Page 63 of Because of You
Here goes nothing, I guess.
“Because I want to turn down the offer.” I let out a long, slow breath, feeling my tension ease at having said the words. Because I didn’t feel the whole truth of it until now.
“And Jeremy?”
“Jeremy left it up to me. He has his work at the foundation, and he really doesn’t care one way or the other if we do this. But I care. I’m not built to be famous, dad. I don’t want to have my business known by every sports fan in the country. I’m happy with what I already have. And maybe one day we’ll open another location or two, but I want to do it on my terms. Not because a big company wants to come in and explode my career. I want what Jeremy and I have already built. What Hallie and I are building together. That’s the life that makes me happy. I know it must seem weird to you…”
“Hang on,” my dad cuts in. “I know you weren’t just about to insinuate that I might look down on your career because of my business. I’m sure I wasn’t about to hear that come out of your mouth, Benjamin.”
I look down at my hands, unable to meet his eyes.
“Ben, look at me.” I look up, and his eyes bore into mine. “All I have ever wanted is for you and your sister to find what makes you happy. I don’t need you to be me. Hell, I don’t want you to be me. I love my career, but it’smycareer. Mine. Not yours. Over the past nine years, I have watched you and Jeremy build Fireside from the ground up. I have watched all the love you both pour into it every day, and I see how happy it makes you. If you want to turn down the offer, then you should. If Fireside on the South Side is all you ever want, you never have to justify that to me. You are my son. Your mom and I raised you to be a good man who knows his own mind. If this deal doesn’t offer you the life you want, then you absolutely should turn it down.”
“Really?” I say, relief pouring through me at my dad’s words.
“Yes, really. It’s your life, Ben. I couldn’t be prouder of how you have chosen to live it.”
The door to my dad’s office bursts open at that moment, and my mom struts in with a huge smile on her face. She walks straight to me and slaps me across the back of my head.
“Ow, what the fuck, mom?”
“I told you I would give you my opinion after you talked to your dad. That’s the first part of it. It was stupid to spend all these years not talking to your dad about your business. Jesus, Ben.” Then she leans down and wraps her arms around me. “And obviously, I was listening at the door, and I agree with everything your dad said. We want what you want, Ben. Just be happy, baby boy.”
“I am happy, Ma. Really, really happy.”
“Good. And your dad’s right about Hallie. She’ll get to where you are. But if you want to give her a little nudge every now and then, a date night is always a good idea. There was this one time when your dad and I were dating when we…”
“I’m going to stop you right there,” I cut in, knowing that my mom’s stories of her and my dad’s dating days usually end in a way that makes me want to bleach my brain. “I’m taking her out tonight.”
My mom grins at me. “That’s my boy. Now, tell me everything.” She plops down on the couch on my other side and looks at me expectantly.
With the weight of my career crossroads off my shoulders, and my parents on either side of me, I tell them all my plans for sweeping my girl right off her feet.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Ben
Later that afternoon, in the lull between lunch and dinner, I’m behind the bar taking inventory of our liquor bottles when Jeremy waltzes in, an hour before he’s supposed to be here. I was hoping he would be early because telling him and Hallie are the last pieces of my puzzle, and then I can put this whole situation to rest.
“What’s up, man?” He comes behind the bar and stands next to me.
“I was hoping you would be here early. I have news.”
“So, you finally decided we’re turning down the Stonegate deal?”
I just stare at him. “How did you know?”
“Seriously, Ben? You rarely sweat anything. You put your head down and do what needs to be done. In the entire time I’ve known you, you have agonized over exactly two things. One is Hallie and the other is this deal. Since you and Hallie looked extra cozy at the lake and you smile like an idiot every time you hear her name, I assume it’s not her. So, it must be the deal.”
“Yeah, but how did you know I was turning it down?”
Jeremy just snorts. “Jesus Christ, Ben. You are the poster child for Pittsburgh Boy. You don’t want to go national. Youwant to be here.” He waves his hand around the bar we created. “I knew you would turn it down the second we got the offer. You just had to figure it out for yourself.”
Fuck if he isn’t exactly right. “Thanks for that, Jer. And thanks for letting me make the choice. I know you said you didn’t care, but just…thanks.”
“Ben, you’re my best friend. We built this business together. You gave me your family when you found out I don’t have one of my own. I would do fucking anything for you. But also, the idea of traveling all over the country to look at restaurants? Yeah, no thanks.”
“No kidding,” I mutter. “So, now I just have to tell Hallie the news. I’m taking her out tonight, so I’ll fill her in then.”
