Total pages in book: 156
Estimated words: 145676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 728(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 728(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
“Chef tells us not to worry. I guess we haven’t.”
Landon’s grunted response seemed to agree with him as he headed for his laptop. “You’re right. I need to close the books from yesterday.”
The next text answered Landon’s concern. “Sebie says he closed QuickBooks last night, but you should check to make sure he did it right,” Robert said. He honestly loved his team back in Minnesota. Each one of his managers had been an expensive hire. The cost had worried him in the beginning, but they’d all earned their pay in a big way, allowing Robert some needed free time.
“Babe, you’re funny!” Robert said after reading the next message. “My workout app’s getting me in trouble for not reaching my exercise goal. Did you program it to do that?”
“I did, last year. If you’re just now seeing it, then you’ve been following your schedule.”
“I told you I am.” An unexpected name showed on the list, a text from Helene earlier this morning. They hadn’t said more than hello in the last couple of months, and he’d never received a text from her before. He quickly opened and scanned the cryptic words instructing him to open the link she’d sent in email. His confusion turned to disbelief after reading the few paragraphs of the cover letter.
“She did it.”
“Who did what?”
Robert’s heart drummed in his chest as he read the exchange between Helene, Buon Appetito and Sony Productions. Robert lifted a hand, covering his mouth, afraid to look away from the phone in case it came with a self-destruct option.
“What?” Landon read the screen over Robert’s shoulder until his husband reached around, taking the phone out of his hand, tapping the screen to keep it from power-saving mode. “Is this saying they want you to do video podcasts and cookbooks? Like multiple cookbooks?”
“Yeah. Back over a year ago, when you were in Oklahoma and Helene and I were working out the menu, we talked about the idea of doing what we were doing in YouTube series format. I added the idea of small, specialty cookbooks, because we liked what we were doing so much—you know, trying new things, some turning out great, others failing spectacularly. I thought it was just casual brainstorming. She never told me she was shopping the idea.”
“Robert, they’re offering you a million dollars,” Landon said, his eyes going wide, his finger poking the front of his cell phone screen again.
“No way.” Robert yanked the phone out of Landon’s hand, having to reopen the attachment from all of Landon’s poking at the screen. He quickly read until he made it to the offer. “Ohmigod, they want to buy exactly what Helene and I talked about, and they want to film inside the La Bella Luna kitchen.”
“No fucking way!” Landon gave a solid whoop and wrapped his strong arms around Robert, heaving him a few inches off his feet. “I told you! You’re a chef.”
“I’m self-taught… I don’t have the experience.” The insecurities tumbled from his mouth at the idea of such a large cash payout along with the investment of time and money he’d have to make. Landon put him on his feet and reached up, grasping his face between his palms, drawing him in for a quick hard kiss.
“Stop the bullshit. You know you have a talent. Text her back and tell her you’re in.”
“We have to work out the logistics. I can’t take anything else on that takes time away from you…”
Landon rolled his eyes and commandeered his phone. When Robert tried to reach for it, his husband gave him his back and quickly typed in the passcode. Helene’s text message opened, and Landon typed as fast as his two thumbs could.
“What’re you saying?”
Landon pushed send and handed him the phone to read for himself. His words were perfect, ones Robert wished he had chosen. “Helene, you sneaky thing. What an incredible opportunity. I’m in. Thank you for everything.”
Helene’s reply came through as he stared at the phone. Robert read it out loud, “Speaking as your friend, you’ve made such a name for yourself so quickly, we should probably shop this around. I feel sure we can get a better deal. Speaking as a partner and editor of Buon Appetito, I say we should sign this contract and get started right away. Come see me while you’re home. We’ll decide what’s best.”
Landon’s grin grew broader and his fist came forward over the phone, a knuckle bump Robert willingly obliged. “It’s a great compliment.”
“It is,” Robert agreed. It seemed, yet again, they were at another turning point. When did the turns get to be too much? Maybe the bigger picture did include putting this on hold until he and Landon were together again every day. “If we’re going to try and have babies…”
“You aren’t having the baby. Our lives still go on,” Landon shot back, puffing out his chest and anchoring his hands at his waist, taking on his debate stance. “You need to do this. There’s no question that you have to take this opportunity. Do it in memory of your father. I can’t even understand your hesitation.”