by Alexa Land
“Don’t worry about it. Just have fun tonight.” When I glanced at my watch, Dante asked, “How are you doing on time?”
“I’m right on schedule. I told Cole I’d pick him up at seven, so I should leave in about five minutes.”
I rolled down the sleeves of my dark gray dress shirt and buttoned the cuffs, and when I started to fidget with my tie, Dante grinned and said, “Let me do that. You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in a suit before.”
“I’m trying to turn over a new leaf. Remember that conversation we had last time I saw you?”
“Yeah, right before you chopped all your hair off. I like the new haircut, by the way.”
“Thanks.” I raised my chin as Dante reknotted my tie and said, “Hey, speaking of that conversation, you told me you were thinking about adopting that kid Jayden and his big brother. Has anything come of that?”
A little frown line appeared between his brows. “Charlie and I invited the boys to dinner at our house last week, but Joely refused to come over, so Jayden wouldn’t either. Jay is such a great kid, and I think my husband and I have a lot to offer him. But because his brother is so distrustful of everyone, it’s almost impossible to get close to either of them.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Keep trying. This is too important to just let it go,” he said. “Maybe Joely will eventually come around, once he realizes Charlie and I are sincere about wanting to help him and his brother.”
“You know what you need? Some kind of group project with all the kids who are staying at your grandmother’s house. That way, the brothers can get to know you and Charlie in a no pressure, no expectations setting. If you want, I’ll help you come up with something.”
“That’s a great idea, and I’d love your help.”
“I’ll give it some thought and call you in a day or two.” I pulled on my black suit jacket and said, “Hey, how obvious is it that I got this outfit at a thrift shop?”
“Not at all. That suit fits you perfectly. Go get your man and blow his socks off with how good you look.”
I grinned at Dante and said, “Alright, we’ll be back in about half an hour.”
“I’ll be here to let you in, but don’t worry, I won’t hover. Charlie’s going to join me and we’ll hang out upstairs, so you two will have plenty of privacy.”
“You kept the loft, even after you bought your house?”
“Yeah. I’d been thinking about selling the building, which is why I didn’t try to rent out our old apartment. But…I don’t know. I haven’t decided anything yet.”
“Why would you sell the building? What about your restaurant?”
Dante looked around the dining room and said, “This place was good for Charlie and me when we first opened it. We were a new couple, and we were trying to figure out what we wanted to do with our lives. I guess there was a comfort and familiarity in it, because Nana had owned a restaurant when my brothers and I were kids. But now, it’s just not what either of us wants to be doing.”
I murmured, “Kind of ironic.”
“What is?”
I hadn’t really meant to say that out loud, but I explained, “Well, that one man’s dream is another’s okay-for-now.”
“Is it your dream to run a restaurant?”
“Oh yeah. But if you’re not happy in this business, then you’re right to sell it and move on.”
Dante’s dark eyes were still scanning the beautiful, pristine space. “It’s tough to let go, but that decision might actually be made for me pretty soon. Charlie and I were lucky to snag a great chef when we first opened this place. I know we couldn’t have done any of it without Tyler Remmy. But he’s getting restless. He’s been talking about going back to France and starting a farm-to-table venture. When Trevor trained as Remmy’s apprentice, I assumed my brother-in-law would take over not only the kitchen but the restaurant as a whole, once the chef and I finally called it quits. But Trevor’s a family man, and I should have known the long hours involved in running this place wouldn’t appeal to him.” After a moment, Dante turned to me and said, “We should talk about you taking over the restaurant, assuming that’s something you’d be interested in.”
“Wait, what?”
“You heard me.”
“But Tyler Remy is a classically trained chef, and I’m a caterer and former line cook with two semesters of culinary school under my belt. I’m not qualified to step into his shoes! You’ll be able to find someone much more qualified to run your kitchen.”
