Hi everyone, I just realized that it had been quite a long time since the last update, although this chapter had been finished already. The last weeks were sort of busy. But now, here it is; and I think I will even have a second chapter up within a few days.

But for now, enjoy this.

A great thank you to Chris' Adorer for proof reading; and of course, to all of you who read, review or add me to any of your lists. It makes me truly very happy.

Chapter 21

Wyatt still had almost two hours until Noelle would meet him. He had planned this time to check on things alone first.

He prepared himself another coffee and wandered around.

The guest room was like always: perfectly clean, white table cloths with light green cloth napkins – matching the season – folded as a fan, green candles in metal holders, that had the form of a flower, two sets of well-polished cutlery, two wine glasses and a water glass, one bright pink blooming tulip for each table (some had to be ex-changed).

Noelle liked it like this – two main colors (green and white at the moment) plus the metallic accessories and one spot of color: the bloom of the flower.

Wyatt liked a simpler design, or like Noelle said "sterile", and stuck to two colors: white plus something - usually depending on the season and the flowers they got from the floral shop across the street. For seasonal highlights like Christmas, New Year's Eve, Easter, or Valentine's Day, they had special decoration in seasonal colors, though.

In a darker corner of the dining room, there were five leather armchairs of various designs and a sofa around an oval coffee table as well as a piano.

When Wyatt began to manage the restaurant, he decided that some live music, at least at the weekends, gave a whole new atmosphere. They had to move some tables to get the space and eventually all tables disappeared from that part of the room, as the darkness wasn't comfortable. Moreover, it always seemed to not really belong to the rest of the guest room, it was sort of off the main area.

In the blueprints of the building, it was visible that there had once really been another room, but to extend the dining area a wall had been torn down.

After a while, Wyatt coincidentally discovered an ad and bought the leather sofa and coffee table from a dissolving of a household. Now they had a lounge in colonial style. They extended the wooden bar, so a part of it reached into the lounge area, giving that part of the restaurant a whole new interior; turning it into something similar to a pub or tea room design.

When the pianist was there, some people stayed after finishing their dinner, sitting down on the comfortable sofa, making the table free for new arrivers while spending some more money on another drink.

The "lounge" had been paid off, financially spoken. The extra income through additional consumption had amortized the costs for the furniture and rebuilding easily.

Wyatt was very pleased with the whole interior. Everything was clean, tidy and welcoming.

He continued to stroll around the restaurant.

He checked the restrooms, realizing that there were new mint colored guest towels. He had long ago thrown out the paper towel dispensers and decided for cloth towels, which were offered in baskets and after use thrown into large baskets under the sink.

In the ladies restroom, they had sinks on one side and on the other only a large mirror above a marble board with two chairs In front of it for the ladies to adjust or refresh their make-up. Formerly, the changing table stood at that spot, but now they had a little extra room for the guests with babies. Wyatt noticed that apart from the usual box of tissues and make up remover pads, little test flacons of perfume and make-up samples were provided.

Wyatt sighed. That was too much estrogen for him.

Of course, this was Noelle's doing. She had probably been given those samples at respective shops and didn't know what to do with them.

The young man continued his tour, checking the men's restroom, the diaper-changing room, the storage room with the hygienic supplies, before he turned his attention back into the guest room. He noticed a small table with a set of little chairs in one corner. The table was painted with all sorts of animals and its feet were palm trees, the crown of the trees ending on the corners of the table top.

Wyatt was confused. That children table set had never been standing there before. That thing had never been at the restaurant at all. And still, it seemed strangely familiar.

He shrugged it off, but made a note to ask Noelle. Then, he moved on behind the bar. Everything was clean, all glasses perfectly prepared, but he spotted a bottle of fruit brandy in the wine refrigerator, which led to another note. Also, in the deep freezer were barely any ice cubes anymore. They had a machine for the ice, which was okay, if it was only needed for a glass but to fill champagne buckets or wine coolers, you'd wait forever.

Wyatt only took a glimpse of the kitchen. He knew for sure that everything was okay there. Everything was brightly cleaned, everything was stored individually and everything was in stock or already ordered.

