Chapter 37
THIRTY-SEVEN
Hart
Beck
In the plane, on the way back to LA. How’d last night go?
Eden
We were sneaking footage of the game every chance we got. The whole kitchen at Toro erupted when you scored the winning shot. I think I might even have it on video.
Beck
You guys are one hell of a cheering squad.
Colson
I’m not going to lie … I could sleep for a week.
Beck
None of you have answered my question, LOL.
Me
Dude, Toro has hit the level—the one we dreamed of. You can’t even get near the entrance.
Walker
Or the bar.
Colson
Or the dining room.
Eden
Reservations are scaling faster than we anticipated. Word is spreading. We’re currently booked 6 weeks out, and once we open for lunch, I assume those time slots will fill up too.
Walker
There’s only one thing that can change all of that.
Beck
Dear Foodie. Her review drops tomorrow, right?
Colson
Yes, sir.
Walker
I’m ready to start fucking drinking. There’s so much riding on this.
As I lay in bed, the bright morning sunlight filtering in through my blinds, I focused on Walker’s last message. He was right; there was a lot riding on this. And there wasn’t a goddamn thing I could do about it. I couldn’t even tell my family, aside from Eden, that I was torn up over the thought that Sadie could fucking shred us in her review. That she had every right to have an opinion, and it might or might not be in our favor .
I couldn’t ask her to throw me a bone. I wouldn’t put that kind of pressure on her.
So, I was helpless.
And that felt strange as hell.
Eden
We can’t control what happens with Dear Foodie, so let’s not stress about it. Besides, I have a feeling it’s all going to work out.
Eden …
I shook my fucking head.
She wasn’t the positive one out of the group. That was Colson. She had said that because she knew Sadie’s identity, and she knew that Sadie had gotten special treatment, and my sister was hoping that would sweeten things up.
But that didn’t mean shit.
Eden had to know that too.
Walker
What gives you that feeling, Eden?
Eden
My gut—and you guys know that thing never steers me wrong.
Beck
Do we think things have been running well? Smoothly? Have we gotten many complaints? Are we feeling good about operations? Staff? Menu? Food supply?
Walker
Our staff will forever need extra training—that’s true for all our restaurants. I’m pleased with the menu, however, I might tweak certain ingredients and preparations. Food supply—I’ve got that shit mastered.
Eden
The reviews I’ve read complain about normal things—the food took too long to come out, they were promised an 8:00 reservation and weren’t seated until 8:30. Bitching about our prices—we get that at all our restaurants. A few said our food was cold. (It’s fucking sushi. Did they want their raw fish warm?) There will always be those who come in with the intent to destroy us. No matter what, we can’t please them. Overall, I’ve seen nothing that’s alarming.
Beck
All right, it’s time to rate it. The same way we do every time we open a restaurant in our home state. Come on, guys. Give me your number. 5 being the highest. Go!
Colson
5.
Eden
4.5.
Walker
I’m already 2 shots deep, by the way.
Me
It’s not even 8 in the morning, Walker.
Walker
So?
Me
4.5—there’s always room for improvement.
Walker
4.
Beck
Damn, Walker, really?
Walker
We all know things will never be perfect at any restaurant.
Me
But a 4?
Walker
Ask me again in a month. If my rating is still the same, we have a fucking problem.
Me
Can I bring anything?
Sadie
Just you.
You know … I should tell you to wear the jacket.
Me
What jacket?
Sadie
The one you asked me to wear to your office. Now, wouldn’t THAT be something?
Me
If you want me to show up naked … just ask.
Sadie
Food first. Naked after.
See you soon.
“Well, those are absolutely gorgeous.” As I stood at the door, Sadie reached for the bouquet of flowers I’d picked up on my way over, which had caused me to be a few minutes late since I’d asked the store to combine three premade packages into one.
But what I liked, when I saw them, was that they were all in different shades of red.
A color I fucking loved on her.
“Not nearly as gorgeous as you.” My lips went to hers, and I breathed her in. “Good morning, baby.” I handed her the bag I was holding. “I picked up some champagne. I wasn’t sure if you had any. Mimosas sounded good to me.”
“Funny, I picked up some too. But in case we finish off my bottle, now we have a second bottle to work our way through.”
“I like how you think.” I’d gotten a hint of the aroma as soon as she opened the door, but now that I’d been in her doorway for a few seconds, I was really getting a good whiff. “What in the hell are you baking in there?”
She smiled. “Homemade cinnamon buns. I’ve been tweaking this recipe for years. We’ll see how this batch turns out. They’ll be ready in”—she looked at her watch—“five minutes.” She moved to the side of the door. “Stop standing out there and come in.”
I stepped inside, and once she closed the door, I followed her into the kitchen.
