“I’m sorry, Nikki. There’s nothing we can do about it until th—”
“No,” she almost screamed as she launched herself out of the chair and began pacing the space before her. “I can’t accept that there’s nothing that can be done. I need to go see his mother and speak to her woman to woman…let her know she needs to keep that evil spawn away from Amy,” she spoke frantically.
“Nikki.” Paul sighed as he rested the glass on top of the coffee table. “I don't think that’s such a good idea. The woman may prove to be just as vindictive as her son. You showing up there might only aggravate the situation and make matters worse,” he cautioned.
Nikki stopped pacing to link her gaze with his. “I have to do something, Paul. I have to protect Amy…maybe…maybe if I go there and appeal to her motherly instincts, she’ll understand tha—”
“Nikki, you're not a mother remember. You going there and doing that has the potential of having the exact opposite effect than what you intended,” Paul spoke out in frustration.
Nikki froze at his words.You’re not a mother.
“You couldn’t give me what I needed more than anything, Nikki, so I had to get it from somewhere. What did you expect? I wanted children even before we got married. There is no way in hell I was gonna stick around knowing you can’t give me the one thing I want more than anything. I tried. Believe me, I tried. But this isn’t enough anymore. Roxanne is pregnant, and I need to be a father to my child and create a stable home environment for him. I can’t do that and remain married to you. I want a divorce.”
Those words and the betrayal had cut Nikki so deep that when her ex Josh left to be with his mistress he’d secretly been in a relationship with for over three years, she had suffered a total mental breakdown. If she hadn’t had Ava and her go-to bottle of Pinot Noir to occasionally sip or chug, she was certain she would have been admitted to the asylum. She remembered how devastatingly inadequate she had felt knowing that the one thing Josh wanted and she wanted, her body wouldn’t cooperate to produce.
Her heart tightened as the pain from all those years came crashing down on her, the weight squeezing her chest and threatening to crush her.
“Hey. You okay?” Paul asked, waving his hand before her face.
“Of course, I’m okay. Tell you what, the minute I’m not okay, you’ll be the first to know,” Nikki said with an attitude, her head shaking vigorously with each word.
Paul reared back in surprise, his eyes widening.
“What’s wrong? Was it something I said?” Paul questioned with concern in his voice. His eyes widened, and his mouth opened wide as realization dawned on him.
“Nikki, I’m—I…I didn’t mean…that didn’t come out right.” The words came tumbling out of his mouth as he tried to apologize.
“Can you go? I’m not feeling well.” She turned her back to him.
“Nikki…”
“Please, Paul, just go,” she said forcefully, keeping her eyes fixed on the wall. When he got up and headed for the door, she followed and slowly closed it on him as he stared at her regretfully. Nikki broke down immediately after, the crushing pain in her chest causing her to collapse and sag against the wall.
ChapterTwenty-Two
Paul sat in his office back at Lot 28 going over the numbers. So far, everything seemed to be on track for the establishment to have another successful year; guest numbers had greatly increased since the start of summer and kept trending high. He was satisfied.
He sighed for what felt like the umpteenth time, and he reclined in his chair twirling the pen around his fingers as his mood became pensive.
He’d hurt Nikki. Even though it had not been his intention, the hurt look on her face showed just how much his words had cut her deep. If he could have retracted his statement, he would have, then he wouldn’t have to be in his office thinking about her, wondering if she was all right or what he could do to make it up to her. He hadn’t exactly left her in the best of moods. She had been highly charged and refused to listen to anything else after he’d reminded her that she wasn’t a mother. Seeing her so upset and knowing that he was the reason for it caused his heart to ache. He put his hand over his chest and massaged the area above the scar he’d received from the surgery.
Just then, there was a knock on the door before the head chef and his partner stepped into the office, and his hand fell away from his chest.
“You look like hell,” Ken observed as he settled into the sofa at the far corner of the office, his perceptive eyes trained on Paul.
“I’m fine. I’m just a little fatigued after reviewing the books for the past two hours.” He plastered a smile on his face that he hoped was convincing enough.
“You know you could have left. I could have finished it for you. Don’t want you having another…episode if it can be prevented.”
“What did you want to talk to me about?” Paul asked, changing the subject.
Ken didn’t speak for a while but continued eyeing him as if trying to figure something out. Paul felt like squirming under the scrutiny.
“The business has been doing so well and the restaurant keeps having such a huge draw and great reviews, even the one back at the Nestled Inn…I was thinking that we could maybe branch out. What do you think about opening another Lot 28 in Seattle?”
Paul nodded his head contemplatively as he thought about his partner’s suggestion. Another one Michelin star restaurant opening would be great for their brand. However…
“It’s a good idea. I can see us drawing in an even greater crowd if we open a sister branch in Seattle…”
