Behind the Scenes

by Elisa Preston

  “Was I too forceful today do you think?”

  “I wasn’t there, but it doesn’t sound like you were. It all sounds organic and mutual. Still, she walked away without a verbal indication that she wants you to continue pursuing her. To me, that says give it a rest. At least for now.” Seth clapped Levi on the back before the two sat back down.

  Levi heard Seth’s words. And he appreciated them. Levi knew one of the main reasons he and Seth had gravitated toward one another over and over again through the years was their foundational character. Seth respected people, period, and especially women. Levi could always count on his friend to walk away or speak up—whatever the situation warranted—if conversation turned off-color. Both men had been called every last name for doing so, but Levi never cared. He was doing pretty well for himself, and could say with no regrets that his integrity had remained intact.

  Of course he could do the same for Virginia. He would do the same for Virginia. Because deep in his heart, he knew. He knew she was the one, just as he had told Kelsey and Seth the day she rejected his menu. And for the one you want to fall in love with, or the one you’re already in love with, you wait if they say wait, and you hang back if they say hang back. You show up, you care, you make them laugh. You lighten their load and you brighten their day. Any chance you get. Because that’s what the hearts does when it feels what Levi felt when Virginia walked in that train car door just to say hello.

  Even so, Levi had quite enough on his mind to keep him occupied during this indefinite waiting season.

  This weekend Levi would revel in his sister’s upcoming nuptials. The family was holding a small shower for Ashley and Brad this weekend so Levi could be there. Plus it gave the couple plenty of time to get their new home settled before saying ‘I do’ over Thanksgiving weekend, a time of the year Levi typically had to work but gladly blocked off this year. A Thanksgiving television special centering around Tutto Mangiare would air on the holiday, but Levi had arranged for all the press to end by Tuesday so he could be home in Toronto by Wednesday. Kelsey had worked hard on that; he hoped he had showed her enough appreciation.

  Levi caught one more glimpse of Virginia when she disembarked the train in Rochester. Through his window he saw her pull out her cell phone and make a call.

  Probably to her mom, he thought.

  He saw her smile and laugh, then make a joke.

  Definitely her mom.

  He watched as she ended the call, then as she looked at her phone, considering something. Her eyes seemed glued to her device, her thumb hovering over the middle of the screen. Sophie nudged her, and her thumb flew around for just a moment before she put her phone back in her big purple bag.

  Ding-ding. A high-pitched noise came from Levi’s back pocket where he kept his phone. Upon looking at his phone, that hope he had been feeling after Virginia left settled over him once again.

  Good seeing you today. Have a great time at home with your family. 

  Virginia.

  When he looked out his window again, she was gone.

  She is always coming and going too quickly.

  You, too, Virginia. Looking forward to seeing you next week. 

  Simple, reciprocal—to include the emoji—and clear that he looks forward to their next meeting. See, he could follow his friends’ advice. He knew they were right. Plus, he had never let anything—not even work at its most stressful point—put a damper on time with his family; he wasn’t about to start.

  Getting off the train in Toronto was Albany: Round Two. Under high ceilings and a rectangular space that had earned the nickname Canadian Grand Central for its strong resemblance to the American version, Levi signed dozens of hats, shirts, one checkbook ledger, two arms, and a handful of shoes. Seth waited patiently nearby, seemingly happy to be free of the chaos. By the time they made their way outside to a rental car Levi had arranged to have waiting, both men were eager for dinner and for Kate Adams’ locally famous sweet grilled peaches.

  Pulling up to his childhood home had the effect of hot cocoa on a cold winter’s day. Everything about it was perfect and cozy and familiar. The wide driveway held his parents’ Ford Escapes, deep blue for his dad and shadow black for his mom.

  The high archway that framed the front door had always been his favorite aesthetic of the house. It confidently welcomed guests and stood guard over the Adams family for the forty-two years his parents had been married. That and the thin, long dent on the far right side of the garage door from he and his sister running into the garage door with the golf kart were always the first things he saw.