However, he was slightly disappointed by the mess in the employee's changing room. It looked like the dressing room in his former high school gym. Clothes lay on the floor instead of in the laundry bag, which could be because that bag was full and no one has had the idea yet to get another one.

The blond went into his office and started the computer after sitting down behind the desk, adjusting the height of the chair.

Time to check the books.

From New York, he could control the accounting with his laptop but frankly, he barely did it.

No, actually, he never did.

Hence, he started with the week he left and moved on from there, reading every single entry. He was still occupied with that, when the back door of the room was unlocked.

The office could be entered though two doors: Through the employee's recreation room and from the street though a separate door on the side of the building.

Wyatt turned in his seat and saw Noelle. She carried a paper bag of groceries and had not noticed him as she was listening to music through the earplugs, singing along under her breath.

She flinched surprised when she closed the door and stood almost in front of him. She pulled the earplugs out switching off the music after placing the bag on one of the two Guest chairs at the desk.

"You are already here? Didn't we say 11?" the young woman asked with a look on her watch.

"We did," Wyatt greed.

He looked at her and wondered, why she appeared so changed. Then he finally realized, she had her hair colored.

Actually, Noelle always colored her hair. Honestly, Wyatt wasn't sure what her natural hair color was. Usually, she chose a dark brown, almost black or complete black nuance. But now, her hair was brighter, dark blonde like honey. The cut was also new. How was that called? Pixie?

Noelle frowned as he didn't say anything, but kept on staring at her. For a moment, she was very satisfied. Yes, right, that is what you miss, she thought.

Indeed she looked very well, she thought to herself. She felt confident. She had put on some fresh day make-up and decided for a short red skirt that made her legs even longer, despite the flat sandals and a simple white top. Content, she sat down on the free chair nonchalantly, legs crossed.

Wyatt cleared his throat. "Sorry. I was…flashed- so to say – by your new hairdo. Looks totally different."

"Yes, I decided for a radical change. Originally, it was a very bright blonde but it turned it wasn't me anymore."

"Right, and so you decided for the same as mine," Wyatt mumbled, but Noelle had heard it and pursed her lips irritated.

"Anyway," Wyatt continued. "I wanted to look around a bit by myself first. And I do have some points, I noticed."

"Who would have thought?" Noelle asked with a smug smile.

Wyatt ignored it and passed his notes to her. "I am innocent regarding the table," she said after they discussed the other aspects. "Chris dropped by one day and brought that thing. He mentioned something, like this being a family restaurant without any space for the kids. He also brought a chest with toys. Don't ask me where that stuff came from. But I though, it was a cute idea."

Wyatt thought about her words and finally he remembered. This was his and Chris' play table when they were kids. It had been stored in the attic. What had gotten into his brother to clean out the house?

"Okay, yes, it's a good idea," Wyatt agreed.

"By the way, should we talk about…"

"No, we shouldn't," he interrupted her at once, knowing that she hinting at her and his brother's encounter a week ago. If it was awkward to talk about it with Chris, it was even more to talk about it with Noelle. "We won't talk about it again."

Noelle raised her eyebrows. "You think that is a good idea? I mean, if it still is concerning you..."

"It's not," Wyatt threw in again. "Really, Noelle, let's drop the topic. It's your business. Seriously, I'm not bothered, I'm not even interested. Just, please, don't use my brother for some weird way to hurt me."

"Why would I want to do that?" she asked and with a mischievous grin she added. "Actually, I guess, we used each other in this matter and it had not the least to do with you."

The ex-partners shared a look. Then Wyatt cleared his throat and focused on the computer display again. "I was checking our accounts. Who is this guy, Martin Lewis?"

"Our new chef. Well, second chef," she simply replied.

"A new chef? You hired a new chef?"

"I did."

"You can't just hire someone without talking to me first. That influences our budget for the future relevantly. We should have discussed that decision."

