9
London
ONE YEAR LATER – September
Max has done it again with another Kingstown Regatta win! I stayed long enough to be by his side for the main interview, but I had to get back to our restaurant. That’s right…our restaurant. The past year has been a whirlwind of craziness. Sometimes I don’t even think it’s all real. Max won the regatta again without Vance and Yates as his mates. They competed against him, but they were no match for Max. And tonight, we celebrate. Not at the yacht club, and not at any of the other hoity toity places Max used to frequent all the time, but at our own pride and joy…Dawson’s Restaurant and Marina. We could’ve named it something else, but Max wanted to restore the old place to its original charm. It belongs to us both, Mr. and Mrs. Max Richmond. That’s right, we’re married! Instead of having a huge wedding, we eloped to the Maldives and only had our close family and friends there. It’s been the best five months of my life. So far, at least. I know more good times are about to happen.
I hop out of my car and hurry to the restaurant entrance. Everyone will be showing up shortly and I have to make sure tonight is perfect. Ever since we opened, we’ve been booked solid. The one thing I made sure of when I agreed to open the restaurant with Max was that it must appeal to everyone, not just high society. I want everyone to feel welcome.
When I walk inside, Kim is in the dining room, checking over all the tables. She looks up at me and smiles. “Everything is all ready for tonight, Mrs. Richmond.” The sound of my new name never gets old and she knows I love to hear it.
“It smells amazing in here,” I gush, feeling my stomach growl.
A couple of the best chefs in Rhode Island work for us and we’ve already been featured in several magazines. Even August Cahill, a foodie expert who travels around the world to various restaurants gave us a stellar review. It’s all been a dream come true.
Cars start pulling into the parking lot and the growling in my stomach turns to quivering nerves. I want tonight to be epic. Max deserves all the success in the world. He’s done so much for me. All I wanted was to be a manager of a restaurant and now I’m the proud owner of one. When he isn’t helping me with the restaurant or the marina, he spends his spare time on the water, giving young sailors the chance to learn from the best. I have no doubt he’s training future regatta winners.
Derek, one of our servers, rushes out from the back and waves when he sees me. “Congratulations, Mrs. Richmond.” Then he grins at Kim. “And to you too.”
Kim beams. “Yeah, if it wasn’t for my boyfriend helping Max out, there’s no way he would’ve won.”
She winks at me and I laugh. After last year’s regatta, Max ditched Vance and Yates and hired two brothers to help restore the marina. It turns out they had sailing experience and they ended up replacing Vance and Yates. They didn’t come from wealthy families, but they’re hard working and just all out good men. When Kim met Jason, the oldest of the brothers, she fell in love with him instantly.
“And if it wasn’t for my husband, you wouldn’t have met Jason,” I quip back.
She nods. “True. I owe you guys for that.” Boats start pulling into the marina and we watch them dock. There’s one vacant boat slip, waiting for its owner. Our crew has already decorated it with balloons. I knew without a doubt that Max would win again.
It doesn’t take long for his boat to come into view. Everyone piles onto the docks, jumping up and down with excitement. Camera crews are in the parking lot, lights flashing as they record this epic moment.
“I bet our old boss at the yacht club is pissed,” Kim says happily. “Their business has gone downhill since we opened. How many of their staff have left there to come here?”
“Six,” I answer.
She snorts. “And I know they’re much happier here. They talk about how amazing you and Max are all the time.”
That makes me feel good. I have accomplished exactly what I wanted. I don’t wish for any business to fail, but the yacht club messed up by only allowing certain people access. Not to mention, management treated the employees like shit. It’s one of the things I was going to change if I became manager. With my staff, I can treat them the way they deserve to be treated…with respect.
Max pulls into the dock and so many people rush up to help him and Jason, and Jason’s younger brother, Alex, tie up the boat. Taking Kim’s hand, I pull her toward the door. “Come on.” It’s been an amazing day for so many reasons. I feel like I can barely contain the excitement.
Max shakes hands and hugs a few people here and there, but when he sees me, he runs up the dock and I jump into his arms. He swings me around and sets me down quickly, his lips on mine. Cameras flash all around us. Max winks at me and waves at all the reporters and all the people crowding around in the parking lot.
“Thank you for joining us tonight. If you don’t have a reservation, we still have room on the patio. As a backup, we hired some extra help tonight in case I won. They should be here shortly. We don’t want anyone being unable to celebrate with us tonight.”
The crowd bursts out laughing and more cameras flash. Max wraps his arm around my waist, and we walk up the stairs to the restaurant patio. “This is going to be a good
