7 #2
“I don’t want something you set up for me. I want my own career, something I’ve done on my own,“ she interrupted. “I’m thirty two. If I don’t do this now, I’ll never do it!”
Jerome closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
He looked at her as she fiddled with her long blonde hair with her perfectly French manicured nails.
She looked immaculate as always, dressed in a black short woollen dress showing off her long slim legs, her four inch heeled ankle boots making her as tall as Jerome.
They stood staring at each other in silence, then Jerome tried a different tactic.
“Liz, we’re a family, a team. I’ll support you in whatever you want, but you need to support me too. If you didn’t want Level One, you should have just told me.” His voice was softer, hoping he could thaw her out.
“I want my modelling career back, Jerome. That’s what I want,” she replied coolly. It was a statement with no room for negotiation.
He rubbed his face with both his hands. She still hadn’t explained where she’d been all day and he knew he had to ask. If they were going to work things out, he had to know everything.
“Where were you today, Liz?” Her eyes darted away from him and he knew. “Were you with him?”
Silence.
“You said it was over. It was a one off. Was that a lie?” Jerome’s voice was barely audible.
“We just met up to talk. He’s pretty upset.”
“He’s upset! Are you kidding me?“ Jerome shouted, then muttered something in Italian under his breath. “Did you sleep with him?”
“I’m trying to let him down gently, Jerome…”
“Answer me!” Her reply had tipped his temper over the edge.
“Stop shouting, you’ll wake the kids,” she hissed.
“Oh now you remember you have children, now it suits you! You lied to me. You said it was once and it was a mistake. This was not a one off. This has been going on for a while. Why would you need to let him down gently? It’s either finished or it’s not Liz, so which is it?”
“I’ll finish it.” She glared at him as she answered.
“Do you want to be with him?” he asked angrily.
“I said, I’ll finish it,” she spat out, then pushed past him and headed upstairs.
“We haven’t finished yet.”
She turned to look at him over her shoulder, her cool eyes filled with loathing. “Well I have. Just leave me alone, Jerome.” Her eyes darted to the clock. “Go back to work, Jerome, go to your Casa.” Her tone was heavy with bitterness, then she headed up the stairs.
He slumped into a kitchen chair and held his head in his hands and leaned on the table.
His pulse was racing. It was eight thirty and he knew he’d have to go down to Sky.
It was Friday night and the club would be heaving.
Maybe he should just stay and thrash it out with Liz.
He glanced towards the hallway. He really didn’t feel like arguing anymore.
He was feeling too angry and hurt and he knew himself too well.
He’d end up saying things that he’d regret, when all he wanted to do was to try and work things out.
He heard Liz close her door and he quickly picked up his phone and rang Nina.
“Hi, Jerome.”
“Hi. Look, I’m off out in half an hour. Liz is home but I’m not sure if she’s staying in. Can you keep an eye out? I’m sure she’ll let you know if she’s going out but she might –”
“Don’t worry, Jerome.” She interrupted him, knowing what he was trying to say. Her heart went out to him. He had so much to deal with and no support at home. At least she could hopefully help in that part of his life. “I’ll make sure the kids are okay.”
“Thanks.”
As Jerome walked into his busy restaurant, his mood immediately changed.
Peter caught his eye and he nodded his hello.
He reciprocated, then scanned the room, noting where each staff member was stationed and which customers were in.
Gia was talking to a large table when she noticed him.
She momentarily furrowed her brow as she saw his pensive expression, then she smiled at him.
Something was wrong, she could see it in his face.
He immediately smiled at her and moved down to the bar, where he saw some regulars waiting for their table.
Kuch winked his hello as he poured his drinks order, then automatically prepared an espresso for Jerome and pushed it over to him.
Jerome mouthed his thanks, wishing he could drink something stronger.
He had a long night ahead and an even longer day tomorrow.
He needed to keep his head straight. Peter came over and gave him a quick rundown of the evening, joking with him about some of the customers.
After knowing Jerome for over fifteen years, he’d learned how to bring him out of a bad mood.
