“I’m sure it’s great. By the way, I need to tell you. Jill, my best friend, she knows about us.”
His eyebrows raise. “Really?”
“She figured it out. There wasn’t any denying it at that point. But it does come with a certain benefit.”
“Oh?”
“That’s where my parents think I am tonight.”
A slow smile spreads across his face. “That is a benefit. Though I’d just as soon have you be able to spend the night whenever you want.”
“Soon,” I say, barely getting the word out before his mouth crashes down on mine again. I’m lucky that I don’t spill any of my wine, because this man has magic lips. Every time he kisses me I go limp with the pleasure of it all.
“We should eat now,” he says, “because we’re going to need all of our strength.”
“I like the sound of that.”
The meal is simple—spaghetti with meatballs and an arrabbiatta sauce. And it’s good. Really good. “Was one of the things that you did while you were away learn how to cook?”
Tristan smiles. “Yes, actually. One of my jobs was marketing for a restaurant chain. I picked up some pointers.”
“It shows. Honestly.”
“Thank you. It really was a great place to work.”
Something clicks in my head. “There’s something you’re not saying about that chain, isn’t there?”
Leaning back, Tristan swirls his wine. “How did you know?”
“You asked me about me about culinary school and if I was happy in my job. And now I find out that you worked in the food industry. It’s not a huge leap.”
He laughs. “Well, it’s not set in stone yet.”
“Tell me.”
Tristan reaches across the table and takes my hand. It’s such a common gesture, but it pulls at my gut. I love that we can do this. Hold hands and just talk. “They’re a restaurant that specializes in menus that are community focused. Very experimental. I reached out to them and suggested that Leighton City would be a good match to open a new place, and if they were in fact interested in opening a place that I had a lead on a promising new chef that could be a perfect fit for what they’re looking for.”
Holy shit.
It’s like he read between the lines of what I wanted to do. Creating a menu that is based on community needs and ingredients? Helping build a place that’s experimental by nature instead of trying to change a restaurant that’s already set in its ways? It sounds like a dream come true.
I love my job, but Tristan was right when he noticed that it’s not my whole life. I like connecting with people and I can’t really do that when I’m stuck in a lab most of the time. The focus groups are one thing, but they’re generally more interested in getting free ice cream than helping in the act of creation.
Plus, as much as I love my family, I don’t imagine there’s much room for growth at Thompson’s. Dad is happy with me in my role, and I don’t think I want him to tap me to be the new CEO. If I want to create something truly new and feel any sort of upward motion in my career, I’m going to need to do it somewhere else.
And I’m still staring at Tristan, because I’m completely and totally speechless. “Are you serious?”
“I am.”
Excitement bubbles in my chest but I try to tamp it down. He said that it wasn’t a sure thing. “What’s the likelihood of this happening?”
“I still have some pull there. If I can prove that Leighton City would be a profitable place, I think they’ll go for it. Just like Thompson’s, they’re actively looking to expand into new markets.”
“I have no idea what to say.”
He grins. “So you’re interested?”
“Yes, I’m interested!” I jump out of my chair and practically tackle him, straddling his lap and kissing him absolutely senseless. “How did you know that I would like something like this?”
The look on his face is serious. “Because we keep forgetting that we both know each other pretty well. Four years apart doesn’t erase the history we have. I know it’s tricky, but it’s still our history. And everything I know about you tells me that you don’t want to be strapped down to the family company for the rest of your life. You want freedom and vibrance and more than that job can give you, even if you love it.”
“I love you,” I say. The words just fall out of my mouth. I wasn’t planning on saying it now, but I can’t stop it, and the air goes still between us with the admission. “I love you, Tristan, so much. I’ve always loved you, and I haven’t been able to say it.”
The look on his face is filled with an emotion that I can’t name. But it’s so deep that I feel it in my bones. “I love you too, Nicola. I’m sorry that it took me this long to say it.”