And in four weeks, when the Michelin guide didn’t award them a star, she’d say it was because she was a woman since only six percent of those awarded were female. They’d buy it.
Well, not the older ones who knew Nanine’s had been screwed by Dassault before.
God, she couldn’t think about what she’d say now. Not when Kyle was looking like her not backing him up was hurting him. She couldn’t take that.
“All right.” She waved her hand and crossed to him. “You go on and fight. I’ll cook. Can we agree on that for now? Because I really love you and don’t want you to be mad at me.”
He sighed deeply and wiped his brow with a free hand. “I’m not mad at you.”
“Yes, you are.” Where was his smile, the warmth in his eyes for her? He was retreating right before her eyes. “And if you can’t talk about it, fine. I’ll go make breakfast.”
In the kitchen, she decided to make omelets given the chopping it involved. Attacking some onions, peppers, and ham would work wonders for her mood. She cracked her back and got to work. When Kyle arrived and started playing tug-of-war with Spike, she was finally able to breathe. At least he wasn’t leaving the house.
By the time they finished eating, mostly in silence, she knew Kyle was still steaming mad but doing his best to put a lid on it. She speared the last piece of green pepper, thinking he should be grateful she was even out of bed, dressed, and eating like a civilized person. Then she shifted her perspective:he was upset, and as his best friend and partner, she needed to do something about it.
“So I chopped about thirty-one onions last night and crossed the whole star thing off my recipe card. What do you need to do? Because I don’t want us to be like this.”
“Neither do I.” He met her gaze, his jaw tense. “What if I told youIneed you to fight?”
She reached for his hand, relieved when he took it. “I get it. Kyle, I’ve fought my whole life. But this time you need to trust me. I know when the odds are in my favor. This time they aren’t.”
“I can’t accept that.” His grip tightened on hers. “I frankly don’t believe you can. You’ve wanted a star for your entire career, and you’re just going to lie down?”
Spike gave a pitiful whine, so Kyle leaned down and winged the puppy’s toy across the room. A yipping Spike gave chase. Madison wished her life were as simple as the one Spike had, but Kyle deserved an answer. “Look, yes, it’s been my dream. Do I like it? Not one bit. Would I punch Dassault in the nuts if I could? You bet. Listen, sometimes life isn’t fair. Nanine had to make peace with that fact. That’s what I have to do.”
By the end of her speech, she was gritting her teeth. When he looked off, she tried to swallow the bitterness in her throat.Of courseit wasn’t easy. She was hanging on by a thread.
“I don’t like feeling powerless,” he admitted in a tight voice. “That’s the worst part for me. The only people who make me feel like that are my parents, and I finally took care of that. Now, I’ve got this fucker putting his foot to our neck. I’m taking this very personally. I know it. But there it is. I’m not going to take this lying down. I can’t.”
Spike ran over with a whine, setting the rope at Kyle’s feet. She watched with an aching heart as he picked up the dog and held him against his chest. Great. Now their puppy was upset too. “Look, I know how sucky it feels. But surelyyou’re the kind of person who knows that you’re the one who decides how to feel.”
His baby blues met her eyes head-on. “I do. Mad, I hate feeling like I can’t help you get what you want. I mean, you’re cooking your heart out. William Silver said so and so have plenty of others. This isn’t right, and if I can’t help you?—”
“Right this wrong?” Comprehension came, and her entire body started to tremble with it. “Then you won’t be the Golden Boy.”
“Dammit! Partly. But I also won’t be a good partner to you. I love you so much. I want you to have everything.”
There was a sudden drop in her stomach. Her heart thudded with love and hurt—emotions she’d run away from her entire life. She rose on trembling legs and came over to his side.
Gesturing to his lap, he eased his chair back to make room, and she hopped onto his thighs and wrapped her arms around him. His arms tightened around her as he pressed his face into her neck. They clung to each other, sharing their anger, their grief, and that damn bullshit powerlessness that wrecked even tough guys like them.
Spike started whining, so she reached down and lifted him up, fitting them together like they had been last night.
Like a family.
“Do you want to rumba or something?” she whispered in Kyle’s ear. “Get freaky in the kitchen? Take a walk? The awful Paris winter weather probably won’t mess up my perfect hair.”
His muffled laugh was strained. She gripped him tighter. Spike edged his way up to Kyle’s neck and proceeded to lick it. He jerked, sputtering out a laugh.
“Oh, did that tickle?” she said with a smile. She figured Kyle needed something to laugh about—they both did—so she eased back and let the little dog do his thing.
Kyle laughed and squirmed as she held the little dog inplace, letting him continue his lick attack. The sound made her heart feel lighter, and soon she was laughing because he was. God, they were so weird.
When Spike finally grew tired and jumped down, picking up his rope, Kyle’s face wasn’t as tense. He cupped her face with a tenderness she was still getting used to and smiled. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?”
She had to bite back a clever comeback likeIt’s my perfect hair, right?Instead, she gave an answering smile and touched his jaw. “Yeah. And for some reason, I’m crazy in love with you, too.”
“Thank God.”
