Clementine: Chapter 4
It was a stretch, but a few long nights spread over cooling cups of coffee and far too many documents was all it took to square away Hanna Hut. You were now the legal owner of an LLC. To even say the words made you giddy. You were a business owner! It was equal parts terrifying and electrifying to know that your future was now truly in your own hands.
Just like that, you only had a short amount of time to get the doors open. It seemed an impossible feat, but having Kylo by your side gave you an abundance of confidence. He was quick to soothe the side of you that felt self-conscious for taking up so much of the man’s time. All it took was one look, and he’d silently give your shoulder a squeeze. A quiet reminder that it was his own choice to come along for the ride.
With all of the paperwork out of the way, it meant time for the “fun stuff”. Which was how you found yourself in Hell’s Kitchen on a sunny Wednesday afternoon. The summer air was stale and muggy in a typical New York City fashion. Still, that couldn’t damper your excitement as you explored a kitchen supply store with Kylo.
This wasn’t his place of expertise, but he was happy to tag along and watch you bounce from aisle to aisle. He loved getting lost in your world, listening to you gush about the different espresso machines, and how each brand differed.
Although, he did pipe up once in a while to gently remind you of a very strict budget he helped calculate the night before.
“Look at these portafilters. Oh my gosh, they’re gorgeous,” you cried out, fingers greedily reaching out for the shiny stainless steel handles. Kylo laughed and shook his head as he held out the red plastic basket on his arm. You hurried to fill it with a few accessories, eager to try everything out once the shop delivered your new espresso machine.
“How do you know so much about coffee?” Kylo asked. He wandered with you down another aisle, this one filled with gorgeous glassware of all shapes and sizes. You picked up a double walled glass cup and mused, “I used to work in a coffeeshop during college. We only ever used crappy beans since it was a college town, but I still loved everything about the job.”
You set the glass down and picked up another one - a pale pink ceramic mug. “I liked how coffee could perk people up. How it was such an integral part to their day. It was fun to see people gather in the shop, too. How it served as a backdrop to so many happy memories for people of all walks of life. I’d love for Hanna Hut to be a source of happiness for people.”
“That’s quite admirable of you,” he responded. Kylo then plucked the pink mug out of your hand and looked it over. “This one. I think it’s so you.”
Your scrunched your nose up at Kylo, secretly loving how much he towered over you. “What about that mug makes you think of me?”
He pretended to be deep in thought as he scratched his chin. “Hm. For starters, it’s small and cute.” Your cheeks pinked, and he chuckled in response. Throwing an arm around your shoulder he continued, “Come on. Let’s finish shopping, get this stuff shipped to the store, and then grab some lunch. How does Italian sound?”
You tilted you chin up to look at him and squealed, “Only if we can get tiramisu!”
Kylo shook his head, as the realization that he was so whipped for you set in.
Apparently “Italian” meant seats at an exclusive restaurant where the chef, himself, prepared your meal. He introduced himself as Pietro Fagiuolli, and ushered you directly to the kitchen, where a secluded spot was set up by the kitchen island. You realized that there was barely any space between yourself and Kylo, especially given how his knees knocked into yours.
He shot you playful smiles as your legs continued to rub and touch throughout the meal. When he finally felt you relax your knee into his inner thigh, Kylo felt a sudden swell of confidence. Surely all of your playful flirtation and gentle touches must mean something. You didn’t seem the type to flirt your way into getting someone to help you out.
It was now or never. He gently set his fork down with a quiet clink, and folded his hands together in his lap. You felt the air change, and put your own utensils down. Kylo took in a deep breath and murmured quietly enough so that nobody in the kitchen could hear your conversation.
“I don’t want to be too forward, and I don’t want you to think that your answer will affect whether or not I still help out with Hanna Hut...but...how would you feel about dating me?”
He hated how his voice cracked at the end. Despite having faced down some seriously intimidating individuals in court, he’d never done something as heart racing as seriously asking a woman out. Not like this, when he was already so invested from the get go.
You tilted your head and considered the man in front of you for a second before your lip twisted in a little smirk. “I thought that’s what we’re doing now,” you teased. You reached across the stainless steel tabletop and opened your hand up.
Kylo was quick to place a hand in yours, intertwining your fingers.
“Doesn’t hurt to check,” he muttered. Kylo was old school, but he knew better than to just assume everyone else had the same expectations. He spent the better part of his life in New York City, a place where people played fast and loose with feelings. Even if you didn’t seem the type to casually date, Kylo still wanted to make sure before investing more into the relationship.
Your eyes crinkled in amusement and happiness. “Only under one condition.”
“And what’s that?”
“We’re exclusive,” you finished.
Kylo laughed, already feeling a million times lighter. Hearing that you wanted him, and only him, made the man’s day. “So I guess that would make you my girlfriend?”
You nodded and stood up on your toes to lean across the table. “Seal it with a kiss?”
He got up to meet you halfway, and your eyes fluttered shut as he pressed his plush lips against your own. It was a chaste kiss, but one filled with promise of a future you could never have imagined.
His tongue swiped forward, and just as you were about to deepen the kiss, a throat cleared in the kitchen.
