Chapter Nine
Chapter Nine
Victor
I’m at the shop with Dad working on another beat-up old truck that’s definitely seen better days. The bells over the door jingle and I glance up, but don’t pay much attention. People are in and out of here all day. Some need help, and some just want to visit with Dad. All are welcome in his shop. He enjoys the company while he works.
“Want me to check who it is?” I ask.
“They’ll come back,” Dad says. I shrug. I wipe my hands on a rag then nod at Dad as he talks about a new tool he wants to order. I hear soft steps and finally look up to see Nikki standing in the doorway. Her eyes land on me and I see a flicker of surprise in her gaze... along with something else. She wasn’t expecting me. I’m glad I decided to come down in my free time.
“Hello, Victor,” she says, her voice detached, or at least she thinks it is. I hear the play of emotion just beneath the surface.
“Hey, Nik. I wasn’t expecting you to chase me down, but I like it.” She glares at me. This is what I like to see. I like her as a fighter not defeated. It’s not who she is.
Dad, who’s always had a soft spot for Nik, beams as he stands, instantly wiping his hands so he can greet her. “Well, if it isn’t little Nikki Sands standing in my shop. It’s been too long,” he tells her as he moves forward and pulls her into a bear hug. She laughs, genuine warmth in her eyes as she hugs him back. I wish I could get that laugh from her. I will, I assure myself. I have before and I’ll do it again.
“It’s so good to see you, Mr. Fortier,” she says. He releases her. “My car’s making a funny sound. I’m hoping it’s a quick, easy fix; I can’t afford a new car right now.”
Dad waves away her formality. “You know better than to call me that,” he tells her with a laugh. “That was my dad. Let’s bring your car inside. I know you’re busy and I’m sure it’s nothing.”
“I appreciate this so much,” she says as she hands him her keys.
This is amazing. I’d never tamper with her vehicle, but I love that something bought her in. I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. I meet my dad’s gaze, my eyes pleading with him to take his time. I see him look down as he chuckles while he walks out the door to retrieve her car. Dad doesn’t charge an hourly rate, he charges by the job so he can take all the time he wants and it won’t screw Nik.
Nikki stands awkwardly by while Dad drives the vehicle into the garage. I hear the clanking and immediately know what it is. It’s a quick fix, but I’m praying Dad really does take his time. I have her in my zone and want to keep her here.
He steps from her car. “I think I know the problem, but let me run a few tests,” Dad tells her, and I let out a sigh of relief. He did get my message.
“Of course,” she tells him. “Do you want me to come back in a few hours?”
“Oh no, you can wait here. It shouldn’t take too long,” he tells her with practiced innocence. Dad really does want those grandbabies. I’m growing more and more willing to give them to him... with the right woman... with this woman.
Dad gets to work, and Nikki moves away from me, looking unsure of where she should wait. Her attention shifts over to a table near the corner of the shop where I have my plans for the restaurant laid out. There are blueprints, sketches, menu ideas, and concept notes. My entire vision is here for the world to see. She moves toward it, and I feel my heart beating a little harder. Her opinion matters to me, and I don’t want her to tell me this is foolish. I move over to stand next to her.
“What is this?” she asks as she peruses the documents.
“This is my dream all on a table, the plans for my restaurant,” I tell her, unable to keep the pride from my voice. “I’ve been working on this for a couple of years, but finally got all of the plans in a couple of weeks ago. I’m hoping to make it happen.”
She looks surprised, but nods, her eyes scanning all of it. “This is impressive, Victor. It seems like you’ve put a lot of time into it.”
I’m a little surprised at her genuine tone. There’s no sarcasm, no walls, simply curiosity. I let out a breath of relief. “I had a lot of time to think about it on the down times in the Marines. I found that cooking made me happy when I was there, and the guys constantly told me how good I was. Maybe it went to my head,” I tell her with a laugh. “I want to build something that will last.”
She’s silent for a moment. Then she gives me a smile. “I can understand that,” she says. She reaches down and touches one of the blueprints. “These are solid. What do you want to cook?”
“Are you trying to steal trade secrets?” I ask with a laugh.
“Maybe, but I’m also curious,” she says, chuckling herself, the sound music to my ears.
“I don’t want a fixed menu. We live in a place that has year-round harvests and I want to utilize that through a seasonal, local menu with added dishes from around the world. I want to do a farm-and-sea-to-table concept with my own little twists. Most importantly, I want to keep it fresh and as organic as possible. I want people to feel like they’ve had Grandma over cooking her favorite recipes and walk away feeling they’ve had a special experience. We don’t realize how much food impacts us until we watch shows like Alone where people struggle to find food. People bond over meals, fall in love over meals, and share their lives over meals. I want to be a part of all of that.”
She looks impressed and I feel another surge of pride. “I can’t say I hate the idea. You really have it together on this.” There seems to be a bit of envy in her voice, but I try not to focus on that. This isn’t a competition. The more I think about it, the more I love the idea of a collaboration. Can we put our differences aside and come together? What would be better than having my dream restaurant? Maybe having my dream partner at my side while I do it. We truly could be a team.
“I’ve been dreaming about it for a long time. Every spare moment has been spent planning. I wanted to love mechanics, and I don’t hate them, but cooking is my passion. It’s not only about the finished product, though, it’s the entire process. It’s about getting the ingredients right, then taking a bite and having an orgasm in my mouth.”
This makes her laugh. “I’ve never heard it described that way before,” she says.
