CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Bee
I didn't press charges.
You might think that was the wrong move. Or worse, that I hadn't changed at all. That I was still stuck in my old pattern of being way too nice. That I was worried about his comfort and whether or not he'd ever make it in jail (hint: he wouldn't).
But that's not why I let him walk away.
I let him walk away because I had too much to look forward to in the future to spend any more time getting dragged back into the past.
Opening night found me standing in the doorway of Indigo with my heart in my throat.
I spotted Charlie's blonde head, bobbing in the crowd, just a nanosecond before she saw me. She rushed up with a nervous giggle. "How do I look?" she asked, smoothing her hands over her sleek, professional black uniform.
"So fancy!" I sighed, reaching out to give her a hug.
Charlie squeezed me tight. "I can't thank you enough for getting me this job," she said. "Only working nights? This is amazing. Malcolm's already down tonight and I can be with him during the day now. And with the paycheck I just got I was able to get my car fixed too!"
I was about to respond, but she held me so tightly that she squeezed the breath from my lungs. "You're a really good friend," she whispered. "Thank you so much for all of your help."
"Well…" I grinned as I pulled back. "Anything to get you away from Spiro. At least these bosses are just a tad nicer."
"Oh my God, and so much better looking too," Charlie squealed. "I mean, have you looked at them?"
I had to hide my laugh behind a cough. "Yeah," I choked. "They're pretty handsome."
"Sexy as fuck." She sighed. "Maybe someday I'll be able to date again. Like maybe when Malcolm's eighteen."
"You'll find someone," I promised her. "I can help you!"
Her eyes twinkled at that thought, then she turned and scanned the crowd. "Excuse me," she said. "I've got some General Manager shit I've gotta do now." And off she rushed to help with opening night at Indigo.
I stood in the front of the restaurant, scanning over the heads of the happy diners. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Finn, standing still and reflective, looking out into the crowd with a dazed and happy look on his face and I made a beeline for him.
Or should I say, a me-line.
"Opening night good luck kiss!" I cried, going up on my tiptoes to brush my lips across his smooth cheek. He'd shaved extra carefully this morning.
He chuckled. "You already gave me one," he said in a low voice.
"Well?" I asked. "Did it work?"
He looked around. "Yeah, sweet girl. It worked really fucking well." The place was packed. "Maybe I'll take another one too."
He leaned over and kissed me, just a gentle brush of his lips against mine. It wasn't deep or passionate, or even very long, but it still made goosebumps march along my skin, and my toes curl inside of my shoes.
Finn pulled back, and glanced over to the kitchen. "Jackson's cooking is on fire tonight," he grinned. "I think that little show you put on this morning inspired him."
I grinned, blushed and looked down. "Good," I said. "That's what it was supposed to do. I looked over in the direction of the kitchen. "You think I can go say hi?" I asked.
Finn laughed. "If you were anyone else, I'd say no... But since you're you..." He finished with a teasing grin.
I laughed, and made my way through the packed restaurant. It seemed like the whole town was here, either already eating, or waiting outside, lined up to get in for the prix fixe menu that Jackson had designed just for tonight. I recognized the bewilderment on the faces of the diners presented with the antenna dish, and then their laughing realization that they had to eat with their hands. I watched their wide-eyed astonishment as they bit into the sugared eggplant and remembered the explosion of flavor Jackson had conjured that night we all came together for the first time.
I sidestepped a scurrying server, and stood in the corner of the kitchen, out of the way of everyone, watching Jackson in his element.
The way he called orders, keeping his eyes everywhere, as his hands worked, skillfully plating the food... God, it was sexy as hell. Especially as I watched the line cooks respond to him with cries of, "Yes chef!"
"That's my man," I whispered, reminding myself. I glanced over back into the front of the house, and saw Finn moving through the tables, smiling and shaking hands with the diners, totally in control. "And that's also my man."
A server went by just then, carrying a plate of desserts. I looked at it proudly. "And that's my dessert."
I'd spent all morning baking the desserts for Jackson's menu. Just as an experiment. Just for tonight. It was good to try new things, I thought, grinning privately.
At that moment Jackson spied me, even though I was trying to stay out of his sight.
"There's my girl," he said, coming over for a kiss.
I went up on my tiptoes and gave him a fierce hug. "I'm so proud of you guys."
He pulled back excitedly, and squinted out into the crowd. "I'm not sure," he said. "But I think I see the reviewer for the Times."
I inhaled sharply. "Oh my God, Jackson! You're going to get your second four-star rating!" I took his face in my hand, and kissed him, hard, and proud.
Finn came up behind us, brushing his hand over my shoulder. "Javier?" he called into the kitchen.
The sous chef popped his head up. "Yes Chef?"
"You're in charge," Finn called curtly.
The two of them backed to me into Finn's office, while I giggled, and weakly protested. "Don't you have more important things to be doing right now?" I asked, gasping as Finn lifted my shirt over my head.
"Nothing is more important than you," Jackson growled. And somehow my pants were off already.