Coming soon
From Scratch
Chapter 1
Xander Collins sat in the back of the town car he was in and let out a long, frustrated breath. Tonight was supposed to be a big night for him, but he felt anything but happy.
Tonight was the opening of his newest restaurant, and instead of feeling a sense of accomplishment, he felt like there was just something missing.
Xander felt restless.
It was two months since his date with Ella Cassidy, and he had felt in such a funk since.
He had really liked her, and he had thought that maybe she liked him too. But it wasn’t meant to be, and now he was back to square one again.
It wasn’t that Xander had his shortage of admirers, far from it. He could have had his pick of girls. The trouble was, most of them wanted him for his bank balance and not who he was as a person, and Xander found it all very exhausting.
At first, when Brady suggested him meeting Ella, he had been reluctant but Brady assured him that she was not like other girls, and he had been right. The fact that she had a child hadn’t really bothered him either. She was strong and independent, and nothing like most other girls he had met.
That’s why he had liked Ella. She had no clue who he was, and she was completely herself with him, instead of the typical girl who thought that stroking his ego was the way to his heart. She was a breath of fresh air.
He had hoped that if things had worked out with Ella, he could have taken her to the opening that night. But it hadn’t, and here he was, alone once again.
Maybe I need to get out of town for a while, he thought to himself and frowned once more.
“We should be there in a few moments, Sir,” Andrew, the driver told Xander, pulling him from his thoughts.
“Okay, Andrew,” Xander replied as he sighed once again.
He didn’t often take a town car. He normally preferred to drive, but he knew there would be champagne and he didn’t like to drink and drive. A half glass of wine with dinner was okay, once in a while. But anything more and it was not happening.
Xander liked to think that it was just common sense, but he knew it was more than that. He knew it was because of how he lost his mother and little sister.
When Xander was eleven, his mother was driving him and his little sister, Gabby home from a friend’s birthday party. He and Gabby were in the back of the car laughing at some stupid novelty party favour they had gotten at the party, when they were T-boned by some lowlife that was four times over the limit. The truck had hit Gabby and his mom’s side of the car, killing Gabby instantly. Four days later they turned off his mom’s life support.
Since then, it was just him and his father.
Edward Collins, or Ned as most people knew him, was a successful entrepreneur in his own right. He had moved from Ireland to New York as a young man of eighteen, with little more than the clothes on his back. He got himself a job in a hotel washing dishes. By the time he was thirty, he had owned three hotels and was on his way to becoming one of the wealthiest men on the east coast of America.
He now owned twenty-six hotels in the States alone, with a further fifteen in other major cities around the world. He dabbled in other business ventures, but his heart lay with his hotels.
Ned had never married again, however. Xander’s mother, Jessica had been the love of his life, and Ned said there was no one that could ever take her place. So he dedicated his life to his work and his son, Xander.
That was the kind of love that Xander wanted. However, finding it was not as simple as it seemed.
Maybe it doesn’t exist anymore, Xander thought to himself miserably as the car pulled up outside the restaurant. Maybe I need to accept that and move on.
As the driver climbed out of the car and hurried around to open Xander’s door, Xander took a few deep, calming breaths and pushed all thoughts of finding the one from his mind. Tonight was important, even if he didn’t feel like it was. He needed to be at the top of his game and focused on tonight and the task at hand.
Let’s just get this over with, Alexander, he chastised himself, as he stepped out of the car.
As he walked towards the doors of the restaurant, he was almost blinded by the flashing lights of the photographers and paparazzi that had gathered there to get shots of all the famous guests that had been invited to the opening night.
Xander didn’t really mix in the same circles as the rich and famous. He had his small group of friends, and he liked to live his life away from the public glare. Yes, he was in magazines from time to time, but Xander liked to keep his private life exactly that, private.
When he was finally inside the restaurant, away from the flashing lights of the cameras, he stood for a moment and took in the whole room.
He was pleased with the finished result of the restaurant. His team had done an amazing job, just like they always did.
Charlotte Bowie, or Lottie, as Xander knew her, was his second in command, and was responsible for most of the day to day running of the business. She was the one who had organised tonight’s grand opening, and she was the one with the A list friend’s on speed dial.
Picking up a glass of champagne from a passing waiter, Xander slowly made his way further into the restaurant. He recognised a few big stars, who smiled and raised their glass to him as he passed them by. Xander still found it strange that these people would come to his opening, but they always did.
Xander spotted Brady and Ruby at the bar, and he smiled to himself as he made his way towards one of his best friends.
He and Brady James had been best friends since college. Brady had grown up in a different world than Xander, but they hit it off straight away. Brady had grown up in a small town in Ohio; his mother was a schoolteacher, his father a local cop. Brady had attended Yale on a full scholarship, where Xander knew he got in on his father’s name as much as his academic achievements.
Brady had a couple of clubs and was now beginning to make a real name for himself in the industry. Xander had invested in his clubs, knowing that his friend would do whatever it took to make these clubs a success, and he was right.
Brady and Ruby were together four years now. They had a baby called Lucas, who Xander was going to be Godfather for, if they ever got around to christening him. It had become a joke between Xander and Brady; that Xander was a Godfather in waiting.
Xander liked Ruby. She was crazy about Brady, and he was happy for his friend. From what Brady had told him, Ruby didn’t really have the greatest childhood, and Brady said that’s why she was reluctant to get married. Still, they had finally set a date for the following summer.
“Nice of you to show up at your own party,” Brady laughed as he greeted his friend with a handshake, then a hug, before Xander kissed Ruby on the cheek.
