I already know she’d say yes in a heartbeat, but she’s taken more pleasure in the last few weeks than the entirety of her life, soperhapsI should grant her at least a small reprieve.
“Whatcha making?” she asks, still cocooned in my arms.
I turn her away from me, toward my current project, “I was thinking some pasta-”
“Of course you were,” she teases, and I pinch her on the butt, forcing a squeal from her throat as she pushes me away.
“Somepastaand fresh salmon baked in lemon juice and herbs,” I finish. One of the best things I’ve found in this century is all the ways one can prepare food now. Admittedly, I’ve mainly used ingredients I would have been familiar with in old Italia. Still, my options for the presentation are endless now.
“Hey, I’ve been thinking about that,” Fritz mentions from his seat at the island, “The hotel may have a restaurant opening soon.”
Suspicion growing, I ask, “What do you mean?”
A dangerous glint fills his eyes as he feigns nonchalance, “Well, our head chef at the restaurant downstairs just happened to be offered his dream job elsewhere. A damn shame. So they’ll be searching for a new concept soon. Everyone loves Italian food.” He shrugs.
Bel removes herself from my hold and claps, “Oh, you’d bewonderfulat that! What are the chances?” She leans against the counter, facing Fritz and teasing me with the bottom of the shirt lifting precariously high on her thighs.
“Yes, Fritz. Whatarethe chances?”the little shit.
“Quite slim,” he admits, holding back laughter.
With narrowed eyes, Bel finally catches on, “What did you do?”
He places a hand on his chest, seemingly shocked at the accusatory question, “I helped a man find his dream job. What is so wrong about that?”
“How did you even have time to meddle?” I ask, dumbfounded, “You’ve been back only a week or so and you’ve hardly spent any time away from us since then.”
He shrugs again, “I’ve known for quite some time that the chef here was bored of his station. It’s no secret, but I didn’t act on it until I saw an opportunity for something better. An investor wanted to take him to the east coast, and I created an opportune meeting where everyone was open minded and found common ground.”
His intrusion into other people’s lives always borders on being profoundly helpful and wildly self-serving. I’ve never quite been able to determine if he’s the devil on others’ shoulders or if he’s the guiding hand, pushing them to their full potential. His capacity for good and evil are too well-matched, fueled by his desire for constant change and adventure.
“You cannot just… insert yourself into people’s lives, Fritz,” I try to tell him.
“Well, why not?” he asks. “I gave three people exactly what they want, with no one except the hotel owners slight inconvenience.”
“Three people? I did not ask for this,” I counter.
“You didn’t need to,” he laughs, rising to his feet to stand next to me and look over the creation before us, “There are few things that bring you joy. All of them are in this kitchen right now.” My eyes land on Belissenda for a moment before returning to the dish before me. “I will do what I must to ensure you have it all.”
“Thank you,” I utter, at a loss for any other words. I did not have any plans to create a career out of this love I’ve found, but if I can do it without straying too far from my girl, I can start adding something of value to this life we’re building.
He chuckles, “Oh, do not thank me. This is a job opportunity, Caspian. One you’ll truly need to pour your entire heart and soul into. The only thing I can do is put the possibility in front of you. You’ll still need toearnthe position.”
Bastard.“And what does earning it entail?”
With a grin, he saunters to the living room and grabs a small stack of papers, “I am so glad you asked.” He places them on the island in front of Bel and urges me to continue cooking lest I ruin our meal.
After a few silent moments, she sighs from behind me, “This is a lot, Fritz.”
“He’s perfectly capable, I assure you,” I peek behind me to see him nudge her with a shoulder. They share a look so full of adoration that I wish I had a way to capture the moment.Oh, I do.
“Please. I know that he’s capable,” Bel rolls her eyes playfully. As they speak amongst themselves, I snap a photograph with my phone and slip it back into my pocket. “I’m more concerned with whether he wants to do it or not.”
“He does,” he touches the tip of her nose with a finger.
She comes to stand beside me, watching me work. I scoop a spoonful of the sauce up for her to try, and she hums in surprise before wrapping her lips around it. She moans at the taste, bliss causing her eyes to flutter closed. I suspect she’s dramatizing her reaction, but it makes my chest warm with pride and joy all the same.
I place a chaste kiss against her lips in thanks, and she tells me emphatically, “You should do it. It’ll be a lot of work, but you’d be perfect.”
