He pulled a card out of his wallet and handed it to her.

She held the card between her fingers.

“When this show is all said and done, give me a call and I’ll show you around the city if you like. I’m a great tour guide.”

Is he flirting with me? Maybe Mrs. Leary was on to something after all. Is Tony my chance to find love?

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Three

After seeing the set, Andrew was amped and ready to get this challenge started. On the way back to their hotel, he asked Lori, “Where can we get a good meal tonight? I was thinking maybe Le Bernardin, Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare, or maybe Daniel. I’ve heard Per Se is amazing too.”

“Our per diem is quite generous, but I can guarantee you none of those places are going to be in the budget.”

“My treat.”

“Even so, I’m fairly certain we can’t place a pickup order from any of those places,” Lori said.

Pffft. “Half the experience of the food is the plating and atmosphere in the restaurant.”

“The only atmosphere you’re going to be experiencing through Valentine’s Day is here and on the set.”

He’d talk her into it before the week was out. He had no doubt. There was no way he could be right here in New York City and not show up at one of the restaurants of the chefs he’d met when they’d visited his restaurant—well Francois’—in Paris. If he had to pretend to miss his flight to get an extra day in, he was going to get to at least one of those places.

A little disgruntled, he mumbled, “Happy Valentine’s Day to me.”

“Did you leave someone special behind?”

“No.” He hadn’t even left a plant. There wasn’t anything personal in his apartment at all. Even the furniture had already been there when he’d moved in. He’d never made it a home. The thought of home made him think of Kelly. He could probably feel at home with her anywhere.

“Well, yeah,” he said. “I guess I did leave someone special behind. I just didn’t make it clear to her that I thought she was special.”

“You’re an idiot then. My ex was like that.” Lori cocked her head and leaned away from him. “That’s why he’s an ex. Don’t be like that.”

Great. I would get the Dr. Phil of handlers. “You sound a little bitter.”

“I’m doing you a favor by saying this. Don’t screw up like he did.”

The car pulled back in at the hotel, and they walked through the ground-level entrance to the elevators.