Forbidden: An Older Man Younger Woman Romance

“Ally!” Mom chided.

Even as a grown adult, I still got scolded for my language.

“I’ll talk to you soon, Mom. Tell Daddy I love him and I can’t wait to see him.”

I got off the phone and finished getting ready. It was hard to believe it was actually my last night. There was still a week before I was going to be full-time at the vineyard, but I didn’t want the two jobs overlapping all the way up until I started my full position with Derek. I needed some distance between the two and a chance to relax and recharge a little before the harder work at the vineyard started.

Nothing my mother said was new. Ever since Derek first offered me the position, she had been trying to get through my head how much of a risk it was. It wasn’t that she was trying to be unsupportive or discourage me. Instead, she just couldn’t wrap her head around me doing something that she saw as so impulsive.

But it wasn’t impulsive. I didn’t make the decision lightly. I talked it over with my parents and went to the financial manager they recommended to me. It wasn’t like I had a whole lot of finances to manage, but they wanted me to talk about savings and the viability of those savings to support me until I found another position if the vineyard didn’t happen or collapsed early on.

Even Holly had been a part of me coming up with my pro and con lists. I didn’t want to leave any possible thought unconsidered or overlook any potentiality that might change how I perceived the situation.

But no matter how many times I went over it, no matter how many times my parents and my best friend pointed out all the things that could go wrong, I never saw the risks as outweighing the potential benefit.

I always hoped there was more for me than working at the restaurant under Antony. I never would have imagined that opportunity would come in the form of a beleaguered vineyard and working with Derek. Our friendship was great, and I admired his culinary achievements. But that didn’t mean I wasn’t shocked when he offered me the sous chef position. That shock didn’t take away from how tantalizing the offer really was, and I knew from the very beginning how much I wanted it.

It seemed to happen so fast, and yet also take forever. The last few weeks while I was doubling up work and helping with the biggest first decisions that needed to be made about the vineyard restaurant seemed long and exhausting. Like they would just keep going on forever and I would never actually get to the end.

But suddenly it was here. Now I was saying goodbye to the job I had been at for the last two years and the people I had gotten to know so well. There was definitely a tingle of tears in the backs of my eyes as I said goodbye not only to the rest of the staff, but also to the customers.

Some of them were regulars who I saw at least once a week. There were a few I saw even more often than that. I didn’t get to know them as well as the waitstaff would, but I’d met many of them and made it a point to go out and talk to them when there was a lull in the kitchen.

As much as I complained, and despite the issues with the restaurant, the truth was I really liked it there. I enjoyed the majority of the people I worked with and working there had given me opportunities I wouldn’t have had in other places. But I knew it was time to put myself and my hopes for my career first.

As the end of my shift approached, I prepared myself to walk out and put that part of my career behind me as I moved ahead into what I hoped would be life changing. I was finishing up when Antony approached me.

“Come with me,” he said.

I looked around at my station, gesturing to the work that still needed to be done to prep for the next day.

“I’m just finishing up here,” I said. “I need to get this done before I leave.”

“It can wait,” Antony said. He gestured toward the door to the dining room.

The restaurant was closed, and there were no more diners, so I felt confused as I walked through the door. My heart squeezed in my chest when I saw the dining room. Several of the tables had been pushed together to create one long banquet table down the middle of the restaurant. Candles lined it, and every place was set.

“What’s all this?” I asked.

“You can’t just leave without a proper send-off. So, we’re having one more family dinner,” Antony said. “In your honor.”