A Little Side of Geek

by Marguerite Labbe

  He turned back to his station as he debated calling in Lincoln. The dish station was behind, with stacks of glasses and cutlery that needed to be run through before they ran out. No. He couldn’t keep relying on him like that. He remembered his own teenage resentments. The other busboys would have to step up to Lincoln’s level. Besides, if he got used to Lincoln’s instant response, he’d regret it when school started. New habits, that’s what he kept telling himself. Lincoln had a date with his video games, and he’d been looking forward to a rare Saturday off.

  Theo checked the crab cakes, drizzled some of their remoulade, sprinkled some fresh chopped parsley on them, and slid the ramekins of sides onto the plate. The bacon-and-chive scalloped potatoes made his stomach rumble, and the zucchini medley looked perfect. He set the plate in the window with the others and looked up with a frown when they weren’t immediately whisked away. The expedite station was empty of all servers, and Jill was nowhere in sight.

  He reached for a knife as several plates of lamb chops slid in front of him. Where the hell was his sister? Someone needed to come grab this food before it started to go cold.

  “Theo!”

  The shout of his name didn’t alarm him. The note of panic in the voice did. Theo jerked his head up and swore as he nicked himself. One of the servers, Erin, stood in the entrance to the kitchen, dangerously blocking the flow of empty dishes coming in. Only, Theo couldn’t see any busboys either.

  “What’s wrong?” Theo asked sharply, wiping his hands on a towel. Her face was pale, and she was wringing her hands. Erin had a tendency to overdramatize things, but that didn’t stop the tickle of unease. “Where’s Jill? Dammit, get out of the way before someone slams into you.”

  “It’s Jill…. She passed out and….”

  Theo felt every drop of blood leave his face as his vision tunneled. Whatever else Erin said was lost in the roaring of his ears as he rushed to the dining room. A crowd of people gathered in a circle near the hostess stand, and as Theo approached, a small group of diners left the restaurant with irritated expressions on their faces.

  “Where’s my sister?” Theo demanded as he pushed his way through the curious onlookers.

  “I’m okay, Theo.” Despite her words, Theo heard the strain in Jill’s voice. She gave him a wan smile from where she sat in one of the chairs meant for guests who were waiting for a seat, which drove home how serious this was. Jill would never take a seat and leave others standing. Then her face went tight with pain as she clutched her belly. “I think you need to call Craig.”

  Theo’s thoughts stumbled over themselves as he searched for any sign of injury. Reaching for his phone with one hand, he held out his other to Jill. “What’s wrong? Erin said you passed out.”

  “No, no. Just a little light-headed. I’m better now that I’m sitting down.” She grabbed his hand, squeezing hard enough to make it hurt. “I’m having contractions.”

  Theo fumbled for his phone and almost dropped it as he stared at her with wide eyes. “You can’t be. You have three more months.”

  Jill rolled her eyes, her mouth pinched with exasperation, and squeezed harder. “I’m pretty damn sure. They’re kind of hard to miss.”

  “Okay, okay.” Theo hit Craig’s speed dial before she broke his fingers. “Are you sure they aren’t the fake ones?” he ventured as the phone rang, steeling himself in case she started squeezing again.

  An older woman with graying strands of blonde hair laid her hand on Jill’s shoulder. “I’m a nurse. Let me help. You’re going to be fine. I’m going to ask you a few questions, okay? When was the last time you had anything to eat or drink?”

  Theo’s throat squeezed even tighter, and he had to turn to block out the sight of the nurse before he stopped breathing. It’s a good thing. Nurses are good. The sensation didn’t go away. He kept thinking of his dad surrounded by hospital nurses. The hospital staff that came to talk to him about his mom.

  Then his heart started beating again as Craig picked up. “Hey, it’s me.”

  “Craig, you have to come get Jill. She says she’s in labor.” Theo tried to keep the panic out of his voice. If he panicked, she would panic. Then the panic would spread and there would be chaos. He shot her a reassuring smile as she continued to cling to his hand.

  “I’m on my way,” Craig replied, his voice cool and in control. Damn, Theo loved his brother-in-law. At least one of them had their shit together. He was two seconds away from sitting on the floor next to Jill to do breathing exercises with her. He’d be okay if she were a couple weeks early; it was the thought of another medical emergency in the family that kept threatening to make him fly apart.

