19. Chapter 19
JAX
“Are you ready?” Tristan laced their fingers together, his eyes full of fondness. He’d been beyond attentive, and Jax knew that some of it stemmed from guilt over everything that had happened; hopefully, he’d shed that with therapy, which they’d both be starting next week.
True to his word, Tristan had been helping with Jax’s treatment plan by making appointments.
He’d worked his magic on several receptionists to get Jax in at a five-star orthopedist, and he’d also scheduled a massage at a place that specialized in chronic pain.
When Jax had protested on the expense alone, Tristan had told him that since his money had been used to fuel Jax’s downfall, he wanted to use it to lift Jax up, and Jax hadn’t been able to argue with that.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Jax stated, trying not to sweat through his shirt.
He hadn’t returned to The Pointe since the confrontation with Eve and Derrick, and while Angelo had granted Jax the time off to heal, that was just a stopgap.
Today’s meeting was about accommodating Jax’s disability, and while he knew that The Pointe would work with him, this was still a difficult road to travel.
Walking in, Jax was taken aback by how happy people were to see him. A bunch of the servers gathered around, asking about his health, and surprisingly, he wasn’t annoyed. Instead, he felt touched that they cared, answering all their questions until Dylan ran up, worry on his face.
“What’s the matter?” Jax didn’t think Dylan had the ability to be stressed, so this must be pretty bad.
“John’s upstairs,” he sighed, his cheeks puffing out. “In full effect. ”
“Oh…” Jax bit his lip, looking at Tristan, whose eyes went wide. Why did The Pointe’s infamous owner have to show up now? Couldn’t he wait until after Jax finished one of the most difficult meetings of his life?
“Is he in his office or Owen’s?” Tristan glanced up toward the second floor.
“Owen’s. Marci and Angelo are in there too.” Dylan raised his eyebrows. “That’s why I’m down here.”
“ Great. ” Jax didn’t know if they should go up there or hang out in the foyer, but Dylan jumped, listening to his headset.
“Uh, Marci says that John wants to meet you.” Dylan’s eyes flicked between them. “Both of you. Sorry, dudes.”
Jax breathed in deeply. “I’m not ready for this.”
“Don’t worry,” Tristan squeezed his hand, “I’ll be right there beside you.”
“Aww,” Dylan crooned. “Out of all the couples here, you guys are the cutest. By the way? Congrats on the cohabitation.”
Jax shouldn’t be surprised by how fast gossip had spread, but he’d officially left Finn and Ollie’s townhouse just a few days ago. Tristan had stopped by to get a bunch of Jax’s things while he’d finished recovering, and once he was back on his feet, the rest of his furniture had suddenly appeared.
Apparently, Tristan had rented a van, and Finn had helped him load it up. Jax’s only task had been to point out where he’d wanted his desk and standing chair, and Tristan had eagerly cleared more than enough space for him, making it feel like his home too.
“Thank you,” Tristan replied for Jax, lightly tugging him up the stairs, and as he opened the door at the top, an obnoxious, booming voice filled the hallway.
“I can’t believe those bastards!”
Pushing open Owen’s door, they quietly entered the office, and Jax immediately had to school his expression, because John was both better and worse than he’d expected.
Between the green suit, the alligator boots, and the jewelry, there was no safe place for Jax to rest his eyes.
He’d met a lot of strange people in the scene, but not anyone like John.
“We’ve been trying to get on top of Evergreen for the last seven years!
I thought we’d finally one-upped them with the glass room!
” Fishing through his jacket, John pulled out a few pieces of paper, slapping them down on the table with a hand that had far too many rings on it.
“But they’re changing their food now, doing seasonal menus.
” He pitched his voice higher, using air quotes for the last two words.
That had Jax perking up, but John distracted him.
“They need a fucking fire, huh?” He elbowed Owen, who looked at John as if he were the drunk uncle at a holiday dinner, and suddenly John realized that Jax and Tristan were in the room, zeroing in on them. “And who the fuck is this? You got more metal than head, kid.”
Used to people commenting on his piercings, Jax grinned, quipping back. “And you look like you robbed an alligator.”
The room went quiet, and John blinked before letting out a belly laugh.
“Get a load of this fucking kid.” He gestured at Jax. “Aren’t you the chef that got screwed over?”
“Uh, yeah. Yeah, I was,” Jax still felt a little embarrassed about the entire thing and had been chiding himself for not coming forward sooner.
“You’re having some back trouble too, right?” John’s beady eyes seemed to stare into his soul.
“Right.” Jax held John’s gaze, wondering if this might be the end of his time at The Pointe, but John reached into his jacket again, pulling out his wallet and removing a business card.
“One of my girlfriends has back trouble. Call this doc. Tell them John said to fit you in.”
