Page 113 of Ours to Lose
“If you’re lucky. One of my friend’s brothers got a used handheld mixer with food still crusted on it.”
My eyes widened. “No.”
“That’s what he said.”
“Maybe it was a family heirloom. Or like a magic object that grants you a wish after you eat whatever you make with it.”
“Or people are cheap and fucking gross, and I’m never getting married.”
I pouted. “But then, you’ll miss out on all the epic catering I’ll do with my awesome new team. Mack and I just perfected some of my favorite dishes I’ve ever cooked.”
We’d fine-tuned the last details of the competition menu this morning, then gone to Ardena to plate fresh versions and photograph them in the dining room. Jase and the guys gave their input on the photos, and I was glad to see how comfortable Mack seemed around them. Hopefully, we could work out a regular staff meal or shift-drink combo like Jase suggested to make this dynamic the norm.
Now, all that was left for the competition was to finalize the written portion, which Dani had offered to proofread for me tonight. I’d submit everything tomorrow, one day before the deadline, and I could honestly say it didn’t matter to me if we won. I wanted us to and hoped we would, but I didn’t need the award recognition to know the value I brought to Arden Catering and the Ardena brand.
In many ways, the competition pushed me to accept that value by reminding me what I was capable of. Dealing with such a shitstorm of a time finding a sous chef helped too. Not only by forcing me to take on so much by myself and prove I could do it but also by reminding me of the things outside of cooking I brought to this position.
Like showing up on time. Keeping my word. Finding creative solutions. Trusting my instincts.
I used to believe never needing help was what made me valuable, but it wasn’t. If anything, what I brought to the table had been inspiteof not asking for help. It was time to see how much more I could learn by doing the opposite.
“Guess I’ll just have to settle for your holiday party food,” Evan said.
I accepted defeat. “Fine. Your dad still napping?” He had been when I’d texted Evan on my way to the hospital. The call from the bride-to-be had come as I’d gotten off the elevator.
“He just woke up. The nurse brought him dinner, so I figured I’d grab some food too.”
“Isn’t the cafeteria closed?”
“Yeah. I’m going off campus.”
I raised my brows, shocked he felt comfortable leaving for that long.
He shrugged. “Gabe’s with him.”
A flurry of emotion swirled in my chest. I didn’t mention that only a few days ago, Gabe being around would have put Evanmoreon guard, not less. It was a relief to see his face free from the anger it had been lined with for so long. To hear love for his brother when he said Gabe’s name.
It also made it that much harder not to seek Gabe out, to be in his physical proximity while I still could. To catch his smile grow as I walked into the room and feel my body settle in the cradle of his arms.
Already, I missed him. The sturdiness of his presence and the gentleness of his heart. The way he steadied me by just being near.
I could use some of that steadiness. We hadn’t texted the past two days due to everything with his dad, and in some ways, it felt like the distance to Colorado was slipping between us even before he left for his new job.
Maybe it was easier that way—to simply let what we’d shared these months fade rather than endure the heartache of another goodbye. To fall back into the sporadic rhythm of texting how we had when he’d been in London, still connected to each other but not as present.
Or maybe, the cord between us would keep stretching until it eventually snapped.
“I’ll go with you,” I said to Evan, not ready to face either option. Plus, my lunch had been nothing but a few tastes of the competition’s dishes, and that had been hours ago.
We took a few steps toward the elevators before Evan spoke. “About Gabe.”
“You can save your I told you so,” I said before he could pry open the can of emotions I’d just managed to contain. “I already told him to take the job.”
I got why Evan had been worried about Gabe abandoning me the way he’d felt abandoned after everything with their mom. The way I had felt abandoned in my past too.
But this wasn’t that. Gabe had never promised me anything more, and I’d never asked him to. I’d specificallynotasked him to, and I was glad I hadn’t forced myself between him and his dream.
“That’s not what I was going to say. I think you should tell him how you feel.”