“My mother would be horrified. Let’s not tell my dad that one,” I say in a conspiratorial whisper. “Mom believed a good meal together could solve the world’s problems. It’s a way to bond, to share, and to let go of worries. My family always shared dinner together even when we were busy. It was the one time we pushed the rest of the universe out and focused on each other.”
She’s quiet for a moment then nods. “You’ve always been this way, Victor. I’ve always admired how you don’t do things halfway like so many people.”
“When we’re young, we think we have all the time in the world, but the older I get the more I realize how short our years actually are. I want to get the most out of them.” I pause for a moment. “We’re doing nothing but talking about me, though. What are your plans after the competition? You’ve moved back home, have a very successful vlog, but I really don’t know what you want tomorrow. I’d love to know more.”
She lets out a sigh as she leans against the table, her defenses completely down. “I don’t know. I change my mind every other minute. I know I want to cook, but I’ve finally come home to Seaville and I don’t want to leave again. Coming back has eased my soul. It’s where I want to be. I’ve always wanted to have my own show, but if I get one, they might want me to move. I entered this contest with the goal of possibly getting a show, but I think I’d turn it down if that meant I had to move to New York or Vegas or something. There are shows done from home like The Pioneer Woman , but those are more the exception to the rule. I don’t have some massive ranch to entertain viewers while I cook.”
“You don’t need a ranch to entertain anyone, but if that’s what it takes, let’s find you a ranch. You can have chickens, goats, and cows,” I tell her.
She laughs. “I wouldn’t mind having chickens. There’s nothing better than farm fresh eggs. Besides, I love watching their antics,” she says.
“I’d tune in to watch you chase chickens,” I tell her.
She laughs again. I wish every time we came together it could be this easy. Maybe someday it will be.
“I’ll figure it out. For now I’ve been focused on the festival. The big day is coming and I’m still going to smoke you even if we seem to have a bit of a truce right now,” she says with a smile. I’m glad to see there’s no heat behind her words.
There’s a beat of silence, comfortable for once. I take in a breath and decide to push my luck a little bit. “You know, Nik, we could combine forces. We could do a restaurant show. I’ve always enjoyed watching Hell’s Kitchen .”
She laughs. “I could definitely yell at you like Ramsey does to his cooks,” she says.
“We certainly entertain the folks in Seaville. Why not give a shot at entertaining the world?” It surprises me how appealing this thought is.
She shakes her head. “I don’t think the world can handle us.”
“ We can barely handle us,” I say. “I think the world would enjoy it all.” I grin at her. “If you aren’t ready to do the Victor and Nikki show, how about something simpler like finally agreeing to a real date with me? No competition, no rivalries, just a fantastic date with food, talking, laughing... and dessert.” I wink at the end and her cheeks flush.
“It would be the Nikki and Victor show,” she says, making me laugh hard. I notice my dad looking up from Nikki’s engine and grin at him. He could’ve had it done fifteen minutes ago, but he’s my hero right now.
“That sounds even better,” I tell her.
She shakes her head. “Us dating isn’t a good idea, Victor.”
“Why not? We like each other, Nik. We might have our rivalries, but we burn hot together.”
She hesitates, her eyes flicking away for a moment as if she’s arguing more with herself than with me. I wait. “Because we’re enemies,” she finally says. There’s no heat in her words, more like hesitation, as if she needs to believe this.
I step a little closer, lowering my voice. “We’ve never been enemies, Nik. We’ve been competitive, but I believe it’s because we burn so hot together we don’t know how to handle it.”
She laughs. “You’ve always been smooth with words, Victor. I’m not so easy to win over, though.”
I lean in a little closer. “I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
For a moment it looks like she might say something else, something I really want to hear, but then Dad calls over. “All done. It was a loose belt, nothing major. You’ll be fine now.”
Nikki moves away from me and I give my dad a look. He simply shrugs as if to tell me he can’t possibly draw out changing a belt any longer. I sigh. He’s right. She’d figure that out. It isn’t like she’s a stupid person.
“Wonderful. How much do I owe you?”
Dad waves his hand in the air. “No charge for you. It took no time and I didn’t have to replace anything. You get back to focusing on kicking my son’s butt.”
Nikki laughs. “I can do that,” she says. She gives my dad another hug. “I really appreciate you getting me in and fixing this so fast. I’ll bring you some dinner and show you what a real meal tastes like.” She looks at me and winks.
I laugh. Damn, I think I’m falling in love with her. I seriously love how much she likes my dad. I can’t actually think of anything I don’t love about this woman. It might have always been this way and it’s simply taken me this long to figure it out.
“Bye, Victor. Good luck tomorrow,” she says. She’s smiling with confidence, and I wonder what she has up her sleeve. She jumps in her car and carefully pulls out of the garage. I sadly watch her drive away.
“You could’ve drawn it out a little more,” I grumble. “I was making progress.”
“I dragged out tightening a couple of bolts far longer than I could get away with,” Dad says with a laugh. “You’re doing just fine, son. It won’t be long til I’m holding that grandchild.”
I laugh hard at this. “You have a one-track mind.”
“I’m old and focused. I’ve lived a great life. Now I want grandbabies. You can’t blame me.”
“I’m starting to like the idea of seeing you holding those grandbabies,” I admit.
“That’s what I love to hear,” he tells me, looking prouder than I’ve ever seen him look.
We both move back to the truck and I’m smiling as I stand at my dad’s side. Things are looking up. They’re really looking up. It won’t be long now until I have it all.