Chapter Seven - Charlotte
Hostessing at the Dock’s End is a lot of fun. I haven’t spent any time working in restaurants since I was a teenager, but it all comes back to me pretty quickly when I’m standing at the podium, escorting guests to their tables. It’s a busy Saturday night and the place is packed, from tourists loudly planning the rest of their evenings to locals who squeeze my arm and tell me they’re delighted to see me back home. It’s a comfortable sort of rush, one that feels urgent but leisurely all at once.
I make frequent sweeps through the large, expansive dining room, checking table availability and guest happiness. More than once, someone calls me over and asks me to tell Danny how wonderful the food is tonight. I’ve tasted a few things, a delicious creamy soup and a rich and decadent cake, and I agree, they’re absolutely wonderful. I’m happy to be here, to be part of Dad and Danny’s success and to hear and see other people enjoying themselves so much.
Toward the end of the night, a woman who had worked in my elementary school office, Ms. Jinos, flags me down to ask what I know about the upcoming Naval Academy Christmas Ball.
“Not much, actually,” I say, smiling down at her clean plate, every bite devoured. “I know it’s a huge deal for them, and I know there is a lot of planning happening, but I haven’t had the chance to hear many of them yet.”
“I’m sure it’s going to be spectacular,” Ms. Jinos says, smiling warmly at me like she had over field trip forms two decades ago.
“I’m sure,” I agree. “This space is perfect for it.”
“It is, and Danny is the perfect man for the job,” Ms. Jinos says, shaking her head. “He’s made so much of himself, become such a valued member of this community. He’s really overcome his circumstances, and the Navy was a huge part of that, I think.”
“He’s very talented,” I say, nodding. Ms. Jinos laughs.
“He is, and it ruins my diet every time I’m here, but he’s also just become so important around here, involved in so much. People love him, not just his food. And, well . . . I’m sure you don’t remember his father, but believe me, it’s quite the accomplishment, the person he’s become” Ms. Jinos says.
“I’ve heard,” I say, thinking. I knew most of that. I suppose everyone knows those basic details: Danny was from the worst part of town, had been going nowhere until he and Dad had bonded over a cigarette break and built a friendship that would last well beyond the bad habit that had brought them together. I know Dad hasn’t touched a cigarette in years, even after Mom left, and I get the impression Danny doesn’t touch them anymore, either. Still, that one conversation had eventually lead Danny into the Navy, had led to this restaurant.
I turn it over in my head the way I’ve been turning Danny over and over in my head since I got home. I watch him when I can throughout the rest of the evening, fascinated. He’s got a cool manner in the kitchen, giving directions to line cooks in a clear, firm tone. He has fast hands that seem to move almost magically over plates, creating beautiful, delicious food. He’s got a deep, warm laugh that sounds like it surprises him every time it happens, like someone who maybe once did not have much occasion for it. I think about the life he’s led, what I know of it, and how much he’s obviously overcome, and how strong that must make him.
I want to hear the story from him. I want to get to know more about Danny, not from listening to the gossip of the patrons but from actually talking to him. I want to know why he joined the Navy and why he loves to cook. I want to know what does when he’s not here. I want to know everything. I know I shouldn’t—he’s Dad’s best friend, and he’s got a reputation with women that should make me back off—but I want to get closer.
After the bar has served its last rounds and the checks are all paid, I send Dad home, telling him I’ll help clean up.
“You’ve got restaurant blood in you after all, kid,” Dad says to me, laughing. He’s got tired bags around his eyes and is limping a little on the bad knee that’s plagued him my whole life. I shake my head.
“Nope, I’ve just got concerned daughter in me,” I reply, shooing him out the door. I’ve also got a crush on his best friend, but that’s something I plan to keep to myself.
The kitchen and bus staff does most of the cleaning, but I close out cash and credit receipts in Dad’s office, watching Danny out of the corner of my eye the whole time. When the last of the staff has left, I head over to Danny, hoping to talk.
“Hey,” I say, smiling warmly. “Everyone was raving about the food tonight.”
“Glad to hear it,” Danny says, grinning back at me. His smile reaches his eyes, making them crinkle around the edges. “Thanks for helping out tonight.”
“I had fun,” I say truthfully. Danny is still working, taking stock of ingredients and jotting things down, but he doesn’t seem to mind the company. I can tell he’s a bit of perfectionist about his work—he’s intensely focused in a way I can’t help but find incredibly sexy.
“Good,” Danny says, gesturing for me to have a seat on the stool across from him.
“Everyone seems really excited about the Naval Ball,” I say, sitting down across from him on the high stool.
“Yeah, it’s a huge deal,” Danny says, shaking his head, “and a giant honor.”
“Absolutely. I remember, as a kid, seeing the people all dressed up downtown, walking to one of the hotels. It looked like the most beautiful, magical night,” I say, thinking back to all those handsome men in uniform with beautiful women in gowns on their arms.
“It can be,” Danny says, “but I’ve never looked forward to it as much as this year.”
“Space will be amazing for it,” I say, thinking of the dramatic sweeping high ceilings of the dining room.
“It should be,” Danny says. “It’s strange, I feel more a part of it this year than ever before, even though I’ve been going for years.”
“That doesn’t seem strange. I mean, you’ve never been in charge of it before,” I say.
“True,” Danny says, laughing, “and I haven’t had much reason to really look forward to it in years.”
“Why’s that?” I ask, curious.
“A lot of reasons, but mostly because I haven’t had anyone to take, I guess,” Danny says, holding my eyes for a beat in a very purposeful way as he does. I bite my lip under his gaze and nod.
“Harder to enjoy a ball alone, I imagine,” I say, looking back at him. I’m suddenly picturing myself on Danny’s arm, walking into a beautiful room, ready to dance the night away and ring in the holidays.
“Everyone is my guest this year, in a way,” Danny says, laughing again, stepping in closer to me. I put a hand on his arm, feeling the warmth of his skin through his shirt.
“They’re all counting on you,” I agree.
“You should test the menu for me, let me know if everything I have planned is good enough,” Danny says, flicking his eyes down to the spot where my hand rests on his arm. I know I’m being bold, but I feel so drawn to him that it’s hard to pull away.
“I’d love to,” I say. He smells amazing this close, and I can feel how well defined his muscles are, can almost feel that his heart has started to beat faster. I think mine has too.
“I’m not used to having people in my kitchen this late,” Danny says, putting his notebook down behind me.
“No?” I ask, flushing.
“But I can’t say I mind,” Danny says, and his eyes dart to my lips. I nod and feel myself lean toward him, eager, caught in the moment. His lips are firm and intense and when they meet mine, and the hand he wraps around the back of my neck feels strong. I clutch my hand in the fabric of his shirt sleeve, kissing back with insistence.
I know I should care, should feel ridiculous kissing Danny, of all people, in a kitchen late at night, but all I feel is exhilarated, not wanting to stop, even for a moment.