Chapter 24

Zoe was baffled when I told her about how my conversation with Elias had gone. She was convinced that she wouldn't have forgiven him that easily if she'd been in my place, but I was glad that I had done it. Holding grudges or resentment for someone wasn't in my nature.

Soon after, we wrapped our lesson up for that day and decided to do a final recapitulation of everything I had taught them the next day.

As Zoe began waiting tables, I took a call in my office. It was one of our waiters calling in sick for his shift later that day which meant that I'd have to stay to help out.

Irritated, I leaned back in my chair after the call when I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. It was a message from Jay.

Would you like to come by again later?

Even though I'd just learned that I'd have to work and couldn't spend the evening with him, a smile crept onto my face and my grumpy mood evaporated.

I would, but a waiter just called in sick, so I have to work late tonight. Might not make it out of the restaurant before midnight. I texted back wistfully.

You could still come by and let yourself in. The bed would feel empty without you. I like having you by my side.

The smile on my face widened to a grin. Okay, I'll be there.

Can't wait.

My heart fluttered. I'd also much rather spend the night with him next to me instead of alone in my bed, but I also agreed because I didn't want him to be alone in case he'd be plagued by another one of his nightmares that night. The state he'd been in last night had scared and upset me. Clearly, he was in desperate need of help but hadn't accepted that yet. I decided that I needed to have a talk with him about it.

"Hailey?" Zoe called from the doorway. "The first members of that group reservation for twenty people just came in, and Martin isn't here yet. Would you mind helping out?"

"He just called in sick," I replied and pocketed my phone. "I'll be out in a minute."

She left and I walked over to my locker to put on my work blouse and apron before heading to the dining room.

The big group celebrating someone's birthday had come for lunch as well as dinner and a few members stayed well past midnight. They were a cheerful crowd and ordered many drinks and dishes which meant great revenue for the restaurant but also no breaks for the entire restaurant staff. My back and feet started aching a few hours in, and by the time we'd cleaned up the restaurant and had kicked out the last few deep-seated members of the group at close to 1 am, my feet were on fire.

After saying goodbye to my parents and the staff, I trudged to my car and slumped in the driver's seat, feeling the relief of finally taking my weight off my feet. I drove to my house first to pack an overnight bag, then continued to Jay's place.

When I walked in, his apartment was quiet and dark except for the faint beams of moonlight shining in through the windows and reflecting off the picture frames and the glass coffee table. I locked the door behind me and placed my bag onto the floor, then pulled my boots off. My soft steps were muffled by my socks as I padded over to Jay's bedroom door. It was ajar, and I peeked my head into the room.

Jay was sleeping peacefully on his side of the bed and had left a big, open space for me next to him. He hadn't fully closed the curtains and the silvery moonlight illuminated the pale skin of his face and chest. I leaned my head against the doorframe and watched him for a while. This man had managed to conquer my heart with such ease and naturalness in a scant amount of time. I had never experienced anything like it before in my life.

Gently, I closed the door and headed to the guest bathroom by the front door to get ready for bed and change into a big T-shirt without disturbing him.

When I walked into the bedroom, Jay had rolled over, and his arm lay on my side of the bed as if he had reached out for me. I tiptoed over, and while trying my best not to wake him, I carefully raised his arm and slid in underneath it. As I lowered it onto my waist and slipped my legs under the covers, Jay stirred. He took hold of my waist and flexed his arm towards his body, pulling me to his side of the bed until I was face to face with him.

"Hey, you," he murmured contently while keeping his eyes closed.

I ran my hand across the side of his face and cupped his cheek. "Hey," I whispered while rubbing my nose against his gently before kissing him.

He pulled me in even closer, and when I broke the kiss, he mumbled, "How was your day?"

"Good, the lesson went well," I said and placed another kiss on his mouth in between sentences. "And Elias came by the restaurant to apologise."

Jay's eyes opened, and he stared back at me. "I'm glad to hear it."

"How was your day?"