“I don’t want someone to run my kitchen. I want them to take over the restaurant and make it theirs. I’m done playing restauranteur. At best, I’d stay on as a silent partner, but I don’t want to be involved in any of the decisions or the day-to-day operations.”
My mind was racing, and I stammered, “But…what exactly are you proposing? I mean, are you proposing something? Or are you just tossing ideas around?”
Dante said, “You need to pick up your date. Why don’t you meet me here tomorrow morning and we’ll talk about this in depth?”
“Absolutely! I’ll be here at eight!”
He grinned at me. “I’ll be here at ten. Now, you should get going.”
“Already gone,” I said as I jogged to the door.
*****
Cole’s roommate was enormous. Not that I’d failed to notice when we’d run into him earlier that day. But when he completely filled the door to his duplex, it really drove the point home. I felt like a high school kid confronted with my date’s dad as I shifted from foot to foot, crinkling the paper around the bouquet in my hand as I said, “Um, hi Duke. I’m here to pick up Cole.”
He studied me for a long moment. I started to wonder if he was going to let me in. Finally, he stepped aside and said, “He’s still getting ready. You can wait for him in the living room.” I murmured a thank you as I squeezed past him.
The living room was a bit odd. It struck me as equal parts doctor’s waiting room and old lady’s parlor. The couch and pair of matching club chairs were mint green, the walls and curtains were stark white, and the whole thing was brightly lit and absolutely spotless, to the point of feeling sterile. A trio of framed landscape photos hung above the couch, and they were so generic that I imagined Duke grabbing a plain box labeled ‘Art’ at a warehouse store and throwing it in his cart sight-unseen.
And then there was the bizarre senior citizen vibe. The coffee table and end tables were each topped with a trio of porcelain figurines of children dressed in traditional German clothing. I perched on the edge of the totally unyielding sofa and stared at them before turning my attention to Duke. He was dressed in a dark blue polo shirt and jeans, and still looked every bit like a cop, even without the uniform. His buzzed-off dark blond hair and dead-serious expression just added to it. He stood awkwardly on the edge of the mint-and-white area rug and asked, “May I offer you a refreshment while you wait?”
“Oh. Um, no thanks. I have dinner waiting for Cole and me, so….”
“Right. Of course.”
The ‘conversation’ ground to a halt at that point. I’d always thought of myself as the type of person who could talk to anyone, but Duke Blumenthal didn’t give me much to work with. I flailed around for topics, and finally came up with, “So, what are you up to tonight? Anything exciting?”
“I’m planning to organize my sock drawer.”
I almost laughed, because that seemed exactly like something he’d do. Fortunately, Cole appeared in the hallway just then. He smiled at me and said, “Hey. Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“Totally worth it,” I murmured as I got to my feet. He was dressed in a dark blue, slim-fitting suit and a crisp, white dress shirt that was open at the collar, and I told him, “You look gorgeous.”
“So do you.”
“Thanks. I brought you these.” I held up the flowers and grinned as I said, “Why am I nervous?”
“Well, you know,” he said as he came into the living room and too
k the bouquet from me. “First dates and all.” He kissed me and said, “Thanks for the sunflowers, they’re my favorite. Well, you knew that.” I nodded, and he said, “I’m nervous, too. Weird, right?”
We’d almost forgotten Duke was in the room until he blurted, “If you want me to, I can find a vase for those.”
Cole thanked his roommate as he handed him the bouquet. Duke left the room at a pace just short of power walking, and Cole whispered, “I think our PDA made him uncomfortable.”
“Is he straight and bothered by two men kissing?”
“No. He’s just a little uptight.” I had to wonder what ‘a lot uptight’ would look like. Cole asked, “Should we go?” When I nodded, he took my hand and called, “We’re leaving, Duke. Have a good night!”
Once we’d shut the front door behind us, I asked, “Okay, what’s with the creepy little statues? It’s like a serial killer starter kit.”
Cole chuckled and said, “They’re not that bad.”