  “Levi! Is that you?” His mom called the moment he swung open the door. She was probably in the kitchen and likely had her blue-and-peach checkered apron firmly in place.

  “Hey, mom! And Seth!” Levi turned his words to Seth. “We were not allowed to yell across one wall to the next growing up. I swear, we moved out and all the rules changed.”

  Seth smiled as the two set down their bags, slipped off their shoes, and made their way to the kitchen.

  “Hi, mom,” Levi said with a smile, giving her a light kiss on the cheek. He exchanged a handshake and a hug with his dad, who was standing near his wife, helping her dry dishes.

  “Where’s Ashley? I thought she’d be here tonight.”

  “She should be here in—“ his mom paused to look at her watch, “about a half an hour. Hi, Seth.” Kate Adams wiped her hands on her apron and made for Seth.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Adams, thank you so much for having me this weekend,” he said, returning her hug and kiss on the cheek, and then the same handshake and hug that Levi had shared with his father.

  “Kate and Curtis, please! You’re family, you know that.” She swatted his arm.

  The four of them stood in the kitchen talking, catching up, reminiscing, eating the chips-and-guacamole that had been out on the counter when Levi and Seth walked in. A short while later, Ashley and Brad walked in right at their mom’s predicted timeline.

  “Big brother!” Ashley threw her arms around Levi with abandon.

  Now Levi’s weekend could begin. He was grateful for Seth’s company and he loved his parents. His little sister grounded him. Brought him to a place where he always belonged, no matter what. Brought him home.

  “So what’s the agenda for the weekend?” Levi asked.

  With a light in her eyes that no one could deny, Ashley spilled the details of the shower her mom was throwing her, the 10k Labor Day Fun Run she had signed herself, Brad, Levi and Seth up for on Sunday morning, and the family brunch they would be having Sunday at a restaurant on the lake.

  “Nobody told me I’d have to work this weekend,” Seth said, good-natured as ever.

  Ashley sent him the same little-sister smile she had given him a thousand times over the years. “It benefits the dog shelter my vet office partners with. No complaining. Only running.”

  Seth gave a playful sigh. “Fine. For the dogs.”

  “And for me, an engagement gift to your favorite little sister.”

  Seth’s eyes crinkled. “Yes, for sure.”

  Kate and Curtis laid out more snacks for their kids as they talked and laughed. Ashley and Brad told stories from their tennis league, and Levi and Seth updated everyone on planning for the Gala. Levi managed to leave out any special information about Virginia, particularly the pieces relating to how perfect for him she was. He also forgot to mention the fact that she rejected his first menu. He did, however, remember to mention that she loved his second menu—he just left off the detail about it being his second draft.

  “Sounds like it’s all coming together,” his mom said.

  “Feels that way,” Levi said, smiling at his mom. How did he get so lucky to have such a kind, supporting family? He thought for a moment he should just tell them about Virginia. They would be over the moon that he had found someone he could love. Maybe even just hint at being interested in someone?

  “How’s Kelsey?” Ashley asked.

  W
ell, maybe next time. Instead he told them how wonderful Kelsey was doing and how he was waiting until closer to the Gala to talk to her about moving up into a higher role.

  “I know you’re scared to lose her as an assistant, big bro, but she will do great things for Tutto Mangiare.”

  He agreed, of course, but he appreciated the affirmation from someone he trusted so much who wasn’t in the everyday with him. Ashley’s insight was valuable and on point, and she made it a point to offer random observations all weekend that seemed to indicate she knew more about his life in New York than he thought she did.

  At the beginning of her and Brad’s engagement shower, she leaned over to Levi and said, “This could be you someday, you know, if you only you stamp her down.” He had asked her who she meant, and before she could answer Uncle Ralph shanghaied her.

