Vacation

The recent incident involving my father's disruptive behavior at my restaurant had become a prominent subject in the media. Given that my father was widely recognized as the face behind the LaVeoux Restaurants brand, his actions garnered significant attention and sparked a flurry of accusations. The public scrutiny intensified as the incident raised questions about the integrity of the LaVeoux name and its association with such behavior.

Investors swiftly issued statements on behalf of their companies, disavowing any knowledge of the alleged misdeeds associated with LaVeoux. Some emphasized that their investment was based on the reputation and allure of the brand, with no indication of any potential recipe appropriation from Lombardi's. Others expressed shock and dismay at the allegations, asserting that they had not anticipated my father's alleged involvement in such underhanded tactics, including attempts to sabotage a burgeoning business through infestations.

As I perused each statement, I couldn't shake the cynical realization that these declarations were mere lip service. Behind closed doors, these investors would likely resume their dealings with my father, but for now, they had no option but to align themselves with public sentiment.

My dad's scandal created a significant stir in the city, and his business felt the immediate repercussions. Over the next three days, he had to close four branches of LaVeoux. Conversely, in a display of public support, Lombardi's experienced an unprecedented surge in bookings, extending our reservations for another three to four months. The influx of profit put us on track to open at least two new stores within the first six months.

"You think it's true that Emily went to South Korea for plastic surgery?" he prodded.

"My dad said it, so it's likely," I replied with a heavy sigh. "She's in recovery now, so it's the perfect opportunity for me to take a break."

"That bitch only relies on her face to do all her dirty work. Aren't you afraid she'll return with a fresh new face and steal Jasper from you?" Travis jabbed.

I bristled at the insinuation. "Jasper isn't mine to steal," I retorted. "Besides, would I be hanging out with someone who likes my sister? I would've cut ties with him from the start if that was the case."

"You speak so confidently for someone still so single. Just be careful out there, you never know when she might come back," Travis cautioned.

"I don't want to think about her for a few days," I admitted, the weariness evident in my tone.

Travis grinned mischievously. "Fine, let's talk about your blooming relationship!"

"If you can even call it that," I retorted, feeling a twinge of frustration.

"Then your happy life," he teased.

"If you can even call it that. I've been too busy to even have something called a life. In case you forgot, I keep working after everyone leaves," I replied, the weariness evident in my voice.

"Ugh! You don't know how lucky you are to have a cop like Jasper chasing after you and eager to take you on a much-needed vacation," Travis sighed wistfully.

"Don't be smitten, there's no relationship," I dismissed, though a part of me wondered if Travis was right.

"If you keep treating him so indifferently, he'll get tired of you, stupid!" Travis argued, his frustration evident.

"How am I indifferent?" I asked, genuinely perplexed.

"You wake up, work all day, close, and keep working until you go to bed. This is your first night back at my house in two weeks, you know," Travis pointed out, his tone tinged with concern.

"That's nonsense," I protested weakly, realizing there might be some truth to his words.

"Anyone with eyes feels bad for Jasper after seeing him chasing you so loyally and waiting for you like a dog in the rain," Travis sighed, his tone heavy with concern.

"That's stupid," I reflexively spat out, feeling a pang of guilt.

"Jasper invited you on an overnight trip, are you going?" Travis inquired, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

I looked at Travis, feeling a mix of emotions. "No."

"You should buy him a gift or something! God, you're so embarrassing! Be honest, have you ever given Jasper anything?" Travis demanded, his frustration evident.

"Why should I?"

"Look how much he's helped you? He even recommended a tech company to help us around the clock," Travis snapped, his voice rising slightly.

"He offered—" I began, but Travis interrupted me.

"You can't just keep taking and taking! Eventually his goodwill will run out!" Travis said sternly, his words hitting me like a wake-up call.

"The guy already has everything, what could I give him?" I shrugged, feeling a pang of guilt for not considering Jasper's feelings more.

"No one has everything, you just never thought about what he wanted," Travis stated before leaving me to my thoughts as I packed my suitcase for my trip.

Growing up, I never really witnessed affectionate gift-giving between my parents. If anything, their interactions seemed more like obligatory exchanges rather than genuine displays of love and affection. I can't recall a single instance where they openly expressed their love for each other or exchanged thoughtful gifts. It was almost as if they were going through the motions of marriage without any real emotional connection.

As for my brother, his approach to relationships was even more disheartening. He would often shower his girlfriends with gifts, but it always felt superficial, like he was trying to buy their affection rather than genuinely caring about them. And behind their backs, he would cheat and openly disrespect them, further reinforcing my skepticism about the authenticity of romantic gestures.

So, when it comes to giving gifts in romantic relationships, I feel somewhat lost and uncertain. I don't have any real-life examples to draw from, no role models to emulate. It's a daunting task to navigate this aspect of relationships when my own family dynamic has been devoid of genuine affection and love.

Jasper had a way of making me feel both excited and anxious at the same time. There was something undeniably magnetic about him that I couldn't ignore.

As I scrutinized my reflection in the mirror, a sigh of dissatisfaction escaped my lips. I couldn't help but feel uncertain about my appearance, unsure if I looked good enough for Jasper. Dating was uncharted territory for me, and I had no frame of reference to gauge my efforts against.