“Oh no, they really are. Where did they come from?”
“His German grandmother started his Hummel figure collection when he was a kid. Apparently she adds to it on each birthday.”
“What a mean old lady.” That made him laugh. I loved that sound.
When we reached the curb, he turned to me with a smile and said, “What have you done here?”
“I decided to class up our ride.” I’d printed a nearly three-foot-long picture of a stretch limo across several sheets of typing paper and taped it to the side of my van, covering the words ‘River’s Edge Catering’. “I even vacuumed the hot pink glitter out of the passenger seat and hung up one of those little air freshener trees. Unfortunately, that did nothing to mask the smell of all the food we brought back to the city, so the interior now reeks of potato leek soup and pine. I suggest keeping your window cracked. I’m pretty sure asphyxiation by cheap air freshener is a real thing.” He was still smiling as he climbed into the van and I closed the door for him.
As I drove us back to the Marina District, I said, “I don’t want to spend tonight talking about me, and I definitely don’t want to spend it talking about work, but I had a surprising conversation with Dante right before I came to pick you up, and I wanted to ask your opinion on something.”
“Okay.”
“It’s entirely possible that nothing will come of this, but Dante told me he wants to get out of the restaurant business, and he mentioned the possibility of me taking over Charlie Connolly.” I grinned at that and added, “Oh man! That sounds super awkward, since the restaurant shares its name with Dante’s husband. I wonder if renaming it would be part of the deal.”
“Holy shit, he asked you to take over his restaurant? That’s huge, River!”
“I don’t know how seriously I should take this. I mean, he could have just been thinking out loud, but he wants to meet with me tomorrow morning and talk about it. It’s crazy though, right? He has to know I don’t have any money. I can’t buy that place from him, or even buy a share of it, since he mentioned staying on as a silent partner.”
“The Dombruso family’s loaded. He probably doesn’t care about money.”
“That could be,” I said. “But doesn’t he care about a totally unqualified amateur running his restaurant into the ground?”
“You’re hardly unqualified. You’ve worked in restaurants all your life, and you also know how to run a business. Most importantly, you cook absolutely delicious food.”
“But running a tiny catering business and a restaurant that employs dozens of people isn’t the same thing.”
“You could always hire someone to handle the business end of it, so you could concentrate on the food.”
“That’s true.” I glanced at Cole when we reached a stoplight and said, “I’m trying so hard not to get my hopes up, but what Dante mentioned is my dream on a silver platter. That’s crazy, though. Life doesn’t work like that! You get things by working hard for them, not by having them handed to you!”
“Oh believe me, if you do take over the restaurant, you’ll be busting your ass. I’ve worked in the restaurant industry long enough to know how much goes on behind the scenes. He isn’t really handing you anything, aside from a hell of a lot of work and a mountain of responsibility.”
“You’re not wrong about that. Could you imagine, though? It would be amazing to plan a menu and cook the type of food I’ve always dreamed of! It’s just….” I shook my head. “It’s so much more than I ever thought I’d have.”
Cole rested his hand on my arm. “If this doesn’t happen for some reason, if Dante changes his mind, or if he was just blowing smoke up your ass, we’re going to figure out how to get you a restaurant, River. I’ve been building up my savings for years, and it’s not enough to afford anything as fancy as Dante’s place, but it might get you a month-to-month lease on a little café of your own. There are the start-up costs to consider, but your food is excellent, and I know you’d turn a profit in no time.”
I pulled to the curb in front of Dante’s restaurant and turned to Cole. “You’d do that for me?”
“Of course I would. This is important, River. Remember what I said before about following your dream for both of us?”
I touched his cheek and said softly, “I’d never let you gut your savings, Cole. That’s your safety net. But I appreciate the offer so much. Thank you for believing in me.”
“Always.”