“You’re lucky I came at all,” Xander sighed as he set his champagne glass down on the bar. “You know how much I hate this crap.”
“But it’s your restaurant,” Ruby said with an amused smile.
“Yeah, I know,” Xander smiled but then sighed. “But these fancy nights, I really don’t like them. I don’t know why you can’t just flip the open sign over and let that be it.”
“Are you okay?” Brady asked, giving Xander a worried look. “You seem, I don’t know… off in some way.”
“Yeah,” Xander sighed. “I’m just feeling restless. I’m thinking of hitting the road again for a while.”
“Where will you go?” Brady asked, and Xander could see the disappointment in his friends face.
“I don’t know,” Xander shrugged. “I was thinking of heading down to San Francisco. I’m thinking about opening something down there.”
“You’re coming back though,” Brady asked giving his friend a worried look.
“Of course I’m coming back,” Xander said, reassuring his friend. “You think I will leave you and that degenerate Jordi alone with my Godson.”
“Are my ears burning?” Jordi said from behind Xander, as if on cue.
“You’re late,” Xander said as he turned and gave his friend a warm hug. “And there is lipstick on your face. Why doesn’t this surprise me?”
“I was…um…side tracked,” Jordi said with a grin before he turned and kissed Ruby on the cheek. “Hello, beautiful.”
“Hi Jordan,” Ruby said with a grin. She knew he hated to be called Jordan. His parent’s where the only ones that called him Jordan, and it was usually followed by how disappointed they were with him.
Jordan Thomas Miller III was Xander’s other best friend. They had been friends for as long as Xander could remember. Jordi was the only son of Jordan and Lois Miller. They were fourth generation money, and Jordi had led a very privileged life. He barely made it through high school, and his father bought his way into college. So when he dropped out halfway through the second year, his father was less than happy.
Jordi was the poster child for the rich, privileged and spoiled, but there was something about him that made Xander feel sorry for him. Despite his carefree and wild ways, there was something very sad about his life.
“So who was your latest conquest?” Xander asked as he gave Jordi a worried look. “Please tell me you haven’t shagged one of my employees.”
“I am fairly certain she didn’t work here,” Jordi replied as he straightened his tie and smiled. “But she certainly knew how to work it.”
“You really have no class,” Brady sighed as he picked up his drink and took a long sip.
“But you still love me,” Jordi laughed and blew Brady a kiss. “So, what were we talking about?”
“Xander is taking off again,” Brady said, as he gave Xander an unhappy glance.
“I’m not taking off,” Xander sighed. “I’m taking some time out, to go look for possible new places for restaurants. Maybe have some time off for me.”
“Maybe I could come with you?” Jordi offered, giving Xander a wide.
“As tempting as the thought of watching you sleep your way around San Francisco sounds,” Xander laughed. “I think I will do this on my own.”
“You are no fun,” Jordi grumbled. “What you really need is a good shag. Rubes, don’t you have any other hot friends to set him up with? You know, one without a husband that has a crazy ex.”
Xander couldn’t believe he had said that. When he read in the papers about what had happened to Ella, and her son Max. Xander had considered contacting her. Though he knew there was nothing between them, he had wanted to check in on her and see if she needed anything.
In the end, he didn’t, deciding it was best to leave well enough alone. Brady said that Ruby was inconsolable when they thought the little boy wasn’t going to make it. But thankfully he did, and was now home and making a good recovery.
“I think I will use the ladies room,” Ruby said as she set her glass down on the bar.
“You’re a dick,” Brady said once Ruby was gone. “Don’t you ever think before you talk? That kid nearly died.”
“It was a joke,” Jordi sighed giving Xander an apologetic look, but Xander still didn’t say a word.
Before he could, Lottie appeared next to Xander, and he quickly excused himself.
“There are a few reporters here that want a quote from you,” she said, giving him a knowing look.
“Can’t you talk to them?” Xander groaned.
“I did,” she replied as she guided him through the crowd. “But they want to talk to the great and powerful, Alexander Collins.”
Xander groaned, but he knew that he had little choice. He took a deep breath and prepared himself for what could only be referred to as his fifteen minutes in hell.
It was a little after midnight when Xander climbed into the back of the town car and was heading for home once more. He was glad that the night was over. There are only so many times you can politely turn down some big boobed bimbo, who actually believed they had a chance, before it became nauseating.
He had promised Brady and Jordi that he would call them before he left for San Francisco. He knew Brady wasn’t happy about him going. The last time he got like this, he left for Seattle for a couple of weeks; but didn’t come back for almost two years.
This time he was sure he would come back. Despite everything, he liked his life in New York. He liked being close to his dad again. He had missed his dad being there that night, but he had got delayed in the Far East on business, and Xander assured him that it was okay for him not to be there.
Xander considered calling his father, but he knew that he would most likely be in some meeting or other, so he decided to leave it till morning to call him.
He knew that his father would not be happy about him hitting the road either. His father had sensed his restlessness before he had left for the Far East, but Xander had assured him that he was fine.
By the time Xander had reached his penthouse, his mood had darkened more. He hated coming home to an empty apartment. He wanted more. He wanted someone there waiting for him; he wanted a family; he wanted something to make life worth living.
He walked to his living room, and straight to the bar in the corner. Pouring himself a real drink, he took it to the sofa and sat down. He needed to accept that his life was not the one he had planned for himself.
So he wasn’t destined to find the one and have this great romance. He still had a good life. He had his father, he had good friends, and there was nothing in this world he couldn’t buy. Maybe it was time that he accepted that what he had was enough. It was time to let go of this dream of the perfect life, and learn to enjoy the life he already had.