Chapter 4
Chapter Four
ANDY
The way he practically ran out of my room had me shaking my head and chuckling at the already-closed door. It was like he thought I was going to eat him or something. Never mind the fact that I’d told him I wasn’t interested in men.
There was that one time my ex-coworker and I had a drunken make-out session that did absolutely nothing for me. I didn’t have a problem with men who liked other men, but as I told him earlier, there was something about holding a woman in my arms.
Cuddling with the unknown stranger last night wasn’t too bad either, but that was a fluke. I’d slept through the night when I thought I’d be tossing and turning until dawn.
It was most likely because of the stress about my first day at the B&B—which I was still worried about—but after a restful night’s sleep, the thought of starting work today didn’t feel as overwhelming.
I looked at the ripped piece of paper in my hand, and the number haphazardly scrawled on it. It was nice that he wanted to repay me for making sure he was safe last night, but it wasn’t needed.
I wasn’t here to make friends. The next six months were about focusing on my career and being the best damn chef this B&B had seen.
Even if this was a small place in the middle of nowhere, getting a raving recommendation for running a professional kitchen would help me make the big splash I wanted back in the city. This was the first step in moving up in my career, which meant no distractions .
And if yesterday was anything to go by, the fireball of a man from last night would make my life way more complicated than I needed. He seemed nice, though maybe a little bit of a handful, which I didn’t need.
So, I crumpled up the tiny piece of paper and tossed it in the trash. He didn’t need to thank me, and I was probably never going to see him again anyway. It was better to end that connection there and chalk last night up to an unusual experience.
Seeing I still had plenty of time before my shift started, I entered my ensuite bathroom and took a long hot shower.
The room wasn’t huge, but it was decorated to the nines and gave off a homey vibe. I understood why the place was so popular. And, hopefully, with the temptation of the new menu I had planned for the place, Fated Encounters B&B would only grow as the ‘ it ’ holiday destination.
With ten minutes until the scheduled time, I made my way down the flight of stairs. Photos of who I assumed were previous guests lined the walls. I even caught sight of some familiar celebrities smiling with the owners.
The place might be out in the sticks, but it was pretty well-loved, at least from all the reviews I’d read online. People praised it for being a winter home away from home with the very hospitable hosts and the cute, welcoming town .
Behind the front counter sat an older man, Henry—the same person who’d showed me to my room last night, and the man who currently ran the B&B with his husband.
He looked up from his newspaper when he saw me entering the lobby. “Good morning. How did you sleep?”
“Not too bad,” I replied, though I wasn’t going to elaborate and say that had more to do with the stranger who’d lulled me into dreamland like a sleeping ASMR than anything else. “I love how you furnished the room. I can’t wait to see what you guys did for the kitchen.”
Henry laughed, and the way his eyes crinkled reminded me a bit of the man from last night. Now that I was looking closer, they had the same coloring: dirty-blond hair and brown eyes. Even their face shape was similar, with hard edges and a sharp jawline. The only thing was that the stranger had a hint of dimples even when he wasn’t smiling, and Henry didn’t.
“You really are a chef, down to your bones. Don’t worry, I won’t keep you in suspense. Let me show you to the kitchen,” he replied, then walked around the counter and gestured for me to follow him through the doorway on my right.
It led us to the dining room, where there were already a couple patrons sitting and having breakfast, mostly cereal, toast, and other easy items.
There was a swinging door on the back wall which led us into the kitchen. “And here is your new workspace,” Henry said and waved around the large area.
It was a lot bigger than I’d expected for a kitchen in a small B&B. I looked around the space, surprised to see all the shiny new appliances and how clean the whole place was.
“We renovated the kitchen when our last chef retired,” Henry commented with a chuckle. He probably saw the surprise written on my face .
Living in New York, I was used to working in cramped spaces, often sharing the place with little critters.
Yes, it was disgusting, and I tried my best to keep the mice out, but New York had an infestation problem. Even the cleanest kitchens there had a tiny furry companion or two, never mind the small, dingy kitchens I’d worked in.
I had a feeling I wouldn’t have to worry about rodents here though. Sparkling ceramic tiled floors, stainless steel appliances, and a solid fridge that would keep all the food fresh and any outside pests out. And not to mention the gas stove. It was a fucking wet dream. Six open-top burners, a freaking charbroiler, and two ovens!
Fated Encounters might as well have plucked this straight out of my dreams. This was miles above the last restaurant I worked at, and I had to pinch myself—discreetly—to make sure this was real. That this was going to be my kitchen.
“I’m guessing you approve of the renovation?” Henry’s voice shocked me out of the little fanboy moment I had going on. I spun to him, trying not to seem overeager.
