by Naomi Niles
“I’m not stalking him, Haley.”
“Come on—”
“He’s too good for me,” I said, more harshly than I had intended. All my insecurities were in my tone, and Haley sensed it immediately. The smile faltered on her face, and she sighed.
“Can you just please just drop it?” I asked.
“Okay,” she nodded, conceding defeat.
Just then, the door opened and Haley’s one-night stand poked his head through the door. “There you are, baby,” he said, making my skin crawl. “How about some breakfast? I’m starved after that workout you gave me last night.”
“Well, then, you better go and eat something,” she said unconcernedly. “Because I’m certainly not going to feed you.”
“You’re kicking me out?” he asked, sounding almost hurt.
“I’ll let you stay if you can tell me my last name?” she said sweetly.
“Umm… Carrey?”
“Get out,” she laughed as she got up and pushed him out of my room.
While Haley got rid of him, I discarded the sheet I was wearing and headed for the shower. Once I was clean, I dressed quickly, and Haley and I headed over to the restaurant. The moment we got in, she turned on the radio and kicked the volume up a couple of notches.
“It’s time for a feel good dance session before we get to work,” she announced, prancing between the tables and gesturing for me to join her.
“I have work to do,” I said, laughing at her chaotic dance moves.
“Fuck work,” she said. “You and I are the bosses here, we decide when work begins. And I’m saying that we have time for a five-minute dance session. Now get your ass over here.”
I sighed laughingly and dragged my feet over to her. I moved around half-heartedly, conscious of my long arms and awkward dance moves.
“Kami,” Haley said seriously. “I will not let you start cooking until you’ve danced all your troubles away. You understand me?”
I laughed and threw my whole body into it. After the first five minutes, I had finally loosened up and was actually enjoying myself. I knew what Haley was doing. She was trying to make me feel better – about my appointment, about my body, about my own personal inadequacy. At the end of the day, I knew that this was only a temporary fix, a second’s break from a lifetime of self-loathing.
But still, I appreciated the attempt. So I continued dancing, and for five seconds in the midst of all that dancing, I actually felt as though things would work out in the end.
Chapter Nine
JJ
Sunday’s were the worst. I had time to think on Sundays, and nothing good ever came out of that.
I walked around my tiny apartment trying to think of things to keep myself busy. It didn’t matter; I knew I was being a coward. I had found her days ago, and I still hadn’t done a thing about it. I had a bunch of missed calls and messages from Peter that I still hadn’t answered for fear of revealing my failure.
When I couldn’t find any other reason not to call Peter back, I finally admitted defeat and dialed in his number. After a few rings, the call was answered, but it was not Peter’s voice I heard on the line.
“Hello, JJ?” Madison’s voice was tilted with excitement.
“Hi, Madison,” I greeted. “How are you?”
“Great,” she replied. “Really good, how are you?”
“Fine,” I replied evasively. “How have things been going at the salon?”
“It’s been really busy lately,” she replied. “Just how Whitney likes it. We have quite a few regulars, so that makes it interesting. And we have another member on staff now.”
“Oh?”
“Her name is Molly,” Madison replied. “She and I split our shifts because I’ve started classes and I’m a little too busy to handle a full-time job.”
“Started classes?” I repeated, a little confused. “Isn’t your graduation coming up soon?”
She laughed. “Everyone has a hard time keeping track,” she said. “It is coming up, but I’m graduating with my first degree. I’ve already started classes for my second degree.”
“Wow,” I said, shaking my head. “You really are Superwoman.”
“Hardly,” she said modestly. “I just have a great support system around me. Peter has been my pillar of strength through this whole process. He even helps me with my essays sometimes.”
“Don’t let him help too much,” I teased. “You might not ever get the second degree.”
She laughed. “Sorry to hog the phone,” she said. “But Peter’s in the shower. He’s just finishing up now.”
“No worries,” I said quickly. “How’s Victor?”
“I think he’s started seeing someone, but I’m not sure,” Madison replied. “I think it’s early, so he doesn’t want to jinx anything by telling me. Apart from that, he’s doing really well. I’m proud of him.”
“You must be.”
“Sunday night dinner just isn’t the same without you, by the way,” Madison added, as I heard Peter’s voice in the background.
“Awww, thanks, Mad,” I smiled.
“We’ve asked Victor to join us for Sunday dinners…but everyone misses you.”
“Has Talen made it to any lately?”
“Not recently,” she admitted. “I think the last time Peter spoke to him was a few weeks ago.”
“He’s unpredictable, that one.”
“He is,” she replied. “Ah, I’ll pass the phone on to Peter. Call again soon, okay?”
“Will do, Madison,” I said fondly. “You take care.”
I heard the phone exchange hands and a moment later, I heard Peter’s familiar breathing on the other end. “Hi, big brother,” he greeted. “It’s been a while.”
“Don’t be dramatic.”
“You haven’t returned any of my calls.”
“Just the last two,” I said guiltily. “And only because I’ve been swamped with work.”
I expected his next question to be about our mother and my search, but instead, he veered into questions about my life in California and the new job. I was grateful, and after the first few minutes, I relaxed.