Talking work always distracted Jerome from any problem he was battling with.
It took Peter roughly ten minutes to soften Jerome’s hard expression.
Jerome’s eyes rescanned the restaurant and found Dani coming out of the kitchen with an order.
His gaze followed her as she placed the plates down at a table with a young couple.
His brow creased as he saw the man openly appraising her, but was pleased to see that Dani didn’t seem to notice.
“How’s she doing?” He motioned to where Dani was with his chin.
“Good. Very good actually. I gave her four tables at the back and she’s doing great.”
Jerome nodded. He finished his espresso and put it down. “I’ll go and do the rounds before I head up to Sky.”
“Good. There are a lot of people in today that have been asking about you.”
Jerome smiled and huffed, then headed to a table of four who were desperately trying to grab his attention.
It took Jerome roughly forty minutes to go around the main restaurant.
He headed back to the bar and contemplated going out for a cigarette.
As he moved towards the back of the restaurant, he noticed Dani talking to the table of two again.
“Who’s that on table twelve?” he asked Peter.
“It’s a Joseph Mann? He was asking about you.”
“Joseph Mann from college? You’re kidding me. I haven’t seen him in ages – at least five years, maybe more. I didn’t even recognise him.” Jerome looked back over to the table in shock. “I should go and say hello.”
Joseph Mann was an old college friend of Jerome’s.
They’d been at the local college together.
He’d been on the chubby side and walked very much in the shadow of Jerome.
Jerome liked him immensely. Joseph had helped him when Jerome struggled in college and they had hung out a lot together.
He’d always been a shy boy until he’d met Jerome.
When Jerome went to Switzerland, Joseph had landed a job for a large chain of hotels and slowly worked his way up.
He’d moved to America over five years ago and they’d lost touch.
“Joseph?”
“Hey man, how are you?” Joseph got up instantly and they hugged each other affectionately.
“Where’ve you been? Last I heard you were in Baltimore?”
“Come and sit down, join us.” Joseph beamed, genuinely pleased to see his old college buddy.
Dani quickly pulled over a chair. Jerome took it from her and sat down. “Thanks, Dani.” He smiled at her, his gaze lingering, and she nodded.
“This is Jenny. Jenny, Jerome’s the restaurant owner.” Joseph motioned to the petite blonde sitting opposite him.
“Pleased to finally meet you Jerome.” Jenny’s accent was clearly American and she extended her hand.
“Likewise.”
“Jenny’s over from California, visiting. I’m trying to recruit her.”
“Recruit her?” Jerome asked.
“Yes, I’ve bought a property in Skipton which I’ve had converted into a spa and boutique hotel. Jenny will hopefully be in charge of the spa. That’s if I can convince her,” he chuckled.
“Wow, that’s great, Joseph. When did you get back?”
“A few months ago.”
“And you waited this long to come and find me?” Jerome shook his head at his friend. “You didn’t want to stay out there?”
“I loved it out there. But my parents are getting on now and I’m an only child. I couldn’t convince them to come out, so this was the next best option for me. Anyway, how about you? This place is still incredible. He was always a fantastic chef, Jenny, and a charmer.”
Jerome snorted at the compliment. “Yeah, but the written stuff was your forte. I couldn’t do that for shit. God, it’s great to see you. America obviously agreed with you – you look fantastic.”
“Yeah well, out there they’re obsessed with keeping fit and slim. You either go the obese way or the fit way. I lost four stone and run every day now.” Joseph chuntered, “Bloody hate it, but it took me two years to get in shape and I’m not gonna go back to how I was.”
Jerome sat with them and they caught up with what was going on in his life, his businesses and his family, genuinely pleased to have reconnected with his old friend.
Dani cleared the plates from one of her tables and then headed to the bar to collect a drinks order she’d placed. Kuch slid over the tray to her.
“How’s it going? You seem to have got the hang of it.”
“Yeah, I have to say I am enjoying the rush.”
He winked at her as she lifted off the tray and headed back to her tables. She served the drinks, then headed towards Joseph’s table with a dessert menu.