The Wedding Gift

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

"All right, people," Andrew's producer told the group on the set of Edgy Eats. "I know this is the last show, and we're all excited, but can we please try to get it in the can before we start the party?"

Andrew had found it hard to get excited about much of anything this past week, ever since his failed trip to see Julie at the food truck.

He'd been so sure things would work out. So sure that she'd finally come to see what a great couple they could be. Yet here he was, back at square one. Further back than that, actually, because there didn't seem to be much hope of ever getting through to her.

From what he'd heard through the grapevine, Julie was enjoying her new life. Even if it was nowhere close to being what Andrew had imagined for her, it seemed she was finally cooking in a way that made her happy.

He knew he should be glad...but how could he be happy about anything when she didn't want him?

"Excuse me, Andrew."

He looked around to see a woman, obviously one of the audience members, who had somehow managed to get onto the main set.

"I know I'm probably pushing my luck just coming up to you like this, but I was wondering, after you're finished here, if you would like to go get a-"

Fortunately, Sandy came running over just then and interrupted them. "We need you to take your seat, ma'am, right away. Thank you."

As the woman left, leaving Andrew with one more longing glance, he asked, "Are Phil and Nancy here yet? What about my mother and father? You sent the tickets, right?"

"I not only sent them, I couriered them over personally," Sandy said. "Trust me, they got them. But-"

"There isn't any sign of them," he finished for her.

"I'm afraid not. Sorry, boss."

"It's not your fault." It was his, for thinking that his family might actually come in the first place. Oh, if he phoned them, they would probably have excuses about how busy they were. And they were. It was just that once, just once, it would have been nice if he'd been important enough for them to break into their busy schedules. Simply because he was family and family was supposed to count for something.

Fortunately there wasn't much more he had to do to get through the rest of the day. Finish shooting the finale-where he had to stand around looking good while six of the city's cooks tried to outdo each other-and then...

What? What would he do then?

He briefly thought of Julie and shook his head. She'd made it perfectly clear about what she wanted. She'd made it even more clear about what she didn't want. So why was he still thinking of hanging around, begging for scraps?

Better to get away. From her, from his family, from everything.

On his hiatus he could fly off to France and make his way around the restaurants there. Heck, he could even buy a cottage in the Loire Valley and stay there until the next season of shows started. He could do whatever he wanted.

He'd have to come back for the wedding, of course, but that could just be a quick pit stop in San Francisco before he headed off again.

Sandy touched his arm lightly. "Are you okay, boss?"

"Fine," Andrew lied. If you couldn't lie to your own assistant, who could you lie to? "You're still planning to start that production company, right?"

His assistant nodded, but she looked a little worried. Obviously the start-up fund wasn't quite where she wanted it to be. Well, he could take care of that easily enough. It would be good to do something nice for her before he left town.