by Tyler Grey
He shook his head. “No, you’re not. You’re the best guy I know. I’m not sure if you should’ve let her go like that, but I understand why you did it. It takes a lot of guts to do something like that for someone, and I think that you are a good person for doing it. She’s probably having the time of her life there. I looked up that restaurant, and it’s amazing. She might take a while to recover from you, but this place will do wonders for her career.”
I smiled. The thought of Alice at the new job made me feel happy. I wanted to see her succeed. She deserved it more than anyone else. That thought alone would get me through the tough times.
“I’m glad to hear that. Tell me about the restaurant.”
“You really want to know?” he asked. “Won’t it be tough to hear?”
“I want to know. I want her to be happy, so the thought of her in this amazing place helps me to think that I did the right thing. I know I have these programs on the computer that help me access the web, but I’d prefer it if you could tell me. Would you mind reading it to me?”
I sat back and listened to Hayden tell me about the restaurant. The place sounded amazing. He even read the reviews from customers and told me everything that was on their menu. I didn’t understand most of it—that’s how fancy the food was. I pictured Alice in the kitchen, moving about with the sort of expertise I knew she had. I had a new image of her now, one that incorporated the way I remembered her as a kid. Of course, she was an adult now, so my version had changed somewhat. She had been a beautiful 13-year-old, and I was sure that she was even more beautiful now.
Hayden stayed with me the rest of the day. We took a walk with Tank, and then we came back and listened to an audiobook. It wasn’t the same as listening to one with Alice, but it was still nice, and I was glad to hear that he enjoyed it. He told me all about his relationship with the lovely Beatrice and how he was starting to think that she was ‘the one.’ He was a bit reserved at first with his descriptions, probably because he felt bad talking to me about the love of his life when I had lost mine, but I urged him to tell me more. I never wanted him to feel as if he couldn’t tell me something. In fact, hearing about him and Beatrice made me feel better. I wanted him to be happy. He deserved it. Just like Alice deserved to be happy too. I was sick to death of being the reason that people were not happy, and I wanted to now do everything in my power to make sure that they were.
“I’ve never heard you talk this way before,” I told him.
“What do you mean? I’m always talking about girls; you know that. It’s a terrible habit of mine.”
“Yeah, sure, you always talk about girls, but not like this. You’ve never called any girl ‘the one’ before. In fact, I don’t think you’ve ever been in love up until now. So, when are you going to propose?” I teased.
He laughed. “Not just yet. Although, if I’m honest, I have a feeling it will be a lot sooner than I think. I mean, we’ve even spoken about moving in together. The whole thing just feels right.”
“Will I be your best man? I mean, I’m going to need some help down the aisle.”
He laughed. “You will definitely be my best man. I expect a speech and everything. Now, I better get going.”
“Oh yeah? Is there somewhere you have to be? Or someone you have to be with?”
“Maybe.”
“You aren’t proposing tonight, are you?” I asked.
“No. But I’m probably going to think about it all evening, thanks to you.”
“Good. I’m always happy to plant the seed in your head. Thanks for the visit, Hayden. I’m sure Tank appreciated the walk, too. I haven’t been going out as much as I should be.”
“No problem at all. Don’t worry, Jacob; things are going to get better. The new girl will be here on Monday, and slowly everything is going to feel normal again.”
“If you speak to Laurie, will you find out how Alice is doing? Don’t pass on a message or anything, but just casually see if she’s doing okay.”
“I don’t speak to Laurie very often, but when I do, I promise to find out.”
Later that night, when the house was filled with silence, I lay in bed with Tank. It was going to be strange having someone new in the house with us again. I wondered if Tank would like her. I hoped so. I didn’t need to become friends with her, but I did hope that she was at least good to Tank. I could tell that he missed Alice as much as I did. I lay my head next to his and thought about everything that Hayden had told me about the restaurant in Belgium. It sounded fantastic, and I was glad that Alice was there to enjoy it.
Chapter 34
Alice
It took me two weeks to fully make the decision to leave. I gave the job a week, but when my heart still wasn’t in it, I went to speak to Tyronne to tell him how I was feeling.
“You want to leave?” he asked.
I assumed that nobody had ever wanted to leave working at LeNom, and I understood why. It was a place that most chefs would want to work at, and I fully realized how crazy it was that I was choosing to leave such an amazing job. I nodded.
“This is the most amazing place in the world. But my heart isn’t in it. My heart is at home, with the man of my dreams. I left him to come here.”
“Ah, love is more important than work,” he said. “I’m lucky because my work happens to be the love of my life, but I can see your heart isn’t here. I’ve known for a while now that something wasn’t right with you. You’re an amazing chef, Alice. You would’ve been promoted in no time, but if your heart isn’t here, then you will never perform as well as you should. Could you see the week through while we find you a replacement?”
I nodded. “Of course. Thank you for understanding.”
“Thank you for being honest. And, Alice, do come back to visit.”
I smiled. “I will.” I had been worried that Tyronne wasn’t going to be a nice man. Usually, places that were as well-run as LeNom meant that the owner was someone to be feared, but he was a lovely man who obviously cared deeply about his restaurant and his staff.
