Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
ANDY
My heart was loud in my chest as I waited for Levi’s decision. He looked through the packet again, pausing to take a longer read on the page where I detailed out the holiday event we could host at the B&B.
I knew it was a lot to ask for, and I was being presumptuous to make the B&B even busier than it already was during a time he might want to be spending with family, but I’d been one of those people who had nowhere to go on the holidays besides a cheap fast-food joint that didn’t give a flying fuck about me.
It was the shittiest feeling in the world to see everyone happily enjoying time with their families while feeling like wasted space.
So I was passionate about bringing this project to life at the B&B. Even if it was just this one holiday season, I could at least give them a sense of belonging for a little while.
Plus, it would look good on my resume to put that not only did I spearhead the expansion of a restaurant, but I’d hosted events for the community as well.
If I was being honest, I hadn’t given my resume much thought recently. Gaining experience to show the fancy places in New York was the reason I was so determined to make the restaurant expansion work, but the more research I put into the idea, the less I thought about New York.
I was having fun setting things up, chatting with the locals, and hearing what life around here was like, and knowing that I could make a difference for the people here.
There weren’t many eatery options in town, so opening the B&B restaurant to everyone would be mutually beneficial to the town and the B&B’s pockets. I knew this idea would work, but as I watched Levi review the material, doubts still formed.
You’ll never make anything of yourself .
Those voices that sounded like a mixture of my parents and my inner dialogue were loud in my ears. The doubts had always chased after me, but they were especially annoying in moments like these, tearing down my confidence despite having a solid plan.
Levi finally looked up at me and smiled.
“Okay,” he said. “Let’s do this.”
“Really? And you’re saying that because you think this will actually work and be beneficial to the B&B and not because we’re…”
My words fell off, not knowing how to finish that sentence.
Sleeping together?
It was accurate, but it felt too cheap to describe our relationship that way because Levi and I were more than that. We cared about each other and sought each other out whenever there was a free moment, hell we even slept in each other’s arms every night.
I might have been the one who told him I didn’t have time to be distracted by a relationship, but I’d failed at keeping my distance from him.
Levi and I were already in a full-blown relationship. We just hadn’t put a label on it, and I was starting to hate my past self for agreeing to keep this casual.
Past Andy should have known that once things started with Levi, I’d be captured under his spell. That was how it’d always been since the first night I’d met him and took him back to the B&B with me. Then again, I couldn’t resist agreeing to help him with his dating life, and we all knew how that went.
Now, I didn’t want Levi dating anyone except me, but thinking that and saying it out loud were two different things. Besides, the fact I was returning to New York come March still hadn’t changed.
Although, these days, I didn’t think about the big city as much anymore. I still wanted to make something of myself, to prove my worth , but a small part of me wondered why I couldn’t do that here…
I glanced at Levi, who was staring at the packet of papers I’d put together and nibbling on his bottom lip. He hadn’t said anything about my comment either. I wanted to know his thoughts. Would he even want me to stay? Because if he asked…I think I might agree.
Levi looked up again, determination in his eyes.
“I’m agreeing to this solely based on the facts and data you’ve provided. I think this idea will let our B&B expand. Plus, I really like the holiday events you want to implement. It’s a great way to show the residents of Wintertown that we’re taking being part of the community seriously. So, what’s our next step? Putting up fliers for more staff? And do you have the list of what we’d need to purchase since we’re hoping to increase our customer base? I know we don’t nearly have enough plates and cutlery for that. I’ll place the order tonight. I want to be able to open our doors to the rest of the town as soon as possible.”
He flipped through the packet to the page where I’d made a layout of the dining room to fit a few more tables. I watched, dazzled by him. He’d always worked hard for the B&B, but it always amazed me at how he lit up when it came to the business. He loved the place, and it showed in every one of his actions.
When I didn’t reply, he glanced up and asked, “What?”
“Can we put aside the professionalism for just a second so I can kiss you?” I asked, and then he lit up for another reason. Those dimples reappeared, teasing me as he leaned over the table, and gave my heart exactly what it needed. The kiss was as sweet as the person in front of me.
Over the next few days, Levi and I worked closely together to get everything ready to open the restaurant up to the town.
The teenagers I’d chatted with while I was conducting research on my days off at the B&B were excited to get started as soon as possible. They could only work the dinner service because of school, but I expected dinner to be our busiest time anyway.
I thought it would take much longer to prepare everything, but by the second week of November, all preparations had been completed.
