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The thing about Plume & Pearl is it reminds me of Seattle. I’ve been homesick for Budgie Bay, but Seattle will always be a second home to me. The restaurant is chic and modern with linen tablecloths and candles at every table. I still find it humorous Sandy got takeout from here.
“Mr. Asbury,” the hostess says, eyebrows lifted high and smile bright. “Will you be dining at the bar or over at your private table?”
“The private table, please. Thank you, Ginnie.”
Ginnie walks us through the busy restaurant to a private alcove. The table is a C-shaped booth. I take Sandy’s coat from her and hand over both of ours to Ginnie. She scurries off to put them away for us and promises to send the server over to us soon.
Once we’re seated, close enough our thighs are pressed against one another, I look over and grin at Sandy. “I’m going to give you the full Plume & Pearl experience. None of this takeout nonsense. All six-courses. We could be here for hours.”
“Oh no,” she says playfully. “I get to be spoiled with delicious food, wine, and desserts. Poor me.”
I give her a wink and when the server arrives, I tell him to spare no expense.
Spoil my girl.
The Gilded Gull Rooftop bar is a little flashy for my taste, but after our incredible meal, I didn’t want to take Sandy home. She’s warmed up to me quite a bit and I want to keep it that way.
“Edible flowers?” Sandy asks as she pokes a manicured nail at the beautiful piece of floral art hanging delicately from the craft cocktail she ordered.
“Promise you won’t die.”
She plucks it from the rim and nibbles at it. “Okay, wow. Weird but kind of cool.”
“Are you enjoying your taste of New York?”
Her blue eyes lift to find mine and she nods, but there’s a sadness in them. My chest tightens.
“This has been really nice. The company even better.”
“I’ll drink to that,” I say, lifting my sweet tea. “Nothing beats the small-town low-key vibes, though.” Then, under my breath, I say, “The Icehouse makes killer sweet tea. I’m not sure what they put in this thing, but it’s not sugar.”
Sandy laughs. “I feel like we’re cheating on Silas.”
“We’ll see him plenty this week.”
Sandy bites on her bottom lip and a flicker of anxiety washes over her features. “I hope the reception turns out perfectly. Nora deserves it.”
“It’ll be perfect,” I assure her. “You’re in charge and you’re doing a great job. You’re a fantastic mother, Sandy. I’ve always thought so.”
Her eyes water and she fixes her attention on the half-eaten edible flower. “Thank you. I think I needed to hear that.” She meets my gaze again. “Any plans for further business expansion here in Budgie Bay? You’ve really built up this area for the better. I mean, growing up, that river was boring and full of mosquitoes. You built a whole district that competes with the bay. It’s truly beautiful over here.”
I nod as I scan the river that’s mostly frozen over. Lights glimmer and dance along the icy surface. It’s pretty at night, especially in winter.
“I think I’ve done enough here in Budgie Bay. There are a few potential projects I have up my sleeve.” I push the unusual sweet tea away from me and lean back in my seat, grateful they have massive pyramid heaters out here under the covered area keeping us warm. “Last summer I visited Harbortown for business and stayed at Lakeview Harbor Resort. I ended up chatting up a local while in town, Reece Barrett, and got some good ideas about developing that area. He’s in construction so he was a wealth of information.”
Sandy looks up the town on her phone and frowns. “It’s a small town like Budgie Bay.”
“That it is.”
“Are you out to take away the small-town charm everywhere you go?”
Her words sting and I visibly flinch. “Ouch.”
“Sorry,” she says with a groan. “I’m feeling a certain kind of way right now. I honestly don’t understand it.”
“Is my big city girl turning into a small-town girl?”
Her lips twitch. “Let’s just say I’m beginning to appreciate it more than I ever have. I’m sorry. Continue. Tell me all about your ideas.”