“Call and ask for me, and I’ll get you a reservation.” The waiting list was crazy for this place, and most people had to wait months to get a table. I definitely wanted to come back and experience the place as a customer rather than a worker.
The week passed easily. As soon as I knew that I was leaving, I found a peace within me that I hadn’t had before. There was, of course, a very big chance that I was doing the wrong thing, and that Jacob wouldn’t take me back, but I had to at least try. If Jacob didn’t want me, I would continue to pursue my dream of writing a book and finding ways to cook creatively that didn’t involve being in a restaurant. I thought of Patrick’s words over and over again: there comes a time when you have to look within to make your decision. I had most definitely made mine.
I looked around at my apartment one last time and laughed. In the month I had been there I still hadn’t done anything to make the place my own. I think I knew from the moment I arrived that I wouldn’t be there long. Hopefully the person that took my place would appreciate all of this more than I had.
When I got to the airport, Laurie was there to greet me. I’d phoned her the week before to tell her what had happened. I had expected her to try and convince me to stay or to at least tell me that what I was doing was a bad idea. She didn’t. She told me that she would always support me, no matter what I did. In fact, by the tone of her voice, I had a feeling she had expected me to come back. She had always known me better than most people, so I wasn’t at all surprised by this. I ran up to her and embraced her.
“I’m back!”
“You’re back. I’m so happy to see you. I didn’t realize how hard it would be without you,” she said.
“You just miss all the food I made for you,” I teased.
“That too. So, are you going straight to Jacob’s?” she asked.
I shook my head. “No, I want to take a shower and mentally prepare myself. Could I come to your place? I phoned the tenant I go
t at my place, but they are only leaving at the end of the week. I’m sorry for asking you now. I had planned to go straight home, but she called me yesterday and asked if she could stay the week.”
“Of course, I have a room ready for you.”
We made our way back to her place, and on the way, I told her all about the restaurant and about Belgium. It was easy to look back on it fondly now that I was back where I wanted to be.
“It was a beautiful place and one I will not easily forget. I think in different circumstances I would’ve loved it. But the job wasn’t for me. It’s not what I want to do with my life. I’m not good with that sort of stress. It made me realize how much I want to write that book, and how I want to cook for one person or maybe a group of people, but not at a restaurant. I came up with an idea, actually. I think I’m going to start cooking classes.”
“You are? That’s an amazing idea,” Laurie said.
“Yeah, I think so too. The one day one of the chefs brought his kid in because the nanny couldn’t come, so I tried to keep her busy to help him. I decided to create a little station in the kitchen and teach her how to cook. She loved it so much, and I realized I was good at it. So I’m thinking of maybe starting up some kids’ cooking classes.”
“I’m glad you went, Alice. This is the best idea you’ve ever had. I can totally see you doing that. You’re so good with people. If you hadn’t gone to Belgium, you might never have realized that.”
I smiled. “I’m very excited. It feels right.”
“I must agree. Now why didn’t we think of this before?”
I chuckled. “I guess I had to go all the way to Belgium to figure that out. I also met the most amazing man.”
“A man?” she exclaimed.
I laughed. “Not like that. He’s the owner of this incredible little art gallery that was close to where I stayed. He taught me all about following your passion. One of those people that you just have an instant connection with. I have to go back and visit him.”
“He sounds wonderful. So, have you told your mother yet? That you’re back and that you want to be with Jacob?”
“Nope. She actually has very little idea about what was happening with me. She still doesn’t know that Jacob is the guy from school. It’s a difficult thing to tell someone. She does, however, know that I wasn’t all that happy in Belgium, so at least this shouldn’t be a huge shock to her. I hope not, at least. I’m going to see her soon. She’s going to probably freak, but I’d rather speak to her in person than on the phone.”
Laurie grinned. “Good idea. Nobody can get angry at your pretty face. Anyway, your mom is a good person, and she only wants the best for you. If all goes well, she’ll have a wonderful story to tell all her friends.”
I chuckled. “That’s true.”
We got back to her house, and I spent some time showering and getting ready. Jacob might not be able to see me, but he could smell me, and I wanted to make sure I made a good impression. I hadn’t spoken to him since I left and I had no idea what was happening with him. I thought back to all the ugly words he had said to me that day, and I knew without a doubt that he hadn’t meant them. I’d seen the real Jacob, and nothing could take that away.
“Alice, I’m going to support you no matter what, but is this definitely what you want to do?” Laurie asked when I stepped out the room. “Are you sure that he is worth it? Because all I want is for you to be happy and I don’t want some guy to take advantage of you just because you’re such a nice person.”
I smiled at my friend. “This is what I want to do. He’s a good guy, Laurie. I know it. He’s not the same boy you knew, and I hope that one day you will get the opportunity to find that out for yourself.”
“What if he continues to be horrible to you when he sees you again? What if he’s not what you think he is?”
“Then I leave knowing that I did everything to make it work. I won’t regret my decision. Don’t worry; I know it may not always seem like it, but I’m a very strong person, and I won’t let anyone walk all over me.”
