Page 106 of Bake You Mine
“There’s Mr. No Longer Hot Chef gracing us with his presence.” Damon slapped Liam on the shoulder.
“I figured we needed to go out one-on-one so I can get to know you better,” Bill said. “When are you free?”
Liam turned away, completelynotin the mood to have this conversation.
“Liam,” Bill said, “everything all right?”
Everything was the opposite of all right.
Liam forced himself to turn around. “I’m okay.”
Damon frowned. “Your poker face is shit. What happened?”
“Guys, go on a break.”
Benito and Enrique didn’t need to be asked twice, so they ducked out the back door and pulled vapes from their pockets.
“Ah, shit, what happened?” Damon asked.
It was better to come out with it because Damon wouldn’t give up until he sorted out the issue.
“Aubrey’s asked for some space.”
Bill’s face bloomed in surprise before he sighed. “Well, that was better than I thought, given her moping. Aubrey’s always been a big thinker. She needs to mull over every major decision.”
“What did you do?” Damon questioned.
Liam flung open the refrigerator door and began rooting around. “What do you mean? Nothing!”
Damon said something Liam didn’t catch with his head inside the fridge. His friend caught Liam’s shoulder, pulled him back, and slammed the refrigerator door shut. “You two seemed so happy. Today, we’ve had a ton of new followers on the Elevation accounts. People are saying what a great story it is, all eager to get reservations.”
What could Liam say to that?
“Aubrey has always been a cautious person. She doesn’t give her heart easily.” Bill took a sip from his to-go coffee cup. “A lot is happening for you both when your relationship is at a very early stage, especially now you’ve gone public in a major way.”
Liam palmed his face and took a breath before asking the question at the forefront of his mind. If anyone knew his chances with Aubrey, it was her father.
“How much space do you think she needs?”
“I know my daughter well, but can’t read her mind.” Bill reached for his cup again. “You will have a different life if you open a multi-million-dollar restaurant venture in DC. If that’s what you want, I can’t say I disagree with her being cautious.”
“That’s what she said last night. I don’t know if DC is the answer to our problems.” It was odd, voicing the thought racing around his brain.
Damon cut Liam a glance. “Boy, you’re going back and forth like a seesaw. You’re not just playing with your life here. I’m a partner, too, even if a minority one.”
“I know! I’m starting to realize I had my dreams all wrong. Lameka said the other day, we don’t have to leave Port Fortune. If we want to stay, we must look at things differently.”
“Yeah, but ideas aren’t going to manifest a workable space,” Damon said. “Or the money we’d need.”
Liam tore his fingers through his hair. “Now you know why my thoughts are all over the place.”
Damon slapped an arm around Liam’s shoulders. “We don’t have to decide everything today, dude.”
Liam exhaled. “Well, not everything, but the DC part, if not today, in the next few days. Jason won’t wait forever; he’s already growing impatient. And Aubrey shouldn’t be kept in limbo, either.”
Bill stared at Liam for a few seconds before he spoke. “It’s a cliché as old as time, but if it’s meant to be, it will be, young man.” He headed toward the back door, pausing to squeeze Liam’s shoulder.
Once he was gone, Liam leaned over the table, catching his face in his hands. “Fuck my life, man. I feel like shit.”
