Chapter Sixteen
Wells
August brought humid days and steamy nights, and Victory and I have made those nights even hotter.
The last three and a half weeks passed in a blur of busy days at the restaurant interspersed with seeing properties in the city with Seth and tumbling heart first down that magical slope with Victory.
We text and play WordLink when we can during the day, and every night we talk until neither of us can stay awake.
I love our late-night chats, but I wish she was in my arms. We never miss our Wednesday Walkabouts and overnights at the hotel, but it’s getting harder to leave her on Thursday mornings when I return to the island and she goes to work.
Even though our Friday Flitabouts bleed into sexy nights and Saturday Scoutabouts, it’s never enough.
It’s Friday night, and I’m back in the city for what Victory has dubbed her Friday Flitabout, and she’s not letting me in on her plans.
Last Friday we went to a concert in Central Park, and we took a ride in a horse-drawn carriage, which neither of us had ever done before.
It was pretty fucking great. She hasn’t made it to the island yet and I’m trying to be patient, but I’m glad Leni’s wedding is next weekend.
I want Victory to be a bigger part of my life and for her to get to know my family and friends better.
“Have you talked to Leni?” I ask, reaching for Victory’s hand. She looks beautiful in a breezy blue dress that brings out her eyes as we make our way down the sidewalk. “Is she a nervous wreck about next weekend?”
“I talked to her this morning. She’s excited to get married, and she is a little nervous, which isn’t like her, but it’s a big step.”
“From what I hear, jitters are normal, and she’s so independent.” I squeeze her hand. “Like someone else I know. Are you nervous?”
“Why would I be nervous about Leni’s wedding?”
“Not about the wedding. About spending time in my world. I would think being seen on the arm of the hottest guy on the island can be a little nerve-racking.”
She leans against my side as we stop at a crosswalk and says, “What do you think?”
“If I were you, I’d be excited to show me off.”
She laughs. “Okay, let’s go with that, or it’ll make me nervous.”
“You got it.” I lean in and kiss her.
The light changes, and as we make our way across the street, she says, “How did your property search go with Seth and Jared today? Did you see anything promising?”
“It was great seeing them, but none of the properties jumped out at us. I figured it would take time to find the right place, but I’m starting to wonder if we’re looking in the wrong city.”
“You haven’t been looking that long. My mother always says the best things come along when you’re not looking for them.”
“Like running into you at the bar that first night.”
“Exactly like that,” she says, flashing a coy smile.
“Are you ready to tell me where we’re going yet?”
“No. It’s a surprise, and it’s just around the next corner.”
I love that she planned an adventure for us, but it never matters what we’re doing.
We’ve gone out to dinners at places that were new to both of us, listened to bands and solo artists in dive bars, and we even went to a poetry slam in a park one afternoon.
Each of those things was just as fun as the times we’ve aimlessly knocked around different parts of the city or stayed in my hotel room for half of a Saturday.
After we round the next corner, she says, “Surprise!” and stops in front of a little French café.
“I haven’t eaten here, but I’ve done some research.
The chef came here from France twelve years ago, and he’s worked in this bistro for the past eight years.
His food is supposed to be out of this world, and he makes tarte tatin.
It might not be as good as Olivier’s, but I knew we’d still have fun trying it out, so I made a reservation. ”
My heart thunders. I gaze into the eyes of the woman who’s making me all too aware of that particular organ, and I gather her in my arms. “You’re amazing.
I don’t care if it’s as good as Olivier’s or not.
It’ll be fantastic because you thought of it.
Thank you.” I press my lips to hers in a tender kiss.
“You make it impossible not to think of you,” she says. “I’m convinced that on the nights we spend together, you spend all night whispering ‘Think of Wells’ in my ear when I’m sleeping, like some kind of hypnosis.”
“You caught me,” I tease as we head inside.
We’re embraced by the savory aroma of French cuisine, stirring memories of visiting Olivier at the Bistro.
Soft lighting and faint classical music give the cozy romantic bistro an elegant yet relaxed aura.
Simple wooden tables are adorned with dainty glass vases and fresh flowers.
On the walls, rustic shelves display an array of wine bottles, antique picture frames, and trinkets.
Victory puts her hand on my stomach, gazing up at me with hopeful eyes as she whispers, “What do you think?”
I think I just fell a little harder for you. “It’s almost as perfect as you are.”
Every dish is sensational, from the silky foie terrine and Sainte-Maure goat cheese feuilleté, to the duck magret and tarte tatin.
But as we share our meals, our hushed voices mingling with the din of the other diners, I’m utterly lost in the radiant beauty before me.
How has she kept her loving heart tied down for so many years?
I hope she knows how much this means to me.
When we leave the restaurant, she is just as excited as she was when we arrived. “So? Was it as good as Olivier’s?”
“I feel a little guilty saying this, but it was just as good as his. And le tarte tatin?” I shake my head, still in awe of how delicious it was. “It threw me right back to my childhood.”
“That makes me so happy.” She goes up on her toes and kisses me.
I wrap her in my arms, keeping her close. “You’re amazing. You can’t imagine how much it means to me. Thank you for a perfect evening.”
“It’s not over yet. I just need one second to check on our car.” She steps out of my arms and pulls out her phone. “It should be here any minute.”