He shrugged slightly. "Also good. We finished the paperwork, and Voight let us go early. I did some grocery shopping, so the fridge isn't empty anymore."

I let my fingertips run over the back of his head and through his short hair soothingly. "How are you feeling?" I asked, opening the subject of last night.

He looked back at me for a moment before answering. "Great now that you're here," he said with a faint smile and pulled me in closer, trying to avoid the topic.

"No, Jay. I'm being serious," I insisted and pushed him back a bit.

He sighed in resignation and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "I know. I'm fine, don't worry. I'm sorry about last night. It wasn't as bad as it looked."

I watched him carefully, and my eyes bore into his as I shook my head. "Don't apologise for this, Jay. And don't brush it off as if it was nothing. You are struggling and need help. Please talk to someone, and stop trying to deal with this on your own," I pleaded, keeping my voice soft but adamant.

"I've been talking to you," he remarked quietly and looked down.

"That's true. And I'm glad that you are," I whispered earnestly and held his head between my hands and brushed my lips against his cheek. "But I'm not a professional. I don't know how to help you in this situation."

He mulled over my words, and when his eyes reconnected with mine, I knew that I'd made him see reason.

"You're right," he conceded. "I'm meeting up with Will tomorrow. I'll ask him if he can recommend someone."

Relieved, I expelled a soft sigh. "Thank you."

I was glad about how the conversation had gone. Jay could have easily blocked me off and told me that I was crossing a line or that this was none of my business, but he'd listened and understood that I was only trying to look out for him.

"No, thank you," he whispered and pulled me in for another kiss.

The emotional link between us and our mutual trust and affection for one another deepened every single day with every conversation we had, and we transferred those feelings effortlessly into the physical sphere of our relationship.

As our lips moved against each other and I hooked my leg around his waist and he grabbed my hip to eliminate every inch of space between us, I felt a more intense connection with him and was more attracted to him than ever before.

"I feel so lucky to have you in my life, Hailey," he whispered against my lips, and I tasted his breath on my tongue.

My eyes welled up from happiness, and I pressed my mouth against his tightly before pulling back slightly. "You mean more to me than you know, Jay."

I saw him react with a heartfelt smile, and he reached up to brush away a tear that had dropped from my eye and had settled on the bridge of my nose.

That night our physical bonding didn't become passionate. We took our time to express our deep appreciation for one another with simple and innocent touches and kisses until we fell asleep in each other's arms.

When Jay started twisting and turning in his sleep a few hours later, I noticed quickly and was able to bring him out of the early stages of his nightmare right away by hugging my body against his and letting my fingers run up and down his back like I had done the night before.

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of sizzling and the smell of coffee wafting through the open bedroom door. Jay's side of the bed was empty and cold. He'd been gone for a while, but I hadn't noticed him get up. I stretched out my arms and legs, twisted my back, and wiggled my toes to expel the sleep from my body.

Following the smell, I got out of bed and padded to the door. Jay was standing with his back to me in front of his stove, wearing only a pair of basketball shorts and an apron.

I walked up behind him and let my hands slide under the apron from his waist to his stomach. "What are you wearing?" I japed and placed a kiss on his back.

He chuckled, and I felt the muscles of his stomach tense under my fingertips. "I realised that frying something in a pan without a shirt on isn't the best idea. Spritzes of hot butter kept landing on my skin, so I grabbed my apron."

I got on my tiptoes and peeked over his shoulder. "What are you making?"

"French toast. I hope you like that."

I nodded against his shoulder.

"Could you get me some plates, please?"

I looked around the kitchen aimlessly since I didn't know my way around it yet.

"In that big cupboard over there." Jay pointed at it with his spatula.

I retrieved the plates, Jay transferred our toasts onto them, and as I placed them onto the kitchen island, Jay filled up two cups of coffee for us before sitting down next to me.

I took a bite from my toast. "This is really good, Jay," I commented, impressed by his cooking skills.

