SAVANNAH
“You actually came!” Riley squeezed me in her arms as soon as I showed up in front of her restaurant. She still had the black apron wrapped around her waist. I hugged her back, still wondering how chefs prevented themselves from smelling like the food they were cooking daily. She still smelled of her shampoo.
Riley was the head chef of her own restaurant because she loved being hands-on. The Allen House was a two-story contemporary casual dining restaurant with a laid-back atmosphere yet offering extensive menus. They also served alcohol, entrées, and appetizers.
Riley and Wes’ family were well-off. They could afford to give her this restaurant as a gift after graduating from college with honors. It was thanks to her that I got to eat first-rate meals.
“You practically forced me to come,” I kidded.
“Sorry.” She laughed but then shifted her attention to my date entering the door. “Hello, Rafael. We met once but haven’t properly introduced ourselves.” Riley reached out a hand to him. Her eyes twinkled as she studied him under her long lashes and smiled at me.
“Ah, yes.” Rafe shook her hands. “It’s a pleasure to meet you again, Ms. Allen.”
“Oh, please drop the formalities,” she said. “I’m not as formal as my brother.”
“Riley, it is.” Rafe released her, and his hand automatically draped around my waist.
“But wow.” I glanced around, amazed. The restaurant was full. “Where should we sit?”
She hooked her arm to mine. “Don’t worry, the second floor is all ours. I closed them because I have a very special guest tonight.” She leaned to my ear. “He is so sexy; I still can’t get over it. Lucky you.” She patted my arm.
“Ouch!”
She laughed. “Anyway, you’re just in time! The food is ready. You can go upstairs and wait for me there, ‘kay? I can’t wait to show you my new masterpiece.”
I chuckled. “Fine.”
“Gosh, I’m so glad!” She hugged me again and then rushed to the kitchen.
“Is she really Allen’s sister?” Rafe asked as we watched Riley disappear into her station.
“Why?”
“She’s rather… lively. You’ve got interesting friends.”
“You just haven’t seen Wesley’s crazy side.” I held his arm. “Come on, let’s go upstairs.”
Riley did close the mezzanine for us with the empty tables around. Although she didn’t have to do that, I couldn’t be more thankful my best friend was so flexible. I wasn’t sure if Rafe was used in a casual environment, so the setup was perfect. We sat in the middle.
“Riley’s going to serve us something that’s off the menu. She’s trying out new dishes, so it might not suit your taste. Would that be fine?”
He tensed up, crossing his legs. “Do I have a choice?”
“But if you don’t like anything, we can just order something else.”
He flashed an ice-melting smile. “I’m just kidding, Savi. It’s fine.”
I was in awe of how much adaptable he was. “Thank you. I assure you, she’s a very good chef.”
“I believe you.”
A few minutes later, Riley came with two waiters to help her serve the food. One by one, while the waiter was bringing out the dishes, she explained them to us. For appetizers, we had mango salsa, baked shrimp with feta cheese, and spring rolls with my secret recipe inside. For the main, we had beef tenderloin cut into strips. It was smoked and cooked in butter, maple, spices, and herbs. Its sauce had a sweet, citrus, and balsamic vinegar scent. She also served smoked salmon garlic with avocados and asparagus on its sides.
“Are those mushrooms on the beef? Would that complement the taste?” I asked. I picked up a fork.
“It only seems it doesn’t, but it does,” she defends. “Please, please. If you don’t like it, I’ll get you something else. Something more… traditional.”
“What do you call it?”
“I don’t have a name for it yet.”
Wow, she looked so nervous. She was twisting her fingers.
Rafe forked a piece of beef and chewed it very carefully. His expression didn’t give any reaction away. He then wiped his mouth with a napkin. My heart was pounding pretty loud for my friend.
“It’s actually good,” he said after swallowing. “It’s delicious. It has a balance of sweet, sour, and savory.” He looked up at her. “Did you say you’re putting this on the menu?”
Riley sighed and smiled. “Yes, thank you. Now that you said it like that. It means a lot.”
“Good job,” Rafe said as if he was a food expert evaluating a restaurant.
I couldn’t wait to taste it too, so I ate a piece. “And the meat is so tender.”
“Well, you guys can start with the appetizers, especially the salsa. Wesley said it was good,” she advised.
“We will do that, so relax, okay?” I chuckled. “Look at your restaurant. People keep coming back for your food.”
She squealed in excitement. “This is why I love you. I’ll have my waiter get you my best wine, and then I’ll leave you two alone so you can talk and serve the dessert later.” She kissed my head. “Thanks, Savi, Rafael!” She waved as she exited.
“I can understand now why you asked me to come here,” Rafe said, a ghostly smile playing on his lips. “I think I can now grasp why friendship is so important to you. You have good friends.”
