“What were you more nervous about me seeing? Your apartment or the restaurant?”
“The restaurant,” I said as I pulled into the lot next to our building and parked, shutting off the car.
“Why?”
“Because I’ve put a lot of work into it and you’re an artist and you’re going to tell me it’s boring.”
He laughed. “First, I am not an artist.”
“You are.”
He unbuckled his seat belt. “Disagree. But second, I would never tell you it’s boring.”
“But will you?” I turned in my seat to face him.
“What?”
“Will you say it if it’s true?” I grabbed hold of his hand with both of mine.
“No.”
My brows shot down. The fact that he’d lie to me to save my feelings actually wasn’t a good thought, even though he probably thought that’s what I wanted to hear. “No, I’m making a request. Will you please tell me if it’s boring?”
“Oh. You want me to.”
“And how to fix it?”
He smiled. “Not sure I’ll know how to fix it.”
“If you have any thoughts.” I put his hand on my cheek and let his warmth sink into my skin for a moment.
“Okay,” he said carefully. “I’ll tell you.”
“Thank you.”
“For the love of god, I hope it’s not boring.”
CHAPTER 33
“What?” Raya yelled when I walked in the front doors of the restaurant. I hadn’t told her I was coming. I wanted it to be a surprise. “Whaaattt?!”
Several customers looked her way, and she lowered her voice. “What are you doing here?” She was running to greet me.
Her arms wrapped around my stomach, and her cheek went to my chest. “I missed you so, so, so much. Tell me you’re back.”
“Just for the weekend,” I said, hugging her.
Presley was working tonight, and from across the room I saw her mouth, “Thank god.” There were a few other servers as well since it was a Friday night. I only didn’t recognize one of them.
Raya groaned. “Just the weekend?”
“I thought you said it wasn’t that bad without me.”
“But everything is better with you.”
Warmth spread through my chest at her words. I’d missedher too, and hearing I was missed and my absence made a difference was nice.
She straightened up and her eyes immediately went to Elijah. He was by my side but taking in the restaurant. I looked around too. Having been away for a while made me see it more objectively now. The wall that housed the windows was red brick, and the other walls we’d painted a clean ivory. Those walls were where the generic art was hung—large pictures of food displayed in a fancy way. The bar was the coolest thing in the room. A beautiful stained wood with a copper bar top. We’d commissioned it and thought it would carry the room. It was the most interesting thing in the room, but it didn’t carry it.