“Pete,” I started, bringing up the subject myself. “I’m still searching… I haven’t found her yet, but… I’ll keep you posted.”
“Of course,” he replied with understanding. “I never expected you to find her so fast. And it’s not like you don’t have a job while you’re there. Don’t stress about it, John.”
“I don’t want to let you down,” I admitted in a small voice.
“You could never do that,” he said firmly. “In any case, I haven’t told Talen and Sam yet.”
“Really?”
“Alan is the only one that knows,” Peter admitted. “Sam and Talen are the youngest, though; they feel differently about her than the rest of us do. And besides, if there’s no reason to tell them about her… why bother?”
I realized that Peter had considered the possibilities, too. She might not be interested in getting to know us again, she might be different, or we might decide that we don’t want her in our lives. The possibilities were endless, and Peter was right in wanting to protect Talen and Sam for as long as possible.
After I hung up with Peter, I made myself a quick dinner, sat in front of the television, and tried not to think too much about Kami. She had occupied my thoughts a lot since her consultation, and my curiosity about her only seemed to grow. I even went to sleep thinking about her and woke up with a hard-on that was actually quite painful.
Danny and I had a busy morning, and when we got back to my office after a small round of Botox injections for a middle-aged client, I found Zackary sitting at my desk.
“Hi, boss,” I greeted. “What brings you to this neck of the woods?”
“Afternoon, boys,” Zackary replied, dipping his head down a little. “I came in here to steal you boys for lunch.”
“Awesome!” Danny said, with enthusiasm.
“Oh,” I said, taken off guar
d. “That sounds good. Did you have any place in mind?”
“Yes, actually,” Zackary replied. “I’ve been hearing a lot about it. Mostly from my daughter, but she swears it has the best food in town. We’ll have to get there early, though. It’s a tiny place and they don’t take reservations.”
“Let’s go,” Danny said enthusiastically.
We drove to the city, and after Zackary had parked, he walked us about a block to a tiny little corner where small groups of people were standing in line.
“Is this it?” Danny asked.
The restaurant was called Natalie’s, and it looked like they could accommodate only four tables. Luckily, we turned out to be fourth in line. When the doors opened, the crowd rushed in and we followed, eager to capture the coveted fourth table. The girl at the door was short and cute. She had curly blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She also had this seductive way of smiling that I could tell Danny and Zackary both appreciated.
“Hello, boys,” she said, with a little wink. “Welcome to Natalie’s. Please take a seat, and I’ll be with you in just a moment.”
She bounced away, full of energy, and Danny gawked after her. I punched him lightly on the shoulder. “Stop staring.”
“She’s sexy as hell,” was his response.
“She is,” Zackary agreed heartily. “If only I were twenty-five years younger.”
I glanced over at the waitress and smiled. She was an attractive woman, but for some reason, I wasn’t personally attracted to her. I wasn’t sure if that was because she honestly wasn’t my type or because my thoughts had been preoccupied with another woman as of late.
A few minutes later, the blonde waitress bounced over to our table. “Sorry for the wait, boys,” she said, giving our table a seductive smile. “I’m Haley, waitress and co-owner of Natalie’s. How are you doing today?”
“Fantastic,” Danny said immediately. “But better since we got here, actually.”
“Is that so?” Haley asked, putting a hand on Danny’s shoulder. “I’m flattered.”
“You should be,” he replied. “You’re the cause.”
She batted her eyelashes at him. “Careful now,” she smiled. “I might take you home with me.”
“I might take you home with me,” he replied.
Haley laughed. “Confident,” she said. “I like it. Now would you like to know today’s specials?”
“Please,” Zackary nodded.
“We have a mouth-watering garlic crab with pine nuts and lemongrass rice. We have a delicious lobster stew, a succulent herb crusted lamb chop with saffron rice, cheese and onion pancakes stuffed with shrimp and salmon, and for our vegetarian guests, we have eggplant rice with roast potatoes.”
“Wow,” Danny said. “Everything sounds amazing.”
“Our menu changes again next week,” Haley said. “So I’d choose carefully.”
“Well, in that case, we’ll try everything that’s on your menu,” Zackary said, with flourish.
Haley gave him an impressed smile. “That is an excellent decision,” she said. “You’re a smart one, aren’t you?”
“I wouldn’t have gotten my doctorate any other way,” he replied, with a charming smile.
I shook my head at the two of them, amazed at how two grown men had turned to putty in the face of a pair of pretty blue eyes.
“A doctor?” Haley said, raising her eyebrows. “I’ll make sure the food is extra special for you.”
She turned and left us to our conversation. Danny turned to Zackary. “You forgot to mention that JJ and I happen to be doctors, too.”
“You’re just starting out,” Zackary smiled. “It doesn’t count.”
I laughed. “As grateful as I am for this impromptu lunch, Zackary,” I said. “I can’t help thinking that there might be an ulterior motive here that I’m not yet aware of.”
He smiled. “Well, you’d be right,” he nodded. “I’m interested in expanding my practice. I’m interested in putting up another clinic in a different location, possibly out of state, and I need a strong and capable partner to help me.”
