Page 44 of Best Laid Plans
“Look, Cam, I don’t owe you any explanations.” He could hear the exasperation seeping into Michael’s tone. Historically, Cam had been much easier to control. He’d looked at Michael as a mentor, as someone who he trusted more than almost anyone in his life.
What’s the saying? The higher they rise, the harder they fall. Well, Michael Vittori was now subterranean in Cam’s eyes. “I wasn’t asking for one. That would imply I wanted to work through this, which I don’t.”
Michael’s tone changed then, his voice dripping with superiority. “Your non-compete still stands. You can’t open a new restaurant in Rock Harbor or anywhere else in the goddamn state. Hell, I should have your ass if you even set foot in another commercial kitchen, but I’m trying to be nice here.”
Cam scoffed. “Good luck enforcing that.”
“You don’t get where I am, kid, without knowing when it pays to bite back.”
Cam felt like he was talking to a stranger, so different from the man who he’d thought would always go to bat for him. “And you think everyone would be proud of you bullying an up-and-coming chef out of the industry because he caught you sexually assaulting someone and quit his job on the spot?”
“No one but you is talking, Cam, and if I do, I’ll paint a veryclear-cut case of a young chef who’s gotten too big for his britches, high on fame and probably too much cocaine, flaming out before he ever really became something.”
Cam let out an indignant sound. “Who needs enemies with friends like you. Am I right, Mike?”
“You’re throwing away your future, Cam. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” And maybe that was true. But Cam also knew that Gossamer had been struggling before Cam had come on board five years ago, and now it was considered one of the best restaurants in Boston. So for whatever shitty comments Michael wanted to make, Cam had done Michael just as many favors as he’d gotten in return.
And most importantly, there was no way that Cam would ever work for that prick again. “Lose this number, Michael.”
He hung up and looked down at his eggs, which had grown cold. After he threw the plate’s contents in the trash, no longer hungry, he decided to go downstairs to the restaurant and blow off some steam. Elle would update him in a few hours, and then he’d head over to the hospital and spend his time with people who actually deserved his time and effort.
Arms full, Cam walked into the Ada Dalton Memorial Hospital. It was the largest–well, only– hospital within twenty miles of their town limits. There were closer urgent cares and medical clinics, and it wasn’t as decked out as some of the hospitals in Boston, but with the number of monied patients spending copious amounts of time in Rock Harbor, it was an excellent medical facility that millionaires and paupers alike could benefit from.
Cam thought the Pierces were probably somewhere in the middle. Working class down to their bones. He had no ideawhat a surgery like this would do to Mr. and Mrs. Pierce’s finances.
But he was going to do everything he could to make sure that Mr. Pierce got the best care possible. Which is why on top of the meals he’d prepared for Elle and Mrs. Pierce, he’d also put together two separate trays of mini cupcakes. Baking wasn’t really his forte, but he’d had time on his hands today, and he thought they’d turned out pretty well.
A variety of vanilla, chocolate, red velvet flavors, all with a cream cheese icing that he’d thrown batches of away before it had come out just right. And after a quick trip to the craft store, he’d had the final element he needed to make his vision a reality.
He walked up to the nurse’s station on the third floor, where he’d been directed upon arrival. “I’m looking for Jim Pierce’s room. He’s recovering from surgery.”
The nurse, with her half-moon glasses, peered at him from the desk, shooting a glance at the two large boxes he carried. He smiled as she looked at the computer to find the room number. “Room 335,” she said. “But there are already two visitors in his room, which is our maximum. Do you want to switch out with one of them?”
“I wouldn’t want to take time from his wife and daughter,” Cam said, sliding the boxes closer to her. “I just wanted to sneak back and deliver them both dinner, along with these cupcakes for the nurses.”
The nurse stood up and looked into the boxes, which had clear plastic across the top, the cupcakes with the little lobsters he’d cut out of fondant juxtaposed against the cream icing. “Oh, they’re darling. Where did you get those? I love the little lobsters on top.”
Cam leaned against the counter and put on his most winsome smile. “I made them.” She didn’t need to know that just as many had gone in the trash, or that his hands were still stained red from his clumsy rolling of the fondant.
“Well, I’m sure it would be fine for you to drop off dinner.”
“Cam?” Elle’s voice managed to cut through the din of the dozens of people moving through the hallways and machines beeping at varying intervals. It was like he was attuned to the sound of her voice, specifically, and he turned toward her as she walked the fifteen feet from Mr. Pierce’s room to where he stood. She looked down at the boxes of cupcakes. “What are you doing here?”
“Is this your boyfriend?” the nurse asked, already pulling the cupcakes behind the station. “He’s just the sweetest. He brought the nurses a little pick-me-up at just the right time.” Cam doubted there was ever a bad time for desserts in high stress situations.
“He can be shockingly thoughtful,” Elle said without correcting the nurse. And Cam didn’t miss the little smile she gave him, like they were sharing a private joke. There was a lot of that going around the last few days.
The nurse moved away from them, and he turned to face Elle fully. It had only been a day since he’d seen her. Why did it feel like so much longer? She didn’t look any different, except maybe a little tired around the eyes, which did nothing but make Cam want to wrap his arms around her. “How are you doing?” he asked, settling for putting his hand on her arm, loving how soft and warm she felt.
It felt like Elle inched closer. “Glad it all went okay. He only woke up an hour or so ago, and he’s still kind of out of it.”
“It’s just an effect of the anesthesia. He’ll be back to his normal, exuberant self in no time.”
Elle nodded along with his words, like she desperately wanted to believe them. “I know. It’s just… so real in there. He’s hooked up to monitors. He’s been sleeping on-and-off. I keep catching glimpses of the bandages through his gown, and it knocks all the air out of my lungs every time it happens.”
Cam leaned forward and wrapped his arm around Elle,pulling her closer to him, brushing his hands against her hair soothingly. Whatever barriers should exist between them were on a pause. This was more important. Beingherefor Elle was more important.
“You want to see him? I’m sure he’d love that,” Elle said into his chest, and his heart tightened when her nose nuzzled against his t-shirt.