“Really, guys?” Pietro groaned, his voice laced with a thick Italian accent. “Let’s show some respect for my pasta.” His tone was teasing, and he had a wide smile on his face. The man rested a hip at the edge of the island and tossed a towel over his shoulder.
You pushed away from Kylo and shyly tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. Although it was clear that Pietro was giving Kylo some harmless ribbing, you couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed. “Thank you for hosting us. The food is amazing,” you awkwardly sputtered.
“You really outdid yourself,” Kylo added, making a point to gesture at your empty plates. The chef chuckled and slapped a hand against Kylo’s back. “Anything for the man who kept me out of jail!”
He took notice of your shocked expression and laughed even louder. “No, nothing crazy! I was being mistaken for some sucker with mob ties. Apparently having a thick Italian accent is enough of a reason to arrest someone in this town.” Pietro rolled his eyes and gave Kylo a jab with his elbow and continued, “But this guy over here believed me. I was only a sous chef at the time, and this guy defended my case pro bono. Promised Mr. Tall, Dark, and Scary that if he kept me out of jail, he’d get free meals whenever he wanted!”
You smiled at how cute Kylo looked with shy and rosy cheeks. You asked, “By this amazing meal, I’m assuming that you won?”
Pietro tossed his arm around Kylo’s shouldered and cheered, “Hell, yes! I owe this guy my life.”
“Alright, alright. Did you come here with dessert or just to chat our ears off?” Kylo groused, clearly embarrassed from all of the praise. Pietro was unfazed though, and turned to shout some Italian over his shoulder. A young man immediately appeared balancing several plates on his hands and forearms.
There was a giant slice of tiramisu, clearly made from scratch. The cream was so fresh and fluffy, it looked like little puffs of clouds with the finest dusting of cocoa. There was also a bowl with generous servings of gelato in all sorts of colors. What excited you the most though, was a narrow rectangular plate.
Placed in a neat row upon the plate were the most beautiful and exquisitely decorated chocolates. They were like miniature pieces of art, each shaped like an iconic symbol of New York City. There was a yellow taxi cab, a skyscraper, a cute little stiletto, and an apple just to name a few. It looked like the colors were all hand painted for goodness sake!
“These are too pretty to eat,” you gushed. Despite your words, your fingers reached out to pick up a little newspaper shaped chocolate. There was even a tiny “NY Times” painted across the top.
Pietro’s chest puffed at your words, proud that you noticed and appreciated the details. “Go on and try it. There’s more where that came from,” he urged.
You took a little nibble and moaned, causing Kylo’s mind to wander to a place unsuitable for public consumption. It was an impossible task though, as you reached across the table and hand-fed the other half of the chocolate to your boyfriend.
He groaned, partially from the burst of chocolate and hazelnut, and partially from the feeling of your fingers gently brushing a stray crumb off the bottom of his lower lip. “These are good,” he muttered. He caught your eye and couldn’t help but share a mischievous smile.
“I’m still here,” Pietro grumbled. Before you could protest, he stuck a finger up and joked, “I’m Italian. I know what those lovey dovey eyes look like, and you two got it bad.”
Pietro signed and nudged Kylo. “How about I leave you two love birds alone before I vomit, and you tell your lady about the deal, eh?” He threw Kylo a pointed look before pressing a friendly kiss against your cheek and disappearing into the back of the kitchen.
You sat up and dug into the cake, mouth full of cream and coffee soaked cake as you asked, “What deal?”
Kylo smiled at the sight of you licking your fingers and answered, “Pietro’s willing to consign his premiere chocolate collection at your shop. Exclusively. It’ll be a great way to generate buzz and make some sales while you’re at it.”
“Consign?” Your nose wrinkled in confusion.
“It means that whatever you sell, you’ll split 50/50. If any product doesn’t get sold, he’ll take it back at no cost. It’s a way for businesses to wholesale a new product without risk.”
Lips still smacking, you wondered aloud, “Not that I don’t appreciate it, but why me? He’s on the shortlist to earning a Michelin Star!”
Kylo reached over and ran his hand along your arm. “I told him about your concept, and he loves it. He really wants to help your business take off.”
“He feels sorry for me,” you sighed. A little pout formed at your lips. On anyone else it would have looked petulant, but Kylo found the way your lips pressed together to be quite endearing.
“No. He really loves your concept and supporting young business owners. I would be lying if I said what he went through didn’t affect him, but he wouldn’t just help anyone out.”
“Okay,” you murmured, still feeling a little shocked. Kylo sensed your trepidation and immediately stood from his seat. He walked around the table and pulled you into a tight hug. Your face pressed against his chest, and you couldn’t help but sag into the embrace.
He ran his hands through your hair, and wondered when you were last held like this. It was so long ago a date didn’t surface.
“Have some confidence in yourself. You’re about to be a...uh...what is it that they call it online? A ‘boss bitch’?”
You snorted into this shirt, “Please don’t say that ever again. But I do appreciate the sentiment.”
“Only if you promise to be kinder to yourself,” he murmured, lifting your face up by the chin with the tip of his index finger.
“Deal.”
Kylo’s face softened, and he gave you a little kiss. As he held you and kissed positive affirmations into your temple, you couldn’t help but give a silent “thank you” to Poe’s stupid stereo system.
