Table for Two Hundred

Priya Shah quit consulting because she was tired of telling other people how to fix things. Now she has six months to prove she can do it herself, by rescuing Lantern Hall, a beautiful Birmingham food hall with falling revenue, exhausted staff and far too much depending on one man. Chef Theo Mercer can fill tables with a single Instagram post. His videos turn flames, sauces and midnight prep into something dangerously watchable. He also considers schedules a personal insult. When he starts teasing “the woman trying to organise flavour” online, their arguments become entertainment, and the bookings start climbing. So does the attraction. Priya needs Theo’s energy without building the hall around him. Theo wants her systems nowhere near his creativity, even as he discovers that some of them actually make his kitchen better. Then an ambitious restaurant group offers him the glamorous standalone venue he has always wanted. Priya may finally be building something that can survive without Theo. She is no longer sure she wants to.