by Rye Hart
I snorted. “Whatever. I’ve seen your place. The only happy diners are the rats and the cockroaches.”
He bellowed with laughter. “Goddamn it, I’ve missed you.”
“Come in to my office, and make yourself at home.”
I sat behind my desk and Colton sank into the chair on the opposite side. He barely fit in it, he was so big. Not fat, but a big burly dude. He made me feel small, and I was damn near six-five.
“So, this is the world-famous Emery?” he asked.
“I don’t know about world famous, but this is my baby for sure.”
He nodded. “And you named it after your actual baby. I like it. How’s she doing anyway? She’s gotta be, what? Like five years old?”
“Six, actually.”
“Crap, I’m getting old.”
“Yup. Thirty-six. Your best years are behind you.” I gave him a grin as he chuckled. “But Emery’s doing great. She’s off from school for the summer so she’s at home, bugging the nanny.”
“So she’s a little hell raiser? She must take after her old man.”
“Better me than her piece of shit mother.” I ran my fingers through my hair.
Colton nodded somberly. “You ever hear from her after she left?”
I shook my head. “Good riddance, I say. Any woman who could leave her child without saying goodbye, without even leaving a note, has no business in my life or Emery’s.”
“Yeah, but aren’t you the least bit curious why she left? Or where she went?”
“No, I don’t give a shit. She made her choice. Emery and I are just fine without her.”
“I’m sure you are,” Colton said. “So it’s just the two of you? You never settled down and got married?”
“No. After everything that happened, I don’t know if that’s even something I want.”
“Yeah, I was there after she left. I know what you went through.” He grinned and shook his head. “How the hell did this conversation get so depressing?”
I laughed. “No idea. Things aren’t all bad around here though.”
I told him about the critics coming in the day before and how much they liked the food. Colton whistled through his teeth, impressed.
“Those are some heavy hitters in the industry. Once those reviews come out, you’re gonna be famous.”
“I doubt that.” I shrugged.
“Just try to remember the little guys like me when you’re hosting your own show on TV.”
“That’s never going to happen. I’m a chef and that’s all I want to be.”
“I hear that, brother. So what the hell else is going on? It’s been five years. Something else exciting must have happened.”
I looked down at my desk and thought of Amber. She was the most exciting thing that had happened to me in a long time. I wasn’t sure if I should bring her up. Things with us were still sort of new. Sort of undefined. I didn’t even know if I could properly call her my girlfriend.
Screw it.
“There is one more thing worth mentioning, I guess. A girl. Amber.”
He grinned at me. “I thought you said you hadn’t settled down.”
“Oh, I haven’t. We’ve only known each other for like a month, but she’s pretty fucking amazing.”
“Glad to hear it. I was worried you’d end up an old spinster. So, what’s her deal? What does she do?” He tilted his head to the side.
“Well, she’s a chef. She actually works here with me.”
Colton hissed through his teeth again. “Yikes.”
“What?”
He spread his hands wide. “Come on, dude. You know better than to shit where you eat.”
I ran a hand over my beard. Colton was the first person I’d told about Amber and me. I wasn’t ready to explain myself.
“I know it’s a risk, but I’m telling you, if you met her, you’d understand. She makes me laugh, she’s great with Emery, and well, she’s smoking hot.”
“Then maybe I should.”
“Should what?” I asked.
“Meet her. Someone’s got to make sure you’re not fucking up your life. And even though it’s been a long time, I’ve still got your back.”
I considered the idea. “Sure. I don’t see why not. How about you join us for dinner tomorrow? My house. Around seven.”
Colton nodded. “It’s a date.”
I laughed. “You wish, bitch. Now I have to start prepping for lunch. So, unless you want to jump on the line-”
“Yeah, yeah. You’re getting rid of me already. That’s fine. I have to go put on a smile and dazzle the crowds at the Festival.”
“Have fun with that, pretty boy.”
“Pretty and I still can’t get a date?” He wagged his eyebrows as he stood.
“Get out.” I rolled my eyes and laughed.
It was good to see him.
***
I punched in Amber’s number on the phone. Even though it was almost noon, her voice sounded muddled with sleep.
“Did I wake you up?” I asked.
“Yeah. It’s my day off, and somebody kept me up late last night.”
“Still recovering, huh? Sounds like a real stud.”
She groaned. I could almost see her eyes rolling through the phone. “Does it hurt your back when you suck your own dick that way?” she asked.
“Damn. That sounds so much worse now that I’m on the receiving end of it.”
“Yeah. No shit. It was a real dick move. And yet, for some reason, I still put up with you.”
I grinned. “Because I’m such a stud and someone likes her men hung.”
“Oh, Lord. I’m hanging up now.” Despite her words, she was laughing on the other end of the line.
“So I’m not just calling to brag about my cock. It’s about our plans for tomorrow night. A friend of mine came into town. A chef from California. We’re going to have dinner.”
There was a long pause on the other end of the phone. “If you’re ditching me for another woman, I’m going to burn your restaurant down.”
