Chapter 10
JOEY
I’m still thinking about the lazy blowjobs Lee and I exchanged this morning when I pull up to the farm.
Lee is really good at blowjobs. Honest to god, sometimes I worry he’s going to suck my brain out of my dick.
But also, the way his eyes glow, his chest panting with effort as he holds back his own completion, maybe that’s even better than the actual blowjob.
I arrive at the farm a little later than everyone since I take Savi to school, but I can see Lee’s beat-up truck already parked at the office.
Benji’s standing by the sunflower fields, a backwards cap on his head, hands on his hips as he waits for me to arrive.
Everyone’s always waiting on me it seems.
Once I’ve got my trusty red bandana in my hair, I hop out of the truck and head toward Benji. I whistle loudly, and he spins toward me, that kind smile blooming across his face.
“Ready to work?” I call out.
Benji shoots me finger guns; he’s cute, but kinda awkward too. “Always. I actually made the baked jalapeno macaroni and cheese for Nolan last night.”
“And?” The rockstar better have loved it, or I’ll probably cry myself to sleep.
Benji’s eyes crinkle as he aims me an ecstatic smile. “He ate two servings! It’s the highlight of my day when I can get him to eat so much he falls asleep.”
“Tell me more about him so we can figure out more meals. Practice at home will make you a better chef, and your loved ones are your best critics.” I push the food truck doors open, climb in, and aim a smile at Benji over my shoulder. “Trust me.”
“Is that how you are with Savannah?” Benji asks as he climbs into the truck after me.
“That’s how I am with Savannah and Lee, yeah.”
Benji aims a curious look at me. “And Lee?”
“I’ve always liked cooking for him because he didn’t grow up with a lot of homemade meals filled with love, unless it was Beau’s mama doing the cooking.”
“What are Lee’s favorite foods?”
I bite back a smile, thinking about Lee favoring sweet more than savory. “He loves cinnamon raisin French toast or the blueberry cheesecake bites I make during blueberry season.”
“Ah, see, Nolan definitely prefers savory.”
I press my elbow against Benji’s as we start to prepare for the day.
“Everyone’s different. But I’m sure we can find a few more recipes that’ll fill that rockstar up.
How’s he with tomatoes? I picked some green tomatoes yesterday and thought we could fry them up.
Learning to fry is a particular skill you’ll need in the South. ”
“He likes pasta with red sauce.”
“Excellent. Let’s get to work.”
I instruct Benji to give the tomatoes a good wash and watch over him. Then I guide him through cutting them just the right width; the key to great fried green tomatoes is to slice them just right, otherwise they’re too mushy, and no one is happy.
“Into the egg wash, then into the flour mix, then we fry them once the oil is hot enough.”
“The oil scares me,” Benji admits, warily looking at the finally hot enough oil baskets.
“Scarier on the stove at your own home, trust me. Practice will make that less scary too. Now, pop them in. They should float.”
And they do. Benji watches them, then we take them out just as they start to brown.
We do three batches before I call it a day and work on the spicy Cajun sauce to accompany it.
I let Benji have the first bite and first dip in the sauce, watching as he chews over the tomato like he expects to hate it. Thoughtful and decisive.
“I think Nolan will love it.”
I raise one eyebrow. “And you?”
Benji’s grin grows. “I love it too.”
“That matters too. Now let’s work on some other things for the rest of the day.”
A few hours later, a knock on the side of the food truck has me and Benji freezing as we finish our daily lessons.
Benji shrugs and opens the back door to reveal Beau with his arms crossed.
Benji just grins at Beau, all sunshine, no malice.
I’ve really started to like the kid the past few months working with him.
I like the way he babbles about things but hardly ever shares anything about his life at the same time. That takes serious skill.
“Hi!” Benji says cheerily.
“Y’all wanna come see the restaurant site? Walls are up.”
“Walls are up!” I shout with mock glee, even though I’m actually excited.
Beau doesn’t respond; he just turns around and heads in the direction of the future restaurant.
Benji looks over at me for direction, so I nod toward the door.
I finish wiping down the counters as Benji jumps out of the truck.
He’s started wearing a bandana around his head to protect his hair like I do, and I have a sneaking suspicion his rockstar boyfriend has taken a particular shine to it.
Unlike me, who takes the bandana off immediately, Benji always wanders off toward his new Jeep Gladiator truck with it still tied over his head.
Benji stands with his hands on his head, head tilted. “Coming?”
