When Jamie’s alarmclock went off, he slowly rolled forward to slap at the clock radio.
“What?”Mike said groggily.
“Go back to sleep,” Jamie said as he pushed Mike’s heavy arm away.
Mike rolled over to his other side, pulling the sheet with him.
Jamie sat up and rubbed his eyes.When he stood up and looked at the sleeping hulk of a man.I’m looking forward to waking up with this man.He looked around his childhood bedroom and smiled.Home.This is my home.He looked at Mike already back to sleep.I don’t know when it happened, but I’ve gone and fallen for the big guy.I never thought I’d have my own restaurant, home, and a man to share my bed with, before I was even thirty years old!
The first thing Jamie did was start a pot of coffee.As it spit and sputtered, he looked around the dining room.The sun wasn’t even on the horizon yet, but the diner had a warm, rosy glow to it.He looked at the wall of photos and remembered his life here.Some good, some not so good, and some even bad, but...he thought.That’s the way life is.
Jamie heard the back door screen close and went into the kitchen with a mug of coffee.He saw Ian come in.“Morning, Ian.You’re early.”
“Yeah, I thought after yesterday, I might be needed.”
“Thanks for that.However, from now on, ask first.I don’t mind paying anyone overtime, but I do need to be practical about doing that.”
“Oh, yeah.I understand.Do you...like, want me to leave?”
“No, no.Grab a cup of coffee if you want.I just made it.”
Jamie started his routine of making biscuits.“I didn’t mean to overstep,” Ian said as he watched Jamie.
“Don’t worry about it,” Jamie said, looking at the young man.He was a cute guy.Dark, sandy-blond hair, bright blue eyes, and a handsome face.Jamie figured he would fill out as he matured.“What made you want to be a cook?”
Ian shrugged.“I’ve always cooked.My mother and I live with my grandma.She’s a good cook, but Mom is even better.More towards gourmet, I’d say.”
Jamie smiled.“That’s how I started.I’d watch my Mamaw cook, and then I started.I was working here in the diner long before I was legal to do it.”Jamie snickered.“And I didn’t get paid either.”
“I uh...wanted to work, here, for you.”
Jamie stopped for a moment.“Why’s that?”
Ian looked down into his coffee and then back at Jamie.“Well, one, you’re a well-known chef and can teach me a lot.Two...you’re gay.”The last part came out, just barely above a whisper.“I’m gay.”
That made Jamie stop and face the young man.“Did you get bullied at school?”
It took Ian a moment before he nodded.“Yeah.”
“It gets better.”Jamie went back to rolling out his biscuit dough.“Even one of the guys who bullied me in school recently apologized, and now he supplies us with fish and seafood.”
“Really?”Ian raised his eyebrows.“That’s kinda...cool.”
“Yeah, it is.”Jamie glanced over at Ian.“If there’s anything you want to learn or see something, don’t be afraid to ask.”
“Thanks.”Ian watched Jamie for a moment.“You’re doing a laminated dough.I’ve never seen it done with lard, though.”
That stopped Jamie.“You know about laminated dough?”
Ian shrugged again.“I learned how to do it on YouTube.I can do a decent puff pastry.”
“Well, I’ll be damned.”He stood there a minute.“Have you thought about going to culinary school?”
“Oh, yeah.Lots.But it’s expensive, and I was told by one of those school reps that I should look for a good chef and work with them first anyway.Learn as much as I could and then apply for school.”
“Not a bad idea.”Jamie went back to cutting out his biscuits.He got them on the sheet tray and handed it to Ian.“Mind sticking those into the oven?”
Ian took the tray and set it in the oven.“What should I put on the timer?”he asked.
