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Chapter 7

Kendra never did find out that Remy had been in the restaurant during dinner service the night before, thus was unaware of the transformation Remy’s feelings had undergone. He no longer thought she should leave her job to be at his beck and call, but instead understood that part of what made her special was her gift in the kitchen. To take that away would essentially, take a part of Kendra away.

Determined to make his relationship with Kendra work, he decided that there was only one solution. He had begun his plans that night, calling in some favors, and using his name to get some other things accomplished. He skipped his usual morning call to Kendra, afraid that his emotions might give him away. By that evening everything was in place, he was nervous but ready to take the next step.

Kendra was worried when Remy’s usual morning call failed to come in. No matter how much they disagreed, they still talked at least once a day, sometimes twice. She hoped that this wasn’t the beginning of the end. She wasn’t going to change her mind but she had hoped that he might at least give them a chance.

He hadn’t even wanted to discuss the situation with her. Claiming that she loved her work more than him, typical spoiled man behavior, she thought. His mother had said she would talk to him, but that might have been a bad choice. It might have just driven him farther away.

Deciding that work was still the best medicine, she headed out the door. When she worked she was able to forget all her problems with Remy. She could block out the world, and just think about food. By the end of the day she would be so exhausted, she would be asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. That had been her pattern since she and Remy had been fighting. Work, home, sleep and repeat. Cooking wasn’t as much fun as it used to be but she was back in the kitchen like she wanted.

As she was finishing that night’s paper work, Margot popped her head into the office to ask if she needed anything else. Kendra sent her on her way, reminding her to lock the door behind her. It had been a good night, packed house, with three full settings, a chef’s dream. She knew she wasn’t as excited as she should be, but then nothing was the same since she and Remy had been fighting.

She was tired, but knew she wouldn’t sleep tonight. Remy still hadn’t called and while she was worried about his safety, she was sure his mother would have called if anything had happened to him. Instead she was sure that his silence was a sign of their relationship’s death.

She was sitting at the desk, head in her hands, hunched over the paper work trying not to cry when she heard a noise out in the dining room. Margot was the last to leave and she never forgot to lock the door. Gathering her courage she grabbed the biggest knife from her personal set which she kept in the office. She crept down the hall toward the dining room, she could see the flicker of a light and figured whoever it was needed some light to see.

As she came closer, the light began to get brighter, as if another flashlight had been added. But suddenly she realized that it wasn’t flashlights but candle lights. Worried she might be about to interrupt a private dinner, she called out.

“Is someone there?” She called boldly.

When there was no response, she continued down the hall, her heart nearly pounding out of her chest. As she rounded the corner, she saw that the source of light was hundreds of candles. They filled the room with a gentle light that muted the room and left shadows in the corners. Taking a deep breath, Kendra smelled her favorite flower, lilacs. It was then that she noticed the numerous bouquets of them that filled the room. They were perched on every available surface, filling the room with their sweet fragrance.

As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw that Remy was standing across the room, holding the biggest bouquet. He was dressed in his best suit, looking for all the world like a model just about to hit the runway. His dark hair was shining in the candle light, his eyes focused on her, taking in every inch of her body in one bold glance.

That one glance was all it took to get her blood boiling. Tamping down her desire, she waited for an explanation. It was going to take more than a grand gesture to fix the problems they had in their relationship.

“My mother had been sticking her nose in my business as usual, but this time I have to thank her for opening up my eyes. I was here with them last night, they sent me to the bar before you came to the table.” He began, opening a bottle of Kendra’s favorite wine. Handing her a glass, he steered her toward a chair and gently pushed her into it.

“I was being a stupid ass, thinking only of what I wanted. When I saw you in that kitchen the other night I realized how proud I was to be your boyfriend. What you have is a gift, you not only work magic with food, but with people as well.” He said.

“So you understand that my job is a part of me. I have to be able to create, it’s not really like I have a choice, without a way to express my creativity I can’t be happy. This is my world, and if you want me, you have to accept that.” She said.

“That’s the thing,” he said, kneeling in front of her. “I want you to do what makes you happy and if this is it, then I will support you. I was wrong, but I still want us to be together as much as we can.”

Oh, Remy I’m so happy to hear you say that. I was so sure that your silence meant that we were finished.” Kendra said, trying not to cry.

“Well, it took me some time to pull all this together, but we still have to discuss a compromise. I always hear that good relationships are based on compromise, so here’s my idea.” He said, taking a small velvet box from his pocket.

Kendra could hardly breathe as he took her hand, and opened it to reveal a beautiful diamond engagement ring. “I want you to marry me, Kendra, that way every night, I know that you will be coming home to me. I love you more than I ever thought possible and I want us to be together forever.”

“But Remy, we’ve only known each other for a short time, it’s too soon for us to get married.” Kendra protested.

“Do you love me?” He asked.

“You know I do. I love you more than anything, but it’s such a big step. Yesterday, we weren’t even speaking and tonight you’re asking me to marry you.” She said, shaking her head.

“Just think about it, we could be together all the time. You can have your career and I can have mine. When it comes time for me to travel, we’ll take it one trip at a time. You know it’s the perfect solution, please say yes.” He said, sliding the ring on her finger.

“Oh, Remy you make it sound so simple, so good.” Kendra had never been one to take risks, but this felt so right. “Yes, Remy I will marry you.”

The words were hardly out of her mouth, before Remy wrapped her in a big hug that was followed by a scorching kiss. It had been weeks since they had been together and Kendra was immediately ready for him.

Knowing the dining room wasn’t the appropriate place, Remy scooped Kendra up off the chair and carried her to the office, where he deposited her on the desk and cleared everything off with one swipe of his arm.

Stepping between her legs and taking her face in his hands, he looked deeply into her eyes and said, “Kendra, I love you and I want us to be together for the rest of our lives, nothing will ever stand in our way again.” Any reply she might have made was lost when his mouth descended on hers in a searing kiss.