Page 12 of A Little Christmas 4: Teller
Briggs turned to me and raised his eyebrows in question.
“No,” I answered.
“No for me too.”
The chef nodded. “I’ll have our bartender take your drink order.” The chef put his hands together and bowed before he walked away.
An assistant server came out with a basket of different types of rolls and soft butter. My mouth watered. The bartender came over with a welcoming smile. “I’m Seth. What can I make for you to drink?”
Briggs turned to me and touched my hand. “What would you like, Teller?”
“Uh, I’ll have an old-fashioned, please.” Never in my life had I tasted an old-fashioned, but it sounded like an adult beverage. I liked frozen drinks with rum and tequila, but it didn’t feel like that kind of place.
“Smoked? Rocks?”
I turned to Briggs, who winked. “Do you like a bonfire?”
“Yeah—yes. Why?”
He turned to the server. “Light smoke and a large cube. I’ll have a Maker’s neat, please.”
It sounded so sophisticated when he ordered the drink. I was a guy from Jennings Grove, as country as it got, and there was nothing sophisticated about me, but it was fun to pretend.
The server nodded and hurried away as Briggs held the basket of bread in front of me. I took a piece of some sort of cracker withonion and sundried tomato baked into it. It looked amazing and smelled better.
“Obviously, you arranged for this, right?” Fuck, they knew him and were ready for us. How could he not have called ahead, and how did I miss it?
Briggs took a slice of brown bread and slathered it with soft butter before he placed it on a plate. “I won’t lie. I had them on standby because I wasn’t sure if you’d agree to have dinner with me. I’ve known Chef Chester for a few years. He’s a great guy, and when I found out he’d moved to St. Louis to be the executive chef in this restaurant, I called him. He told me he’d host me when I found someone special to bring, and here we are.”
Someone special?Was I someone special to him?
Chapter Six
Briggs
I sensed doubt in Teller’s eyes as the staff fussed around us. He still had no idea what to think about me, and I wanted to do everything I could to put him at ease.
For sure, I went hard at life. I tried to get everything out of it that I could, but I had no idea someone like Teller could be in my future.
He made me realize I wanted things again that I hadn’t wanted in years. Whether he’d be up for any of it, I didn’t know, but he’d admitted that he’d gone to Leather & Lollipops, so I was holding out hope. “You have questions, so ask them.”
Our drinks were delivered, and Teller’s was dramatic in presentation. When Seth took the glass cloche off the tray and removed the small woodchip bowl, the area smelled like a damn campfire. I loved the scent.
Teller picked up his glass and gave it a sniff. “Oh!” He took a sip and smiled. “That’s good.”
I held my glass high and touched his. “Here’s to new friends.”
“Wow, that’sreallygood,” Teller said, his sweet smile touching my heart.
It was my hope to show him how great life could be with me. I knew he was a little—or I thought I did. Maybe I was wrong? God knew I wanted to uncover the truth as soon as possible.
Salads came, and we chatted about my business, where my buildings were located and how many I had, and what I wanted out of my business ventures in the future. That was a good start to the getting-to-know-you tour.
When the steaks and sides came, I directed the questions to his future. “What would you say your long-term goals are for your career?”
He wiped his mouth and smiled. “I think I mentioned that I want to be a fashion designer, but that’s my reach dream. Right now, my goal is to continue to put a roof over my head.”
“And why do you think fashion designing is a dream? Goals are attainable, I can assure you. You just have to work toward them and keep your eyes on the prize. I’m not going to sit here and continue to quote platitudes. Tell me why you don’t think you would be given the chance to create your own fashion line. What kind of clothes are you interested in designing?” I asked.
