Chapter 13
CHAPTER
THIRTEEN
My email was in shambles. With just one week until my soft opening, also known as friends and family night, all the RSVPs had come through at once.
After reviewing the guest list, I forwarded the final count to my floor manager and sous chef so they could coordinate seating and solidify our serving menu.
The closer we got to my opening, the more anxious I became.
Next Monday, I’d bare my heart to industry insiders, peers, and neighbors.
Making my family proud was a priority, so everything needed to be in order.
After clearing my inbox, I walked to the tasting room where Carmen met with our serving staff.
This afternoon, Raven and Adrienne were stopping by during a mock shift.
My kitchen was prepared to make one of each dish.
Whatever was left over, we’d distribute amongst each other or donate to our local shelter.
“Get familiar with the menu, find your favorites and recommend them. Build rapport with guests. We want to provide an unforgettable experience every night.”
I nodded then continued to the kitchen. The comforting scent of my abuelita's spice mix filled my nose. Instantly I was taken back to my childhood where she’d have Ismael Rivera playing on an old radio. A smile covered my lips while observing my prep cooks chop and store onions, peppers, and herbs.
Opal, my sous chef and friend, stood near the fridge analyzing the kitchen’s flow.
With furrowed eyebrows, she observed everyone’s movements, pace, and precision.
I recognized that expression as I’d seen it many times over the years.
She trained me as a prep cook when I was sixteen.
As a recent culinary school graduate, she had fresh eyes and was a great mentor.
After ten years, she left to compete on shows and shadow other world-renowned chefs.
Her return to The States was kismet, happening just as I finalized my business plan for Brie my belly roiled in response. I couldn’t wait to delve into Buttercup Biscuits Co’s buttery goodness.
“They dropped their summer jam menu,” Raven said with bright eyes.
I loved how most restaurants in Roseville were farm to table. Their groundwork with the farmers in our region made the process seamless for me, minus one farm. As Raven and I walked to my office, I texted Nadir. Our meeting with the owners of The Fruit Stand needed to be rescheduled.
ROBYN:
Can we go to The Fruit Stand tomorrow or later this week?
NADIR:
Let me hit up Jan. I’m sure a simple email will suffice.
ROBYN:
I appreciate you.
I smiled while sliding my phone into my pocket.
“So who was at your house last night?” Raven asked, bursting my bubble of bliss.
She moved around my office like it was her own. Going into my desk drawer, she grabbed us two steel straws. The biscuit and yap session required real straws and not the paper ones the restaurant provided.
“Can I at least taste the blackberry jam first?”
Raven rolled her eyes then unbagged our biscuits and jam. While spreading the jam across my biscuit, I considered telling her everything. I was never good at lying to my sister, plus she’d keep asking until I gave in. Might as well save us the drama.
“Nadir came over last night,” I said lowly.
Raven’s eyebrow rose and a smirk covered her lips. “About damn time! I want to know everything. Was it him surprising you in Portland that sealed the deal?”
She leaned forward, anticipating every detail of my tryst with Nadir.
I pinched off a piece of my biscuit, guilt creeping in at keeping this from her for so long. While chewing, I shook my head. “Not exactly.”
After telling her everything that happened over the last month and a half, Raven sat speechless.
“I knew it was only a matter of time.”
My thoughts swirled like the latte in my hand. “Yeah, and last night we bickered about him texting an ex and me accepting flowers from Joseph.”
“It’s deeper than I thought,” she gushed. “Have you been jealous this whole time or is this a new feeling?”
“It’s new. I wasn’t fond of the women he dated, but not out of jealousy. More so protection.”
“I see. So what is the status with Joseph?”
“Still hanging around, still lacking aggression and intention. Just last night, he called about potentially seeing me next week.”
Raven twisted her lips. “The major difference between him and Nadir is that he’s waiting for you to make room for him. Whereas Nadir shows up. When he told me he was going to Portland because he understands how meaningful his support is to you, I swooned.”
“Him coming to support me was really sweet. I never thought about how embedded we are in each other’s lives.”
“There’s definitely perks to being with your best friend.”
“I mean, yeah, but what about the obvious downside?”
“The possibility of breaking up happens with every relationship, but I get not wanting to lose your friend in the process. You must decide if your fear of ruining your friendship outweighs the love you have for him.”
Raven munched on her biscuit and raspberry jam while I ruminated. Everything she said was valid, except me deciding where things would go between us. Neither Nadir nor I had any control of this situation. My heart was on autopilot and there was no use in applying logic.
“I’ll tell you one thing; there’s no competition against someone who runs the game. Nadir has Joseph, or any other man, beaten by a landslide.”
“Why does it have to be a game?”
She shrugged. “Just is. I can tell you’ve been overthinking the situation, stop.”
“But–”
“No, listen. Just because something doesn’t align with what you have planned doesn't mean it’s not worth exploring. I like Nadir for you. I think you deserve ease, support, and intention. He does all three without breaking a sweat.”
All of this talk about him reminded me that we were texting.
NADIR:
I got you, G, always.
Sent an email. You can take it from there.
“Have you talked to Mom?” Raven’s subject change gave me pause.
“It’s been a few days. Why?”
Raven hummed. “Well, she wants me to soften you up before she calls...”
“What does she want?”
The doleful expression on her face made my belly roll. “To film your friends and family night.”
My eyes widened. “What?”
I dropped my biscuit on the napkin in front of me and stood.
Before Raven said anything else, I was dialing my mom’s number.
