He should probably talk to Rain about her, but what would he say? That she was trying to find him? Rain already knew that; besides, the last time she’d contacted him, he’d had a panic attack and cried in Tristan’s arms.
Tristan didn’t want to put Rain through that again, so he’d stay silent for now, but if she became more of a problem, then he’d have to let Rain and Mason know.
Finishing his food, he walked back inside, put his coat in his locker, and wandered to the foyer, lost in thought.
“…and there are two more event spaces downstairs. That’s why we need both of youandanother maître d’.” Marci’s voice broke through his contemplation; she must be giving someone else a tour. “And here he is! Hi,Tristan.”
Eager to meet more of the staff, Tristan brushed off his lapel and turned, but he stilled in shock, his eyes going wide and his heart almost beating out of his chest.
Beside Marci, wearing a chef coat and a stunned expression, was a man Tristan never thought he’d see again.
Jax.
5
JAX
JaxpulleduptoThe Pointe, stunned by how beautiful it was. According to Finn, all of the damage had been fixed, and a glass ceremony room had been added, along with a third event space. But the best part was that the kitchens had gotten an upgrade, and Jax couldn’t wait to check them out.
He should be more nervous, but after scrambling to pack, find a new place, and move in under six weeks, he was more shell-shocked than anything. As expected, Mae had reacted by calling him a traitorous bitch, but his mother had taken it in stride, saying that she’d touch up his roots at his new apartment.
Finn and Ollie had helped tremendously, borrowing a van and assisting with the move, and they’d unknowingly saved Jax a ton of agony. He’d been extremely careful, so his back had held up, leaving him in peace for his first day on the job.
But this could be the calm before the storm.
Parking, he clicked the barbell in his tongue against the back of his teeth as he walked into the building, grinning when he noticed Finn and Ollie waiting for him.
“First day selfie!” Ollie declared, and the two of them jumped behind Jax. Grateful that Mae had taught him his angles, Jax caught the light and pouted perfectly. Ollie joined him, but Finn smiled like he was on a game show.
Snapping some photos, Ollie quickly looked them over. “Gorgeous!”
“That’s you, Sunshine,” Finn kissed Ollie’s cheek before clapping Jax onthe shoulder. “It’s great to have you aboard! Do you want a tour?”
“I should probably meet up with Angelo and the rest of the chefs first.” At Finn’s nod, Jax gave both of them a stiff hug. He knew they’d noticed how he moved and held his body, but they’d never questioned it, and he appreciated that so much. Eventually, he’d open up, but for now he wanted to settle in. “Thanks for the welcome, guys!”
Taking a few steps across the foyer, he suddenly realized that he had no idea where he was going and turned back sheepishly. “Um, can you show me where the kitchen is?”
“Of course,” Finn said as Ollie threw his head back and laughed, and they escorted Jax around the back of the foyer and through a large doorway. Years of training kept Jax from stopping in the entrance, because the main kitchen was top-tier, with shiny, new ovens and a walk-in refrigerator that took up almost an entire wall; plus, there were a ton of interesting appliances in the back, and excitement shot through his veins as he spotted a small blast freezer.
It looked like a lot of people were starting alongside Jax, because several groups milled about, and he headed toward Angelo, who stood with two other chefs. While Angelo wore white, he’d told Jax that he could choose any color, so Jax had gone with black even though cornstarch and flour stuck to it like glue.
“Hello, Jax!” Angelo graced him with another of his warm expressions, shaking his hand. “Let me introduce you to your fellow sous-chefs. This is Carson, who’s been with us for a while.” He gestured to his left, where a tall man in a beige coat gave a nod. “But Winter is also starting today!”
Handshakes went around, and Winter held Jax’s hand for a beat longer, making sure their eyes met.
“Nice to meet you. By the way, my pronouns are they and them,” they said softly.
“Cool. I got your back.” That seemed to be the right thing to say because Winter gave him a bright smile. Wearing light blue, the ends of their strawberry-blonde hair had been masterfully dyed to match their coat. He hoped he could take a photo once they got to know each other better, because his mother would love it.
“Great, now that intros are out of the way, let me give you the lowdown.”Angelo launched into an orientation, Carson adding facts when necessary, along with two women from the other side of the kitchen who turned out to be Emma, The Pointe’s pastry chef, and her assistant Kate. It seemed like everyone had a good rapport, and while the atmosphere was intense, it had no hostility, which was rare for a place this big.
Once Angelo finished with them, he gathered the rest of the kitchen staff and introduced the sous-chefs before going over the basics. Rarely intimidated, Jax put a pleasant mask on his face, and he got curious stares and several smiles in return.
“And finally,” Angelo finished up a few moments later, “The Pointe officially reopens soon, and there’s some small weddings leading up to Valentine’s Day, when our maître d’ Marci is getting married.”
“I hear it’s the event of the year!” A petite woman with a giant aura strolled into the kitchen, and Jax grinned. He’d met Marci on the day of the exhibition, when most of The Pointe had shown up to the gallery, supporting not only Mason but his partner Rain, and she’d bewitched him, reminding him of his mom.
According to Finn, she was nearly flawless at her job and could double as security. Ollie liked to joke that she had vampire powers because her speed and strength weren’t normal, and now that Jax had met her, he understood that it wasn’t really a joke.