"Let's discuss it now, if you want. In case you haven't noticed, I'm doing two jobs here: Yours and mine. Call me senile, but I have never seen you in the kitchen and in the office full-time. Actually, I can't remember, you were ever cooking in that kitchen. All you did were papers here, and walking around serving some precious guests or leading them to their tables, chatting and putting on an important face. But if you think, I'm working for two for only one salary, you are wrong. See, I don't have to do this. I could just search for another job, letting you deal with everything. But I happen to like this place and my colleagues and I find it quite nasty to let them hang because their boss fells the need for a self-finding trip out of the blue. So, yes, I hired help for me. And if you have a problem with that, then go on and fire him, but then you'll lose us both and how do you want to lead a restaurant without a cook? And if you are worried about the money, then maybe you should find another way to pay your rent there while you have a house here for free."

Noelle took a deep breath. While talking she had dismissed her comfortable position, bending forward, coming close to her ex-boyfriend.

Wyatt in returned looked at her surprised but not irritated. No, he knew, he should be glad, Noelle was covering for him. But he also knew she tried her best to teach him a lesson; to make him see, what a great, strong, clever woman he had let walk away.

Her highest ambition was not the restaurant or the staff, she also wanted to prove that she was better than him in every aspect, especially in business – in his business. It surely wasn't easy for her to admit, she couldn't handle everything by herself.

"You are right," Wyatt said. "I understand that the situation isn't easy and I am grateful that you agreed to help me out here. I do not take it for granted. However, it is still my business, thus I guarantee for everything with my name and my money. Therefore, there are decisions that need my agreement. In this special case, let's just forget it. I have no objections as long as you and the staff can work with him, it's fine by me. Moreover, I understand that the double workload is too much for one person. So, how did you find him for this position?"

Noelle glared at him but understood, he left her nothing to say anymore. So, she let it be. Shrugging, she explained, that she and Martin had worked together before when she was new in town and had only met again coincidently on the market. There her former colleague explained that he would soon become unemployed as the place he worked for was shut down. They quickly agreed on a working contract when Noelle admitted she needed help.

"He's doing a great job," she emphasized. "And he is a nice colleague, who fits in the team. His food is delicious. You can ask every guest. You can ask Chris, by the way."

"Is Chris here often?"

"Oh, yes, twice or three times a week. He's a fantastic taster. Why? Shall he start paying for his meals? I can also kick him out, next time he comes here."

Wyatt shook his head. "No, I just wanted to know."

"He comes for the food, not for me."

"I guess so."

"Do you want to meet Martin? He should be here by now."

"Good idea. I'd like to meet him indeed."

Noelle stood up and grabbed the back of groceries.

"I'll send him."

Only moments later, the door opened again and a tall, broad shouldered man with a slight stomach came to Wyatt, shaking his hand. He wore a white t-shirt and jeans with an apron above it all, on his head a baseball cap with the logo of the San Francisco Giants.

"Nice to finally meet you," he said enthusiastically. "I stated to feel awkward working for someone I've never seen."

"You too. But you are working for Noelle, at least at the moment. Please take a seat. It won't take long. I know you have enough to do."

"Oh, I'm well organized and Noelle is covering for me. So, is this my job interview?"

Wyatt shook his head. "No, that'd be too late, you already have the job. Only one question: Noelle mentioned that your former employer had to shut down and I wonder why?

Martin laughed. "Good point. It surely had nothing to do with my food. No, it was simply poor management. You can't spend more than your income. If you have to sell more than 10,000 meals per month to pay your rent, it can't work, can it?"

"Guess not."

There seemed a hint of doubt remaining and the chef added: "Let me cook lunch for you to prove it. I always cooked for my bosses before I got hired."

"Do you change your employer often?"

"It's common in this business. Especially when you start, you have to try out various places. I worked in four restaurants so far, which is not so much. One of my jobs was at a French restaurant. It was a decent, upper-class establishment but that wasn't what I wanted to do. I want to cook not decorate plates with bits of things, I can't spell. Moreover, I didn't like the atmosphere. It was too formal."

"Alright," Wyatt said. For him, Martin was talking too fast to follow. This guy had energy. "Well, I already have a lunch date today." He thought about the offer, though, and suggested: "But I could ask my family, if they'd like to come here tomorrow. That's if there still is a free table for 12."

Wyatt waited for an adequate reaction to this, something like panic or surprise, at least.

But Martin didn't become the slightest insecure. "I'm sure, we can make room for all of you," he replied. "Any special wishes?"