My parents knew how desperately I wanted to separate myself from their celebrity status.
The more I exposed myself to the world, the more vulnerable I became to outside opinions.
“Hi, baby. I planned to call you today.”
“I talked to Ray.”
“Good. Me and your dad are here with our producers, discussing potentially filming your soft opening.”
There was a pause. I looked at Raven who held a tight smile.
“I thought we agreed that me and Ray wouldn’t be a part of the show.”
My mom sighed. “Yes, but our show is missing the familial element we pitched to the network.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Mom, I don’t know if I'm comfortable filming my friends and family night. I have to consider my staff. Our soft opening is already stressful enough with the added pressure of being on TV.”
Silence stretched between us. Raven shook her head while mouthing, “this is bullshit” to me. I nodded, growing frustrated with my parents for commandeering my moment for views.
“Escúchame, princesa. He respetado tus deseos, pero abrir tu restaurante es algo más grande que tú.”
Raven and I locked eyes at the sound of our dad’s raspy baritone. Whenever he pulled the united family card, it was a done deal. There wasn’t room for negotiation or pushback. Calling me was a formality; they needed my consent before showing up.
“But, Daddy. How am I supposed to prepare everyone for lights, cameras, and a production team in under a week?” I couldn't help myself; I pressed my luck anyway.
“Entiendo tu frustración. Sin embargo, quiero que el mundo vea lo orgullosos que estamos de ti.”
My mom interjected. “We will mainly focus on you and your siblings. This is the only chance for us to shoot a family scene. Starling has already agreed.”
Raven kissed her teeth and mumbled, “Of course he has.”
“Raven, is that you?” my mom asked, earning another eye roll from Raven.
“Hi, Mom and Dad.”
“Hi, baby. Robyn, we will talk more about the shoot as the day nears.”
“Okay, I have to break the news to Opal and Carmen,” I said.
My head was spinning. How would my staff respond to being on camera?
Would there be added pressure to be perfect?
I certainly didn’t want them to be uncomfortable.
I palmed my forehead while my parents shared the details of their upcoming trip to Roseville.
When the call ended, I texted Nadir to share the disappointing news.
ROBYN:
My parents are filming my friends and family night.
NADIR:
How did this come about?
I sent a paragraph explaining the situation. Raven was on the phone with Sadé voicing her frustration with Starling for not warning us. This was just another instance of him taking our parents' side.
“Opal and Carmen are going to lose it,” I groused.
“Carmen, for sure. Opal is used to Mom and Dad’s shenanigans. Matter of fact, I’ll break the news to her. It’ll give me a chance to see if my charm still works on her.”
“Raven,” I chided with a scowl.
She rolled her eyes. “What’s a little harmless flirting with an old friend? You know all about that, don’t you?”
My jaw dropped. Raven snickered while leaving my office. Speaking of flirting with friends... I checked my phone to see if Nadir replied.
NADIR:
It could be great exposure for B the argument turned into something bigger than my soft opening. I should’ve texted Starling outside of the sibling chat. After muting our chat, I called Nadir.
“Wassup, Goldie.”
I sighed in contentment. “Hi, my darling.”
“What are you up to?”
I jumped right into the reasons I was on the couch staring at the ceiling. As always, he listened attentively and affirmed my feelings.
“Focus on what you can control,” he said, then yawned.
“What do I control?”
“How much of the night can they film? Give them a window. They get thirty minutes or an hour, but nothing more than you’re comfortable with. Make sure your parents are seated somewhere that won't cause a distraction to those who won’t want to be filmed.”
“We talked about seating arrangements today. I didn’t even think about giving them a designated time to film. That’s a good idea.”
I switched the call to speakerphone and began texting my parents.
“You would’ve come up with the same idea after you calmed down,” he assured me.
“My mind has been going nonstop.”
He chuckled. “I’m already knowing. What else is on your mind?”
I sank deeper into my couch as if it were his arms. “Relinquishing control.”
Nadir’s deep hum gave me goosebumps. “I agree that you should.”
“I want to, it’s just that I wasted so much time letting things happen to me. Brie & Bordeaux should be celebrating one year in business. I can’t help but think about what I wanted this year to look like.”
“Last year wasn't the best for you, but that doesn’t mean you let things happen to you. I don’t like when you get caught up in what went wrong.
Goldie, you’ve accomplished so much in a short span of time.
You are about to open your first restaurant.
You are the executive chef and master sommelier.
Your resume is nothing to sneeze at. This is a moment to be proud, not regretful. ”
Tears filled my eyes as I nodded. “You’re right.”
My voice cracked and I held my breath. After a moment, I exhaled slowly, hoping to regain my composure. I wasn’t sure where this bout of doubt came from. Thinking about my opening, my parents' filming said opening, and how much Nadir and I had evolved had me in an emotional whirlwind.
“You gotta stop being so hard on yourself.”
“I know.”
There was a beat of silence, then he said, “Hey, remember the plans I had? I’m supposed to be engaged and living in Harmony on Main.
I don’t know why things panned out how they did.
And it hurts like a mothafucka, but I'm good now. Better even. Sometimes it’s best to let things play out how they’re supposed to. ”
I nodded, deciding I needed to take a page from his book.
If Nadir was the one for me, our relationship would continue progressing, whether I wanted it to or not.
Fighting against the force between us was useless if we’d end up together anyway.
And something told me no matter how hard I fought, my heart would choose Nadir every time.