Page 54 of Don't Call Me Daddy
A smart-ass comment is on the tip of my tongue when Ivy gives me a wide-eyed look of encouragement, as if she’s mentally telling me to accept the compliment.
I swallow a gulp. “Thanks, Fran. I hope everyone has a good time. You all deserve it. It’s the least I can do.”
This earns me a proud smile from Ivy, and fuck if it doesn’t feel good to be on the receiving end of that smile. I’m so used to pissing her off that I don’t think she’s ever looked at me like she’sproud of me. She seems to be the one to see through my bullshit, even when I’m trying to do the right thing.
Ivy leans a hip on the table and faces me. “Now, was that so hard? Look at them. I didn’t know Ricky knew so much about superheroes, but he hasn’t shut up since he got here, and we haven’t even started with the trivia questions.”
“It was fucking painful actually. I think I just got a lie bump on my tongue,” I say as I start filling the empty glasses with ice water. “Listen, I know this is all supposed to help me look like a cool boss and everything, but Jett’s drowning back there in the kitchen. I’m going to go back there and help him get out of the weeds. Can you handle running everything on your own for a bit?”
“In the weeds? Who are you, and what have you done with my billionaire boss daddy?”
I send her a warning glare, and she just smiles.
“I’m not all white collar. I worked in a restaurant all through college—Jett and I both did. It’s where he fell in love with the idea of starting his own, and I realized I wanted nothing more to do with it.” I place the last cup of water down as the lights start to dim, and the rock music in the background gets a little louder.
“Don’t worry; it’s just a little mood lighting. Go help your brother. I’ve got this under control.”
She winks, and I grab her wrist before she walks away.
“Thank you for taking the initiative and pushing this. I think this is exactly what our team needed, and I never would’ve known that without your annoying nagging.”
She places a hand over her heart. “Oh, Leo, your words are so touching. You should write greeting cards.”
I press my lips together to keep from smiling. “Shut up and get up there before Ricky takes over and starts singing the Spider-Man theme song.”
“That’s an oddly specific example …”
“Trust me, you’ll have that song stuck in your head for weeks. I’m just warning you.” I loosen my grip on her wrist and rub a thumb over her soft skin. “Remember to keep things professional, okay? I’ll be back as soon as I can. I want everyone to have fun, but this is still a work event?—”
She rolls her eyes. “Relax. I’m on your side, remember?”
At that, I drop her hand and head to the kitchen. I don’t have time for her antics right now, and Lord knows, if I give her a reaction, it’ll only prompt her to keep going.
I burst through the doors, and Jett shoves an armful of gear in my chest.
“You fucking took long enough. Get dressed and meet me on the line. We’ve got tickets piled high, and I just turned off the phone because we’ve got just as many to-go orders.”
I strip off my work shirt, throw the apron over my white undershirt, and replace my leather loafers with rubber -soled, slip-resistant shoes.
A flash of steam scalds my face as I add the chilled cream to the pan.
“You’ve got to lower the heat, bro. You’re going to scald the sauce,” Jett calls from beside me as we fall into a flow state, tackling tickets and moving in rhythm.
It’s satisfying, working with my hands, seeing tangible results for my actions right before my eyes, especially after the frustrating week I’ve had. I let my body do the work and my mind take a back seat as the familiar skills brim to the surface. It feels oddly relaxing and comforting, working alongside my brother.
I feel closer to him back here, like how things were before, when life was easy and we were best friends.
I’m almost able to forget my spitfire, loose cannon of a fiancée … almost.
I just hope she’s not doing anything crazy while I’m preoccupied back here, but it’s just trivia night. How much trouble could she really cause?
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Ivy
“Who is James Howlett?” Ricky yells as he hits the bell on the table just as Janice slaps her bell and screams, “Logan!”
I lift the answer cards to cover my smile as the two teams begin arguing among themselves.