“Are you kidding me? I know you’re a strong person. You’re the strongest person that I know. The only reason you got bullied at school was because you dared to stand up to the guy in the first place. You are the best person that I know. That’s why I’m just making sure that you are doing the right thing, because nobody deserves happiness more than you do.”
I smiled. “Thank you, Laurie. No matter what happens, that job wasn’t for me in Belgium. I’m happy to be home.”
“Okay, then. I love you, and I wish you all the luck in the world. Can I take you there? We can go now if you want?”
“I love you too, Laurie. Nah, I think I’m going to take my car. Thanks for keeping it for me here while I was gone, by the way.”
“No problem at all. Oh, here’s the spare key. Come and go as you please. Good luck, Alice. I’m proud of you.”
I got into the car and smiled at the familiarity. I had only been gone for a month, but it felt like a lot longer. It was good to be back. I took a drive to Jacob’s house, smiling the whole way. I was very nervous, there was no doubt about it, but I was also excited and happy that I was standing up for what I believed in. I wondered what Jacob would say when he saw me. On the way, I made sure to look around in case he was out taking Tank for a walk, but I didn’t see him. I hoped he was home, and I hoped even more than he would want to talk to me. I still had a key to his house. I’d forgotten to give it back to him when I’d left the last time, but I didn’t plan on using it. I wanted to knock, and for him to open the door to me.
When I got there, I saw that there was a car in the driveway. Hayden’s car. I considered driving back and coming back another time but decided to go in anyway. Hayden was a great guy, and it would be nice to see him. I got out the car and made my way to the front. I was just about to knock when I saw a figure at the kitchen window. I peered in to get a better look and gasped when I saw another woman cooking inside. So Jacob had moved on? That was quick. I felt sick at the thought of someone else kissing him. What had I done? Had I really believed that Jacob hadn’t meant those words to me? Had I really believed that he had changed? A sudden thought occurred to me that I hadn’t had before… what if he hadn’t been lying? What if he really did mean what he said to me? I felt tears spring to my eyes as I rushed to my car. I was about to go inside when I heard someone call my name. I turned around and saw Hayden looking at me in confusion. The door to the front of the house was slightly ajar, but I couldn’t see Jacob anywhere.
“What are you doing here?” he asked me.
“I… I came back,” I stuttered like a fool. I shouldn’t have just arrived unexpectedly like this without checking first to see if I would be welcomed back. I felt sick to my stomach at the thought of how easily Jacob had forgotten about me. “But I see that Jacob has already moved on. What an idiot I am! I better go,” I said.
“Alice, wait, don’t go,” he said. “Jacob hasn’t moved on.”
“What do you mean?”
“That’s Katrina, the new chef that I hired for him. She only comes for two hours a day, because he can’t handle her being in the house with him for any longer than that. Not that she’s a bad person or anything. She’s just not you.”
“He’s… He’s not with her?”
“No, of course not. When you left, Jacob swore that he would never be with anyone else ever again. He told me that he couldn’t bear to be with anyone ever again.”
“But he’s the one that asked me to leave. He’s the one that told me he doesn’t want to see me.”
Hayden sighed and shook his head. “You do know that’s not true, don’t you?”
“It’s because of who I am, isn’t it? He felt ashamed for what he did to me? That’s what I thought happened, but now I’m not so sure.”
He nodded. “You were right the first time around. That man is totally in love with you, Alice. He only said all those things so that you would go and live your life. He felt lik
e he had hurt you enough and he couldn’t bear to do it all again. He told me all about what happened. I had no idea what he put you through at school. Hell, I didn’t even know that he was a bully. I could never imagine him like that. I’ve known him for a long time, and I’ve always thought that he was one of the best people I have ever met in my life. I still think that. He’s a good guy, Alice. If anything, Jacob became such a good guy because of the way he acted when he was younger. He will never be that person again.”
“That’s what I thought. I was shocked when he spoke to me like that again. Something about it didn’t feel right.”
“Look, Jacob went through things as a kid that no kid should go through. I’m not at all surprised that he was a bully at school.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?” I thought I was the one that had gone through all the bad stuff, not Jacob.
“His parents, well, especially his dad. They put him through a lot. His dad was a horrible man. He was the one that encouraged Jacob to be that kid at school. Jacob learned all that he knew from his father. I won’t go into it with you. He needs to tell you. But there’s one thing I can tell you for sure.”
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Jacob didn’t mean anything that he said to you when you left. He only wanted you to have a better life. Jacob was putting you first, just as he did in the navy.”
“What do you mean by that?” I asked. I actually knew so little about Jacob, just as he had once known so little about me.
“It’s his story to tell, not mine. But trust me, Alice, he’s one of the best people that I know.”
I smiled. “I’ve known that for a while now. What should I do? Should I go and talk to him?”
“Alice?”
The voice that called my name came from the house. I turned to find Jacob standing there with a look of confusion on his face. With the confusion was a very definite smile creeping up. Hayden looked at me and grinned.
“Go and get him.”
Chapter 35
Jacob