Chapter Five #2
“Um, yeah. I need your help.” Ivan swallowed hard and told him about the interview. “I’m really anxious about it, and Cash suggested you could give me some tips and tricks to help settle my nerves.”
“Roberto is a really nice guy. I’ve met him a few times at various events and fundraisers.
You have nothing to worry about, but I’ll happily give you some tips.
” He tilted his head to the side. “I wonder if we could agree to a trade-off. A little quid pro quo.” Ivan quirked a brow and Rory smiled.
“That wasn’t a come-on. You’ve seen enough of those to recognize them by now.
” Ivan tried really hard not to think about Rory’s gleaming, naked body.
“What do you suggest?”
“I’ve researched many sustainable farming sources, but I’ve never explored honey making.
Would you consider teaching me some things?
You don’t have to do anything on camera,” Rory rushed to say.
“It doesn’t have to be for my channel. I just see your passion for it, and I’m curious.
” Rory placed a hand over his heart. “I promise to mostly be good.”
“Sure, I can show you a few things,” Ivan said, surprising both of them.
“When do you want to get started?” Rory asked. “I’m watching a Dateline marathon with Cash and Harry tonight, but I could work with you instead.”
“I might be staying over in Denver tonight. I haven’t decided for sure.
Depends on how things pan out, I guess.” He really needed to get laid because being so close to this man was driving him slowly mad.
Rory’s eyes darkened, and Ivan suspected he’d read between the lines and didn’t like what he’d discovered.
Ivan refused to feel sorry about putting his needs first for once.
“My queen bee is due to arrive tomorrow afternoon, so I’ll definitely be back in time for that. ”
Rory tilted his head to the side. “Beyoncé?”
Ivan chuckled. “My newest queen honeybee. She doesn’t have a name yet, but I have big ambitions for her. I want to be here to ensure she gets settled in.”
“Sounds like the perfect time for me to shadow you and learn what honey making entails.”
“It would. We can work on tips afterward.” Ivan took two steps backward. “Enjoy your Dateline marathon.”
Rory raked a knowing gaze over Ivan’s body. “Enjoy…whatever you get up to tonight.”
Since Ivan nearly tripped over his own feet, he forced himself to turn around and head to the homestead to clean up and head out.
Ivan stopped for gas halfway to Denver and heard several stupid news headlines regarding Rory and his dad when he restarted his truck.
It was the same regurgitated bullshit with the latest polls thrown in to emphasize how much the scandal was hurting Charles Snyder’s candidacy.
Ivan switched over to his favorite agriculture podcast to catch up on the new episodes.
Bob Harlow had the type of personality that took sometimes dry subjects and made them fun.
Ivan figured it had to be exhausting to be so positive all the time.
There were several memes circulating that called him Bob the Farmer and compared him to the kid’s show character Bob the Builder.
Instead of “Can we fix it? Yes, we can!” Harlow’s lines were, “Can we grow it? Yes, we can!”
To his shock, Ivan couldn’t even escape Rory halfway to Denver because he appeared as Bob’s guest on the very next episode.
Rory came across as laid-back and humorous when he told a story about an encounter with wild boars during one of his excursions.
But then the conversation morphed into why he was so passionate about conservation and preservation.
“It’s not just about saving the environment,” Rory said, “though that is really important to me. What really tugs at my heartstrings are the traditions families pass down. You see that represented a lot in agriculture, where the goal is to preserve the land to sustain future generations by putting food on the table and money in the bank. You also see the same preservation passion in cooking and crafting. Recipes are shared and skills are taught to keep the older generations present with us long after they’ve passed.
It’s a beautiful thing, and family is at the very core of those principles. ”
“Wow,” Ivan and Bob said at the same time.
“So we know why you’re passionate about conservation and preservation, but who inspired you?” Bob asked.
“My grandparents,” Rory replied. “They owned a farm in Oklahoma, and I spent summers there with my older brother, Nick.”
Bob led Rory through some of his fondest memories, and Ivan became so enraptured that he nearly missed his exit.
The episode was still playing when Ivan pulled up to the restaurant, and he looked forward to hearing the rest. Ivan shut the podcast off and organized his thoughts before stepping out of the truck and slipping into his suit jacket.
He didn’t dress up often because it reminded him of his childhood church and his time in a courtroom.
