Chapter 35
I patted my hair and straightened my clothes again.
Elijah was dressed and picking up the cloth napkins that had fallen out of the box, putting them back in.
He’d used one of those napkins to clean himself up.
That one was tucked in my purse to wash later.
There was hand sanitizer on the corner of the desk, and we’d both used that as well.
“Is everyone going to be able to tell?” I asked. “Like when you come out of the plane bathroom, does the whole plane look at you knowingly?”
He laughed. “I’ve never actually done it on an airplane before, Sutton. You know that, right?”
“I thought you were the expert here. One of us needs to be.”
He plopped the box back on the couch and stood in front of me, running his hands along my shoulders a few times. “You look good. Maybe a little flushed, but gorgeous. What about me? Do I look like I just got taken care of?”
My cheeks heated with the reminder of feeling him in my grip, of watching him groan with pleasure.
I straightened his shirt and then pushed onto my toes for a kiss. “You look perfect.” On the way out the door, I grabbed an apron off a hook on the wall. “Would you hate me if I worked for a bit?”
“I figured you would.”
“Do you want to go back to the apartment? I can get a ride home with Raya.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.” I dug my keys out of my purse and handed them to him.
He took them. “Okay. I’ll see you in a while then.”
“I’m sorry if my fridge has moldy food.”
He smiled. “You think I’m going to go rummaging through your fridge?”
“And my drawers and my couch cushions.”
“I’m not.”
I kissed him again. “You won’t find anything.”
“Except moldy food?”
“And dead plants.”
“The poor plants.”
“I know.”
He left out the front while I headed to the bathroom to wash my hands for real. I came out and tied the apron around my waist.
Raya, who was entering something into the ordering screen, narrowed her eyes at me. I probably had a goofy smile on my face.
When I reached her side she said, “Did you just have sex in the office?”
I nearly choked on my inhale. “I, I—no, I mean, sort of.”
“Holy hell, what spell does that man have you under?”
“I’m sorry, that was super inconsiderate of me. I’ll have the couch cleaned.”
She laughed. “Sutton, I’m shocked, not disgusted.”
“Oh, okay.” I picked up a pen and ordering pad from beside the computer.
She paused for a moment and said, “I already broke in the office like ten months ago.”
I let out a surprised little yelp.
She nodded to my apron. “Are you staying? Working?”
“Of course. I’m here. I’ve abandoned you for seven weeks. I’m going to work this weekend.”
“You know you don’t have to.”
“I want to. And can you give me a ride home later?”
“You’re closing?”
“Yes!”
“It’s good to have you back.”
I closed the lid on the container of lettuce and stacked it on top of the bin of cucumbers, then carried them both to the walk-in fridge.
Raya was already inside, sliding containers back into place as well.
I’d easily fallen back into the routine of closing up for the night.
Like my body knew exactly what to do, muscle memory.
“It wasn’t that busy tonight,” I said.
“I know,” she responded. “It’s usually better.”
“How much better?”
“Not much.”
“I need to get that viral review guy back in here.”
“Not if nothing has changed,” she said.
“Yeah…” I took the spray bottle off the wall and doused the counters, wiping them up. “Elijah might have some good ideas.”
“Oh, really? He’s more than just a pretty face then?”
“He’s a photographer.”
“A professional photographer? Nice.”
“No. He runs a boxing gym that his dad opened for him.” I sprayed another working surface with the cleaning spray.
“What does boxing have to do with photography?”
“Nothing. But he should be a professional photographer. So maybe this project will help convince him to try again or to try differently or something.”
“Our restaurant project?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I’m putting too much faith in his ideas, but I have zero. What about you? Have you thought of how we can bring in more atmosphere?”
“I’m barely keeping my head above water with just running the place and the additional social media posts.”
“I know,” I said. “Thank you.”
“A four-week honeymoon is sounding nice this summer.”
“Take eight weeks,” I said.
She latched the handle on the fridge, and we left the kitchen and headed for the dining room. Presley and Lucas were there, wiping down tables and sweeping. Angel passed Raya the zippered pouch from her register.
“Did you already tip yourself out?” Raya asked.
Angel patted her pocket as her answer. “See you all tomorrow.”
I let her out the front door and relocked it while Raya went to the main register that we’d closed out earlier to combine the funds.
It was late. We closed at eleven on the weekends, but people always stayed past closing, even when we shut down the kitchen and bar at ten forty-five.
And as a newish restaurant, we were not trying to make enemies.
The customer was doubly right in the first couple years of business.
At least, that had been our motto. Word of mouth was one of the best marketing tools for good … or bad (we were learning).
“Was that your boyfriend earlier, Sutton?” Presley asked.
“No, just a friend.”
“That she kisses,” Raya added.
Presley raised her eyebrows. “What happened to Nate?”
“Nosy,” Raya said with a laugh.
“He broke up with me a couple months ago.”
“Ouch,” Presley said.
“I think I came out ahead.”
Raya laughed.
“What about you?” I asked. “How’s school?”
“Hard,” she said. “And busy.”
“What are you going to school for?” Lucas asked.
“Teaching,” she said.
“That’s cool,” he said. “My major is nursing.”
“My mom would love you,” I said. “She wishes I would’ve become a nurse.”
“She does not,” Raya said. “You’re a business owner.”
“No, really. My high school best friend became a nurse, and my mom adores her.” Maybe it wasn’t the nurse thing she adored, maybe it was just everything about Tara. She was pretty lovable.
“Well, I adore you,” Raya said, smacking me on the butt as she walked toward the door. “You guys ready to get out of here?”
“Yes, please,” Presley said. She collected Lucas’s broom and went to the back where the supply closet was to put the things away.
Raya unlocked the door, and we waited outside for Presley to come back.
Even Lucas waited. Then we locked up, and Lucas walked Presley to her car while Raya and I went to hers.
“Is something going on with them?” I asked quietly, nodding my head in their direction.
“I don’t think so, but I guess we’ll see. We haven’t really talked about workplace romance. Do we forbid that?”
I laughed. “Let the children love.”
“They are only like seven years younger than us,” she said.
“Babies,” I said.
“And really? No rules about workplace love? Not a single policy? You really are lovesick right now, aren’t you?”
“No, I’m not … probably just love starved and being fed my first meal in a long time.”
“And he’s a whole meal.”
“I’ve missed you,” I said.
“Let’s get you to your dessert.”