from culinary school really paid off. All I had to do was wait for the right piece of property to become available. It took a few years, but it all worked out in the end. My parents were both chefs and it was their dream to open their own restaurant, but they never did. I’m thankful I was able to do it, even if it did take me until I turned thirty-five.

  Once I have my dark red hair pulled back and one of my white chef’s aprons in hand, I head out the door to go down to my restaurant, Maddy’s Tavern. We don’t open up for another three hours, but I like to prepare early. Our lunch shift is always busy, but our evenings are slammed. We operate reservation only for dinner. Maddy’s Tavern has only been open for a year and every day it grows. One day, it’ll be known as one of the best restaurants in Chicago. One day. The chance of that happening is slim, but I can still dream.

  The staircase leading to my apartment is in the back of the restaurant and it’s only accessible with a key. I had the door put in to keep people from venturing up to my floor in search of the bathroom. It happened a couple of times before and that was enough for me.

  When I open the back door to the restaurant, it just so happens that Katy, my best friend and restaurant manager, walks through the front door, holding the morning newspaper and dressed in a nice black pants suit with her sleek blonde hair pulled back into a low ponytail. Katy and I have been best friends ever since we were kids. While I went to culinary school, she got herself a Business degree. Now she works for me.

  “Hey,” I say, locking the door behind me.

  Katy waves and her engagement ring glitters. “Good morning. It’s such a pretty day outside.” She’s in a giddy mood and I love it. Her boyfriend finally popped the question a couple of nights ago. It’s about time too. Katy and I are thirty-five years old. She’s been dying to start a family. I, on the other hand, have only been able to think about my restaurant. I’m happy for her though. One of us needs to have the husband and kids. I’ll be the favorite aunt when she does decide to have some.

  “Any plans for the wedding yet?” I ask, meeting her at the bar.

  She beams as she sets her purse and newspaper down on the counter. “Of course. We’re thinking this December. I’ve always wanted to have a wintery wedding.”

  I laugh. “You’ll definitely get that. I’ll cater for you, if you want.” Then, I wink. “Free of charge.”

  Katy shakes her head and sits down in one of the bar stools. “No, absolutely not. You are my maid of honor. I need you by my side the entire time. I can’t have you stressed about getting the food done.”

  “Okay,” I say, holding up my hands as I sit down beside her. “The offer still stands.”

  She bumps me with her shoulder. “I really appreciate it though.”

  “You’re very welcome.”

  The front door opens and in walk Noah and Camryn, deep in conversation about something. They both graduat
ed from culinary school with me and we all became close friends. When I bought my building, I reached out to them to see if they’d work for me. They both have different talents in the kitchen. Noah is my sous chef and helps me with all the food while Camryn is my pastry chef. She handles all of the desserts.

  “Hey guys!” I shout, waving my hand in the air. “What are you two talking about? And please tell me it’s not the nonsense of how bananas don’t belong in banana pudding or some other crap like that.”

  Noah and Camryn are both in their early thirties. In school, they would get into heated discussions about what belongs in food and what doesn’t. I always find their debates comical.

  Camryn tilts her head back and laughs. She’s five feet tall but also a firecracker. Noah never stands a chance against her. “No, that was last week’s argument. Actually, we’re not talking about food this time. We’re discussing different dog breeds. I’m thinking of getting one.”

  “Oh, that’ll be awesome. Let me know what you decide. I love dogs.” I love them, but I don’t have the time to get one. Hopefully, one day I will.

  They walk up to the bar and Noah pulls out his notepad. “Okay, boss, what are we thinking for our special today? Pork chops? We just got a shipment in last night.”

  “Yes,” I agree. “And I’ll glaze them with my balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and Dijon mustard sauce.”

  Noah smiles. “Perfect. I’ll do my mashed potatoes and caramelized Brussel sprouts too.”

  Camryn holds her stomach. “You’re already making me hungry.” She pulls out her notepad and shows me the sketches of her dessert plans. I love how visual she is. “I want to do a chocolate raspberry torte, an orange creamsicle cake, and a chocolate peanut butter cheesecake.”

  “That sounds absolutely amazing. I’m on board with that.”

  Her blue eyes twinkle. “Great. I’ll get started.”

  She heads to the kitchen along with Noah. Katy shakes her head and laughs. “I never get tired of them.”

  “Me either. I love them.” I stretch my arms above my head. “All right, I should probably head back as well. Got lots of work to do.”

  Katy grabs my wrist. “Not yet. Have you read this morning’s paper?” Her eyes light up with excitement.

  “No, why?” My curiosity peaks.

  She flattens out the paper and points at one of the articles. “Check this out. Guess who’s coming to the Taste of Chicago?”

  Heart racing, I grab the paper and slide it my way. The second I see August Cahill’s name, I freeze. Every restaurant owner in the country fears him, but yet, also wants him in their restaurants. He’s a food critic who can make or break you. I’ve seen restaurants go under after a scathing review from him. That’s how terrifying he is. But then, the restaurants he’s praised are appearing on TV shows and making bank. Those owners will be set for life.

  “What if he comes to our restaurant while he’s here?” Katy asks. “He never uses his real name.”