“Nice place.”
The space was bright and cheerful—just the way I would expect Sadie to live—with light colors, mostly in pinks and white.
“I’ve grown out of it, which is funny because it felt huge when I moved in.”
She reached for a vase in the top cupboard. When I saw her on her tiptoes, still unable to reach it, I came up behind her and grabbed the glass from the shelf, setting it on the counter.
“You’re the best,” she added.
My hands briefly went to her waist, my mouth to her neck. She was in a pair of leggings and a tight tank, clothes that let me feel her body, rather than a bulky top that I’d have to lift and a pair of bottoms that hid her ass. “God, I’ve missed waking up to you.”
“You have no idea how much I’ve missed it.” She stopped moving and put her hands on mine, leaning her back into my chest. “Let’s end that streak tonight.”
“Please.”
She tapped my hand. “Done.” She unwrapped the plastic from around the flowers and soaked them in water and turned toward me. “Let me give you the short tour.” She circled her hand in the air. “Kitchen, obviously.”
“Oh, I’m familiar with your kitchen.”
“That’s right.” She laughed. “Sometimes, I’m so lost in keeping the lives separate that I forget when there’s crossover, like right now.” She gave me a sideways smile. “You know, aside from my parents and sister and Bryn, you’re the only person who’s ever been here. This is quite a moment for me, Lockhart. Sharing this part of my life with someone I love.”
I couldn’t get enough of her stunning blue eyes, gazing at them while I said, “I’m so happy you’re letting me see this side of you.”
Her shoulders slowly lifted. “Me too.”
I took a glance around even though I already knew what it looked like. “You live on a film set.”
“It looks that way, doesn’t it?”
“I’m sure it feels that way too.” I pointed at her living room, where mountains of boxes were taking up an entire wall. “Is that stuff that brands send you? Products they want you to influence?”
She sighed. “Yes, but that’s the carryover.” She brought me to the first door off her hallway, which ended up being her office. “Because this room can’t handle another box. ”
Her desk took up a corner, and in another was an area that she had set up for photo shoots. The rest was boxes. At least fifteen high, and there had to be over thirty stacks. I didn’t know how she worked in here. The chaos alone would make me unproductive.
“Jesus Christ, Sadie. You’re busting out of this condo.”
“I know, and it’s getting worse by the day.” She ran her hand down the arm of my hoodie. “I’ve had to get a storage unit, and that’s where everything ships to now. The post office doesn’t have a box large enough for me.”
I watched her take in the disaster.
“I’ve thought about getting another storage unit, but I honestly don’t know what to do. I know I can’t keep living like this. I need more space.”
While she was gazing around her room, I was looking at her. “I have an idea.”
An idea that I’d been thinking about for a bit.
An idea that I was going to present to her when we traveled to Portsmouth and Charleston in a couple of weeks.
“Please tell me you’re about to solve all my problems? I need that. I’m honestly at a loss for what to do. Do I sell this condo and find a bigger one? Do I get a house? Do I get an office and move the boxes there? Do I?—”
“You move in with me and use this condo as your office.”
She pulled her hand off my arm and crossed hers over her chest. A few seconds ticked by before a smile appeared on her lips. “You’re asking me to move in with you?”
“I am.”
Her brows rose. “Are you sure about that?”
I chuckled. “As it is, you stay several nights a week at my place, and you’ve already started leaving a few things there. I hate when you’re gone. And we only live about ten minutes from one another, so the commute would be nothing. ”
She jutted her lips out in a pucker. “All very true.”
I grabbed her hand and brought her into the living room. “Get rid of the furniture and use this room as storage.” I used my finger to draw in the air when I said, “You can have racks along each wall, everything labeled and organized. That way, when you need something to film with in the kitchen, it’s close by and easily accessible.” My hand dropped to my side. “You can use your office as an actual office. And your bedroom, although I haven’t seen that yet, you can make into a space for your photo shoots. If you find yourself needing an assistant, they could also work in your bedroom.” I held the base of her neck.
“I have two wardrobes. Even the closet in my bedroom is too small.”
“Two? You mean, one for cold weather and one for hot?”
“No.” She laughed. “Like one for Sadie and one for Dear Foodie, and they don’t mix. Ever.”
“I wouldn’t have even thought of that.”
“I used to keep all of Dear Foodie’s clothes in the closet in the second bedroom, but now that’s filled with boxes too.”
“Baby …” I surrounded her neck with my other hand and moved us closer together. “You don’t have to live like this.”
She was quiet as she nodded.
I tilted her face up to mine. “But I don’t want you to move in just because you need more space. I want you to move in because you don’t want to wake up another morning without being next to me.”
