Winning Her Heart

by Harmony Evans

  Jasmine took the card and stuck it near the cash register. “Thanks. I’ll be in touch.”

  She put all the sodas on a tray, and worked her way around the restaurant carefully. As she distributed the drinks to each customer, she announced that the air conditioning was fixed and thanked them for their patience.

  The room was starting to cool off, but she left the fans on to speed things up. As she shut the windows, she avoided looking across the street at Society Red, but sometimes she couldn’t help being curious. Most of the work was going on inside, and she had too much pride to peek through the windows after dark.

  The most important decision she’d made thus far was closing the restaurant for dinner. After doing some further competitive research, she discussed her findings with her grandmother and they decided it was best not to fight the inevitable.

  By sticking to breakfast and lunch only, they could increase their profit margin over time, without having to worry about being decimated by Micah’s restaurant, which was only open for dinner.

  Jasmine put together a marketing plan, including a website, social media presence and a small advertising budget that would help attract new residents and more visitors. The decor could use some sprucing up, too. But those efforts took money.

  She didn’t want to take out a loan, but it was starting to look like she had no choice. She needed money for the air conditioner, dishwasher, plus the software and order management equipment Micah had recommended to bring Lucy’s into the twenty-first century.

  The breakfast menu would remain traditional; steak and eggs, pancakes and sausage, toast and jam. Lunch would continue to feature Lucy’s famous jerk chicken sandwiches and other Cajun favorites.

  Jasmine wanted to extend the menu, and she would love to go to San Francisco and visit some of the hot new restaurants there to get some ideas. But even if she could get away for a weekend, it would be strange dining alone. She’d rather have Micah there, to offer his opinion, but that was impossible now.

  Maisie waved her over to her booth. “Sit down, honey. You look like you could use a break.”

  Jasmine set down three sweet ice teas on the table and plopped into the booth. “If one more thing breaks, I might just take a swan dive off the Bay Point Pier without a life jacket.”

  Maisie took a long sip and smacked her lips in appreciation. “Ah. The joys of being a small business owner.”

  Liza, who was joining her for lunch, fingered the droplets that had already formed on the glass.

  “I guess I’m lucky in a way. I rarely have to deal with equipment breakdowns, other than the battery in my phone dying on me,” she said.

  “No, I’m the lucky one. You ladies have stuck with me these last couple of weeks, through all the breakdowns, including my own.”

  A few hours after Micah had left over two weeks ago, Maisie and Liza had stopped in to see how she was doing. Though she’d put on a brave face in public the entire time he was still in New York, her grief and tears over his lies came pouring out over a few glasses of wine with her newfound friends.

  Maisie patted her hand and snorted in disgust.

  “You’ve had a rough time. I’m still upset with Micah and Gregory. I can’t believe they kept Society Red a secret, especially from me, and I know everything that’s going on in this town.”

  “And I’m still sorry that I couldn’t tell you, because of that stupid nondisclosure agreement I signed,” Liza added.

  “I know it was hard to do, but you were right to turn down Micah’s project, Liza.”

  “I’m glad I didn’t sign with someone who can’t be honest with the person he claims to love.”

  Maisie clucked her tongue. “Not so fast. If there’s one thing I know about the Langston men, when they fall for a woman, they fall hard and true.”

  Jasmine was momentarily tempted to share her innermost feelings about Micah, but to do so, felt a little like betrayal.

  Liza cleared her throat. “It worked out for the best though. I have more clients than I can handle right now, and—”

  She patted her stomach and lifted her eyes shyly. “With a baby on the way I need to be careful about my project load.”

  Maisie and Jasmine looked at each other at the same time, and then squealed in unison. Some of the patrons in the restaurant glanced up at the ruckus, and just as quickly, went back to their food and conversations.

  “Congratulations! Babies are always wonderful news!”

  “We’ll have your baby shower at the B&B,” Maisie offered. “I’ll take care of everything.”

  “Thank you!” Liza grinned. “Anthony and I are very excited.”

  “Much as I’d like to keep chatting, I’d better get back to work.”

  Jasmine started to slide out of the booth, but Maisie gently grabbed her arm.

  “Have you seen him?” she whispered.

  “No, not at all.”

  Maisie tsk-tsked and Jasmine accepted her motherly hug. “That’s too bad. He’ll come around.”

  She shrugged. “I don’t care if he does.”

  Liza and Maisie looked at each other. “Yes, you do.”

  “That’s my cue that break time is over.” She gave her friends a tight, but warm, smile.

  “By the way, lunch is on the house, ladies.”

  I don’t care if I ever see him again.

  That’s what she told herself over and over again, as she rang up checks, returned credit card slips for signing, and began to clear the empty tables.

  Perhaps if she said the words often enough, she would start to believe them.

  * * *

  “If Micah knew I was here, he’d have my head on the chopping block.”

  Jasmine rolled her eyes as she jogged with Marlon alongside the surf of Bay Point Beach.

  “I assume you knew about his restaurant, too?”