“Oh?” I said, raising my eyebrows in surprise.
“You’re young, you’re talented, and you’re a good doctor, John,” Zackary said seriously. “I would like you to partner with me.”
I was about to say something when someone I had not expected to see ever again caught my attention. Kami Delouch stuck her head out from the kitchen for a fraction of a second. She had a few quick words with Haley and then disappeared from view again.
“John?”
“Sorry,” I said, breaking out of my shock. “Sorry… It’s just that… That’s a big offer.”
“It is,” Zackary nodded. “And, it would require a lot of change on your part.”
“Can you give me a few days?” I asked. “I’ll have to think about it.”
“Of course,” Zackary said willingly. “Take a week and get back to me with your answer.”
“Thank you, Zackary,” I said gratefully. “I’m really floored by the offer.”
Haley approached with our meals twenty minutes later. Immediately, we were assaulted by the most amazing smells I had ever experienced. Could Kami Delouch be the cook that was behind all these brilliantly fragrant dishes? We tucked into our lunch, and within the hour, we had cleared all five plates without complaint.
“My God,” Danny breathed. “That was amazing. Even the vegetarian dish was spectacular. And I usually stay away from anything without meat in it.”
“The food was fantastic,” I told Haley when she approached our table. “My compliments to the chef.”
“I’ll be sure to let her know,” Haley smiled.
“Is it possible for us to tell her ourselves?” I asked, suddenly desperate to speak to Kami again.
Haley’s smile grew a little embarrassed. “Unfortunately, she’s a little too busy to speak to anyone today – and a little too shy, as well. But I’ll be sure to pass on the message.”
I nodded, disappointed by her answer. We had just walked out of the restaurant when my resolve turned and I found myself walking back towards Natalie’s.
“Hey, JJ,” Danny called, from behind me. “Where are you going?”
“I’ll be a minute,” I replied. “Give me five.”
The restaurant was empty when I walked back in. Haley was wiping down the back table and didn’t see me enter. I walked towards the kitchen before she could stop me and poked my head in boldly. Kami froze as we came face to face. She was wearing a white apron over a black t-shirt. Her dark hair was tied up behind her head and her hazel eyes shone.
“Doctor Burbank?” she said, in surprise.
“Hello, Ms. Delouch,” I smiled. “I take it you cooked my meal today?”
“I… Yes,” she said, as her cheeks colored instantly. “I did.”
“It was amazing,” I said. “The best meal I’ve ever had.”
Her face softened a little and she smiled. “Thank you, that means a lot to me.”
“I came to ask a favor of you,” I continued, shocked and impressed by my own boldness.
“Oh?”
“I would like to take you out to dinner,” I said before I could lose my nerve. “I felt as though I might have overstepped my boundaries the other day, after your consultation, and I would like to make it up to you.”
“I… Umm… Well…”
She seemed to be on the verge of turning me down when Haley breezed past me into the kitchen. “Kami would be glad to accept that kind offer,” she replied.
I glanced at Haley and then at Kami, who looked a little taken back. I capitalized on her shock and turned to Haley. “Is eight o’clock tonight all right?” I asked.
Kami opened her mouth as if to say something, but Haley cut her off.
“Perfect,” Haley nodded. “She’ll be ready.”
I glanced at Kami again and saw that there was a small smile playing on her face. She nodded infinitesimally, and I breathed an internal sigh of relie
f.
“What’s your number,” Haley asked. “I’ll text you our address.”
I gave my number to Haley and then turned to Kami. “See you tonight, Ms. Delouch,” I said.
When I walked back outside, Danny was eyeing me curiously. “What was that about?” he asked. “Did you get an application or something?”
I smiled. “Something like that,” I nodded.
Chapter Ten
Kami
The moment he was out of the restaurant, I turned to Haley with exasperation. “What the hell did you just do?” I demanded.
Haley shrugged. “I did what needed to be done, like I usually do.”
“And you didn’t think it was necessary to consult with me?” I asked. “Especially considering I’m the one you just pimped out?”
She laughed. “I forgot how dramatic you can be,” she said, as she walked back into the main restaurant.
“Haley!” I called out after her. “This conversation is not over!”
I was forced to follow her into the dining area where she was still wiping down tables. Usually I would have helped, but I was too flustered to be overly nice.
“Are you ignoring me?”
“I’m trying to,” Haley said pleasantly.
“Are you forgetting that we have work tonight?” I asked. “Or are you planning on doing all the cooking and waiting on our customers?”
“I’m forward, not delusional,” Haley said, with her typical eye roll. “I’m closing the restaurant down for tonight’s night shift.”
“Why?”
“Because you deserve to go on a date with a handsome guy,” she said sensibly. “Did you notice how dreamy he was?”
“I did,” I sighed. “I happen to have met him before…”
“Really?” Haley said, raising her eyebrows.
“You didn’t hear that part, did you?” I asked. “He’s Doctor Burbank.”
“No way!” Her face broke out into a huge smile. “Oh my. Well, this is going to be interesting, considering he’s already seen the goods.”
“Oh God!” I said, as I sank down into the nearest chair and put my head in my hands.