When Dreams Come to Life

When Dreams Come to Life

H. M. Boatman

Published in 2013 by FeedARead.com Publishing – Arts Council funded

Copyright ©
 H.M. Boatman

The author or authors assert their moral right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author or authors of this work.
 

All Rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of the copyright holder, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

I dedicate this first book to my editor, Taylor, and the many wonderful ladies of the Bound group. If it were not for you, I would never have gotten this far!

To name a few of many: Vix, Audra, Kath, Lily, Stacie, Mary, Donna, Kim E. Sylvia, Heidi, Conny, Char, Frances, Gloria, Lyndsay, Renee, Rosemary, Shannon D., Waleska, Myra, Shannon P., Kara and ALL of the ladies that have done nothing but support and root me on in this incredible journey that is the Dreams’ series!

I love all of you with all of my heart and I hope you enjoy the beginning of Eoin and Lea’s journey!

Taylor, you are the glue that binds these pages together, my genius editor that has helped mold me into a better writer, and become a lifetime friend.

One

DINNER SERVICE IS in full swing at Conrad’s tonight. The dishes are going out with great ticket times and my customers are thoroughly enjoying their meals. I can’t help it but every time I hear that name, I smile inwardly.

My father would be so very proud of me, to have come this far and accomplished my dream. He’d definitely enjoy having an entire kitchen at his beck and call, too. I lost him in 2006 and I’ve worked my ass off to make this come true, not only for him, but for myself. What better way to honor him then to name my baby after him?

I can honestly say I’m proud of myself for coming this far. I’ve made some bad choices in the past, without a doubt, but you shouldn’t look back when your future is open to bigger and better things.

I’m 30 years old now, and I’ve got many wonderful things in my life, like my own apartment and amazing animals, as well as great friends and a business that’s going to be featured in
Bon Appétit
in a few months as one of the hottest new restaurants in Denver. That right there is one step closer to a Michelin star.

I snap myself out of my daydream and continue to finish plates at the pass, sending them out. My line is running like a symphony so I hand the reins over to Jessie, my sous chef, so I can get some paperwork done before I leave for my holiday in Dallas.

I’m going to a convention held by one of my favorite TV shows. Just the thought of it makes me giggle like a teenager. My celebrity crush, Eoin Skye, will be there.

I think he’s the sexiest man to walk this green earth. Not only is he dashingly handsome in every way, he’s a compassionate man who cares for the planet and everything on it. I get goose bumps every time I think about the fact that I’ll get to touch him...

I seriously need to get my head in the game, so I look over at Jessie to make sure everything is okay.

“All yours, Jessie. I’m going to finish up some paperwork and head out. If any issues come up, call me straight away. Don’t take any more party bookings for this week and you know we’re closed Saturday and Sunday.” He nods in agreement and I head to the office.

Closing the door behind me, I sit down and fire the computer up to check my reservations with the hotel, and print my boarding pass. I also check the Eoin Skye Facebook pages I run in my free time and wish everybody a great weekend, promising lots of photos and updates when I return on Monday.

I love all of those ladies so much! They are a great support in my life and are definitely the ones that kept me going on my two-year venture with the restaurant.

Once I’ve posted, I close my Facebook tab because I know my messages are going to blow up now, and I really need to get this done and get home so I can finish packing. Typical of me to leave it until the last minute, but I’ve still got a day and a half to get it sorted, I guess.

As I finish my paperwork, Vicki pops in and I already know what she’s going to say.

“I hope you give that perfect ass of his a squeeze for me!” I laugh at her usual cheekiness.

“I’m not going to grope him but I will get my kiss,” I reply with a huge smile on my face. She hugs me and bids me an awesome and safe trip.

After doing one last check, I turn off my computer and walk through the kitchen – of course, I can’t resist checking on Jessie – and out the back door. I hop into my car and head straight to the store, grabbing some beers to help me relax after a long day, before driving home. 

As I head up to my apartment, I stop by my neighbors’ place to make sure they are still able to watch my animals while I’m away. I pay her in advance and say goodnight.

Unlocking my door, I head through the large living room to my kitchen. I put my beers in the fridge and lean on the marble counter top. Stretching my neck, I take my chef coat off and head to the bathroom to shower. As I’m getting dressed, my phone rings. It’s my little sister.

“Are we still having lunch tomorrow?” she asks.

“Yes, meet me at Park Burgers at one. Make sure you bring my niece, too,” I reply with a smile in my voice.

“I will. See you then. I need to get her to bed. Love you.”

“Love you, too.” I hang up and smile at the thought of getting to see my spitfire of a niece, Aspen. She’s such a cute kid and she loves her auntie to bits, too.

Grabbing a beer, I head over to the couch and plop down. Looking at the time, I notice it’s only 8pm so I turn the TV on. Flipping through the channels, I begin to doze off but I shake myself out of it since it’s still so early. Well, for me at least – this is the first time in ages I’ve knocked off work before midnight.

I come across a familiar film, one of my favorite Eoin ones, so I get cozy and watch. It’s truly amazing how sexy this guy is. Not only that but I get to meet him!

I let out a long sigh, close my eyes with the image of him in my head, and fall fast asleep.

ä

I wake to a dog and two cats begging me for food, so I grudgingly haul myself out of bed to take care of them before I begin to pack.

Everything only takes me a little over an hour to finish, so I grab my dog, Maxx, and take him for a walk in the park before I’ve got to meet my sister for lunch.

It’s a beautiful day and everybody seems to be out enjoying it, so I’m glad I decided to take advantage of it as well.

