Page 67 of Promise Me Ever After
Before she could say anything else, I leaned down and kissed her full on the lips, hard. My free hand snaked around the back of her neck, pulling her towards me. The kiss was designed to make her forget my lateness and when she pulled back, little gasps escaping from her, I considered my job done.
“Can I also say how gorgeous you look this evening?” Georgie was dressed in the same tea dress she’d worn when I cooked for her, her tits looking amazing in it. I’d have to rein it in, this was a family dinner after all.
“You can,” she smiled, taking the wine from me. “Come in and meet the folks.”
I straightened my shirt and pulled back my shoulders, following her into the living room. This was a big moment for me, and I wasn’t sure how it would go. Meeting the family was quite a step.
“Hey, Alex.” Darcy greeted me with a hug and a kiss. “How are you?”
“Good, thanks, Darcy.” At least I knew I had one person on my side. After the whole present buying experience, I’d gotten to know her a little.
“Alex.” Fraser held out a hand. “Not seen you since the stag. Sorry you had to leave early.”
I wasn’t, but I didn’t want to tell him that. “You too. Hope you had a good rest of the weekend.”
“This is my mum, Veronica, and my dad, Howard.” Georgie pointed to each of them in turn, although it was obvious who they were.
Veronica was an older version of Georgie and Darcy, elegant and refined as I would have expected. Howard looked like he’d played rugby his entire life and it wouldn’t surprise me if he and Fraser had bonded over that.
“Lovely to meet you both.” A firm handshake came from Howard and I kissed Veronica on both cheeks.
From the kitchen, I heard a timer go off.
“That’ll be the starters ready,” said Darcy. “If you want to go on into the dining room.”
“Can I help you with anything?” I asked, gaining an approving wink from Georgie.
“Nope, all good. I’ll let the chef have the night off,” she giggled.
“Ah, so you’re a cook.” Howard placed a hand on my shoulder and steered me in the direction of the dining room. “You’ll have to tell us more over dinner.”
The meal itself was a triumph. Darcy had made crowd pleasing favourites, which in my book was always the right thing to do for a family dinner. By the time we got to dessert, an apple and pear tart with whipped cream, Howard turned his attention to me.
“So, Alex, tell us more about your cooking career.”
I swigged a large mouthful of wine. Working in Anna’s Kitchen since I’d left university wasn’t exactly a stellar career. Knowing a little about what Fraser did, it seemed much more important than making sure people were fed well. My experience paled in comparison. “Well, I’ve been at Anna’s Kitchen for five years. I worked there part-time through school and college, started as a pot washer and kitchen porter, then after I’d taken a few courses they let me into the kitchen properly.”
“You’ve never worked in another restaurant?” Howard sipped his own wine, his stare fixed on me as I composed a suitable answer.
“No. Not really felt the need to move on anywhere else.”
“Ah, taken the easy route then rather than moving up.”
Georgie’s head swivelled between me and then her dad, as if she were watching a tennis match.
My face screwed up. I’d started at the bottom in the restaurant andhadmoved up. Did he not know how a restaurant worked despite his daughter carving out her own career in one?
“Marcus, the head chef at the Ealynn Marina Hotel offered him a job,” Georgie chipped in. “But Tess and Ellis think he’s invaluable to the business, so wouldn’t want to let him go.”
Howard nodded, considering Georgie’s words, then looked at me. “Marcus has a Michelin star though, doesn’t he? Don’t know why he doesn’t set up his own restaurant here. You could do worse than work for someone like that.” He paused, glancing at his older daughter. “You know Georgie wants to open her own restaurant, don’t you? If she hadn’t had all that business with Russ, she’d be well on her way by now.”
My head snapped to Georgie who was studying the tablecloth as if her life depended on it. Why hadn’t she shared that with me?
I liked my life how it was. I liked working in Anna’s Kitchen. I liked working with Georgie. Why would I want to work for someone else? “While my mum works at the hotel, I don’t think I will. We see too much of each other as it is.”
Georgie’s dad raised an eyebrow. “Still living at home?”
I glanced over at Georgie. “Unless Georgie asks me to move in with her, yes.” My throat tightened. We’d joked about it, and I’d stayed over practically every night since her birthday. But with her history and my reticence for anything more permanent we had never discussed it seriously.
