Jonahand I walked into Craft hand in hand. It was Sunday afternoon, but we were hosting a private event, so Miles stood behind the bar and I knew Case and his new apprentice, Joey, were working furiously in the kitchen. There was extra pressure today because of our guests, and Case was stressed to the max.
Thankfully, Joey seemed to have met his high standards. And while they were still awkwardly getting to know each other and learning to work together, they were at least turning out incredible food.
Claire had finally graduated from culinary school with an emphasis on pastry. Unlike Kaya, who was a regular badass in the kitchen, Claire had accepted a job at a local pastry shop. It wasn’t her dream job by any means, but it would look fantastic on a résumé. Even if her main job was bringing toddler birthday cakes to life to the specifications of their Momzillas.
Jonah’s hand landed on the small of my back as he held the door open for me. Even months later, I still got tingles every time he touched me. The warm fuzzies in the very best way.
How could I not? This man who I had loved and respected for so long was finally mine. Finally mine to touch and kiss and bang. And plan a future with. And talk about all the small and big details of my day with.
The friendship Jonah and I had worked so hard on had finally become a relationship that was even stronger. I never could have predicted that this would be our story. But I wouldn’t change a thing.
The bar was especially stunning today. Ada and I had hung a massive pink and silver balloon arch over the back of the bar, covering a lot of bottles of alcohol but giving the event an celebratory look. It had taken us a ridiculous amount of time and required oxygen from every single human being we knew, but we managed to make it look amazing.
Every table was covered with soft pink peonies, glitter, and fancy cookies that said things like “Congrats” and “Good Luck” and “Chef Claire,” and my personal favorite, “Delicious Future Ahead.” The bar was covered in food, more desserts, and all the cocktails.
I’d like to say it was all for Claire, but her guests were a part of Durham’s culinary elite, so I’d be lying if I said we weren’t also trying to impress them. But mostly, it was for Claire.
“Wow,” Jonah said immediately. “This place really cleans up.”
I smiled at him over my shoulder. “So do you.” He was all clean lines today. Hair up in that styled man bun that made me actually drool, crisp light-blue oxford rolled up at the forearms that reflected in his eyes, light-gray trousers, and his fanciest leather flip-flops.
His gaze heated. “We don’t have to stay long, do we?”
“She’s only my best friend,” I reminded him. His mouth curved in a crooked smile. “If you stay too long, they’ll notice you’re not drinking.”
My belly flipped at his words. We’d only been together five months, but we’d just recently decided to start trying for a baby. Was it smart? Probably not. But I was happy to help him keep this one promise to Will.
But more than that, I wasn’t worried about things not working out between us. We’d waited our whole lives to be together. It wouldn’t be an easy or uncomplicated journey forward, but we were taking it together. And that was all that mattered.
“It’s not like everyone monitors what I’m drinking,” I argued.
He just gave me a look.
Claire stepped over from where she was talking to Kaya and her brother-in-law, Wyatt, and gave me a big hug. “This place looks amazing.”
“So do you,” I gushed, admiring how glowy she looked today. She didn’t love attention, so this party had super stressed her out when I insisted on throwing it for her. But she was so proud of finishing school that I couldn’t let her not celebrate.
She pulled back, and said, “So doyou. Happy couple life suits you.” She turned to Jonah and said, “But if you hurt my girl, I’ll end you.”
Jonah laughed easily and pulled me against him, my back against his broad chest, his arms possessively around my middle. “You keep making that threat, Claire, but we just keep falling deeper for each other.”
Claire raised a singular eyebrow. “Says the man who ignored her for ten years.”
We both knew he hadn’t ever ignored me, but Claire was a bulldog. Which was just one of the reasons I loved her so much. And she really was trying to get along with Jonah. Just like he was learning to love and appreciate her.
“Play nice,” I told them both. Looking up at Jonah, I added, “But you especially. She listens to a lot of murder podcasts, and I’m positive they would never find your body.” Jonah laughed, but it sounded nervous. Which made me laugh. “Seriously, though, you’re amazing, and I am so excited to celebrate you today.”
Claire grinned. “Thanks! I don’t have to tell you this since it’s your bar, but you know, go ahead and help yourself to whatever.”
She moved on to greet more arriving guests, and Jonah and I moved deeper into the building. Ada was dressed for the party but still managed everyone and everything. Things had not cooled down between Charlie and her, but somehow, the tension between them had made her more driven and efficient—if not more distant as well.
Lola was sitting in my favorite spot at the end of the bar, and Will was nowhere to be seen, so I headed in her direction. Her baby bump was showing these days at seven months along. She was the absolute cutest pregnant woman alive. All perfectly round belly and thick, luscious hair. She was beaming with a contagious happiness.
“Hey,” she said, smiling brightly. Her feet were propped up on the barstool next to her, and her cheeks flushed red. She was fanning her face with some cocktail napkins, and a small box fan plugged into the wall next to her blew directly on her. She noticed us noticing all she had going on and explained, “I’m not going to survive this summer. It’s going to kill me. I have never been this hot in my life.”
“I can’t imagine,” I told her sympathetically. Jonah squeezed my side discreetly. A reminder of how excited he was for me to be able to imagine. He was incorrigible. “Where’s Will?”
Lola shrugged. “Helping Charlie with something? I don’t know. I parked myself here as soon as we arrived, and honestly, I don’t plan on moving unless I have to pee. Which will be every half hour on the dot.”