"Surprise us."

The other man put on a bright smile. "Really? Great. It'll be a pleasure for me."

There was a knock on the door and Noelle entered. She looked at the men expectantly. "It's not my early shift," she said addressing Martin. "If you have chatted enough, how about going to work?"

"I'm flying." To Wyatt he said: "See you tomorrow, boss," he winked and left.

Noelle frowned confused. "Tomorrow?"

"Yes, I'll invite my family for lunch tomorrow."

"Okay, good to know. We'll have to arrange tables then. We already have reservations."

"I do hope so," Wyatt replied. He scrolled though some numbers but it looked fine. He was pleased with the statement. "So, is there anything else, we need to discuss?"

"Martin and I contemplated hiring a trainee. We have enough time to teach someone, sharing the position."

"Sounds good. Why not? If you find a kid that you feel appropriate, let me know."

"I will." The young woman sat back down on the chair. She remained silent but Wyatt could see, that she wanted to say something else. He waited. He wouldn't call on her to talk.

After a while, she took a deep breath. "Apart from that, we also discussed the possibilities of changing the menu – only slightly. Maybe 'changes' is not the right word; more additional selection. You know something new, something special."

"I like to keep the menu as it is."

Noelle sighed. "Yes, I know. You prefer your mother's recipes and we'll keep most of it. The things people like most and for the special offers, we can offer it again. But, Wyatt, give us some room to be creative. You tie us down with your restrictions."

"We did new menus not too long ago. I'm not investing money to change them again."

"Fine," Noelle said bitterly. She thought, he maybe was afraid, the guests would prefer her and Martin's new creations to his mother's. However, so far, he had never noticed that she had already done little twists to the recipes.

Wyatt knew her well enough to realize she wasn't amused by this. "But I have another suggestion. You can offer whatever you please as daily special, if you like even different for lunch and dinner. If people start to ask for those meals, we can consider substituting something else of the menu. Is that acceptable?"

She nodded, sure of herself that the guests would ask for her dishes. "There is one last thing." She paused. She had to choose her words carefully. "I also hired Martin in preparation for the time when you'll come back as I will leave then. Martin will be well instructed until then, which means less trouble for you."

"You won't have to quit, when I'll return."

"I know that. Nevertheless, I will. To be honest, I doubt I could work with you or for you straight business without emotions getting in the way eventually. I also doubt, you'll be objective. I would, however, be thankful, if I could stay until I have a new job." She paused again. "When you say, you will come back, it does not mean that you will work here again, too."

"Sure it does."

"In any case, I just want you to know, that I talked to my bank and they agreed to grant me a credit, if I decide to start my own business. So, I hope, if you ever want to sell, you'll think of me, because I'd like to buy this restaurant. I feel very connected to it and I'd be sad to leave. See, I have to care for myself. Now that my future plans had been changed," she added.

Wyatt sighed. He knew what she meant. When they started their relationship, they had often lain close to each together and made plans for their future together. Actually, Noelle was the one talking and Wyatt thought, she had good ideas about the restaurant and everything, but somehow he had never believed it would happen. Maybe, he hadn't worked to make it happen, too. But she had never expected answers, anyway. She had plans in her head and she took it for granted that he agreed, without even asking what he had in mind. No, it was her own fault. How could she build up her life on him? It treated her well that she had to change now and stand up for herself. However, she still didn't. She wanted to take over his well-established, good going business. His mother's restaurant that she had always dreamed of and given to him after her death trusting that he'd do the right things.

"I'm not selling," Wyatt answered. "Even if I wanted to – which I don't – I couldn't as easy. Right now, I'm only the owner of 50% of the share and manager. 25% belong to Chris and 25% belonged to my grandfather. No matter, what he decreed in his testimonial, Chris holds pre-emption right. So, if I ever changed my mind, you would have to bargain with him. Basically, this business is not for sale, sorry."

Noelle shrugged but she wasn't that uncaring as she tried to appear. "Well, I only wanted you to know."

"You did."

Is the format alright, too? I don't know, Doc Manager does weird things lately with my uploads...

It's not much happening, I know. But I am working towards something... :-)