"Almost burned the steaks? You, one of the best chefs in this city?"

Marco's laughter spooked a few seagulls perched on the terrace railing of the bistro.

"Yes, me. Nothing's funny about it, by the way. I offered to cook for the girl I like in her kitchen and nearly made a fool of myself."

My assistant shrugged. "She didn't notice."

"I won't always be this lucky. I need to get my head in the game. This time, I know I cannot screw it up."

Marco grinned. "I thought I'd never see the day. So, will there be a second date?"

"I hope so. Okay, enough with the chit chat. What do we have today?"

"A birthday celebration, later on, and a couple of business dinners — nothing unusual."

"I need to do some paperwork. Will you manage without me?"

Marco squeezed my shoulder. "Sure, go. I have everything under control."

I nodded and made my way to my office in the back, also known as The Cave. It was the place where I'd spent countless nights back when the business was nothing but an overly ambitious project with few customers and way too many bills to pay. Getting comfortable in my leather chair, I powered on the computer and got to work.

People romanticized having your own business. Very few of them saw the hard work, the neverending worry, the sleepless nights trying to come up with something that would set your restaurant apart from the rest.

True, I made decisions. I could go home early if I wanted to — not that I ever did. On average, I had less free time than those who lived from paycheck to paycheck. I was okay with that because I loved my restaurant, and I knew damn well that you could never settle.

Despite that, on some days, spending hours in The Cave felt suffocating. Failing to make any more progress, I turned off the computer in a while and changed into my running gear. Marco always joked, saying that I ran solely to destroy the stereotype of a fat restaurant owner.

I exited the restaurant through the back door to avoid being seen and headed to the beach. The evening was beautiful; the cold temperatures were yet to come, and there were quite a lot of people doing sports.

I chose to run close to the water. It would tire me out faster, but I would burn way more calories than by choosing to jog on a comfortable sidewalk.

As my sneakers pounded the wet sand and the fresh breeze hit my face, I got lost in my thoughts and nearly missed another runner's footsteps. When the person was level with me, the realization made me smile.

"Aiden."

The kid was friends with Ellie, Louise's daughter. We didn't get a chance to chat when we had dinner at their place, and I wanted to change that.

"Thierry, hey. I didn't know you ran."

I chuckled. "I could say the same. Good pace."

The guy blushed slightly, shrugging as we continued the jog.

"So, why here on the beach?" I asked. "You told me you lived quite far."

"I needed to think. Running in my neighborhood is a nightmare. You can't do it without crashing into someone's car. What about you?"

"It's convenient. I keep my running clothes at the bistro."

"Smart. It's late to be working anyway. I quite like this place."

"Have you lived here long?"

Aiden answered, slightly breathless, "When I was a kid. We moved away until my father decided to open another office here, and we came back. Now, I'm glad we did."

"Why?"

"I needed a change, I guess."

"What about friends? Leaving them behind sucks."

He chuckled. "Yeah, but I wasn't the one to have plenty of them anyway—just a few good ones."

We ran along the beach in silence for a long while until my muscles started to feel tired. Panting, I bent over, placing my hands on my knees. Aiden slowed down, coming to a halt next to me.

"Would you like to have a drink?" I asked him after stretching.

"Sure, but where?"

"I can grab a couple of beers from the fridge in my office without calling anyone's attention."

Aiden laughed. "Are you hiding the fact that you run from your people?"

"Not really. I just know that if I show up there, I will have something to do, and I don't feel like working. Come on."

We made our way to the back of the restaurant unnoticed. I grabbed two bottles of beer from the minifridge in The Cave and told Aiden to follow me to one of my favorite spots. It was nothing fancy — just a stone bench facing the ocean, but I made way too many important decisions sitting there, and the view would take anyone's breath away.

"So, what did you need to think about while running?"

Aiden picked on the label of his bottle. "I guess not what, but who. Damn, I...it's weird, but I don't have anyone to talk about that stuff."

"You can talk to me."

"Yeah, I guess."

"So, cherchez la femme."

Aiden raised his eyebrows.

"It means look for the woman in French. Whenever we're in trouble, there's usually a woman involved. Alexander Dumas was the guy who used this phrase for the first time."

"The Count of Monte Cristo."

"No way! Have you read the book?"

Aiden shook his head. "Watched the movie—one of them. I think there are several versions. And yeah, you're right, it's about a girl."

"Ellie?"

Aiden groaned, resting his head on the back of the bench. "Who else?"

"What about her?"

"I don't know if she likes me. That dinner in her house was great, but damn, I stare at her all the time in class, and she just smiles and looks away."

I laughed. "What do you want her to do?"

"I don't know, something. She's so...innocent. Am I even her type? I thought I was, but she's the smartest girl in our class, and my grades are shitty. She could have any guy. Okay, scratch that, I'm pretty sure every guy in our class wants to ask her out. I think the only reason why they don't is because she scares the living shit out of them."

"And you're jealous."

Aiden sighed. "Stupid, right?"

"What are you waiting for, then? Ask her out before someone else does."

The guy took a swig from the bottle. "I'd love to, but she honestly deserves more. My home life is a mess. I'd rather not drag her into it. On the other hand, I'm seriously attracted to her. It's so weird. We only met a week ago, and it feels like I've known her forever."

"Why is your home life a mess? Don't you get on with your parents?"

Aiden bit his lip, staring at his lap. "It's only my father and I. He has expectations, and I'm not sure I can meet any of them."

"My mother and I don't talk," I said.

Aiden wouldn't have been able to hide his surprise even if he tried. "You don't?"

"No, but it's okay. My point is that everyone has problems and issues, and you seem to be a good guy. Let Ellie decide if she wants to get to know you better. She's a shy girl. You will have to be the one to make the first step."

"Yeah, I guess. Thanks, Thierry."

Aiden's phone buzzed, and he took it out of the pocket of his shorts, glancing at the screen with unmasked annoyance. "Sorry, but I have to go. It's my father."

"It's okay. Good luck with the girl."

Aiden smiled. "Good luck with her mother."

We said our goodbyes and I watched him walk to the parking lot a few feet away from where we sat.

Shortly after, I went home too. As I fixed myself a quick dinner and sat down at the table to eat it, I realized that I had to apply the advice I gave Aiden to my own situation.

Lou and I texted, but I didn't tell her I wanted to see her again.

With my palms suddenly clammy, I grabbed my phone and typed a text.

Me: How about a lunch date on Wednesday?

The reply that appeared on the screen made me grin like a fool.

Lou: About time, Thierry Fauber.