  “Craig is on the way, and he’ll take you to see your doctor,” Theo said as he pocketed his phone. He shot a look at the nurse, silently begging her not to say the word hospital. Theo could see the edge in Jill’s eyes, and that might send her right over it. She’d calm down once she saw Craig. Their house was just down the road, so it wouldn’t take him any time. He’d let Craig convince her the hospital was where she needed to be.

  He waited until the nurse was done with her questions and reassurances and then crouched down next to Jill. “You do realize my niece is putting you on notice she plans on causing havoc right from the start?”

  “Don’t encourage her.” Jill laughed shortly as Theo shot her an innocent expression.

  “I’m sure there are any number of health code violations if you have her now. I’ll make you fill out the paperwork, because I’m not dealing with it,” Theo teased, reassured by the strength in her hands even if her grip hurt like hell.

  “It’ll add to the legend of the place.” Jill clasped both of his hands now, her gaze locked on to him. “Tell me it’s going to be okay. I’ll believe you if you tell me.”

  Theo tried for light and flippant but failed. He squeezed Jill’s hands back. “Hey, it’s going to be okay. You’re going to be fine, and Little Miss Impatient is going to be fine.” He wished there was someone there to reassure him in return.

  “You’re going to be fine.” The nurse chafed Jill’s arm. “Your legs aren’t swelling. The baby’s kicking. Your pulse is strong. Just stop fretting.”

  “Okay.” Jill drew in a deep breath that broke off with a groan. “Yeah, we’ve got this. Where’s Craig?”

  “I’m right here.”

  Theo’s knees went weak as Craig eased through the crowd and slipped his arm around Jill’s shoulders. “Can’t keep you out of trouble for one moment, can I?” he said with a warm smile as he helped her to her feet. “I have the car waiting outside, ready to go.”

  The nurse stood up as well, talking to Craig in a low voice. Theo searched her expression but didn’t see any sign of urgency or concern on her face. Craig nodded and turned Jill toward the entrance.

  Jill shot Theo an anxious look as she grabbed his sleeve. “Keep everything running until I get back. Have Barb take over the front of the house.”

  Their head server shooed her with a wave of her hand. “Stop worrying. We’ve got this. See, Theo’s even getting back to the kitchen.”

  She gave him a gentle push that had him moving a few steps before he looked over his shoulder again at Jill. It was crazy; she wasn’t going to disappear on him, and if he trusted her in anyone’s hands, it was Craig’s. “Like Barb said, we’ve got this. Go wrangle my niece into line, okay? And don’t worry.”

  “Call our siblings. Let them know I’m okay.” Jill continued to shout instructions as Craig ushered her out the door. He glanced back at Theo and mimed a phone to his ear in a message that he’d call Theo later. At least that’s what Theo hoped he meant. Then Craig and Jill were gone and Theo was surrounded by concerned employees and guests.

  He let out an explosive breath. At least Jesse had kept everyone in the kitchen. He eased back as he let Barb take over. As much as he wanted to hover, making sure the food flowed was the best way to get the traffic jam unsnarled. Theo pulled out his phone and started making calls. None
of his siblings answered. Lincoln was probably eyeball-deep in the middle of a game tournament. As for Robin and Dustin, hell, Theo hadn’t heard either of their voices, except in a recording, since the funeral.

  He leaned against an out-of-the-way corner in the kitchen. And that was precisely what he didn’t want to think about right now. Theo composed his thoughts and sent a group text. Jill’s in early labor. Craig took her to the hospital. Right now everything looks good. As soon as I hear more, I’ll let you know. Send her your love, but don’t pester her with questions. Craig and I will keep you updated.

  Theo set his ringer on high and slipped his phone into his pocket, the need for a cigarette clawing at his nerves. He looked around at the kitchen and the frequent glances cast his way, but they kept on task. A lump of gratitude settled in his throat. He had the best crew.

  “Just a heads-up, everyone. Our soon-to-be new line cook decided to tell Jill who’s boss. Jill and Craig are on their way to the hospital to rein her in. She’s doing good, though, and as soon as I know anything, I’ll let you know. So let’s make Jill proud. Jesse, where are we?”

