Sara
“THIS IS SILLY, Drew,” I sighed as I shrugged on the chef’s jacket and hat. Instead of the traditional cap and gown, the culinary school students graduated in chef’s jackets and hats in their own separate ceremony from the rest of the college commencement activities. It was the same uniform I’d worn at the restaurant and during class, but it seemed ridiculous to pull it on for the sake of sitting in an auditorium.
“You worked hard for this.” He wrapped his arms around me from behind and dropped a wet, open-mouthed kiss to the back of my neck, causing all the tiny hairs to stand up along my spine “And after the ceremony, maybe you could keep the hat on and lose everything else.”
“You want to fuck me in a chef’s hat?” I turned to Drew’s sexy smirk and shrug.
“I want to fuck you in anything,” he growled as he pulled me flush to his body. “But the chef’s hat . . .” Drew hissed out a breath before crushing his lips to mine.
“We could stay here . . . and I could get naked now,” I mumbled against his mouth as my back hit the edge of Drew’s kitchen counter. I attempted to hoist myself up and wrap my legs around his waist, but he wouldn’t budge. I scoffed and frowned at the shake of his head.
“Nice try. Let’s go.”
I leveled my eyes at him with a petulant huff. “Fine,” I clipped before grabbing my purse.
“Listen to me.” Drew grabbed my hands and enclosed them in his. “Today is something to celebrate. Why don’t you want to go?”
My eyes left his and fixated on the floor. “Everyone will be there with their families, and the two people in my family are four hours away. It feels more depressing than celebratory.” I never asked Josh if he would drive Victoria up here because I didn’t see the point. I saw graduation as an insignificant formality, but in spite of how I blew it off, I wished my daughter and sister were here today.
“I’m not enough?” His bottom lip jutted out in an exaggerated pout.
My chest shook with a laugh before I planted a kiss on his lips. “Yes, you are. Always. This is just a day when . . . not having parents beaming with pride stings a little.”
“What about having the man who loves you more than anything in the world beaming with pride?” He kissed where our fingers were still joined. “Because I am proud as hell of you.”
He rested his forehead against mine, his chocolate puppy dog eyes pleading under his long lashes.
“Why are you so fucking wonderful?”
He chuckled as he kissed the top of my head. “It’s a curse, Gorgeous.”
The ceremony was thankfully short and sweet. The culinary graduating class wasn’t very large, and we weren’t called up one by one. I searched the audience for Drew, but seats were mostly taken, and he was hard to find in the crowd in the sea of congratulations balloons. I smiled to myself at the thought of having someone in the crowd—here only for me. In a year’s time, so much had changed. I was in love, I had a sister, and finally a career—not just a job. The lonely lifestyle I thought was my life sentence had been lifted and the future filled me with excitement instead of dread. Birthdays and holidays were something to look forward to, not a reason to panic over how I’d be able to afford it or how I’d get through it alone. Drew was right; today was a day to celebrate.
The class filtered out of the auditorium, making it even more impossible to spot my boyfriend. I was about to dig out my phone to text Drew when a hand wrapped around my waist.
“Congratulations, chef.” Drew pressed a light kiss to my lips when I craned my head around, giving my bottom one a little suck before he pulled back.
“Assistant chef,” I corrected him before I snaked my arm around his neck and gave him a peck. The crowd shimmied us back and forth as more spilled out of the ceremony. I kept the annoyed New Yorker in me in check as I focused on the joy of the moment.
I turned around and drifted my hands down Drew’s black button-down shirt. “Where were you sitting? I couldn’t find you.” My fingers traced along the edge of his collar. This man made me so damn happy. Drew loved me enough to make me believe I was worth it, that I deserved someone as amazing as him in my life and in my corner. Maybe moving in together so soon was a touch impetuous, but I’d had my life on hold for so long it was as if it never had a chance to ever begin. Now, I was starting a brand-new life and sharing it with both the man I loved and my daughter.
It was surreal when the dreams you never let yourself have come true.
“I was toward the back, I had people to meet up with.”
“People? Who?”
Two arms wrapped around my torso from behind and almost made me fall.
“Surprise, Mommy!” My daughter whispered into my back.
I gaped at Drew, his mouth tipping up into a smirk.
“How did you . . . ?”
“We took the train in last night and stayed at the hotel down the road.” My sister came out of nowhere and flung her arms round my neck. She’d been visiting with Victoria quite often since our parents’ funeral, and the two of them had become close. In a year’s time, my family multiplied. That, along with my degree, was my biggest joy.
I glared at Drew through her unruly waves, elated that they were here yet clueless as to how he made it happen.
“Hotels are cool!” Victoria’s eyes widened as she tightened her grip around me. “These are for you, Mommy!” She hoisted a huge bouquet of flowers at me before releasing me from her bear hug. She must’ve been clutching onto them for dear life throughout the ceremony since the petals on the squished outer flowers were falling off.
“And we got a room in the same hotel for tonight.” Drew’s lips found my temple. “We also have a special dinner planned, so . . .” He peeled one of my hands off the crinkled paper surrounding my bouquet and laced our fingers together. “Ready?” He nodded at my sister and Victoria walking up ahead.
I allowed myself to get lost in his smile for a minute. Accepting love was still a bit out of my wheelhouse, but with Drew, I had no choice. He surrounded me with it, melting away the last shards of ice to bring the fire out, the one burning in my belly for all there was to come.
“Yes, I am.”