Be casual .
I didn’t want to come off like I was some novice, who was easily impressed and didn’t know what I was doing. I tried to sound nonchalant and said, “The place looks great. I can’t wait to get started.”
And okay, my voice might have gone up a fraction at the end of the statement, but I tried disguising the fact by clearing my throat.
Henry was all smiles and had a twinkle in his eye that said I wasn’t fooling him. At least he wasn’t pointing it out.
“There you two are,” a voice that sounded vaguely familiar said from the door.
Henry strode to the newcomer, wrapped him in his arms, then placed the loudest kiss on his cheek. “Did you miss me already, honey?”
The man rolled his eyes and tried to push Henry’s face away, but Henry was bigger and stronger and kept his grip on him tight. “Our son came by to drop off the key earlier. Have you talked to him? Something seemed off.”
“I heard he was at Dove’s Fountain last night, so maybe he was just hungover?” Henry suggested.
“Maybe,” the other man replied, then turned his focus to me. “You must be Andy. It’s nice to finally meet you in person.”
“Oh! Yes, let me officially introduce you. This is my lovely husband, Peter. Peter Li. He’s the one who did your phone interview,” Henry said.
I could practically see the stars in his eyes when he looked at his husband. It was hard to believe love like that actually existed.
My parents had barely tolerated each other, and I suspected they stayed together more for financial reasons than anything else. New York was expensive.
“It’s nice to meet you too,” I said and shook his outstretched hand.
Now that Henry wasn’t all over the man, I could see Peter’s features better. He was handsome, with thick eyebrows and a youthfulness about him that made it hard to infer his age. Though from what Henry had told me about Peter during the interview—and he’d told me a lot. The man could talk about his husband for hours—they’d been childhood friends and had gotten together in their twenties.
Henry had talked his husband to the moon, saying Peter hadn’t even batted an eye about starting a relationship with him when his ex had surprised him with a baby she wanted nothing to do with. Henry had moved back to Wintertown, and Peter welcomed him with open arms. The rest was history, as he’d say.
“If you need anything here, Peter’s the one in charge,” Henry commented.
Peter scoffed. “He just wants to push off responsibility to play around with his new camera,” he said to me.
He sounded so exasperated, but I saw the way he leaned comfortably against his husband’s chest. I also didn’t miss the way his hand gently held the base of Henry’s shirt. How they were still this clingy after decades of being together was beyond me.
“Hey, you should have known not to get me the camera for my birthday if you wanted me to be productive,” Henry muttered.
Peter merely shook his head and gently patted his husband’s cheek before turning to me. “He says that, but Henry will work more hours than all of us combined if we let him,” Peter whispered to me like it was a secret. He disentangled from his husband’s arms and walked toward me. “We’re really glad to have you here, Andy. We thought we’d be in trouble this holiday season after our previous chef retired. Plus, we never imagined getting someone from the big city like you, and one with such high recommendations.”
“No, it’s my pleasure to be here. Really,” I said, hoping to convey that I was very excited about this contract without sounding too overeager.
“I’m happy to hear that,” Peter said with a grin. “And I’m sure Henry has already informed you, but the kitchen is yours to do as you see fit. The people in our family know jackshit about food, so you’ll be in charge of the daily menu.”
That sounded like fucking music to my ears. To have the freedom to create as I’d always wanted to. I was going to cook the best fucking food this town had ever had .
“We just made a grocery run, so you should have all the basics. You can make a list of what you need and I’ll have our son make a trip into town for it later,” Peter continued, then pulled something from his pocket and handed it to me. “And here’s your key. Levi said he’ll be around this afternoon to grab your things before heading into town. I’m sorry you can’t stay at the B&B, but we need every single room once the holiday rush starts. And I figured you’d be more comfortable living with someone your age than two old men.”
“Hey! Don’t speak about my husband like that!” Henry piped up, which only made Peter smile and shake his head again.
I couldn’t help smiling along. They really were cute together. Watching them made me think that perhaps not all relationships were doomed to be loveless.
“Don’t worry about me. I just feel bad imposing on your son’s space like that,” I replied.
Henry waved me off. “Levi loves having company. If you let him, he’ll probably talk your ear off when you meet him this afternoon.”
“He’s like his father in that way,” Peter added with a pointed look.
“Hey! You love hearing me talk!”
“Sure, honey,” Peter said, grabbing his husband’s hand before turning to me. “We’ll get out of your hair and let you get settled. We don’t usually have many patrons stay for lunch, but we have all the ingredients for what’s on the menu. We’ll get everything else you need this afternoon.”
And with that, they left hand-in-hand, leaving me alone in my kitchen.
This was the best day of my life.