“When did you order a car?”
“When I used the ladies’ room.” She tucks her phone into her purse. “Someone has to take us to your next surprise.”
“There’s more? What are you up to, Braden?”
“You’re going to have to wait and see.”
Her knee bounces anxiously on the drive to wherever she’s taking me. When we arrive, I smell salty sea air as I climb out of the car before I turn around and see the water. “Where are we?”
“There’s Seth.”
“Seth?” I follow her gaze to Seth, talking on the phone across the parking lot. He spots us and heads in our direction. “Want to clue me in on what we’re doing here, sweet thing?”
“In a minute,” she says as Seth approaches, pocketing his phone.
“Hi,” Seth says. “What’s going on?”
“You don’t know, either?” Wells asks.
He shakes his head. “No idea. Vic sent me a treasure map that led here.”
“You got a treasure map?” I turn my best forlorn expression on Victory. “Why didn’t I get a treasure map?”
Seth laughs.
“Because you got a guided tour,” she says.
“What’s going on, Vic?” Seth asks. “Why are we here?”
Her eyes dance with mischief. “Early Christmas present. Follow me.”
She walks purposefully toward the water. Seth and I exchange confused glances as we follow her down to a dock with an old, weathered building. It has several massive metal garage-style doors along each side and a few broken windows.
She turns around before we reach the entrance to the building, and she’s absolutely glowing.
“Wells, when we stayed in that hotel in Baltimore, you said you’d love to find a place like it for the restaurant.
And, Seth, the other day when we had lunch, I mentioned that idea, and you said you thought it would be ideal, but you’d never find one. ”
As we walk along the side of the building, she says, “This is an old shipping warehouse. I’m not an architect, and I know nothing about restaurant design, but imagine if you take out those metal garage doors and put in the kind of accordion glass walls that Flynn has in his house.
” She turns to me. “They fold open like an accordion, so you’d have natural light in the winter and open-air seating that extends outdoors in warmer months. ”
“I have those in my house on the oceanside,” I say.
“Then you know how great they are. There’s enough space for a band, and you might even be able to offer rooftop seating with amazing sunset views.
Wells, you have dockside service for boats on the island.
I don’t know if you’ll be allowed to do that here, but maybe?
I know it doesn’t look like much now, but I drew up some ideas.
” She reaches into her purse and hands us each copies of drawings.
I’m at a loss for words as I look them over. They show a beautiful building with glass doors along the sides, dining tables, a bar, plants, and lights strung over the dock on the outside. I’m blown away. “Vic, this is exactly what I’ve been imagining.”
“Really?” she exclaims.
“It’s like you took these drawings right out of my head.”
Seth is looking over the drawings with a skeptical expression.
“Seth, what do you think?” I ask. “I know it would be a huge undertaking, but the location is great, and it’s a blank slate. We could get creative with the build-out, or go minimalistic to save on capital.”
“I have no doubt it would be worth the effort and expense to make it everything we talked about, but there’s one problem.
” He looks at Victory and says, “I could’ve saved you a lot of time, sis.
This place isn’t for sale. I tried to buy it a few years ago.
It’s owned by Bad Enterprises, and Kane Bad said he had plans for it. ”
“It’s true Kane had plans for it, but a lot has changed in his life since then.
” She turns to me and says, “Kane is Johnny Bad’s older brother.
He bought this place right before Johnny’s life imploded a couple of years ago.
When that happened, he put his plans for this site and others on hold to focus on temporarily managing Johnny’s band.
He’s since gotten married to our sister-in-law Pepper’s twin, Sable, and he’s been cutting back on new endeavors. ”
She unlocks the door and throws it open, smiling victoriously. “I’ve had three meetings with Kane over the last couple of weeks. If you’re interested, he’s willing to sell and won’t take it to the open market.”
My heart feels like it’s going to claw its way out of my chest to get to her as we head inside the musty building. “Babe, that’s amazing. Assuming the price makes sense, of course.”
“I just kicked open the door and negotiated the exclusive opportunity,” she says. “It’s up to you guys to march in there and make your deal.”
“Damn, sis,” Seth says. “You really have gotten your mojo back.”
“What are you talking about? I never lost it,” Victory insists.
Seth gives her a look that tells of their deep friendship. “You know what I mean. That hunger to reach outside the box is back with a vengeance.”
“Yeah, well, someone might’ve sparked that in me.” She flashes that secret smile my way, and I swear I feel it square in the center of my chest.
We walk around the building inside and out, taking pictures and talking about the possibilities.
After Victory locks up, we stand on the dock taking it all in.
I can see the restaurant in my mind, bustling with customers.
Lights and glass and colorful umbrellas over outdoor tables.
My heart is so full, I reach for Victory’s hand, and the loving look she gives me bowls me over.
I wonder how I’ve gone my whole life without ever feeling like this . It’s all I can do to pull her close and whisper, “Thank you,” when I really want to say, I love you .
“This calls for a celebration,” Seth says, as he comes up behind us. “Are you guys up for drinks?”
I glance at Victory. “What do you think, sweets?”
“Considering it took a woman to do what two men couldn’t, it’s only appropriate that you guys buy me drinks.”