Personal Chef

Chapter 81

Valentine's Day.

It was my first time truly celebrating this romantic holiday while in a relationship. I'd been dating Ben two years ago, but we hadn't done anything special since things were fairly new between us at that point. And, let's be honest, things were not that great since he was secretly pining away for his ex.

I knew Shawn was going to do something romantic, especially since I hadn't imposed any spending limits. I actually hadn't said anything at all about gifts. Neither of us had. Despite that, there was no way my husband wasn't going to pull out all the stops. It's who he was and I loved him for it.

This meant I needed to up my game. My Christmas gifts had been pretty meh, and I'd vowed to do better in the future. This was my chance. I made a plan.

I started with some online shopping. This was the easy part. To guarantee he had no idea something was afoot, I had the packages delivered to the bistro. When Paige intercepted a box from a well-known lingerie store when the FedEx guy dropped it off, I brought her into my plan. I needed her help anyway since I was taking several days off.

I met with my two managers, and they agreed to work extra and to cover Valentine's Day. Paige said she'd work through lunch, and Ros said she'd work that night. She was divorced and insisted work was better than being at home alone anyway. Part of me hated to miss being there that day since it was going to be very busy and lots of fun. Shawn came first, though.

Chelsea's Bistro was going to have a special prix fix Valentine's Day dinner. The meal started with an appetizer of hot artichoke heart dip. Next, the diners got a choice of bright pink borscht or tomato soup. This was served with bread and heart-shaped butter pats. The salad course included heart of palm and spinach. The main course was either a heart-shaped margherita pizza, herb crusted pork tenderloin with roasted potatoes cut into little hearts, or heart-shaped ravioli with Alfredo sauce. Dessert was a heart-shaped chocolate lava cake and strawberry ice cream served with a glass of champagne.

I was quite proud of the menu. The restaurant had some cute heart shaped things the year before, but nothing like this. I'd advertised the special dinner online and actually had to take reservations because so many people called inquiring about it.

Meanwhile, Shawn thought I was having to work the whole day because it was a big event. I told him that if he came by late, I could take a break and we could eat together. He acted as if this was a wonderful idea, but I suspected he wanted to go someplace other than my bistro. God knows he was there all the time.

On V Day morning, I woke up to Shawn shaking me lightly.

"Chels, honey, you overslept!"

I stretched and yawned. "Nope. I didn't."

"It's seven. You're usually long gone by now."

I smiled as I sat up next to him. "Surprise! I'm home today."

His face lit up. I don't know how it was possible, but his eyes were actually twinkling.

"Really? The whole day?" he asked.

"Yup. I have plans for us, too. Can you pack a bag and be ready to go in an hour?"

He looked completely dumbfounded by what I'd said. "Who are you and where is my wife?"

I playfully shoved him. "Stop! I know this isn't how I usually roll but I wanted today to be special for us."

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"Thats top secret, but it's over a four hour drive so we should get going pretty soon."

Shawn's face fell. "I have a nine o'clock appointment."