Her arms rested on my shoulders, and she rose up on her toes, gaining a few inches. “I absolutely despise not waking up next to you. But do you know what I love?” She brushed her fingers through my scruff .
“Tell me.”
“The things we do together in your house. Cooking. Relaxing. Sleeping. Showering.” She smiled. “Swimming.”
I laughed. “I wouldn’t call what we’ve done in that pool swimming.”
“True.” She giggled.
“Your beautiful house has always felt like home to me, Lockhart …” She rubbed her lips over mine, back and forth, slowly. “I would love to live there with you.”
“It’s settled, then. Let me know when you want your stuff brought over, and I’ll hire the movers.”
“I don’t think I need a mover. I’m just going to bring my clothes—not Dear Foodie’s clothes. My accessories, bathroom stuff. It shouldn’t be more than, say, fifteen boxes.”
“Fifteen boxes?” I huffed. “I’m getting a fucking mover.”
She poked my chest. “You’re too much—” Her voice cut off at the sound of a bell. “The cinnamon buns are done.” She rushed into the kitchen, slipping her hands into mitts, taking out the tray from inside the oven. “These need to cool for a few minutes, and then I’ll top them with icing.”
“Now that’s just mean.”
She looked at me over her shoulder. “You want a little preview?”
“You really need to ask?”
She waved me over, and I resumed my position behind her, holding her waist, my chin resting on top of her shoulder. She pulled off a small corner piece and held it up to my mouth.
I surrounded her fingers and sucked off the dough, immediately moaning, “Sadie …”
She turned around and watched me chew. “You like it?”
“If this is without icing, I can’t even imagine what it will taste like with icing.” I closed my eyes, my head falling back as the richness of the cinnamon took ahold of me. “Do yourself a favor and don’t ever bake these for Colson. He’ll start asking you to make them weekly, and if Walker gets wind of this, he’ll probably try to put these on the menu somewhere.”
She laughed. “I don’t know if they’re that good.”
“They are. Trust me.”
“Thank you.” She blushed and put her hands on my chest, rubbing them in a circle before her palms slid up my neck and to my face. Her tongue traced the corner of her lips. “You haven’t asked.”
I hid my smile. “Asked what?”
“Asked about the elephant in the room.”
“What elephant, Sadie?”
She gently hit me. “Lockhart, you know what elephant I’m talking about. The review for Toro.”
“I’m not going to ask.”
“But I want you to.”
I shook my head. “I respect you far too much for that. The review posts tomorrow, and whatever it is, whatever it looks like, it won’t have anything to do with you and me. That’s business, and this”—I held her tighter—“is what really matters.”
“Fine, then I’m going to tell you.” Her smile was almost sinister.
“No—”
“It was the best meal I’ve ever had in LA.”
I let that sink in. And when it was done sinking, I let it fall all the way to my gut, where every bit of anxiousness had been living since the opening of this fucking restaurant. “What? Are you kidding?”
“I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I left. Neither has Bryn. We’ve literally been texting about it nonstop.”
“Sadie—”
“In this moment, right here, I’m not Sadie. I’m Dear Foodie. And I’m telling you that you have an absolute treasure in Toro. There’s nothing like it. There won’t ever be anything like it.” She stroked her thumb over my lips. “I had a meal that I will never forget, and those are the words that are getting published tomorrow. I didn’t write from my heart, I wrote from my experience. I didn’t write as Sadie, your girlfriend—soon-to-be live-in girlfriend. I wrote as Dear Foodie, and I’ve never published anything more honest in my life.”
“Baby …” I searched her eyes, pulling her against me so there was only air between us, and as I held her face to mine, positioning my lips over hers, I whispered, “I love you. Sadie, that is. Dear Foodie—she’s all right.” I chuckled. “But it’s this side of you that I’ve fallen for. This side who I’m going to spend forever with. This side who’s going to be my wife.”
Walker
I FUCKING LOVE HER.
Eden
I told you!
Beck
It’s posted? Already?
Me
I’ve never seen a review like this one … holy fuck!
Beck
Dude, I’m reading it now. She’s obsessed with Toro. I’m blown the hell away by what she wrote.
How are reservations?
Eden
Coming in by the truckload. I’m worried the system is going to crash.
Me
I hope it does. That’ll just earn us more press.
Colson
“There are meals that leave you satisfied, and then there are meals that leave an impression, like the vows at a wedding, something you think back on. Something you know you’re never going to forget. Toro was that. A moment that I would like to relive weekly. And I will be—reliving it weekly, that is. It was THAT impressive.”
DAMN.
Me
Dear Foodie, we love you hard.
Eden
I’ll second that.
Colson
Third.
Beck
Fourth.
Walker
Have you found out if she’s single?
Eden
Walker, go back to the kitchen …