Page 34 of For Butter or Worse
“I cry during those Sarah McLachlan ASPCA commercials, if it makes you feel better.” He didn’t cry about the loss of his dad. He didn’t allow himself to go there, which is why things like rom-coms, or sappy movies, were of special interest. They gave him an excuse to cry, not that he was about to tell Nina all of that. “I’m sorry about your mom.”
“I thought coming out would distract me.” She sniffled and ate a handful of the fries. “Fuck, how are these still so good when they’re cold?”
He didn’t know exactly what she was going through, but he could relate. He’d lost his father, and every holiday, birthday, or day without him was painful. The fact that she’d been willing to spend time with him on her mom’s birthday spoke to who she was as a person. She could’ve rescheduled, but she’d come out, anyway, and tried to help Leo, all while she was suffering inside.
He leaned across the table and whispered, “I know what will make you feel better.”
She sniffed. “Chocolate?”
“More satisfying than sugar.” He sighed. Was he really going to tell her the story? Yes, he was, because he’d been passive-aggressive and he never wanted to see her cry ever again. “When I was out with my brother today, a woman recognized me.”
“So far this is not doing the trick.” She took a big gulp of wine.
“Just wait for the punch line.” He cracked his neck. He wasn’t going to enjoy revealing how embarrassing of an afternoon he’d had, but making Nina smile would be worth the humiliation.
“She wanted a photo together. I mean, obviously, who wouldn’t want their photo taken with someone as good-looking as me?”
Nina rolled her eyes and shoved another handful of fries in her mouth, but he noticed the hint of a smile cross her lips before she did.
“When I asked her if she was a fan of the show, she said she knew who you were—a famous and classy chef.” Okay, so the woman had said sassy, not classy, but Nina didn’t need to know that part.
Nina cut the burger in half, then cocked an eyebrow. “Okay, can you get to the point?”
“She asked if I was...”
Nina leaned across the table. He was going to have to just say the words.
“She hadn’t watched the show. So she asked if I was a sidekick comedian. For my job. Like a clown.”
Nina pursed her lips to keep from smiling. “Does she know you have to be funny in order to make it in comedy?”
He smiled back. She was teasing him, and he weirdly liked it. “That’s not true. Good looks can get you far in life.”
“That did make me feel better, thank you.” Nina looked up at him from under her thick lashes. Her eyes were red from crying, but in the candlelight her skin had a golden glow. “I’m sorry the chef was dismissive. Next time I’ll make sure the interaction goes well.”
He couldn’t believe he’d gone out of his way to be rude. He had to be better to her. He would never hurt her again.
“No, I need to be prepared.” What he said was true—he could research the chefs more, do the homework he needed to come in swinging. Running the restaurant was his full-time job, but he needed to treat this as his part-time one.
“So we both had a bad day,” she added. “Should we cheers to that?”
She picked up her glass, and so did he. Her fingers lightly brushed against his as their glasses clinked. A little tingle ran across his skin, and he didn’t want to pull away.
“I’ll ‘cheers’ to drinking a bad day away.”With you.
The thought entered his head and he let it linger there. The realization that he was having a decent night with Nina, while unsettling, felt oddly calming. Being on her good side was so much better than being on her bad one. And now that he’d seen how well they could work together, he was going to do everything he could to keep it that way. Which also meant he’d have to keep his thoughts in check—they weren’t friends. Nina was business, and she couldn’t be anything more than that.
NINA’S TEXTS
Tom:Did you make her cry?
Leo:What?
Tom:Nina, did this man make you cry?
Nina:No.
Tom:THERE IS NO CRYING IN THE SUNSET GRANDE.
