His Fresh Start ✔ (Book Three)

Chapter 11

The excited chatter of my guests filled the space around me. I smiled, soaking in the festive atmosphere and the joy radiating off pretty much everyone.

The anniversary dinner of my bistro had been a success so far. Everything seemed to run smoothly, effortlessly even. The guests were luckily oblivious to the hell in the kitchen, where the stress was palpable. The menu we chose for the celebration was ambitious. Each dish had to be cooked to perfection, and Marco worked harder than ever, trying to do his best.

Seeing that everyone enjoyed the meal put me at ease. If we were lucky, the event we organized with so much care would attract new people to my bistro. Word traveled fast, and there was no better promotion than a positive review from a satisfied customer.

My gaze fell onto the statuette sitting on one of the tables. The Star of Excellence was no joke. Only a few restaurants in the area had it. Seeing my business succeed after only five years was, indeed, an achievement.

My dad would be proud, had he been able to attend the celebration and see Claude hand the star to me. Unfortunately, my father was swamped with work, trying to secure an important deal.

The crisis hit the construction sector hard. Victor Fauber wasn't the one to complain, but the fact that he had been staying at the office until late at night for the last month was enough for me to guess the situation wasn't a joke.

My dad apologized for not being able to travel more than once. I assured him we would celebrate the fifth anniversary of Thierry's soon, with or without a sumptuous gala. Going out to have a glass of wine and a heart-to-heart with my dad would be more than enough.

"How is the young and sexy restaurant owner doing?"

Grinning, I drew my arm around Lou's shoulders. She leaned into me, smiling as the two of us observed the guests.

"Sexy for sure, but young..." I sighed.

"Don't be silly." Lou laughed, looking up at me. "I'm proud of you and your achievements, although you always try to downplay them."

"Thank you." I smiled. Louise's words meant more to me than the praise of many other people. I knew they were genuine, and she loved me.

My thoughts took me to barely half an hour ago, when I declared my feelings for the woman next to me in front of my guests. I didn't lie when I said she had been my inspiration. Since Louise Donovan came into my life, everything seemed easier.

I found joy in simple things and felt inspired to work harder because of her. I had something to look forward to apart from work. Even the everyday mundane tasks didn't seem so dull because of having Lou to talk about them and pretty much everything else.

"Have you seen Ellie?" Louise asked, her blue eyes roaming the decorated hall.

"She must be with Aiden. I haven't seen him, either, and the band guys are taking a break. I wouldn't worry if I were you; they are probably kissing somewhere private."

Smiling, Lou rolled her eyes. "Of course you would say that."

I shrugged, pressing my lips to her temple. "I would rather be doing that with you as well, but tough luck - I have guests to entertain. Ans speaking of guests, where is your uncle?"

"That's what I would like to know." Lou's forehead creased as she glanced at her watch. "He should've been here by now."

"The traffic must be heavy at this hour. The cab is probably stuck somewhere."

Lou was going to reply, but the door to the bistro opened. I saw Aiden enter the restaurant with Ellie and a tall man in tow.

His hair was black but started to gray on his temples. I noticed a pair of piercing eyes and a mouth set in a tight line, communicating the guy's displeasure.

Lou left my side and rushed to the new guest. That was how I knew he was her uncle.

His expression softened as he hugged her. Maybe I made a mistake in judgement, and he wasn't as cold as I initially thought.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jim rush to Aiden and lead him away.

Aiden wrote a song for Ellie, and I encouraged him to sing it at the celebration. Grand gestures weren't common nowadays. What the kid wanted to do spoke volumes about him and his feelings.

Seeing Lou glance in my direction, I walked toward her.

"You must be Thierry," Louise's uncle said, smiling as he firmly shook my hand. I saw him study his surroundings and nod in appreciation. "The place is spectacular. You've done a great job, son."

"Thank you. I tried to do my best," I replied.

Ellie was biting her lip with her eyes downcast. The cheerful mood of the girl was gone and I wondered what the reason was.

The lights dimmed, and I smiled at the surprise taking over Ellie's expression as she saw her boyfriend on the stage.

Jim took the micro. "Hope you're enjoying the evening. Before the DJ takes over and we do some dancing, I'll tell you; my friend here wrote a song for his girl. I'd say she's a lucky girl, but we all know he's a lucky guy."

Laughter resonated in the hall, and Claude gave Aiden the thumbs up. He'd taken to the boy just as much as I did, and kept on saying that Aiden would be a successful musician if he decided to pursue that career. I wasn't sure it was what Aiden wanted. Jim, on the other hand, would give a lot to make his dream come true.

"For you, Ellie," Aiden said into the microphone before starting to play.

The lyrics were heartfelt and genuine. I couldn't help smiling when Ellie rushed to the boy as soon as he stopped singing. He had surely deserved her affection.

Right after the song, my staff rolled a huge cake with a burning candle in the shape of a five on top of it into the room. I told Marco it was overkill, but it fell on deaf ears.

Claude rushed to the cake and attempted to blow out the candle. Laughing, I told him what a clown he was and assisted him in the task.

It was time to enjoy the desserts. Ellie saved Aiden a seat next to her; Lou and I sat opposite the young couple, while Steve lowered himself onto a plush chair by Louise's side, eyeing Aiden as if the kid stole the cake off his plate. His animosity toward the boy was inexplicable.

"That was a wonderful song," Lou said.

"Thank you," Aiden replied, visibly uncomfortable.

I hated that. Pouring your heart out was hard enough. He didn't need to deal with negativity, not during my party.

"Jimmy, Nick, come join us here," I called the band members, making space for them at the table. Hopefully, Steve would pay his attention to someone other than Aiden.

"I told you you'd nail it, didn't I?" I heard Ellie say as she grinned at Jimmy. The guy shrugged.

"Don't be modest." I slapped his back. "That was incredible, guys. Thank you very much for playing tonight. I hope it's not the last time, but the first of many. And that song of yours was fantastic, Aiden."

"The lyrics were nothing but the truth," Aiden replied, looking at the blushing girl next to him.

"The DJ will organize the dances after the dessert. The real party will start." I winked. "All of you are staying, and I'm not taking a no for an answer."

"Of course." Louise kissed my cheek, resting her head on my shoulder.

One of my waiters approached us with more champagne, and I gave everyone a flute.

"Let's drink to tonight, to the reunion, and these three talented boys!" I raised my drink, scanning the faces of the people at our table.

I wanted to be wrong and think it was all in my head, but, much to my distress, the displeasure on detective Donovan's face was as real as the bubbly drink in the flute I was holding.

A/N

Hello again and sorry it took me so long to post this chapter. The updates will be regular from now on. Thierry has many things to tell, and I am excited to let you catch a glimpse of the events we knew little about. More of our party crowd soon! Love you all!