  “Of course, I did,” he said, breathing lightly. “But I couldn’t say anything because of the—”

  “I know, I know,” Jasmine interrupted, with a wave of her hands. If she heard the words nondisclosure agreement one more time, she would scream.

  “Anyway, Micah is not stealing the tongs and taking over when I grill for the family, which to me, is the same as howling at the moon. He seems depressed. I get the feeling the man misses you.”

  “He does?” Jasmine asked, even though she knew what he was saying was likely true. Her lips lifted at the memory of their time at the winery, when he tried to teach her to cook, and ended up doing most of the work himself.

  “Watch out!” she shouted, pointing at a beer bottle sticking up in the sand.

  Marlon grunted as he barely missed tripping over it.

  “Thanks. You sound like you don’t believe me. Still mad at him, huh?”

  She gave him a sidelong glance and stifled her annoyance.

  “Why do men think women can get over being hurt as easily as they can?”

  “Is that a serious question?”

  “Yes, it is. I’m curious.”

  “I can’t speak for all men, especially not my brother. But if it were me and I was truly sorry, I’d just want you to forgive me.”

  “Just like that?”

  Marlon nodded. “Yep, and why not? What is the point of holding on to a grudge, especially when you love the guy.”

  Jasmine stopped in her tracks and put her hands on her hips. It took a few seconds for Marlon to realize she was no longer by his side, and then he stopped and walked back over to her.

  “What did I say now?” He bent over and put his hands on his knees, gasping for breath. “Whatever it is, can we keep going? We still have another mile.”

  Jasmine shook out her legs and jogged in place to stay warm. “Just answer me one question. How do you know I love him?”

  “You think I haven’t noticed how much you haven
’t talked about Micah for the past couple of weeks? You used to gab about him constantly, ask me questions about him. Funny thing is, he’s asking me more about you than ever before.”

  She shook her head and took off running in the opposite direction, toward the pier.

  He caught up with her moments later. “You know, when someone runs away, they’re usually running from the truth.”

  Jasmine glanced over and huffed. “So what if I am?”

  Marlon picked up his pace and she hustled to keep up with him.

  “Someone has to stop running. Otherwise, how will you ever get back together?” he tossed over his shoulder.

  Though his words made her mind pause, she kept going, trying to understand her fear of a reunion with Micah. She didn’t know if he loved her, but suspected that he did.

  However, a single goal now divided them: the survival of their respective businesses. His money, popularity and experience gave Micah the upper hand in that department.

  If his restaurant hadn’t moved in across the street, it would have been one of his partners’. She feared that her grandmother’s legacy in town wouldn’t be enough to attract new customers. She knew she couldn’t count on the loyalty of her existing customers forever, especially if she didn’t have the funds to make the necessary changes to keep them coming back.

  She sprinted ahead of Marlon, wanting to be alone in her thoughts. Running as close to the waves as she could without getting wet, she realized how safe she’d been playing things with Micah. Competing with him scared her, but his fame did, too. She was afraid of losing a sense of belonging and importance in his eyes, and in his heart.

  Jasmine wanted to feel involved in her man’s life, but if they were constantly on opposite sides, how could she?

  She glanced over at the waves and slipped off her shoes and socks.

  Marlon caught up to her. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m going for a swim. What else?”

  “In your running clothes?” She nodded and he grinned. “Wish I could join you, but I’ll be late to work if I do. See you in a few days.”

  She watched him jog away and when she was alone, stepped to the edge of beach.

  The waves tumbled over and tickled her feet. She waded in slowly, the water deliciously cool, renewing her senses. The ocean swelled around her, and so did her determination to protect Lucy’s legacy, and her own.

  * * *

  The grand opening is in less than an hour.

  Micah felt a combination of wonder and disbelief as he thought about everything that had transpired in the months since he’d come back to Bay Point.

  His knees popped as he squatted down in front of the large, rectangular-shaped chalkboard near the hostess station. As soon as his life calmed down, he had to get back to the gym.

  The last few weeks had been hell on his body. He was lacking sex, sleep and his one true love. Without Jasmine, he had none of those things.

  I want her back, he thought, barely noticing his wait staff hustling around him, or the two pieces of chalk in his hand.

  Everything was ready. The jazz trio, comprised of local musicians who were long-term friends of his father, were tuned up and ready to play. The fifty invited guests would be arriving at any moment and hopefully Jasmine would be among them. Since she refused to speak to him, he’d issued the invite for the grand opening directly to her grandmother.

  Micah drew a large but lopsided heart on the chalkboard, and hitched in a breath, suddenly aware of what he had done.

  He smudged it away with the heel of his hand before anyone could see, wishing it were that easy to erase Jasmine out of his mind. She was there constantly, in spirit, reminding him of how much he wanted and needed her.

  Positioning his hand in the upper right-hand corner of the board, Micah eased the yellow chalk into a reasonably shaped circle, and colored it in. Then he took the orange chalk and drew long, squiggly lines to represent the rays of the sun, reflective of life itself.