I grinned and stifled a chuckle. God, I was falling in love with this woman. “Relax. It’s a guy. A big burly guy. Looks like the love child of a Viking and a bear.”
“Wow, ditching me for a hairy beast?”
“Yeah, pretty much. And I’m not ditching you. I want us all to have dinner at my place tomorrow night. I want you to meet him. What do you say?”
“I say I can’t believe you have an actual friend. There’s no way I’m going to miss this. I’ll agree on one condition.” Her voice left me wanting to see her so badly.
“And that is?”
“I get to cook for you.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - AMBER
I managed to ring the doorbell at Luke’s place despite the heavy grocery bags weighing me down. Emery swung the door open and greeted me with a smile.
“Amber!”
She grabbed my leg in a bear hug, almost knocking me over in her excitement.
“Hey there, kiddo. It’s nice to see you, too. How about you help me with these bags?”
“Sure.”
I handed her the lightest bag I had. It had some fresh herbs in it. It didn’t actually help me with the load, but it gave her something to do other than stick to my leg like glue.
She followed me into the kitchen. I laid the bags out on the counter and started unpacking. I’d gone a little overboard shopping, but I was excited to cook something other than what was on the menu at the restaurant for Luke. I wanted to impress him.
Not to mention the fact that I would be cooking for his chef friend. It would be a tough audience, almost as tough as cooking for the critics a couple days prior. Everything needed to be perfect.
I’d gone for something simple enough, but elegant. The fish market had some gorgeous pieces of Chilean sea bass so I’d picked those up. I could sauté the fish so the skin was nice and crispy. For sides, I decided on a roasted beet salad and a parsnip puree.
They were things I’d cooked
before on several occasions. Even though the recipes were simple, it took a lot of skill to get it just right. It would definitely impress Luke and his friend, as long as I got it right. Just in case I didn’t, I’d bought extra of everything in case I needed a replacement.
Emery poked through the bundles as I laid them out on the counter. She asked me what every single thing was. I answered happily. Curiosity should be rewarded. Besides, it helped me double check everything so I knew I hadn’t forgotten anything.
“Do you like fish, Emery?”
“Some fish. I don’t like salmon. Or catfish.” She crinkled up her little nose.
“That’s alright. I didn’t like a lot of things when I was your age. You’d be surprised how much changes as you get older.”
“You mean like puberty?” She smiled up at me.
If I’d been drinking something, I would have spit it out all over the counter. “No,” I choked, barely restraining my laughter. “I mean the kind of food you like changes as you get older. Like I hated broccoli when I was little, but I love it now.”
“Eh, broccoli sucks,” Emery said.
I stopped what I was doing and leaned over her. “Emery, that’s not a nice thing to say. Where are you learning all this stuff?”
She shrugged. “I know lots of stuff.”
“I’m sure you do.”
I had to watch myself around her. It was easy to forget she was a little sponge at this age, absorbing everything and spouting it out later when you least expected it.
“Anyway,” I said. “You’ll like the fish I’m making, I think. I’m not sure about the side dishes.”
“That’s all right. Daddy already gave me dinner.”
“Oh, he did, did he? I guess he doesn’t trust my cooking.”
Emery shook her head. “No. He said tonight is grown up dinner. I’m supposed to stay in my room and watch TV.”
I looked at Emery. “Well, that sucks.”
Emery’s mouth popped open and her eyes widened. She pointed at me accusatorily. I shot her a wink and grinned at her.
“Please don’t tell your father I said that.”
She covered her mouth with both hands to hide her giggling. Then she nodded, her eyes dancing with humor.
“Where is he, anyway?” I asked.
“I’m right here.”
I turned to see him standing in the doorway to the kitchen. I had no idea how long he’d been there, but if he heard what I’d said to Emery, he made no indication of it. Our secret was safe.
“Is there anything I can help you with?” he asked.
“You can help me by getting out of my kitchen.”
He was taken aback. “What? Why?”
“Because I’m the head chef today, not you. I don’t want you getting in my way.”
He laughed. “And people say I’m tough in the kitchen. Come on, Emery. Let’s give Amber some space.”
***
I sat around the table with Luke and Colton. It was interesting to see Luke with his friend. He was someone else that Luke could actually let his guard down around. There was no one at work he could do that with, and besides me, I’d only seen him relaxed with Emery. And with her, he was in dad mode.
Tonight, he seemed to fall back into the old rhythms of their friendship, talking shit to each other and laughing. It was a lot of fun.
Colton was just finishing up his fish. “Damn, Amber. You outdid yourself. What kind of acid did you use on the fish?”
“Lemon,” I said, meaning to keep it simple. Then I remembered that he was a chef too. I didn’t have to dumb it down. “Actually, it was a lemon shallot butter.”
“Real nice,” he said. “And did I taste ginger in there?”
I grinned. “Nice palate. Yes, just a touch.”
Colton shook his massive head. “I’m going to have to steal this recipe.”
“It’s all yours. I’m just glad you like it.” I looked at Luke. “You’re being awfully quiet. Did you like it?”
Luke grinned. “I was just thinking we should add this to the menu.”
