There was a long beat of silence, followed by the slamming of the front door.
I cautiously stepped out of the kitchen. Corey stood staring at the door, tugging his hair. “Fuck!”
“Are you okay?” I asked tentatively.
He startled, turning, his face red. “Shit, Jamie. I’m so sorry you had to see that.”
“That was about you working the wedding reception this weekend?” I asked.
“Yeah.” His voice was hollow. “Rachel wanted us to have a date night, but obviously, I can’t do that.”
His eyes welled with tears, and my heart absolutely broke for the guy.
“Oh, Corey.” I squeezed his arm. “If you need to call in, I can handle it.”
“And prove my brother right?” Corey shook his head. “This job is important. Rachel doesn’t get it because she lives with her parents. She doesn’t have to pay bills.”
I nodded. I couldn’t imagine Hank getting angry that I had to work late or on a weekend. I pulled that crap on him all the time. It was the nature of the business. Of course, Rachel seemed a little immature. Selfish, too. She’d implied Corey had to choose between her and his job. That was out of line.
Corey took a deep breath. “I mean, I could have a real future in catering…couldn’t I? I know you’re the top caterer and I’d never be as good as you, but…”
“Corey, you absolutely could have a future in catering. You’ve picked up so much since starting. You’re way ahead ofour last hire. And the truth is, I won’t be there forever. You can step up when you’re ready.”
Corey swallowed hard. “You really think I’m up to it?”
“If you want it, and you put in the work, then yes.”
He nodded, jaw tightening. “I have to work this weekend, then. If I give Rachel what she wants, it’ll just happen again. With my other jobs, I didn’t really care because they were just a paycheck. But this? I really like it. Marissa knows so much about food.” He pauses. “And you too! You’re both amazing chefs.”
“I only know what Marissa has taught me,” I admitted. “She’s a great mentor. I know she’ll have more to teach you once I’m out of the way.”
“You’re not in my way.”
“Well, I’m in mine. I don’t want to stay there much longer, and you deserve the chance to advance. Marissa depends on me too much, but maybe this is a good opportunity for us both to figure out what’s really important.”
He blinked in surprise. “So you’re going to quit?”
“Not tonight, but yeah…I think so. As long as you’re sure you’re going to stay?”
“Yeah. I really want to.”
“I’m sorry that things aren’t working out with Rachel, though.”
He scrubbed a hand across his eyes, clearing away the moisture. “You and Hank are so good together. I think I’ve known for a while that Rachel and me weren’t the same. I thought maybe I could love her enough for both of us, but?—”
His voice cracked, and he bit down on his lip, turning his face away.
“You’ll find someone else,” I said gently, “someone deserving of your love, Corey.”
He shrugged.
“Seriously,” I said. “I never thought I’d find a guy like Hank. Hey, if nothing else, you can sign up with Matchmaking Mamas.”
He gave a hoarse laugh. “Right, because that worked so well for you.”
He’d obviously heard all about the match mix-up by now. But that didn’t change the end result.
“It got me Hank, even if it took a while, and he’s the best match for me.”