  The path to happiness is never straight, he mused often, but weaves forth like the curved roads of the Pacific Coast Highway. Beautiful, but dangerous if one drives too fast, and gone in a flash.

  As he signed his name at the bottom left hand corner in bright blue, he hoped he hadn’t ruined his chance at making things right with Jasmine. If she’d written him off, he couldn’t blame her, although he had called and texted her several times.

  As the days rolled by before the grand opening, it seemed as though his to-do list grew larger instead of smaller. He pushed her rejection aside, to the deepest recesses of his mind, and figured that it was probably better that she wasn’t around.

  But he knew that wasn’t true either. Rather, he’d come to realize how painful it was to have the woman you love so close, literally across the street, but not be able to reach her in any way.

  Micah hadn’t given up trying to get her back. He’d just put his efforts on hold.

  Finally, he stood. “Nobody can claim I’m a Leonardo Da Vinci.”

  “But you’re a darn good chef.”

  Micah turned at the sound of his older brother’s voice.

  “Hey! I didn’t hear you come in, but I’m glad you’re the first to arrive.”

  Micah wiped his hands on a paper towel and went to jab Gregory in the side with his elbow. Gregory moved away just in time, and then gave Micah a brotherly slap on the back.

  “Where’s Vanessa?”

  “She had to stop in at the shop for a few minutes.”

  Micah handed the chalk pieces to a server passing by, and then placed the board exactly where he wanted it.

  “I can’t thank her enough for the beautiful flower arrangements. She was right. They really add a nice touch to the tables.”

  In order to support the Bay Point economy, he decided to buy local as much as possible, including produce and flowers.

  “What about Jasmine? Have you seen her lately?”

  Micah shook his head. “Marlon has. He told me he’s still running with her.”

  “That should be you by his side, not him.”

  “I know. I’m hoping she’ll be here tonight with Lucy.”

  Micah frowned. “I wonder if Lucy told her that she and I are in cahoots together.”

  He wasn’t going to reveal any details, but he and Lucy had a surprise for everyone that he hoped would go over well with the crowd tonight.

  “Did you just say cahoots?” Gregory furrowed his brow. “Now I know you’ve been working too hard.”

  “Lucy’s words, not mine.”

  He went and sat at the bar, knowing he’d be on his feet for most of the night. “Want a drink?”

  Gregory waved the offer away and sat next to him. “So, you want to tell me what’s going on?”

  Micah sighed. “Where do I start?”

  “How about with the truth? What are you going to do about Jasmine?”

  He leaned his elbow on the bar. “Don’t you worry, I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve.”

  Gregory laughed. “Let’s hope Jasmine doesn’t make you disappear.”

  Micah joined in, and then quickly sobered. “If she shows up, I’ll know I have a fighting chance.”

  One of his wait staff stepped into his line of sight.

  “Chef Micah, can you come into the kitchen for a moment?”

  “Uh-oh, that’s not good. Will you excuse me?”

  He instructed the hostess to show Gregory to the VIP tables that were reserved for his family, as well as Lucy and Jasmine.

  Entering the kitchen, Micah found two employees arguing over the best way to plate one of his signature dishes.

  After insisting that they follow the instructions exactly as they were trained, he told them that could present their ideas at a later date. Although he had a certain creative vision for his culinary dishes,
it was important that all his employees see him as open and approachable.

  Back in the main dining area, he greeted the guests that were starting to arrive.

  Mixed in with his excitement about the festivities was growing anxiety about Jasmine. Every time the door opened and it wasn’t her, his heart dropped. The doors were solid wood, so he wouldn’t know she arrived unless he planted himself in front of the windows.

  The dining room was almost full and he was starting to lose hope when, a few minutes before the appetizers were to be served, Jasmine walked in with Lucy grasping her arm.

  Micah exhaled a sigh of relief and hurried to meet them. “My favorite two ladies in the whole wide world.”

  He kissed Lucy on the cheek, and she beamed with surprise.

  Turning to Jasmine, his lips idled on her warm skin a little longer than proper in public, but he didn’t care.

  “We need to talk,” he whispered in her ear. “Can you meet me back here later, when everyone is gone?”

  She nodded, and he squeezed her hand gently before stepping back so the hostess could lead them to their seats.

  Micah signaled to the bandleader to wrap up the tune they were playing, so he could make a quick announcement before the appetizers were served. When the applause died down, he cleared his throat and took the microphone.

  “I’d like to welcome each and every one of you to the inaugural dinner at Society Red. The meal I’ve prepared for you is representative of the cuisine that I’ve spent years perfecting. I trust you will find every course delicious, but if you don’t, please tell me. I welcome your opinions just as long you don’t throw food at me like our esteemed mayor used to do when we were growing up.”

  Gregory picked up a roll from the breadbasket and with a grin on his face, acted like he was going to toss it on stage.

  Micah pretended to duck and the audience roared.

  “I want to give a special shout-out to the mayor for his leadership,” he continued. “And his commitment to evolving Bay Point into a popular tourist destination, as well as a town that I’m proud to say is my hometown.”