Page 100 of Holly versus Mr. Ivy
“But the worst part is Rhett.”
A tear ripped through my heart like a paper torn in half. What did she mean, ‘the worst part was Rhett’? “What?”
“He’s not doing well,” she hesitantly admitted. “He’s lost weight. There are bags under his eyes. His clothes and hair are rumpled all the time. He never smiles. He’s an absolute mess.”
Way to twist that knife into my heart, Skye.“Really?” A wave of guilt slammed into me, knocking me back onto my bed until I rolled onto my side in the fetal position. I did that. Rhett had told me how he suffered from anxiety and depression and that his last girlfriend had left him when he needed her most, and I had done the exact same thing.
“He misses you. In fact, the reason I called is because he won’t be at the restaurant tomorrow. It’s his night off. You should come in. There’s something I think you need to see.”
I’d never felt so low in my life. The pain and betrayal from what Skye did still ached, but my worry over Rhett eclipsed my own wounds. My chin quivered. “I don’t know that I can show my face there again, Skye.” How could I see my former employees? Did they know why I had been fired? Tears leaked from my eyes as I thought about Rhett. How I’d hurt him.
“I promise, everyone would love to see you. And I know you have no reason to trust me, but you really do need to come in.”
I really didn’t want to. Leaving The Boardwalk, shutting out my time there, had helped me stay in my current situation without regret.
“Holly? Please?” she begged.
Ahhhh! I didn’t know if I could do it. But for Rhett? “Okay. I’ll stop by before I head to my new job.”
“Thank you, Holly. We’ll see you tomorrow.”
Skye hung up. I stared at my phone. Did I make the right decision to go back there? To face my ex-employees? To have the memories of Rhett’s lips on mine slam into me when I walked into the restaurant?
The front doors of The Boardwalk were locked since I’d arrived at two and they didn’t open until four. I went around back to the familiar metal door and let myself inside, knowing Aaron and the chefs were prepping for the evening.
Nerves roiled in my stomach, like a snowball fight was in full swing. My hands shook and sweat coated the back of my neck. I stepped into the kitchen and immediately started blinking back tears.I miss this place.
Nico spotted me hovering in the doorway. He dropped the spoon he held and rushed toward me, enveloping me in a hug.
“Chef, it’s so good to see you. This place just doesn’t function the same without you.”
“Liar,” I choked out. “You’re just as good as I am.”
Nico stepped back, a soft smile on his lips. “Nah. No one could replace you.”
The commotion of our hug made everyone’s attention turn toward us. Shouts of “Chef Dewhurst!” and “Chef, good to see you!” echoed throughout the room, and the tears fell harder, faster, streaming down my hot cheeks. They actually missed me. Shock reverberated in my skull, stunning me into silence.
Skye zoomed toward me, wrapping me in another hug. “Again, I’m so sorry. Thank you for coming.”
“Are you back for good?” Starla shouted from across the kitchen.
“Just for a visit,” I called back in a wobbly tone, then stepped out of Skye’s embrace. “What did you want me to see?”
“Nico,” Skye said, “I’m taking Holly to view the new menu in the dining room. I’ll be back.”
The menu? Why would I need to see the menu? I’d helped revamp it a few months ago. I didn’t need to see what I had organized.
“Starla,” Nico hollered, “go with Skye and Holly.”
“Yes, Chef.” Starla wiped her hands on a towel and joined Skye and me. In the dining room, Skye told me to take a seat at a table. I chose a booth by the window facing the ocean. Gray clouds blocked the sun, turning the sea midnight blue.
“I don’t need to see the menu,” I protested. “I still worked here when we changed it.”
“This is the dessert menu.” Skye plopped a tall, skinny, thick cream paper with black print in front of me. She tapped the bottom item listed.
“He asked me to create that the end of December,” Starla said. “Right after you left.”
I didn’t leave, I was fired.But I kept that to myself. On the menu, I read:
