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“Hey, Lyla, how are you doing?” I know what she really means. I haven’t talked much about what happened, and this is sweet Grace’s way of letting me know she cares.
“I’m good. Thank you for asking,” I say, meaning it as I hug her back.
“Hey, Grace, they have Absinthe,” Marcus says, grinning his cocky smile, and Grace turns beet red and shakes her head at him.
Before I can ask what that’s all about, Mason and Willow come up the stairs and he lets out a loud whistle of his appreciation of the place as she stands there with her mouth hanging open. The place is impressive; I get it. They join us at the bar and order drinks, then shortly after, Nora and Declan join us and we all head to the gorgeous table.
White tablecloth, gold plates with matching silverware and dark-green napkins and beautiful eucalyptus running through the middle of the long table. We don’t order anything because Dane and Cole already set everything up, down to the last detail, so we all relax and chat, catching up on the details of our friends’ lives. I’m especially thrilled to have Marcus’ parents with us. We all listen enthralled about how great Harmony is doing in school and dance class. Mason has started a fling with Simone, and Charlie and Marcus have set up the other apartments that are above the studio for a new band his label Empire 39 has officially signed and will be moving here within the month.
“To celebrate the studio’s success with Simone’s album going platinum and the signing of Headspace, this is for you, Lyla, and don’t try to give it back because it’s technically already back into your account.”
His shit-eating grin makes me cock my head in confusion, but I take the envelope as he goes on.
“I’m also hosting a huge masquerade ball, and you’re all invited. Lots of snotty socialites and celebrities will be there, but I promise it’ll be fun.” Lowering his voice, he says, “Charlie, I made masks required just for you so I don’t want any excuses why you can’t or more accurately why you won’t come. I will drag you there myself if I have to.”
I watch her smirk at him but know she’ll try her hardest to get out of it. My poor, sweet, fucking gorgeous best friend is the shyest person I know, and secretly I wish what happened to her dad would have happened sooner. I look down and pull out the paper from the envelope and freeze, slack-jawed and ready to cry. A deposit slip of the 1.5 million dollars, the exact amount I gave Marcus years ago, has been deposited into my account.
“Holy shit, Marcus.”
I peer at him with tears in my eyes that I’m trying so hard to hold in. He comes around the table, and I get up. We hug and the table claps for some reason. I hear cheers of “congratulations on both your successes” and “So proud of you” along with “Holy cow” from Willow I think, who must have just seen the slip sitting on the table. We pull apart and sit back down. I wipe my cheek and turn to Cole. “Did you know about this?”
He looks guilty as hell but shakes his head, smiling like the Cheshire cat. I still lost most of my money when the scandal hit. I also had to deal with the IRS to be cleared of any money laundering I might have been involved in, which I was not at all, so it wrapped up pretty fast. They let me have my condo, which I sold along with my beloved restaurant. It was hard to sign on that dotted line, but I knew it was for the best. Cole, Marcus, and even his dad Declan helped me move everything back to San Diego, and I’ve continued to work side by side with Cole. I love it, I do, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss cooking more, which has come as a surprise.
Dane comes out with his team of servers all dressed in black. They bring carts around and place covered dishes in front of us.
“Hello, everyone. As many of you know, I’m the owner and head chef here at Kraze. As good friends of Cole and Lyla, I wanted to personally say hello and thank you all so much for choosing my restaurant for your family dinner this evening. As my servers come around you, they will lift your covers.” Everyone sits back as the covers come off the dishes and the aromas all waft in our faces.
“I do hope it’s all to your liking and especially yours, Lyla, seeing how they are all your recipes.”
My head shoots to Dane, and he’s grinning knowingly at me.
“Tonight only, I’ve prepared some of Lyla Turner’s most famous and popular dishes. These items aren’t found on my menu and were only trusted to me because I’ve had the pleasure of becoming friends with her and Cole.”
I look to Cole and he gives me a cocky smile with love and hope in his eyes. I laugh, loving it and wanting him to know it. I feel him relax as I press my lips to his cheek and whisper “Thank you” in his ear.
Dane goes around and introduces my dishes to everyone, since everyone got something different. Even Harmony, who doesn’t wait before she digs in, loving her fancy mac and cheese with bacon and smoked pulled pork. Everyone moans at first bite, and I nod and smile my approval to Dane who slowly retreats downstairs with his servers.
The evening is a huge success, and we laugh and eat some great food all while spending quality time together. Finally, everyone cheers to a wonderful night with amazing friends, and we finally say goodbye.