I turn around to head back to the apartment and am stopped by an unfamiliar woman.

“Excuse me but are you the chef at Conrad’s?” she asks with a huge smile.

“Yes ma’am, I’m Chef McKenzie. Pleasure to meet you.” We shake hands.

“I just wanted to tell you that you make the most divine dishes! My husband and I come for dinner every two weeks, and of course, there’s always something new for us to try,” she says, positively gushing. “My name is Delores, by the way. I do reviews for
5280
and I’d love to do an interview with you.”

I’m a bit shocked by this. Me, in
5280
? The most popular foodie magazine in Denver?

“That sounds great,” I reply. “I won’t be available ‘til the end of next week. I need to look at my calendar but give me a call and we can set something up.”

We exchange numbers and part ways. I walk home with a huge smile on my face. First
Bon Appétit
and now, I have an interview with the coveted
5280
magazine. What a day!

I grab my bag and head out to have lunch with Rose and Aspen. The traffic isn’t too bad so I’m there early and grab a table outside. I see my sister approaching from down the street, my niece perched on her hip.

I stand and watch as Rose sets Aspen down and she runs towards me as fast as her little legs can go. I swoop her up, giving her a bear hug and a kiss on her chubby cheek.

“Hi, my little gorgeous!” I say to her. She smiles hugely in return and hugs me some more. We sit down and I put Aspen in the high chair.

“You excited yet?” my sister asks.

“I’ve been going nuts for weeks now, silly,” I reply and we both laugh.

“When do you leave?”

“My plane leaves at noon tomorrow and I pick up my rental car at the airport.” We continue to make small talk after we’ve ordered and Rose asks the question I’ve been waiting for.

“Are you going to kiss him like you said you would?” I shake my head at her.

“If he’s handing them out, then yes, I’ll get my kiss on my cheek.” The thought makes my stomach flutter. I’d love to have those lush lips on mine.

As I’m daydreaming, the server shows up with our food. I help Aspen with her burger, cutting it into quarters so she can eat it easier.

“Thank you,” she says in the sweet little voice I adore. I’ve ordered the blue cheese sliders and of course, my meticulous sister has ordered a basic old cheeseburger.

“Why can’t you at least try new things?” I joke.

“Well, when you stick to what you know, you’re never disappointed, are you?” I nod in somewhat agreement and we start to eat.

Looking up after I finish, I notice that there are some storm clouds brewing, followed by a loud crack of thunder to confirm the gathering storm. I look over at Aspen - she’s not frightened by it, thank goodness.

I feel rain droplets on my outstretched hands and the tip of my nose, so both Rose and I stand to leave. I pay the bill quickly and walk them to the car to say goodbye.

“Try to not get arrested for raping Eoin,” Rose says to me as she straps Aspen into her car seat.

“I don’t plan on going to jail, thank you,” I reply jokingly. I kiss my niece and then my sister and watch them head off.

Of course, the rain begins to pour just as they move out of my line of site, so I run to my car. As I dry myself off with some napkins I have in the glove box, my phone rings. I look down and huff in exasperation.

Bowing my head in frustration, I answer.

“What do you want, Trent?” I already regret answering this phone call.

“I just wanted to wish you well on your trip. No need to get angry with me,” he replies in a sulky voice that makes me want to throw my phone.

“Thanks,” I say stiffly. “Is that all? I’ve got things to do before I head out tomorrow.” Before he can say anything, I say good bye and hang up.

I feel bad doing it, but that man has been a plague in my life for the past ten years. Before I let myself even think about him for one more second, I switch my thoughts to Eoin.

I’m going to meet the sexiest man alive! This calms me as I pull into my parking lot. Why does Trent try to ruin anything good in my life? I want to slap myself for letting him into my head again.

That was one of the biggest reasons I stayed with him for so long, even after it was evident things weren’t going to work between us - he had the ability to take over my mind.

Thinking back on our rollercoaster of a relationship as I ride the elevator, I wonder why we put each other through such turmoil.

I open the door to my apartment and head straight to the fridge to grab a beer. I throw my handbag on the bench and scull the drink quickly.

I feel so bone tired that I reluctantly close the fridge door on the rest of my drinks and head to bed.

As I shuffle into my pajamas, my phone chimes to signal a text.  It’s from Trent.

* I miss you. Please come and see me. *

I laugh humorlessly and respond.

* Not a chance, Trent! Good night. *

I turn the volume to mute and fall into bed, drifting off to sleep.

ä

I wake at seven and begin to get my things together. Once I’m finished, I call the doorman to help me carry my stuff so I don’t have to make two trips.  When he arrives, I show him what to take and stop to double check my list.

It looks like I’ve got everything, so I say goodbye to my paw family and head out the door.

The ride to DIA is actually calm. I get on my phone and look at my Eoin page, only to find a million questions! I post to let everyone know I’ll get back to them soon and turn my phone off. This is my vacation, my me time, and I intend to take advantage of it.

The airport’s crazy but I get through security with ease and board the plane. We take off and I grab my book to get some much-needed reading done.

After about half an hour, my eyes start to feel heavy but I don’t want to nap now in case it keeps me up tonight, so I manage to stay awake the whole flight.

The Dallas airport is such a cluster fuck. I finally get my baggage and grab my rental car. Economy is the way to go to save on fuel and I smile when I think about all the extra spending money I’ll have.

After managing to navigate my way through the crazy downtown traffic, I pull into the secure parking of my hotel. I hop out and give my keys to the valet and wait while the bellboy collects my luggage.

The doorman politely pushes the glass doors open for me and I walk into the spacious reception area. The hotel is perfect!