Running a hand through my freshly buzzed hair, I conceded that it looked decent enough. I'd made sure to brush my teeth and take a couple of showers to ensure I was presentable. Yet, despite my efforts, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease.

My gaze lingered on the flannel shirt that Travis had insisted I wear. While it might have been his idea of dressing me up, it didn't exactly scream romance to me. In fact, it felt more like a costume than anything else. But Travis had insisted it would make me look "ruggedly handsome," so I begrudgingly went along with it.

"So how do you think I look?" I asked tentatively as I stepped into the living room where Travis was engrossed in the TV.

Travis glanced up, his eyes running over me appraisingly. "You look very...." he looked for the correct words. "You look good... I'm glad I set you two up. I'm sure you'll have a great time together."

I couldn't help but narrow my eyes at his attempt to be supportive. "You didn't set us up together! I did it on my own, your help wasn't needed!"

"Well, I gave the two of you the push you needed!" Travis countered, a hint of defensiveness in his tone.

With a roll of my eyes, I retorted, "Sure, whatever Travis," before grabbing my suitcase as a knock sounded at the door. "See you later!" I called out hastily, leaving Travis behind with a shocked expression.

Jasper's expression shifted from surprise to curiosity, but he wisely chose not to ask any questions as I hurriedly ushered him towards the elevator and then to his car. I was determined not to give Travis any chance to tease or embarrass me into changing my mind, so I kept our pace brisk and our conversation nonexistent.

"Jasper! Hello," I greeted with a smile, finally feeling a surge of excitement as we settled into the car.

"Hi, Alex, you ready for our vacation?" Jasper asked with a grin.

I nodded eagerly, "Yeah, I'm ready," I replied, feeling a mix of nerves and anticipation bubbling inside me.

Without exchanging a word, Jasper drove to the nearest gas station to refuel and then headed into the store section to gather the necessary items for our road trip.

As Jasper approached the car with his arms full of various goodies, I looked up from my phone and called out to him.

"Do you really think we need all of that?" I inquired skeptically as Jasper approached the car burdened with an armful of goodies.

"We're going to be on the road for a while! Of course we need all this," he reasoned, opening the passenger side door to deposit his haul onto my lap. Suddenly, he hesitated and glanced back at the store, calling out to me over his shoulder. "Oh wait! I forgot the-"

I swiftly grabbed his arm, redirecting his attention towards the car.

"We're leaving," I insisted firmly.

"But-" Jasper began to protest, but I cut him off.

"Now, Jasper."

"Fine..." He acquiesced, albeit begrudgingly.

With the gas tank full, snacks and drinks within reach, and the GPS set to our destination, we were all set for the journey ahead. As always, our conversation meandered through topics like the restaurant's performance and the latest antics of the kitchen crew until we left the city behind and hit the highway. That's when we turned to the radio for entertainment.

The busy people driving their own cars on the highway didn't pay a bit of attention to the car zooming down the highway with the windows down and radio blaring, accompanied by two voices singing whatever song happened to be on the radio at the time.

Yes. There were indeed two voices, though I'd deny it if questioned about it. Something about cruising down the highway compelled me to sing along to every song that came on the radio and that was completely Jasper's fault. I had slowly turned into something out of a cringey movie on TV and as much as I hated acting like a teen girl in the early 2000s, it was fun with Jasper.

As we cruised down the highway, I couldn't help but steal a few glances at Jasper, catching glimpses of his profile illuminated by the soft morning sunlight. His chiseled jawline, straight nose, and square chin were accentuated by the gentle rays, while his tousled black hair added a youthful charm to his appearance, making him seem younger than his thirty years.

"Are you checking me out, Alex?" Jasper's mouth curved into his trademark grin, teasing me with his playful tone. "Because it sure feels as if you are."

Heat surged to my cheeks as I realized I'd been caught looking, but I quickly shifted gears. Jasper was undoubtedly being an asshole.

"Ugh! As if," I retorted with a huff, crossing my arms defensively across my chest, a little embarrassed that I had been caught.

"Whatever you say, Sugar," he chuckled, clearly enjoying my discomfort.

"Well, well, well. Did the mighty Jasper McNeil just reference a movie?" I teased.

"I do watch films," he retorted with a scoff, "and don't change the subject. You were totally scoping out my goods."

"Did you hit your head? Who even talks like that?" I scoffed in return, unable to resist repeating his phrase, "scoping out my goods."

Jasper released a good-natured laugh before signaling to exit the highway.

"That was quick," I remarked, reaching up to adjust the visor and check my reflection as Travis advised me to do every hour.

"You look alright," Jasper reassured me

"Travis said alright isn't good enough," I reminded him.

"You look fantastic then," Jasper replied.

"Have you seen me?" I asked incredulously.

"Alright, you look like an adult Calliou!" Jasper teased.

"Shut up!" I laughed as Jasper parked in the same place as he did last time and I shut the visor. "You don't need to be mean!"

He shook his head. "You're stunning. Is that better?"

I rolled my eyes. "You don't need to exaggerate either."

He mumbled something I couldn't quite make out before saying, "Now, where to first? Looks like there's a fair in town."

"In the winter?" I asked, feeling puzzled by the idea of a fair in January.

"It's quite local, more of a festival."