"Glad you like it," he smiled. "So, you're at the restaurant again all day today?"

"Looks like it," I replied while taking another big bite. "We're wrapping up the lessons today and it's Saturday. So Martha will be coming by again. You're meeting Will?"

"Yeah, later this afternoon. Before then, I have a few errands to run. Including getting my bike out of storage and cleaning it up for our trip tomorrow."

Excitement bubbled up inside me in anticipation for our trip. "I can't wait," I told him, beaming.

"I love how eager you are." He reached out and ran his hand over my hair affectionately, smiling. "I can't wait to spend the entire day with you."

After breakfast, I returned to bed and sent off a few messages and e-mails from my phone while Jay disappeared into his ensuite bathroom to take a shower.

A few minutes later, the door opened, and I looked up from my phone to see Jay step out wearing a towel. Droplets of water were glistening in his hair and speckled all over his body.

"Should I shave this off?" he asked and ran his fingers through his beard as he moved to the edge of the bed.

I put my phone down, got onto my knees, and shuffled across the bed over to him. "Don't you dare," I warned him and stroked my fingers over his jaw.

"I might trim it a little though. I'm starting to look like a musketeer," he remarked and twisted the ends of his moustache between his fingertips.

I chuckled and ran my hands down the sides of his neck to his wet chest and leaned against him to briefly press my lips onto his.

"Your shirt is wet now," he noted looking down at my shirt which was now spotted with dozens of little water stains.

I shrugged and grabbed the bottom hem of my shirt as I stepped off the bed. On my way to the bathroom, I shed what little clothes I was wearing and let them drop to the floor. In the doorway, I glanced back and saw a grin form on Jay's face as he studied me and then followed me back into the bathroom to trim his beard while I took a shower.

When we'd both finished getting ready, we said a long goodbye in front of Jay's apartment building, neither of us quite willing to leave the other just yet. As soon as we finally broke apart and I got into my car to drive to work and Jay started walking to the nearest subway station to get his bike, I got that hollow, longing feeling in my stomach that flared up every time I was away from him. It always simmered down after a while but never truly left until I saw him again.

At the restaurant, Zoe bolted into my office as soon as she arrived.

"Kevin asked if I wanted to go out to dinner with him tonight," she blurted out. "Should I invite him here?"

"If you want to spend your night off at your place of work, sure. Dinner would be on the house," I winked with a smile.

"Yes, I like that idea," she concluded as she turned on the spot and walked out again, typing on her phone.

I chuckled at her giddy behaviour.

We started our last lesson soon after, and a few hours later, we were all delighted with the progress we'd made throughout the week, and I felt confident that together Zoe and my mum would have no problem taking over my job come Monday.

Since Martin still wasn't feeling well, I took over his shift again. Despite it being her day off, Zoe helped out too, before going home to get ready for her date with Kevin.

Martha arrived to the minute at her usual time. I saw her stop by the restaurant window to peek in, and when she spotted me, she waved her cane in the air and her wrinkles multiplied as a big smile spread on her features. I went to the door and held it open for her.

"Good evening, princess," she chirped as she wobbled past me.

"Hello, Martha," I greeted her and pulled back her usual chair for her. "Since when are you using a cane?"

"Oh, that's just for today, princess. I felt a little lightheaded this morning and wanted to be on the safe side," she explained as she set her little handbag down onto the chair next to her and hung the cane onto the backrest.

"Martha, I have two orders I need to get ready quickly, but then I'll come to sit with you for a bit," I told her.

She nodded contently and folded her hands on the table in front of her. As I walked off, she looked around the restaurant, smiling at the other guests.

A few minutes later, I sat down across from her.

"Where is Zoe?" she inquired, disappointed that she wasn't there.

"She's not working today. But she'll have a dinner date here later."

Martha raised her sparse eyebrows excitedly. "A date! She met someone?"

"Yes, she did. He's one of Jay's colleagues, and it's their first date," I smiled.

She leaned in closer to me and giggled, "Another police officer. How exciting!"