Levi’s dads had spread the word in the town that the B&B would open its restaurant to everyone, and I’d overheard them complimenting me on my cooking to the residents more than once too.
The compliments made me self-conscious knowing they were coming from Levi’s dads. I wanted them to like me, and it wasn’t just because I was their employee.
Levi and I hadn’t been any less intimate these past few weeks despite being even busier than usual with the preparations.
Because we’d been so busy, I hadn’t had time to sit down with him to have a conversation about our relationship or how I wanted a clearly defined relationship with him and not this limbo of dating but not talking about it . But there was just never the right time.
Then, the first day of the restaurant’s official opening to the town came, and we got even busier.
It felt like half the town had come to show their support. All the tables were full for lunch, and we were so busy that Peter was helping me cook, Henry had been put in charge of washing the dishes, and Levi was serving along with Julie.
All of us were running around like a chicken with its head chopped off until the dinner rush was over.
“I say today was a success,” Henry said with a huge grin, then returned to the kitchen and snapped a picture of me. As soon as he was free, he’d gotten his camera and started taking pictures of the happy customers and everyone working.
It was ‘ for the memories ,’ as he’d put it. I was caught off guard by the picture and made a face between a grimace and a smile when the flash went off.
Henry took a look at his camera screen and laughed. Peter leaned over Henry’s shoulder to take a peek and smiled when he saw what was on the screen.
Henry flipped the screen over to reveal a photo of me with my bangs slick with sweat, and my face with a constipated expression.
I did look very funny, so I couldn’t help but chuckle along with them.
“What are you guys up to in here?” Levi asked, carrying a tray of dirty plates and dropping them off into the sink.
“Just immortalizing Andy’s big day,” Henry joked.
Levi came to my side and rested a hand on my arm. “It’s a day to remember. You did great today, babe.”
We both froze almost in unison. I was shocked by the term of endearment, considering this was the first time Levi had called me that. I very much liked how it sounded. I just wished this wasn’t happening in front of Levi’s dads.
Levi’s hand snapped away from me as he hid it behind his back. His eyes flicked to his dads.
They were watching us now. Henry’s eyes were wide with either shock or horror, though I hoped it was the former.
Meanwhile, Peter was much calmer. His gaze flicked between Levi and me, as if trying to read us.
He narrowed his eyes, and I feared he was about to cuss me out or kick me to the curb, but he didn’t do either of those things.
“I knew it!” Peter exclaimed, looking a bit smug. “How long has this been going on?”
“What are you talking about, honey?” Henry’s eyes flicked between his husband and us. Nobody spoke, so it was just a four-person stare-off, which Henry broke with a slightly panicked look. “What’s going on?”
“Hush, honey,” Peter told his partner, then came to take Levi’s hands. “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell us now if you’re not ready. All that matters is that you’re happy, and you have been very happy lately. Now I finally know why.”
Peter glanced at me, but there was no malice or anger. He was assessing me like he was really seeing me for the first time, and there seemed to be…approval in his eyes?
Levi hugged him.
“Thanks, Pops. I love you,” he murmured with an armful of his pops.
Even though the words weren’t directed at me, hearing them come out of Levi’s mouth had my heart tingling.
Henry watched his husband and son, fretting a bit, then wrapped them both in his arms. They laughed as Henry started pressing kisses onto both of their heads. It was so obvious they loved each other the way a family should, and though there might have been a hint of jealousy at the scene, I was mostly happy Levi had this support system.
“All right, let’s leave them alone for a bit. Come on, honey. There’s lots of cleanup to do out there,” Peter said, breaking the hug, then dragging his husband, who was muttering about being left out again, out of the room.
Levi and I stood a couple of inches apart. We looked at each other and then started laughing.
“Well, I guess that means we have your pops’ approval,” I said when the laughter died down.
Levi looked at me with soulful eyes when he heard my statement. He bit his plump bottom lip, and the action had me closing the distance between us, wanting a taste too.
I reached out and released his lip from the abuse. It was slightly red from his teeth, and I really had to hold myself back from kissing him.
Levi met my gaze, searching for something, then asked softly, “Is there anything between us that warrants approval?”
There was no doubt in my mind what I wanted, so I didn’t even hesitate when I replied, “I want there to be.”
The smile Levi gave in reply, full of dimples and teeth, captured me like a sunflower drawn to the radiance of the sun.
I wanted him, and most importantly, he wanted me too.