Chapter Fourteen - And So It Was...
"Oh my God! Leo!"
I ran into the living room where Piper was. "What?"
"I just figured it out!"
I took a deep breath. "God, I thought you just found out you were pregnant or something...You almost gave me a heart attack."
"Sorry."
"What's wrong?"
"I just figured something out."
"What?"
"I've been thinking...Us...The way we were before we got together...It reminded me of someone...Another couple...Then it hit me."
"Huh?"
"Forces of Nature."
"...The movie?"
She nodded. "Yep. We were like Sarah and Ben."
"We were?"
"Yeah, I was the whimsical, fun one—"
"You were?"
"Well, you know what I mean...And you were the guy who never wanted to have fun but was forced to anyway."
"And now?"
"Well I'm the same, but you're like me now."
"Am I?"
"Yes. You've changed a lot." She stood up and put her arms around my neck. "I'm really happy for you," she said.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, and I hope I made some sort of contribution...Some sort of difference..."
"You made all the difference," I told her.
She smiled. "It's good to hear that."
So life went on. Ashley got bigger and she and Michael turned the spare room of their house into a nursery. She was six months pregnant and loving it. She said the morning sickness was pretty much gone but she did have a little trouble moving around. She could hardly bend over.
Piper realized what she really wanted to do. She'd had little jobs here and there, some fair-paying desk jobs, but then one day it hit her.
"I want to open a restaurant."
"What?"
"Leo, I love to cook. It's my passion. I went to culinary school."
"You did?"
She nodded. "I've always wanted to cook. And I've been manager at that restaurant for a while now..."
"A month."
"Well the owner loves me."
"Does he now? Maybe I should have a talk with him..."
Piper smiled. "No need. I just think...Maybe he can help me open up this restaurant I've been dreaming of. Or maybe I can become part owner."
"Piper, to own like twenty percent of a restaurant would cost twenty thousand dollars at least."
She nodded. "I know."
"...And you have twenty grand."
She nodded again.
"What? Where?" I glanced behind her. Maybe she would play pick-a-hand with the twenty grand.
"In the bank. When my grandma died, she left my sisters and I each twenty-five grand. I had a friend who knows what he's doing put it in stocks and it's turned into thirty-three thousand by now."
"Who's this guy? What's with all these guys?" I teased.
"He's the cousin I keep in touch with."
"...Oh."
"I want to get some of that money out and start a restaurant."
"...Are you sure? I mean, it's a big investment, and it might not work out..."
"I know...But I don't just want to be a manager, I want to own."
I nodded. "I'll back you all the way."
She smiled. "Thanks. That's what I need."
She got in touch with her cousin and they went over the costs, numbers, and papers. Then Piper talked to the owner of The Hurricane, the owner of the restaurant /bar she was working at. He went over some papers with Piper and her cousin and helped out as best he could.
Then one day Piper came home skipping.
"What happened to you?"
She smiled. "A horrible, wonderful thing!"
"What?"
She stopped in front of me and put her hands on my arms. "Okay, get this. My boss, he loved the races, and I mean loved the races. Horse races, of course. Well he made this huge bet and lost! Now he wants to almost give me the restaurant! He doesn't want to see it go under, and he said he'll give me full ownership for fifteen thousand!"
"What?"
"I know! It's perfect!"
I wasn't sure how she was so happy about something that bad happening to her boss, but if it got her the restaurant she'd always wanted, then I was happy for her. She was glowing for the rest of the day.
She didn't make many changes to the restaurant. A few decoration changes, and a couple of changes to the bar, but it just made the place better. The Hurricane had a new logo, a new slogan, and a new commercial. It was a large place, a competitor with The Olive Garden and Cheddar's. Piper just made it better.
She was living her dream, and nothing could make her happier.
And so life settled into place.
Um...short, filler, last chapter is the next...It feels weird because I don't think this story is ready for a close. There wasn't really a problem or a big plot or car chase...lol...Just kinda a cute little story, I think.
So please review, and I'll get the last chapter up and I'll officially have finished 2 stories on here! (yay?)
-hannahlt09
