Page 58 of Executive Benefits

“What can I do?” I asked, more so to add something to the silence than to prompt her to say something. I figured as long as she was still on, I had a shot.

“What do you want to do?” Mia asked.

“I don’t know,” I answered honestly and was surprised to think she might actually help. “Is the guy she’s seeing coming?” I hated to ask it, but had to. I needed to know how deep to dive in to help. If she’d already called that guy to come over, then she didn’t need my forgiveness on a romantic level, not that I wouldn’t forgive her, but… it just wouldn’t be something I would need to pursue.

“What are you talking about?” Mia groaned. “Why don’t you fucking communicate with Julia?” She muttered other things under her breath, and I think one of them was that she didn’t know why she was wasting her time on an old man who had too many commitment problems.

“New Year's Eve, there was a guy on her back porch,” I stated.

“Ew. Jared? Double ew. You shouldn’t have been creeping on her either,” she said, and I was starting to feel like a bigger pain in the ass than I originally thought I was.

“Alright, fine. If it was Jared and I am creepy, then I’ll go. It’s obvious you’re only keeping me on the phone to fuck with?—”

“See, and there you go. Running away from uncomfortable things. You don’t deserve her,” Mia stated.

I huffed. “You’re right. I don’t. I’ve been in the trenches fighting for my sanity for years, and I have no clue what I’m doing. But I want to try. She’s caring, intelligent, and creative. I want to get to know her on a better level and see if she’ll have me, chinksand all.” It sounded stupid when I was saying it, and it felt even more uncomfortable admitting it to myself, and I waited for Mia to burst out laughing and I wondered why I was even still on the phone with her, and—Oh.

I caught myself, ready to give up again.

“It’s fine. You can think what you want about me. I just want to make her happy.” That was it. Honest. True. And I surprised myself. I didn’t think I was capable of surprising myself anymore.

Guilt began to eat away at my resolve, and I couldn’t fall down that road of self-sabotage. “I’m going to open the restaurant on Valentine’s Day. Can you make sure she comes?”

“I haven’t seen you this nervous since you tried to ask out Tracy Stall to prom our junior year,” David says, leaning against the bar.

“Shut up,” I said to him, rolling the sleeves of my chef’s coat up.

Gray’s was officially open for business in a few minutes. Mia also told me that she’d be bringing Julia. Although Julia fought Mia on it, she finally relented when Mia brought up the contract and a possible lawsuit if she didn’t fulfill her end of the bargain.

I was grateful to Mia for orchestrating it even if Julia didn’t take me back or… well… still didn’t want to start dating me for real. I could at least thank her for the hard work she did at the restaurant and try to apologize for believing the worst in her when she’d done nothing to make me believe it.

“What are you afraid of more? Having your restaurant fail or having the woman you love reject you on your big night?”

“Fuck, David. I don’t know why I’m friends with you at all.” I knocked his hand away from my shoulder, spun, and went back into the kitchen where the kitchen was buzzing and alive in a way it had never been before.

The crew was lighter, happier, and they looked as though they were enjoying being here. I couldn’t believe so much changed in such a short amount of time and that there was so much left that was going to happen.

I also couldn't believe I almost blew it up because of my fear and my self-sabotaging tendencies I refused to admit I had until a few weeks ago. “Is everyone ready?” I called.

“Yes, Chef!” the team called back.

I wasn’t too proud to admit that the pride that filled me up from their looks of respect had me choking up a little and happy tears pricked at the corner of my eye. I wiped them away with my fingers and turned to go back out into the dining room. The guests were about ready to arrive. I wasn’t going to stay on the floor long, but I was going to be there to see the first people walk in.

Even before I stepped out on the floor, people were flooding the dining room. I had to take a step back as the sight of so many familiar faces tried to knock me over. “See. I told you they would all come.” David slapped me on the back and I snapped my eyes shut.

“We’re done being friends,” I said. David perked his brow and nodded over my shoulder. I turned to see him looking at Mia.

“I’ve got some people to entertain.” He fixed his tie, and I couldn’t help the smile that wiped over my face. Mia was going to eat him alive. Instead of heading into the kitchen like I originally planned, I walked over to see the mayor and his family sitting down. “It’s wonderful to see you guys!” I said, crouching down to the kids' level. “What do you want me to make for you?” The twins shrugged and looked at their mom.

“Everything looks amazing,” she said, looking at me. “I think we’ll need a minute to look at the new menu. It looks like there’s a lot of yummy stuff on here!”

I patted her hand, and she grabbed mine. “Great job! This suits you.”

“Thank you. I don’t think I could have a better compliment,” I said. I meant it too. I stood and went to go over to the next table when I caught a glimpse of Julia walking in. Her back was to me, and there was a man on her arm.

Knife to the chest, but maybe that was her way to get back at me. Or back at Mia since Mia basically forced her to come. I did stop and say hello to a few more diners along the line I was walking in, but when she turned and her eyes met mine, I almost had hope that the spark I saw in her mahogany glare was for me.

In a blink, she turned to the guy she was with and I was almost to them. When I got up to the hostess station, Julia was alone, and I stepped up to the stand.

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