His Fresh Start ✔ (Book Three)

Chapter 5

"Almost burned the steaks? You, one of the best chefs in this city?"

Marco's laughter spooked a few seagulls perched on the terrace railing of the bistro.

"Yes, me. Nothing's funny about it, by the way. I offered to cook for the girl I like in her kitchen and nearly made a fool of myself."

My assistant shrugged. "She didn't notice."

"I won't always be this lucky. I need to get my head in the game. This time, I know I cannot screw it up."

Marco grinned. "I thought I'd never see the day. So, will there be a second date?"

"I hope so. Okay, enough with the chit chat. What do we have today?"

"A birthday celebration, later on, and a couple of business dinners — nothing unusual."

"I need to do some paperwork. Will you manage without me?"

Marco squeezed my shoulder. "Sure, go. I have everything under control."

I nodded and made my way to my office in the back, also known as The Cave. It was the place where I'd spent countless nights back when the business was nothing but an overly ambitious project with few customers and way too many bills to pay. Getting comfortable in my leather chair, I powered on the computer and got to work.

People romanticized having your own business. Very few of them saw the hard work, the neverending worry, the sleepless nights trying to come up with something that would set your restaurant apart from the rest.

True, I made decisions. I could go home early if I wanted to — not that I ever did. On average, I had less free time than those who lived from paycheck to paycheck. I was okay with that because I loved my restaurant, and I knew damn well that you could never settle.

Despite that, on some days, spending hours in The Cave felt suffocating. Failing to make any more progress, I turned off the computer in a while and changed into my running gear. Marco always joked, saying that I ran solely to destroy the stereotype of a fat restaurant owner.

I exited the restaurant through the back door to avoid being seen and headed to the beach. The evening was beautiful; the cold temperatures were yet to come, and there were quite a lot of people doing sports.

I chose to run close to the water. It would tire me out faster, but I would burn way more calories than by choosing to jog on a comfortable sidewalk.

As my sneakers pounded the wet sand and the fresh breeze hit my face, I got lost in my thoughts and nearly missed another runner's footsteps. When the person was level with me, the realization made me smile.

"Aiden."

The kid was friends with Ellie, Louise's daughter. We didn't get a chance to chat when we had dinner at their place, and I wanted to change that.

"Thierry, hey. I didn't know you ran."

I chuckled. "I could say the same. Good pace."

The guy blushed slightly, shrugging as we continued the jog.

"So, why here on the beach?" I asked. "You told me you lived quite far."

"I needed to think. Running in my neighborhood is a nightmare. You can't do it without crashing into someone's car. What about you?"

"It's convenient. I keep my running clothes at the bistro."

"Smart. It's late to be working anyway. I quite like this place."

"Have you lived here long?"

Aiden answered, slightly breathless, "When I was a kid. We moved away until my father decided to open another office here, and we came back. Now, I'm glad we did."