“U-Um, thank you.” Walking to the desk, Jax took the card, stunned. Yeah, this man was definitely a softie inside.
“You the new ma?tre d’?” John asked, turning his attention to Tristan. “Marci said you’re fucking amazing. Keep it up.”
“I appreciate that, thank you,” Tristan said smoothly, but Jax could tell that he was rattled on the inside.
“Anyway, I’ve been here almost an hour, that’s enough work for today.
I have a tee time this afternoon!” John circled around the desk, grabbing his cowboy hat from the desk and plopping it on top of a head of hair far too full to be natural.
“Figure out the menu shit and give me a call. Okay, Angelo? ”
“Sure thing,” Angelo replied as John gave the room a nod and left. Not for the first time, Jax thought that it must be nice to be rich.
Remembering the card, Jax took a good look at it, and his eyebrows rose. He’d wanted to see this particular specialist because she had excellent reviews, but when Tristan had called, he’d found out that she wasn’t taking new patients.
“Whoa,” Tristan commented, reading over Jax’s shoulder. “John is very…unique.”
Owen chuckled, relief in his eyes. “I’m just glad he left before he interfered with everything.”
“I was sure I’d be running around fixing all of his chaos,” Marci let out a breath. “And since we actually don’t have a lot more time before the first bride arrives, let’s talk to Jax.”
Everyone turned to Jax, and he started sweating again. Walking in, he hadn’t really known what to say, but he’d heard something earlier, something that had called out to him.
“Can I?” Jax pointed at the papers on Owen’s desk.
“Be my guest,” Owen looked on as Jax picked them up, studying them.
The Evergreen was their biggest competitor, but once Jax looked over the samples, he frowned.
The selections were amateurish at best, as if they’d been chosen for photogenic appeal rather than taste.
Sure, the courses had to look good in pictures, but they needed to be delicious above all else, something that enriched and enhanced the day.
Now, Jax knew exactly what he wanted to say. Stepping back, he faced the rest of the room.
“Angelo? Thank you for the time off. I needed it. And I know that we solved the issue with the walk-in, but the fact is that I’m disabled.” He took a breath to steady himself. “My mind can handle being sous-chef, but my body can’t.”
“We’re willing to work with you,” Angelo insisted, sincerity in his eyes, making this entire process both easier and harder.
“I’d like that.” A swell of emotion rose in Jax’s chest, making him want to fight even more, and he flicked his gaze to Tristan, who nodded at him with encouragement, always knowing just what Jax was thinking. “Because I have a proposition. ”
“I’m listening.” Interest lined Angelo’s features, but Jax wouldn’t let himself hope, not yet.
“Creating menus is my strength, and my passion.” Taking the leap, Jax hoped that he landed on success.
“While I like running the kitchen, I like using my creativity more. These menus from Evergreen?” He tossed them back onto the desk.
“They’re disjointed and basic. It’s clear that their goal is to go viral, but the flavors are going to come together like mud.
You know what goes viral? Pretty food that also slaps.
I can do that. I can do seasonal, gorgeous, and delicious. ”
“Hmm,” consideration lined Angelo’s face. “While I’m supposed to head this up, I feel like you have more of a lock on trends…”
Jax stood rooted to the floor, holding his breath.
“Draft me up some menus and a budget,” Angelo said after a few long seconds. “And I’ll get them okayed with John.”
“R-Really?” That hope Jax had been holding at bay started to leak out, and he opened and closed his fists in excitement.
“Yes, really. And you can do most of that from home. Just log the hours you work.”
“I don’t know what to say.” Jax tried not to break down in tears; this was what he’d struggled and studied and worked for. What he’d always wanted to do.
“Say yes,” Tristan prompted, and Jax smiled widely.
“Yes!” He reached out, shaking Angelo’s hand, his head already whirring with ideas. “Listen, I’m sorry that I couldn’t make it work in the kitchen.”
“I mean it, you don’t have to apologize.” Angelo’s gaze was warm. “And I know you can’t predict how you’ll be feeling, but I’ll contact you when we’re short-staffed, and you can come in if you’re up to it.”
“Absolutely.” That way, Jax could keep his kitchen sense sharp. “Thanks, everyone, for working with me.”
“We’re always here for you, Jax,” Owen said. “I know some places lie when they say ‘we’re a family,’ but we actually are a family at The Pointe. If you need anything else, please talk to us.”
“I will,” Jax nodded, quickly glancing at Tristan, who grinned as if he’d just gotten his dream job, and his joy for Jax broke the dam.
Hope, excitement, and happiness poured through Jax, lighting him up, and he couldn’t help but beam.
He was glad that he’d taken the risk and started over at The Pointe, because it completely changed his life.