  During the “Fun Run”—Seth took ownership of the air quotes—Ashley commented on how Levi probably loved running right up the middle of Manhattan for his exercise, just like he was running up the center of Toronto. He met her teasing eyes with a scrunched expression, but she just kept running and offered no more.

  In the middle of their family brunch, Ashley put her left hand in Levi’s face and told him specifics of her ring and how Brad designed it himself—the sapphire to represent the night sky and the diamonds to represent the stars, since the night they had met was at a local benefit where they danced under the stars. She declared to Levi that designing a piece of jewelry based on their shared history was one of the most romantic things a guy could do for the woman he loved.

  By Sunday afternoon, Levi had resolved to know what was behind Ashley’s comments. He had not been forthcoming about Virginia because so far, there was nothing to tell. It seemed premature to mention her since they had yet to have been out on a date. Plus, as far as Virginia was concerned, they may never go on a date. Either way, what was his sister hiding and where had she gotten her information?

  Sunday night he got his chance to find out. Seth had a tech project due Tuesday morning and had holed himself up in Levi’s dad’s office, so Levi and Ashley took up residence on the back deck. The cushioned couch and chair looked out to an acre of freshly-cut grass, fully bloomed trees that would turn yellow so very soon, and a small fire pit in the center of it that had been the finale of Ashley and Brad’s shower the night before.

  “It’s been a great weekend,” Ashley said, settling back into the couch. Levi noticed her semi-permanent smile lines. His happy-go-lucky sister wasn’t easily brought down, but this weekend she seemed especially buoyant. “Thanks so much for coming home.”

  “I wouldn’t miss it,” Levi said with a smile.

  “Even for a brunette with hazel eyes who may or may not already have your heart?”

  Levi’s head fell back into the headrest. Thank goodness his parents had chosen the most comfortable outdoor furniture and his head met a thick cushion. “What do you know and who do you know it from?”

  “I know many things, big brother. And I know it from Kelsey,” she said, pleased as punch to have what she had over Levi, who let out a guttural grunt. “Don’t be upset with her,” Ashley said. “You know Seth, Kelsey, and I have the same pass.”

  Levi nodded, a tight-lipped smile etched on his face.

  “Tell me about her?” Ashley asked, sincerity in her eyes.

  So he did. He told her about their conversation on the airplane and how her eyes shone and danced when she laughed and when she talked about her hometown.

  He told her about their meetings and how Virginia said no to his first menu draft.

  He told her about their run, about their têtê-a-têtê on the train, and about how even though in his office she told him they couldn’t be together after the Gala he thought her to be determined on the train may have indicated that she changed her mind.

  When all was said and done, Levi asked Ashley the same thing he had asked Seth, “What do you think?”

  “I think,” Ashley said, sitting up and placing her hand on Levi’s knee, “that your friends are right. You two seem to have something, but you need to let her be for now.”

  “Yeah, that’s what you all keep saying. And it’s the last thing I want to do.”

  Ashley’s smile comforted him the way it always had. “You won’t win her heart by stepping over her boundaries.”

  “Right. But I want her to know how much I care about her, which I still find crazy considering how little time I have actually known her. I just got to the point where I could count on two hands the number of conversations we’ve had. And yet here I am, a mess over this clever, beautiful, kind, strong, entertaining woman who is perfect for me.”

  “That’s not crazy. It’s love, big brother.”

  Levi’s eyes were downcast. He brought his eyes up slowly, a smile forming. “So this is what everyone’s been so hopped up about all this time. I thought it was just a big myth, some big story you all kept talking about to keep the industry going or something.”

  “Welcome to the club, big brother.” She slapped him on his knee. “And you just wait, when she comes around, it gets even better.” Ashley winked at her brother, affection and support covering him.