I kissed him gently, then got out of the van and went around and opened the passenger door for him. Both of us paused on the sidewalk to admire the elegant, white exterior of the three-story building. A pair of topiaries flanked the wide entryway, which was set into a recessed alcove, and the brass sign above the door looked like it had been handmade by an artisan. The whole thing was about a million miles above anything I’d ever dreamed of.
I turned to Cole and took his hand. “What I’m about to say is in no way a first date topic. Maybe the date can start officially once we walk through that door, okay?”
“Sure.”
“Dante’s offer doesn’t just affect me. It affects us. This is our future we’re talking about, not just mine, and if this happens, it’s going to impact both our lives. I want you as involved as you want to be with the restaurant. And if you don’t want me to accept the offer for any reason, assuming there’s one to accept, I want you to tell me.”
“Seriously?”
“You’re so much more important than this restaurant, Cole. You’re more important than anything. I won’t take this job if it’s not what we both want. Like you said, you’ve worked in the restaurant industry, and you know all about the long, late hours. I’d probably be here from before it opened until after it closed, six nights a week. You also know it’d tie me down. We have a lot of freedom now to travel or do whatever we want, but if I took this on, days off would be few and far between.”
“That’s true, but if this is what you want….”
“You’re what I want.” I searched his handsome face and said softly, “I just got you back, Cole. You’re my top priority, and I won’t let a job or anything else come between us. So, tell me what you think is best for us and I’ll do it.”
His dark eyes searched my face. “You’d give up your dream for me?”
“Not give up, trade up. I’ll gladly swap that dream for a better one, from running a restaurant to being with the man I love. I know that sounds corny, but it’s the God’s-honest truth. You come first, Cole, and if you don’t want me to pursue this, I won’t.”
He kissed me before saying, “You don’t have to choose. I want this for you, River. Yeah, it’ll mean long hours and a lot of sacrifice, but if and when this happens, I’m going to be right there with you, every step of the way. It won’t come between us, because we won’t let it.”
I pulled Cole into my arms and kissed him, and then I said, “Come on, let’s go inside.”
“We’re eating here tonight? I thought the restaurant was closed on Mondays.”
When I knocked on the door and Dante answered, I had to laugh. He’d slicked back his black hair, penciled in a thin mustache over his permanent five o-clock shadow, and draped a towel over his bent arm in an approximation of a maître de. “Gentlemen,” he said, “your table is ready. Right this way.”
Soft music was playing in the background as Dante led us into the restaurant. I pulled out Cole’s chair before sitting down across from him, and he murmured, “Wow,” as he looked around.
Dante had added an ice bucket and an expensive bottle of champagne to the mix, and he popped the cork and told us, “Complements of the management.” We both thanked him, and he filled our glasses and returned the bottle to the ice. Then he grinned at us and said, “Have fun, you two. Just lock the door and pull it shut behind you whenever you’re ready to leave. No hurry whatsoever. My husband’s waiting for me on the third floor, and I’m planning to go up there and rock his world for the next few hours, so don’t call me unless the building’s on fire. Actually, don’t call me then, either. The fire department will probably get it under control before it reaches our bed.”
He gave us a playful wink, and I called, “Thanks again, Dante,” as he left the dining room and headed for the stairs at the back of the building.
Cole and I raised our glasses, and I said, “To us,” as we clinked them together.
We both took a sip, and Cole put his glass down and took my hand. “This is amazing, River. Thank you for arranging all of this, and for the flowers, and for whatever this is.” He ran his fingertips over the wrapped present on his plate and asked, “Can I open it?”
“Of course.” He tugged on the white satin bow and carefully unwrapped the little box. When he raised the lid and looked inside, the sweetest smile spread across his face. He began to line up the vintage, metal cars on the tabletop as I explained, “You told me once that you’d regretted the decision to get rid of your Hot Wheels when you moved from Chicago to Idaho. When I was at the thrift shop looking for a suit, I spotted these and thought you might like them. You’d mentioned yours were from the 1970s. They are, too.”