"He's a great guy," I noted.

"Princess, would you mind seating them at a table where I can see them?" she asked with a wink.

I chuckled and looked at the time and then around the dining room. "Sure, one second."

I got up from my seat and retrieved a 'Reserved' sign from behind the bar and placed it on a table for two by the window in good view of Martha's table.

"There you go," I said to Martha as I sat back down.

The door to the restaurant flew open and Zoe scurried in. She'd pulled her curly hair up into a voluminous, beautifully messy ponytail on the top of her head and wore big hoop earrings and a flowy dress with a floral pattern. She saw me sitting with Martha and quickly rushed over and sat down next to me.

"You look stunn-" I began saying, but she spoke over me.

"I'm so nervous!" she exclaimed and wiggled around in her seat.

"Considering the way you look tonight, he's the one who should be nervous!" I objected.

"You think so?" Zoe asked self-consciously and smoothed out her dress. "It's not too much?"

Martha and I both shook our heads emphatically.

"Such a beautiful girl," Martha complimented Zoe and patted her hand reassuringly.

Now that Zoe was keeping Martha company, I got up from the table to get back to work. "You are such a special person, Zoe. And I think Kevin already knows that. So don't worry, tonight will be great," I said and started walking off. Another thought came to my mind, and I took a step back, "Besides, in the unlikely case that you guys run out of conversation material, you can always tell him a story about your brothers. You have enough of those to fill multiple dates."

She rolled her eyes and chuckled.

Half an hour later, I had just served drinks to a table and was on my way back to the bar when Kevin walked in. He wore a nice shirt with his jeans and fidgeted with his car key as he scanned the place, but when he saw me walk up to him, a warm smile formed on his face.

"Hey, Kevin. Good to see you," I called out and got onto my tiptoes to hug his broad shoulders.

"You too, Hailey," he grinned down at me.

"Zoe is over there," I said, pointing in her direction, "but I have reserved this table for you guys."

His eyes widened when he spotted his beautiful date, and he ran his hand over his face nervously.

I saw his reaction and nudged his shoulder lightly. "Don't worry. She's nervous too," I said softly. "I'll tell her you're here."

"Appreciate it," Kevin murmured in a hoarse voice.

I walked over to Zoe who had her back to the entrance and bent down to whisper, "He's here," in her ear.

She spun in her seat and saw Kevin waiting by the entrance. She gave him a little, awkward wave and got out of her seat to head over to him.

I picked up Martha's handbag to sit down next to the old lady and held it in my lap as we watched. Martha had completely forgotten about her appetiser in front of her.

"A very handsome young man," she commented quietly as Zoe and Kevin greeted each other with a hug and moved over to their table where Kevin pulled out Zoe's chair for her. "And a gentleman."

Throughout the rest of the night, I switched between serving tables and having quick chats with Martha. From the looks of it, Zoe and Kevin's date was going great because every time I would walk by their table or look over at them, they'd be deep in conversation or laughing.

By the time Martha and the other guests had left and we were beginning to close up for the night, the two of them were making no move to leave.

I retreated into my office for a few minutes to text Jay.

Hey, we're closing up. What are you up to?

His response came immediately. Hey, Will and I are at my place, talking. You can join us if you'd like.

I didn't want to interrupt their brotherly bonding time so I texted back, That's alright. I'll leave you two to it. I'll see you tomorrow, I can't wait.

I'll pick you up at 10 am. Looking forward to it.

We finished cleaning the kitchen and dining room, and my parents and the rest of the staff took their leave one by one until only Zoe, Kevin and I were left in the restaurant.

When I'd finished all of my tasks, I walked up to their table and handed the keys to Zoe. "Lock up when you leave, and you can take what you'd like from the bar," I told her. "Have a good night, you two," I said with a wink and left.

I took one more glance at them through the window as I drove past on my way home. The two of them seemed to be a perfect match, and I felt a hint of pride because I had introduced them to each other.