  Levi needed this. He knew his sister needed him home this weekend, but he needed her, too. He needed to tell his sister, face to face, about Virginia. He needed to hear her words. He needed to laugh and joke and play and be with his family, at home, going no further than downtown for a fun run and some delicious brunch. Now he could go back to New York City, back to the traffic and the sirens and the ants marching seventeen stories below his office. He could go back to planning the Gala, to fixing Downhome Made New the way the network wanted, and he could find one reasonable excuse after another to see and woo Virginia every chance he got.

  By the time Levi walked back into his apartment Monday afternoon, he was confident in his plan to double-down on everything: the Gala, the show, and the girl.

   Chapter 17

  Brrring brrring. Brrring brrring.

  Levi heard his intercom ringing, but he was on a role. His fingers flew around the keyboard as his eyes darted between the document on his computer screen and the notes he had made in his working notebook, which sat perched on a recipe book holder that allowed him to read without having to look down every time he needed to find his numbers. Knee deep into creating the master ingredient list for the Gala menu, a document he planned to surprise Virginia with a week earlier than she had asked for it, he couldn’t believe that it was near completion.

  The document was no easy feat, but it was part of Levi’s Double Down approach, both for the Gala and for Virginia. It was not just a simple list of ingredients. He knew from working with event planners in the past that they wanted separate sections for each dish, individual and summative quantities, distributor / vendor of each ingredient, and a cost analysis broken down for each dish as well as for the entire menu.

  Virginia and Sophie were not simpleton event planners; their simultaneous ability to look at details while seeing the whole picture was likely one of the driving factors in their winning the Gala. They would want the full picture, which he was happy to give them. The comprehensively neat, organized, and color-coded picture.

  Brrring brrring. Brrring brrring.

  Just a few more ingredients to finish, and he would have sixteen out of the eighteen menu items being offered at the Gala.

  Brrring brrring. Brrring brrring.

  If that’s Kelsey, she could just come in.

  “Levi.” Her uncharacteristically irritated tone halted his progress immediately.

  “Sorry, Kels. Working on the Master Ingredient List for the Gala. What’s up?”

  “The network is on the phone. And they need to talk to you. Now.”

  Concern burned in his stomach, though he wasn’t sure why. He didn’t really even like being on television, a realization he had come to over the previous three months. When compared to everything else on his mind and on his plate, Downhome M
ade New was the only thing that brought him zero joy. Even chasing-but-not-chasing after and flirting-but-not-flirting with Virginia was more fun than thinking about changing his television appearance. Especially considering the fact that they wanted him to change his wardrobe and his hair.

  “Did they say what they wanted?”

  “No.”

  “Why do you sound so annoyed?”

  “You wanted that intercom for purposes such as this. And then I ring three times and you don’t answer. Annoying.”

  Levi stood and made a sincere apology. He did not like annoying his friends, especially the ones who worked for him and could mess with him any way they wanted, as they had proven adept at doing. Levi positioned his head toward his phone. “Could you put the network through?”

  Kelsey nodded as she let the door go, something she only does when her patience has worn paper-thin. He couldn’t really blame her. He had been so distracted by—and therefore focused on—Virginia and the Gala, he had been far less communicative than usual, which always drove Kelsey crazy. She liked to know what her days were going to hold, and when he was this focused he just went about his business and hoped everyone else could catch up and keep up.

  His office phone blared and he put it on speaker so he could pace while hearing from his least favorite people in the business.

  “This is Levi,” he said, professional and ready.

  “Levi. It’s Mark, Dave, and Dave from the network.”

  “Gentlemen. Sorry it took me a minute to get to the phone. All me. What can I do for you?” They appreciated curt, one of his least favorite qualities. What was he even doing in this conversation?

  “Levi, we’re announcing it tomorrow. Downhome Made New is cancelled.”

  He heard their voices continue, but everything after ‘cancelled’ sounded more like minions droning on in the background of his elation. He had put off working on the changes for the show. His heart hadn’t been in it for a long time. This—this was a mercy, a win, a blessing without a disguise. Levi pumped his fist—silently, of course—and didn’t work to hide the smile he knew filled his whole being.