“Rico. Wonderful to hear from you. What can I do for you?”
From the start, Rico had liked Jonah’s father. Calm and unruffled, no matter the crisis, he had a steady, calming presence, and Rico knew he could talk to him.
“I know we usually send you dinner every night, but there’s been a problem.”
He relayed the news, adding that he hadn’t told Gideon and why, and hoped Rabbi Fine would understand the reasoning behind it.
“I haven’t been home all day; I got a haircut and went into the city for a meeting. I’m glad no one was hurt.”
“Yes, me too. I’m waiting to hear from the insurance company, but I don’t expect to hear anything before tomorrow at the earliest.”
“I hope you can get it all settled very quickly, and of course if I can help in any way, you have my support. I wish the kitchen in the synagogue wasn’t out of commission. That leak is proving more costly now in many other ways.”
“Well, um.” Rico hesitated. “How mad do you think Gideon will get at me? Tell me the truth.”
“You know him best, Rico.”
Rabbi Fine’s gentle voice did nothing to soothe his nerves or stop his heart from banging. “Yeah, that’s my problem. The Gideon I knew before would scream and throw things, maybe even punch me in the face. Now I’m hoping being with Jonah has calmed him a little. You understand why I’m doing it, right? I don’t mean to keep it from him for a bad reason.”
“Of course. I think he’ll be upset at first, but in the end he’ll understand you had the best of intentions. I’ll support you if you think it will help.”
Relieved now that Rabbi Fine was in his corner, Rico could take a deep breath for the first time. “Thank you. You have no idea how much that helps. Now I have to buy all the supplies and then wait for you to come to the firehouse to make the kitchen kosher.”
“Is that the one in Carroll Gardens? The same one that came the time they threw a Molotov cocktail through the synagogue window?”
His antennae up, Rico responded in the most neutral way possible. “Yes. A great group of guys.”
“Very good. I’ll get my things together and call my friend. I’ll meet you there around four? I’m very, very impressed by how the fire department is willing to help.”
All because of Adam.The shitty way he treated the man weighed heavily on Rico’s mind, but it was another thing that would have to rest on the back burner until he could figure out a way to repay him.
“Thanks. I’d better go and start getting what I need to prepare for this party. Always a pleasure to talk to you, Rabbi, and thanks again for the advice.” He hung up and tossed the phone onto his sofa, then resumed pacing for a moment.
Gotta plan. First have some lunch. Then check the computer for the menu and go re-buy food. Get the van and cooking utensils.
Doing all this on his own sounded like a great idea when he spoke about it earlier, but the implementation now loomed huge and dark before him. Weary already from the shock of the fire and the cleanup effort afterward, Rico sat down a moment and closed his eyes but grew dizzy and anxious with all the work he had to accomplish. The thought of food nauseated him, and instead of sitting in his apartment feeling impotent, he decided to be proactive and go shopping first to replace the ruined kitchen utensils and food. He collected his keys and grabbed his phone, then went to get the van. They always parked it by him since finding a spot was much easier in his neighborhood than Gideon’s. On his way to the supermarket, he called his kitchen staff to fill them in and tell them to meet him at the firehouse around four thirty. Freed from worry momentarily, Rico shopped for new utensils, then drove to the supermarket. He raced through with his list for the party and, after an hour, checked out with a full wagon of food.
Rico sat in the parking lot and placed a call to Sean.
“Hey, I got a spot to cook tonight. Can you help?” He filled Sean in, who assured him he was more than happy to come to the firehouse to help.
“Whatever you need, I’m there for you.”
“You’re a lifesaver, man. I don’t know what I’d do without you and the guys.”
“Not a problem. See you later.”
Rico sent a silent prayer of thanks for friends like Sean as he packed up the delivery van with all the food. On the drive to the firehouse, Rico recalled the kitchen setup. The professional-grade stove was as nice or even nicer than the one they had in the store, and with so many of the firefighters loving to cook, the kitchen was filled with almost every gadget needed. Under different circumstances, an environment like this would be a joy to cook in.
He sat in traffic and thought back to Adam at the fire. Rico had never missed anyone before, but damn, it hit him hard—seeing Adam, remembering how good it was between them before he turned it all to shit. All because he was a coward. The man had saved his ass today and had no idea how much Rico owed him. If Rico was able to pull off this party, it was due to Adam’s help.
Sweat trickled down his brow, and he wiped it from his eyes with his sleeve. He’d never admit it to anyone, but he’d missed Adam fiercely and was happy that the man hadn’t moved on to someone else. If only he wasn’t such a coward and could tell his father…No. He banged the steering wheel in frustration, and the horn beeped by accident, earning him the middle finger from the guy in the car in front of him, who was waiting patiently for the light to change.
Fuck it.Thinking about Adam distracted him from the job he needed to do. The priority always had been and needed to be the business. That was what he’d been taught all his life. Be the best. Show them you had what it takes, then take it a bit further. He set his jaw in a hard line, grinding his teeth, and drove to the firehouse, trepidation building with each passing block. No, it wasn’t the food Rico worried about.…
Who was going to keep him from making a mistake when it came to Adam?
Chapter Eighteen