“You don’t have Chilean sea bass on the menu?” Colton asked. “You’re missing out. You could charge thirty bucks a pop for a plate like this.” He lifted his wine glass in a toast. “Here’s to the guy who renamed it.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
“Ahh,” Colton said. “This delicious little fish used to be impossible to sell when it was called the Patagonian Toothfish. Some marketing genius changed the name, and now it’s the height of fine dining.”
“Huh,” I said. “I had no idea.” I raised my own glass of wine. So did Luke. “Here’s to that guy.”
We all took a drink and settled back into our chairs. Now that the meal was over, we lapsed into conversation.
“So how did you two meet?” I asked.
Luke looked over at Colton. “You want to tell or should I?”
Colton gestured for Luke to go ahead. “It’s your house. Go for it.”
Luke nodded. “When I got my first restaurant job, Colton was my boss.”
Colton groaned. “Fuck, man. You’re already telling it all wrong. I’m a line cook in this dingy little shithole that somehow managed to pump out good food. One day, this little piss ant shows up, and it’s my job to train him. From scratch, mind you.”
“You didn’t have any training before you started cooking?” I asked Luke.
“Not a day. I learned in the kitchen.”
“No wonder you made fun of me for going to culinary school.” I stuck out my tongue at him.
He shrugged. “Nothing beats real world experience. I still believe that.”
Colton laughed. “He says that now. But let me tell you, he struggled when he first started. I told the head chef to get rid of him like five times. But I guess the old man saw something in him that I didn’t.”
“What I lacked in skill, I made up for with pure stubbornness. Hey, it worked!”
Colton nodded. “Yeah, after I whipped your ass into shape. I figured if I couldn’t get rid of you, I might as well make you useful. Anyway, we worked in that kitchen for, what? Five years?”
“Almost six,” Luke said. “We parted ways about a year after Emery was born.”
Colton smiled. “Yeah, I got an offer to start a restaurant down in Pacifica and I jumped at the chance.”
“Pacifica?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Colton said. “It’s just outside of San Francisco. Most beautiful place you’ll ever see. You should drag Luke down there and come to my place. Then he can see what a good restaurant is like.”
Luke rolled his eyes. “I’m not traveling eight hundred miles just to get food poisoning.”
We all laughed.
Luke stood up and started gathering plates. I got up to help him, but he gestured for me to sit down.
“You cooked,” he said. “The least I can do is clear the dishes. Relax. Finish your wine.”
Luke disappeared into the kitchen. Since he was gone, I took the opportunity to ask Colton something that I didn’t dare ask in front of Luke.
“So, you were around here when Emery was born?” I asked.
He nodded heartily. “I was there at the hospital and everything.”
“So, you knew Emery’s mother?”
Colton’s expression darkened. “I did. Yeah.”
“What was she like? What happened to her?”
He grimaced at the questions. “Since you’re asking me, I guess Luke hasn’t told you about her.”
“He never talks about her. Every time I’ve tried to bring her up, he shuts down.”
“Yeah, that sounds about right. Listen, it’s not my place to tell you all that. It’s not my story to tell. You understand.”
I sank down in my chair and sighed. “Yeah, I get it. You’re just being a good friend. Can you at least tell me one thing? Did she pass away?”
“She’s alive, as far as I know. And that’s all I’m gonna say.”
***
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Colton left shortly thereafter and headed back to his hotel. After the long evening of entertaining, we were beat. We stripped down and got into the bed, snuggling up together, which felt so damn good. Why did I keep running from such a great experience?
Luke pulled me closer and kissed the side of my head, just holding me. We talked about Colton and some of the stories he told about Luke. But through it all, my thoughts kept drifting back to the subject of Emery’s mother.
My curiosity built up inside me until I couldn’t hold it in anymore. So, I just blurted it out.
“What happened to Emery’s mother?”
Luke was silent for a moment. “I really don’t want to talk about that, Amber.”
“I know it’s a sore subject. I just can’t help but be curious.”
“I get it. And I’ll tell you what happened another time. Not now. Not when we’re lying here like this together. I’m enjoying this moment. I don’t want to ruin it by talking about Jen. It’s just you and I in this bed. She has no place here.”
I nodded. “That’s fine by me.” I slid out of bed.
Luke looked disappointed. “So, you’re leaving now?”
I turned back to him and smiled. “Actually, I was thinking I might stay here tonight. If that’s okay with you?”
Luke sat up. “Really? Of course you can stay. What changed your mind?”
“I figured if you could break your rule about being strictly professional at work, I could return the favor and stay over. I’m just gonna use the restroom.”
The look of joy on his face told me I’d made the right decision.
CHAPTER NINETEEN - LUKE
Two Weeks Later
A couple of weeks had gone by since dinner with Colton, and things in the kitchen had never run more smoothly. Amber, Danny, and the line cooks pumped out food like a well-oiled machine. All of the parts were working in perfect harmony.
Things were busier than ever at Emery. The reviews had come out, and we’d been swarmed by eager foodies, looking to try us out. I’d added a few tables to the dining room to try and accommodate the demand during peak hours, but those tables got reserved immediately.