“I’m glad you saw that. Friendship is important for me because that’s how every relationship grows. You get to know them more, and the connection will be deep enough; you learn to trust each other. My views for that didn’t change even after I was betrayed.” It wasn’t about being weak. It was about accepting that nobody’s perfect. I tasted one of the appetizers. I was loving the colorful flavors bursting into my mouth. Perhaps it was because Rafael was eating them with me.
He arched an eyebrow. “Are you lecturing me now, Ms. Gibson?”
“Here I am again with my long, meaningful talks.” I grinned, sighing.
He didn’t know the meaning or what made a relationship a relationship. I wanted to know what drove him to think he wasn’t capable of those when he clearly was. He cared, and he listened. He acted ruthless and reserved when he was obviously soft-hearted. Deep inside, I knew. I wanted him to see that. Or maybe knew but just wouldn’t acknowledge it.
I still wondered about what Edward told me last night. About the girl named Gill and if she was the same woman he considered his girlfriend in the past. If it was true, I wanted to know what happened and why Edward said those things about him—that Rafe wasn’t the type to commit, that he only fucked women and threw them away.
Honestly, Edward got me there. A little. I almost wanted to believe it; I was afraid it might actually happen to me.
I had hoped he would open up more, but I respect his privacy, so I wouldn’t ask him that. His past shouldn’t matter anymore because he was understanding with mine.
“You suddenly went quiet.” He noticed.
“I’m just thinking. This is nothing.”
When we finished everything on our plates and emptied the drink Riley provided us, her attendants cleared our table to make room for dessert. I was already full; I wasn’t sure if my stomach could still ingest food.
“Edward was… He was in my house last night,” I said while we waited. I wasn’t sure why I was telling Rafe that, but I just thought he needed to know.
He froze. “What?” he asked inaudibly. “When?”
“When I came in, he was already there. He was drunk.”
His eyes darkened. “He’s still bothering you?”
“He’s concerned about this… us. But I didn’t say anything. What can I say to him anyway? He has no business with me anymore.”
He stared at me, lost and angry. I saw it in his eyes. “And when did he leave?”
I swallowed. A tiny shiver moved through me. “In the morning. But he slept on the couch. Nothing else happened. We just talked. I just thought you should know.”
“No, it’s fine. Thank you for telling me.” He dragged his hand on his face. His jaw rippled. “Does he do this often?”
“No, it’s just last night.”
“This guy is shameless, isn’t he?” He sneered darkly.
I remained quiet.
“Savannah. Is he going to be a problem? I think your husband still has feelings for you, and you clearly still have.”
My eyes grew wide. Incredulous of the idea. “Hate. Pain. Regret. If those feelings are what you are saying, then yes. It’s only been a month, Rafe. Feelings just don’t disappear one night.” Whether I still love Edward or not, he and I still needed time to completely get off our ways.
“I can’t have him keep getting in the way,” his voice low and clipped. “He needs to stop bothering you.”
I exhaled. “He won’t. I won’t let him, Rafe. Please.”
“Then allow me to take care of your divorce now. Please.”
“But I haven’t even said yes to your… your proposition yet.”
“Come on!” He knocked his fist on the table and pinched his nose bridge.
“I’m just…” I chewed my bottom lip. “I just thought it’s unfair to ask you to do anything for me when I still haven’t decided. You don’t have a reason to do that. What if I say no later?”
“This isn’t a negotiation anymore.” He reached for my hand and held me. “I just don’t want him bothering you anymore because I want to be with you. Whatever the meaning of this, or its title, I don’t care. I don’t know how to do this, but I’m trying, Savannah. Am I doing this wrong?”
Wow. That was a bold confession there. “No, no. You’re not doing this wrong.” I laughed softly. “It’s actually surprising.”
“Didn’t you say your reunion is in a week? When will you give me an answer? I can make things happen, but I’m not a magician.”
I wanted to giggle. I pressed my lips together to hide it. “Yes, it is.”
He leaned back. “You think this is funny? How is this so complicated?” he sounded frustrated.
Because you’re making it complicated. “No, I don’t think this is funny.” I clasped my mouth. “Fine. You win, and you’re right. I want the divorce as soon as possible.”
“You accept?”
“Yes, but that isn’t simple. We will not do it according to your terms alone. We should—” I looked at the stairs. Riley was coming. “Can we talk about this later?”
He glanced over his shoulder. “You’re playing hard to get.”
“I must be a catch.” I removed my shoe and slithered my foot into his slacks under the table. He shifted in his seat in surprise. “Hey, Ry. What do you have for us?”
My best friend approached us, holding a tray of sweets. “You’re going to love this…”