  The thought of him coming into my tavern is exciting and terrifying, but there’s no way he’ll choose to come here over the hundreds of restaurants in Chicago. “I doubt we’ll have to worry about that, Katy. He’s not going to come here. I’m a nobody.”

  Katy scoffs. “Seriously, Maddy. You’re not a nobody. We’ve been open for a year and we’re booked every single night. That’s not being a nobody.”

  Shrugging, I close the newspaper. “Still, I don’t think he’ll come here. Would it be nice? Of course. But if he hates our food, I can kiss this place goodbye.”

  She shakes her head. “Our reviews are phenomenal, and we have over five hundred of them. That’s pretty damn good after just one year.”

  “True. If he’s going to be at the Taste of Chicago in a couple of days, we have to believe he’ll be tasting our barbecue. I need to make it epic.”

  Katy takes me by the shoulders. “You always do. We’re going to kick everyone’s ass at that event. Just you wait and see.”

  We’re going to be up against the best barbecue makers in the city. I know my pulled pork is amazing, but is it the best? We will see.

  The night went by without a hitch and it’s because I have the best staff in the world. Everything flowed and we got everyone in by their reservation times. “The special was our number one dish tonight,” I say, taking off my apron. We’re about to close and all the people in the restaurant are either eating their desserts or drinking cups of coffee or wine.

  Noah smiles over at me. “Yes, it was.”

  “You wouldn’t believe how many people raved about it,” Abbey cuts in. Abbey is a senior in high school and one of my hostesses. I look over at her in the corner, wrapping up the silverware. She looks up at me and grins. “Like, every table I walked past there was at least someone talking about it.”

  This makes me happy. “Good. I might add it to the main menu if we keep getting this response.” The kitchen door opens and Katy walks in. “How’s it looking out there?” I ask her.

  She grabs a carrot and smiles as she takes a bite. “Almost empty. You have a table you haven’t visited yet though. He got seated after your last round.”

  Usually, I like to walk through the restaurant and talk to the people. I like being able to interact with them. I hang my apron up and make sure my shirt doesn’t look wrinkled. “I’ll go out there now.”

  Before I can get out the door, Katy steps in front of me with a mischievous smile on her face. She takes another bite of her carrot. “Just to warn you, he’s really good looking and by himself. I didn’t see a ring on his finger.”

  Rolling my eyes, I look at her as if she’s lost her mind. “Hitting on my customers isn’t professional.”

  Katy snickers. “No, but in this case, I’d make an exception. He’s really hot.” Now she’s got me curious.

  I walk over to the door. “What table is he at?”

  “Table twenty. You’ll see him through the window. Just don’t let him see you.”

  When I get to the door, I have no clue why I’m even considering peeking out the window. I should just go out there and ask him how his dinner was like I do with everyone else. I haven’t been on a date in months. The last guy I went out with ended up being married and I had no clue. Needless to say, that ended pretty quickly. I’ve had horrible luck with men. When you’re thirty-five years old, most men are either married or divorced. Going with someone younger has crossed my mind, but I don’t think I’m ready for that either. Hence, why I don’t date anymore.

  Slowly, I lift up on my toes and focus on table twenty. The man’s back is to me so I can’t see his face. However, when he turns to the side, I know exactly who he is. It’s been sixteen years since I’ve seen him, but there’s no way I could forget his face.

  “Oh my God,” I gasp, clutching my chest. I move away from the door.

  Katy’s eyes widen. “What? Do you know him?”

  A smile lights up my face. “Yeah, you can say that. His name is Adam. I haven’t seen him in so long.” What is he doing here? The last time we saw each other was right before he moved to New York.

  Katy throws up her hands. “Why do I not know who he is? I’m your best friend. Judging by the look on your face I’d say you know him. Like in more than just a friendship kind of way.”

  I can feel the heat flood to my cheeks. “I met him at Northwestern when I was a freshman. He was a senior and we had the same anthropology class.”

  Katy slaps a hand over her mouth. “Is he the guy you studied with and always came back to the apartment with your clothes all wrinkled and sometimes backwards?”

  Closing my eyes, I look away sheepishly. “Yes. It was college and we were just having a good time. That spring, he moved back to New York after he graduated.” It wasn’t serious between us, but I really enjoyed spending time with him. Over the years, I’ve thought back on him and wondered what he was up to. Now he’s back in Chicago.

  Taking a deep breath, I wink at Katy. “Here we go.” I walk out the door
toward Adam. He glances over his shoulder and my heart skips a beat when he smiles at me.

  2

  Adam

  Being back in Chicago really brings back fond memories from college. I loved it here and had hoped to stay but my passion was to be a news anchor in New York City. Still, I can’t help but think about all the good times I had in Chitown. One of the best memories was being with Madeline Metcalf. We dated—if you can call it that—when I was a senior and she was a freshman. I saw her across the quad early in the fall. She had dressed in a thick cream-colored cable knit sweater and the sleeves of her cranberry colored turtleneck stretched beyond the cuffs. She rolled the jeans she wore at her ankles and she had on duck boots, and I found myself wondering if they were real or just a knock off version. I don’t remember how long I stood there and watched her, but I was fascinated by her. My issue back then—I was leaving in May and had no intentions of returning.