I shake myself loose of runaway thoughts before jumping out of the truck.
After closing the doors, I walk with Benji toward the future restaurant.
The sun is still pretty high in the sky despite it being the end of the day, which is the best part of summer.
The extra sunshine hours make everyone a little happier and amenable.
Benji bumps his shoulder into mine. “Kinda cool that in a few months we’ll be cooking lunch and dinner for guests in a restaurant.”
“Who said you’ll be cooking? Maybe you’ll be hostess.”
“I think I’d be a good hostess. I’m very friendly,” Benji says in total agreement.
“Nah, you’ll be in the kitchen at night and going to culinary school during the day.”
Benji freezes, his mouth gaping wide. “What?”
I wink at him. “My friend at the university called me. Thought I might like to give you the news before the official letter goes out.”
Benji still stands frozen in disbelief. “Really?” Benji asks, eyes shining. He whistles out a breath, smile awed. “I can’t wait to tell Nolan. Oh my god.”
I press my knuckles into his shoulder, giving him a little shove. “You’re doing great, kid. Now let’s go get the nickel tour from Beau.”
Benji still looks shocked when we finally make our way to the construction site.
The trucks are gone for the day. The scent of fresh plywood floats on the warm summer breeze, and I oddly wish Lee was here with us for this moment.
And just as I think that, a Clay Road Farms work truck pulls up fifty feet away.
Lee jumps out, looking all sorts of delicious in his work T-shirt, faded blue jeans, and boots.
He pinches the edge of his baseball cap as he approaches, effectively tipping his hat to Benji and me.
I must get some sort of look on my face because Benji sighs before muttering a quiet, “Knew it.” I stomp on his foot and he squeaks in surprise.
“Well, let’s all do a quick tour. Just for us.” Beau sweeps his hand toward what’s going to be the front doors in the future. “You first, Chef.”
I reach out and tangle my fingers with Lee’s, needing the comfort of his touch to handle the otherworldly vastness of the moment.
The scent of the plywood gets stronger as we step into my future restaurant.
The front room is large and all one room.
In the back is the kitchen, two offices, and stairs that lead to the rooftop lounge that’ll be a bar for people to enjoy the sunsets at the farm.
It’s just how I imagined. Everything in my life is effortlessly falling into place even better than I ever could’ve imagined.
Lee squeezes my hand tighter, and when I glance over at him, he’s smiling like I’ve never seen before. It looks a lot like pride.
“So?” Beau asks from behind us.
When I turn around it’s to find him and Benji standing beside each other. Benji’s eyes are full of awe as he glances around, again reminding me of our age gap despite all the years he’s lived.
“It’s perfect. Is there an ETA yet?”
“Well, it’s a large construction firm and we’re paying them butt loads of money, so probably by August, as we thought. It helps that Hector’s cousin own’s the company.” Beau smiles, his lips parting his bushy beard. “Buys us a bit of favor.”
“I want to be open before the fall season. It’s important so we can capitalize.”
“I know, Joey,” Beau says with another happy smile. He claps Benji on the back, moving him a little with the force of it. “Let’s get out of here before we step on a rusty nail. Nolan would skin me alive.”
“Both of us, actually,” Benji murmurs, but he’s grinning.
Beau side-eyes him. “Would you learn from that though?”
Benji laughs. “Definitely not.”
The two of them disappear out the future front door to leave me and Lee alone.
Wordlessly, I tug Lee closer and kiss him.
He tastes like cherry ChapStick and oranges because he probably grabbed one off a tree while in the fields.
When I pull away, I stay close just to feel Lee’s breath fan across my lips.
Lee’s eyes slowly open, and I’m so far gone it’s not even funny.
I think I’d spin the world the other way if Lee asked me.
But he’d never even think of asking, which is why I’m so willing to give him whatever he needs, wants, or considers.
“You taste like oranges,” I say, the moment too big for anything else.
Lee grins, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “I grabbed one off a tree. The Valencias are about to be out of season, and we’ve picked most of them. But you know how Beau leaves Field A for the workers.”
“I do know.” I lift Lee’s hand to my mouth to kiss his knuckles, then tug him out of the restaurant. The sun is lower in the sky but still bright and warm. The heat bugs sing loudly, and I walk Lee over to his truck. “I wanna take you on a date this weekend. Let me?”
Lee opens his door, leaning against it. He looks so hot that it takes everything in me to not press him into the cab of the truck and kiss him silly.
“No mini golf.”
I snort a laugh. “Sore loser.”