  Getting back into the rhythm of the kitchen gave him a much-needed focus. As soon as he got his stride back, his phone rang, and Theo’s heart jumped back into his throat. It was too early for news. He murmured his apologies to Jesse and stepped away. He glanced at the screen and his heart panged again, this time with hope. Dustin was actually calling him.

  “Hey, man, I’m glad you called.”

  “What the hell is going on?” Dustin’s voice twisted with contained, sneering fury. “What happened to taking care of them?”

  “Jill isn’t hurt,” Theo said in a tight voice as hope died. This was going to be as ugly as it was the last time. “She’s having labor pains, but she’s otherwise okay. Craig’s going to call as soon as the docs tell him anything, and I’ll pass it along.”

  “You always have to be in control, don’t you?”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Theo demanded and then reminded himself to chill out. He did not want to get into another fight with his brother. “Look, if you want to contact them directly, go ahead. They might not answer right away, but I know Jill would love to know you’re thinking of her,” he said in a calmer voice.

  “I bet you didn’t shut down the bistro to go with her. This is Mom and Dad all over again.” The level of hostility in Dustin’s voice astounded Theo. It was like none of this had changed at all for him. “You have Lincoln chained to the dishwasher, or did you at least let him go with Jill?”

  Theo closed his eyes as his blood pressure started to pound in his temples. “Actually, Lincoln is off tonight. No, I didn’t close the bistro because if I did, Jill would murder me. Then it would scare her into thinking this might be deadly serious when she needs to be calm. If I scare her, Craig will murder me. I know as soon as Lincoln looks at his phone, he’ll find a ride over. Then she’ll have her husband and one of her brothers hovering.” She didn’t need more.

  “Still a selfish—”

  “Look, before you call me a bastard, think about what the hell you’ve been doing. You never visit, you never call unless you need something. You’re only in DC and not taking any classes at the moment. If you’re so damned concerned, why don’t you put your ass in your car and drive down to check on her yourself?” Silence met Theo’s angry, bitter words. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

  Theo hung up the phone before more ugliness ensued. The urge to throw the phone and smash it into a million satisfying pieces grabbed a hold of him, and Theo slipped it into his pocket before he gave in to it. He’d already been enough of an idiot.

  He could feel the cracks. A year’s worth of worry and heartache making stress lines in his soul. Theo turned back to the line before the stinging in his eyes threatened to unleash the flood he’d been holding back. “All right. Sorry again. Where were we?”

  Chapter Sixteen

  MORRIS OPENED the oven and smiled in satisfaction as heat and scent poured out. The buffalo chicken dip was bubbling, and the cheese on the ham roll-ups oozed from the sides of the flaky, golden croissants. Thanks to Lincoln and Theo, he’d nailed it. Dakota had fallen all over the deviled eggs, and Felipe kept wandering through the kitchen, checking the fridge with a bemused expression on his face. Morris had a slight burn on his finger, but it wasn’t on his drawing hand, so he considered it a wound worth the effort.

  “Smells good,” Lincoln called from the living room, where they’d moved the table so they all would have elbow room.

  “Thanks, man. I seriously owe you.” Morris lifted the dishes onto the stovetop and flipped off the oven. Okay, this was perfect. He’d apologize to Theo for calling him the devil right after he kissed him senseless. Hell, he’d make sure Theo was floating on a cloud of gratification for a week.

  He grabbed the tortilla chips out of the pantry and the stack of paper plates, and then stood back to survey the scene with satisfaction. The kitchen counters were covered. They wouldn’t have to resort to his stack of fast food menus. The remainder of the deviled eggs was still in the fridge with the éclairs, sodas, and booze, but all the rest was laid out, waiting for them to dig in. This was awesome, just awesome.

  Morris glanced into the living room where Lincoln sat at the table, deep in a conversation with Dakota, his face lit up with animation as they went through the stack of games together. It looked as if they were going for a horror theme tonight. Seeing the smile on Lincoln’s face brought its own sense of pleasure. He’d stuck by Morris the whole day, not only helping him with the cooking and planning but some of the cleaning too.

