Page 26 of Can't Kiss the Chef

“I’m not going to make this easy for you. If you want my friendship, you’re going to have to work for it.”

A low laugh rips through my body. “I’m sorry. I just shouldn’t have expected anything less from you.”

Before Lola has the chance to respond, the waitress drops off our drinks.

“Thank you,” we say in unison.

When I turn back to continue the conversation that we were having, Lola has already pulled her notebook out with ideas she has for our menu scribbled in the margins.

“So I was thinking we could start with some kind of soup.”

I let her go on, hoping that she knows I am serious about the fact that I am willing to do anything to have her back in my life. I’ve always wanted more with her but was nervous to tell her how I felt because Indy warned me that she never gets serious with anyone. It is more important to me to have her in my life, even if it isn’t exactly in the role I want it to be.

“I think I have the perfect test for you to earn my friendship back,” she tells me as I’m writing down a recipe that just popped into my head.

I pause for a second, waiting for her to elaborate.

“Can you tell me what it is? “

“Nah, I’m going to keep it a surprise.”

For the first time since we stopped speaking this summer, I’m feeling hopeful that Lola and I can get back to where we were when it was just the two of us that knew about our relationship.

I’m checking the whiteboard to see who my training group is when I feel a hand slap on my shoulder.

“Looks like we’re partners tonight,” Oliver is standing at my side decked out in Westvale Hockey gear.

“Let me get my water, and we can go out and stretch before the rest of the team gets here.”

We start on the treadmill both turning the settings until we are paced at a light jog.

“I was just with your sister,” I tell Oliver. Looking out the window at the mountains that line the back of campus.

“Really?”

“We were working on that restaurant project I told you about the other night.”

Oliver nods like he remembers, but it’s a little fuzzy.

“I kind of remember that.” He pauses like he is trying hard to remember. “I was pretty drunk by the time I got to your house.”

“Well, what you told me about your sister and her trust really had me thinking about how I wish I worked harder to show her how much I cared for her.”

At that, his lips tug into a smile.

“She told me she is going to think of what I can do to earn her friendship back.”

“You know she is going to make your life miserable, right?”

“Yeah, I’m a little nervous about what her devious mind is going to think up,” I say between laughs and trying to catch my breath. I stop my treadmill. Oliver does the same.

I’m sliding the last of my weight plates onto the squat rack when my phone vibrates in my pocket.

It’s a text from Lola. It’s not until I click the notification that I realize it’s a shared note.

THINGS BYRON CAN DO TO EARN LOLA’S FRIENDSHIP BACK

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