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I took a moment to consider his question before nodding confidently. "Yeah, I think so. We've put in a lot of hard work to get to this point. I'm feeling pretty good about it."
“Whoa, don’t gush, big bro,” Nate joked. But then he smiled softly, his eyes sparkling with admiration. "No, but I agree. You've done an amazing job putting this all together, man. I'm proud of you."
I felt a surge of gratitude toward my brother. Nate's words meant more to me than he could possibly know. Despite our differences, and my usual role of the supportive big brother to Nate’s historic middle-child chaos, he had always been there for me. Just like I’d been there to ground him, he was a steady presence in my life, especially in times of stress like this. "Thanks, Nate. But none of this would have been possible without your talent and dedication, either. You've really stepped up as head chef, and I couldn't have asked for a better business partner."
Nate punched me lightly on the shoulder. "Aw, shucks, Logan. You're gonna make me blush."
I chuckled, feeling a sense of warmth and camaraderie wash over me. Despite our occasional disagreements and differences in approach, Nate and I made a great team. We complemented each other in ways that I never could have imagined, and I was grateful to have him by my side as we navigated the ups and downs of running Forge.
I couldn't help but marvel at how far we'd come since we first opened the restaurant. Nate had grown into his role as head chef with confidence and finesse, elevating our menu to new heights with his innovative dishes and creative flair. And while I may have been the one with the business acumen and ambition, Nate's passion for food and dedication to his craft were truly inspiring.
"I mean it, Nate," I said, meeting his gaze with sincerity. "You're the heart and soul of this place. Forge wouldn't be the same without you."
Nate's expression softened. "Thanks, Logan. That means a lot to me." He paused, then followed his usual script, landing a perfect joke laced with truth. “Man, falling for Carly has made us both a couple of fucking saps.”
I laughed, even as I realized he was right, mulling over just how much Carly had brought us all together. Her presence had a way of grounding us, of reminding us of what truly mattered in life. Hell, she’d taught us what mattered, her and her little girl. Bennett’s little girl, biologically, but Ella felt like all of ours these days.
When the event began, I watched Carly as I made my short, to-the-point opening remarks. She smiled proudly at me and at Nate when I forced him to come accept the applause our gathered crowd of guests and potential investors offered up. Then, as the party began in full swing and I became all-business, switching into full schmooze mode, I still kept catching Carly’s eye. I’d find that woman in a room of ten thousand people, even with her and the rest of the serving staffed dressed in all black that was meant to blend in.
Carly couldn’t blend in if she wanted to. She was born to stand out. I watched her flit around in her confident whirlwind of skilled serving, charming the guests and handling crises with a smile, thinking how well she would do in a higher-up position with my next business endeavor. How great it would be for her to have that option of more stability for Ella.
But now that I’d gotten to know her more closely, I could see the fake edge to her customer service façade more clearly. The strain. And all at once, I started to question whether I really thought she should take the job I’d practically offered her on a silver platter. In a short time, her happiness had become more important to me than any ulterior motives I may have had in offering her that role. She hadn’t accepted yet, of course, but I knew that she was practical and selfless to a fault. I started to wonder idly if I should rescind the offer I’d made her, if only to give her an excuse to dedicate more of her time to something she cared about, like the photography she clearly loved.
As the night went on, the announcement of my next restaurant went off without a hitch. The gathered crowd showed their enthusiasm with cheers and applause, and I let my knowledge that this event was an undeniable success carry me through the awkwardness of having to speak in front of a crowd. As I schmoozed some more, shaking hands and wishing I could just retire to my office for the night, Carly surprised me, coming straight into my line of sight for the first time all evening with an odd, frantic energy about her.
“Hey, congratulations,” she started off, but before I could even thank her, she jumped in again. “Can we talk? Alone?”
“Of course,” I said, taking a gentle grip on her arm above the elbow as I guided her to the back corner of the party. Again, that frantic energy jumped the gun, and the second we were settled, Carly spoke up before I could ask what was going on.
“I’ve been thinking, and I… I’ll take that promotion, if it’s still on the table,” she told me in a rush of words I had to take a moment to process. My brow furrowed, partly because I didn’t understand how I felt about this.
“Oh?” was all I could manage to say, since my head was still spinning.
“Yeah. Um, is it still on the table?”
“Well, yes,” I said. “But I thought?—”
“Great,” she said at a clip. She smiled, and was I imagining the way it didn’t meet her gray eyes, the way they looked positively stormy? Or did I just think I knew her better than I actually did? It had all been so fast, this connection we’d forged and followed through to its pleasurable conclusion. It was very possible that I wasn’t in a position to decide what was best for her.
“Hey, my two best pals in the world,” Nate’s delighted voice broke through the night as he came up to us and slung his long arms over both of our shoulders. “What a night, huh?”
“Some night,” I echoed.
“Totally,” Carly agreed.
“But you know what would make it better?” Nate asked, and I could smell the liquor on his breath—just enough to make him a little happier than normal, even more the life of the party. Since he wasn’t cooking right now and all the food was already served, he had a right to enjoy the free booze. He nuzzled Carly’s neck, making her giggle. A genuine sound, laced with a promise that my body instantly took to heart. Nate looked between the two of us with a naughty scheme in his eyes. “I think the three of us should head to the back room and have some fun on our own. You up to fuck Carly senseless as a reward for how hard she’s worked tonight, Logan?”
“Nate!” Carly hissed, laughing again.
I couldn’t even share her concern about being overheard. I just nodded, and the three of us ducked into the back office where Carly had first really told me off. I’d wanted to rip off all of her clothes and drive her to ecstasy then, too.
I was sure to lock the door behind us. When I turned back, Nate and Carly were making out furiously, his hands roaming to grab her ass, dragging up handfuls of her skirt to expose the sexy lace panties she had on. I stepped into the fray, helping Nate peel the garment off her, yanking it up over her head. Then I got to work on unhooking her bra as Nate guided her up onto the edge of my desk.
She looked fucking delicious, sitting there, her body all flushed pink and freckled, her breasts full and heavy, her lips plump from kissing Nate. I snuck in a hard kiss to her mouth, too, and Carly moaned into me, chasing after me when I pulled away. Nate laughed.
“Damn, always so eager, our Carly. Don’t you love it, big bro?”
“Can’t get enough,” I answered. “Especially when I can tell she’s soaked just at the thought that we could get caught. You like to be bad, don’t you, Carly?”
