Love Simmers by Jules Deplume

Chapter One
     
    “ Nate James,
you’ve been giving me that same look for the better part of two
decades now. I can’t believe you’re still pissed I stole your story
in the third grade,” I snapped at him, pushed to the breaking point
by yet another look of exasperation cast in my direction. “If
nothing worse has happened to you since, then I’d say you’ve led a
pretty charmed life, so can we please move on?”
    “ Logan, you
think I’m pissed about my story that you outright plagiarized? Not
about how you broke Tommy’s heart last year?” he replied, turning
his back to me as we carried yet another load of supplies into my
brother and his new restaurant. The official opening of their
restaurant was barely a week away.
    I’d flown in a few days earlier
to help out with the final preparations and had been doing hard
labor ever since. First, driving all over the region picking up
boxes, and then shifting furniture from one side of the restaurant
to the other. I was on the verge of demanding payment, or at the
very least, protesting. Nate’s constant antagonism wasn’t helping.
I mean, the guy had never been known for his charming,
light-hearted personality but he’d never been this bad. As kids,
his serious, quiet nature had always meant he was the calmest of us
all, far less likely to get into trouble on his own than Ollie and
me. Now, he was no longer even tolerable. He was just an ass,
mostly to me. At least, for Ollie’s sake, he was an intelligent,
business savvy ass. They both had a lot invested in this
business.
    “ Your brother’s
not angry about our break-up. Why should you be?” I followed him
into the waterfront restaurant, taking a moment to appreciate the
beauty of the place. It was spectacular. A blend of rustic maritime
charm and modern sophistication that looked straight out of the
pages of Vogue Living. I was proud to have a dinner invitation for
opening night. I couldn't imagine how Nate and Ollie felt owning
the place. It was a huge gamble, but hopefully it would be a
rewarding one.
    “ Tommy’s not
pissed because, as usual, you sweet talked your way out of his
anger. Just like you’ve sweet talked your way out of every bad
situation your actions have landed you in since the third grade.”
His voice was always calm. Most people who knew him had never heard
him raise his voice unless they saw him around me. I was the only
person who made him yell, and it was usually in annoyance.
“Including your detention for taking my story.”
    “ Tommy’s not
pissed because our break-up was mutual, respectful and mature.
Trust me, I was there.”
    I could see his jaw clench in
anger at my words. I’ll admit they came out more annoying than I’d
intended. I may as well have said his brother and I had a conscious
uncoupling.
    “ You broke up
with him three weeks after moving in with him.”
    “ You’ve lived
with your brother. You’ve seen his bathroom. You should be more
understanding.” I couldn’t for the life of me understand why he was
so angry for Tommy. Tommy and I still had coffee together weekly.
We were both fine about our break-up. Sometimes people break-up
because they just don’t work. No anger, hurt feelings or betrayal
involved.
    “ Were you
always this selfish or has being in front of a camera for the last
three years done this to you?”
    I smiled in the way I knew he
found infuriating, wanting to get under his skin like he was
getting under mine.
    “ Have you been
watching my cooking show?” I laughed at the look of outrage in his
eyes, exactly the same look he gave me when we were five and I
suggested a game of ‘I’ll show you mine, if you show me yours.’ Of
course, in our teen years, he’d begged me to play that particular
game. “Do you want an autograph?”
    “ I don’t
understand how someone so small can be so irritating,” he said, his
resolve to be mad at me beginning to waiver like it always did
around me.
    I was getting the distinct vibe
though