Ivan checked his reflection in the side window and had to admit he cut an impressive figure in his navy suit and crisp white dress shirt.
He’d skipped the tie and finished the look with a brown leather belt and matching dress shoes.
With the custom crate he’d built for presentations such as these, Ivan headed into Russo’s on Main.
They wouldn’t serve patrons until five, but the staff was bustling around, prepping for the night.
Valentino Russo sat in the back corner of the restaurant with a stunning blonde woman.
Both of them wore chef’s coats—white for Valentino and gray for his guest. A server had told Ivan to go on over to the table because Val was expecting him.
He debated waiting for the chefs’ conversation to end first, but Russo saw him and waved him over.
Both chefs rose when he approached, and Valentino made introductions. The blonde woman, Stephanie Borsch, was Val’s wife and the head chef at another popular restaurant—one on Ivan’s contact list.
“Please call us Val and Steph,” Russo said. “Have a seat. Would you like something to drink or eat after the long drive?”
Ivan was way too nervous to eat, but he asked for a cup of coffee. A server brought over a gorgeous silver set, and Val poured them all a cup.
“We both have full houses tonight, so we could use the caffeine too.” Val took a sip and set the cup down.
He exchanged a glance with his wife before smiling at Ivan.
“We’ve already sampled your honey when we were scouting out a competitor’s restaurant.
I’ve experienced it drizzled over a scone, used as a sweetener in my tea, and featured as a principal ingredient in a dessert.
” Val folded his hands on the table and said, “Both of us would like to use it in our kitchens, and we’ve come up with signature dishes that will make your honey the star. ”
Ivan sat flummoxed for a few seconds before a broad grin spread across his face. “You’re kidding?”
Steph smiled and shook her head. “The question is…would you like to try them before anyone else?”
“Having renowned chefs prepare special dishes just for me that just happen to feature my honey?” Ivan asked. He cocked his head to the side and stroked his beard as if mulling it over. “Okay, you’ve twisted my arm.”
Stephanie clapped and pulled the honey crate toward her while Val saluted him with the coffee cup. Seconds later, both chefs rose from the table.
“Should I leave and come back?” Ivan asked.
“No, no,” Stephanie said. “Relax and be our guest. The first course will be out soon.”
“First course,” Ivan said to himself, wishing he’d brought Cash with him for the meeting.
This was too fun to do by himself. Rory would get a kick out of it too.
Ivan shoved the thought aside and decided it would be a good time to search Grindr for a hookup before he left the city.
He’d just opened the app when a sexy bartender with smoldering good looks stopped by his table.
“Hello, I’m Jack. Are you ready to kick off your experience on the right foot, Mr. Gallagher? Perhaps something made with your honey?”
The sparkle in his dark eyes said more than a beverage was up for grabs. Damn. Ivan might refer to this as his lucky suit from now on. As handsome as this guy was, he didn’t quite fit the bill for what Ivan had in mind.
“I could use something slightly stronger than coffee.” Ivan had a few hours, and it sounded like plenty of food to counter the effects of a single cocktail. “What do you recommend? I’d like something with a little kick but nothing too sweet.”
The bartender winked and said, “I know just the thing. I’ll be right back.”
Before Jack returned with his drink, a Latina server named Emilia placed a tray of halved figs topped with goat cheese crumbles and drizzled with honey on the table.
“This looks incredible,” Ivan told her.
“Enjoy.”
Ivan remembered to take a picture of the plate before he popped a fig into his mouth.
Sweet Jesus, it was divine. He’d just bitten into a third fig when Jack returned with his drink.
It was dark orange, so Ivan expected something citrusy.
He took a tentative sip and tasted gin and lemon.
His honey and something spicy came on later. Chili pepper, perhaps. “What is this?”
“Spicy bee’s knees,” Jack said. “It’s more potent than you realize, so proceed with caution if you’re driving.”
Ivan saluted him and took a small sip. He popped another fig into his mouth and picked up his phone.
That’s when he remembered to take a picture of his cocktail.
He made a note on his phone for future consideration: flavored honeys.
After that, he attempted to open the Grindr app.
He’d passed on two or three candidates when Emilia returned with a salad.
“You’ll find your honey in the toasted walnuts and in the vinaigrette drizzled on top.”