  He was glad he’d invited Lincoln to play with them, and the kid didn’t seem at all disconcerted by being the youngest there. Though, really, there wasn’t that much of an age difference between him and Felipe.

  “Okay, who are you and where is the real Morris?” Felipe demanded as he came back into the kitchen and grabbed a mug of fresh-brewed coffee. “I’ve never seen your apartment this clean. And you cooked. You didn’t order a bunch of stuff. You actually whipped up food I’m not afraid to try.”

  “I told you I’d bring it.” Morris shook his finger at Felipe. “What’s up with the coffee? I bought you some hard cider.”

  Felipe grimaced and shook his head. “I’m laying off that shit for now. I can’t do another hangover like the last two.”

  Morris would never forget that drive home from Pennsylvania. They’d added at least another hour to the trip so he could let Felipe out for some stillness and fresh air. He’d been miserable after a night of drinking out his frustration and lingering anger. Morris was amused when he’d found Brenden and Felipe bitching about Dakota and toasting each other in drunken camaraderie. But then he got stuck with Felipe and wasn’t amused any longer.

  “For real, I can’t handle that,” Morris said as there was a knock on the kitchen door. “Now stop giving me a hard time about the food and get that. It should be Jackie. Hey, are Brett and Daphne coming?”

  “Yeah. They found a sitter last minute,” Felipe said as he leaned over and opened the door. “Get your ass in here, girl,” he said, before glancing at Morris. “They should be here soon.”

  Jackie came through carrying a couple bags of chips and a two liter of soda under her arm. “Wow, what smells so good? Did we order from Ledo’s? Did you pick up some toasted ravioli?”

  Felipe snickered and hugged Jackie. “I love you.”

  Morris rolled his eyes and cleared off a space on the counter for her offerings before turning to hug her too. “No, I cooked.”

  Jackie’s eyes widened, and she glanced at Felipe for confirmation. “Are you for real?”

  “Personally, I think it’s some kind of Canadian voodoo, as he would say.” Felipe smirked. “But he insists it’s not an illusion.”

  “If you keep teasing him,” Lincoln called from the living room, “he might not do this again. Y’all got him worked up enough earlier.”

  “Yeah, but
how does it taste?” Jackie dropped off the bags and soda, leaned over the dip, and sniffed it. “Sorry, I’ve never known you to cook in all the years we’ve been friends.”

  “Fucking awesome.” Dakota came in and snagged another deviled egg. “Seriously, give it a try. Morris has been hiding some skills or banging the hell out of that chef and learning through osmosis.”

  “Shut your mouth,” Morris hissed, smacking Dakota’s arm with the oven mitts. “Don’t embarrass his brother.”

  “Sorry,” Dakota said over his shoulder to a red-faced Lincoln in a tone that indicated no apology at all.

  “I had help.” Morris gestured to Lincoln. “Jackie, Lincoln. He lives upstairs and kindly came to my rescue earlier.”

  Lincoln lifted his hand in a shy wave. “I didn’t do anything other than keep you from panicking. You mostly had it.”

  “Bless you.” Jackie grabbed a tortilla chip and sampled the dip. “Oh damn. I haven’t eaten all day.” She reached for a plate as she shot Morris an incredulous look. “This is really good.”

  “Don’t look at me like that. I’m having a fling with a genuine chef. He’s an insistent teacher.” Morris glanced over at Lincoln, who pretended he wasn’t listening, though the red tips of his ears gave him away. “Dating, I mean. Sorta, we’ve actually only had time for one date. But we’re working on a second. When we both actually have time off at the same time.”

  Damn, this was a little awkward.

  “The guy we met at the bistro?” Jackie asked, then grinned as Morris nodded. “Don’t let him go.”

  Felipe patted him on his shoulder with an evil smirk. “Fling, right, he’s already got you changing your ways. You’re a goner.”

  Morris frowned at him, but Felipe’s grin only widened. He wasn’t changing his damn ways. He still had a pantry full of boxed meals and sugary cereals made of awesome. Just because he had a few more options now than he would’ve in the past didn’t mean a damn thing.

  Jackie reached over to snag one of the hot roll-ups. She juggled it between her hands and took a bite. “Mmm, these are good too. Do you have the recipes?”