Well, about one month of planning down.

It’s gone by pretty quickly, actually. I feel like I’ve been so busy… non-stop, y’know? And Hope’s been just as busy as me. Maybe even busier. Meetings with designers, photoshoots almost every weekend… It’s kinda nuts!

At first I thought I’d feel lonely with her so busy while I’m sitting at home… And I mean, I do, in a way. But it’s not much worse than how things would have been if I was still at the restaurant. I’ve been really busy too. Every day I’m going through Lucas’ cookbooks, or buying new spices at the grocery store, or doing experiments in the kitchen.

That’s definitely been Hope’s favorite part. She gets to be my guinea pig every time I try out something new. I think it’s one of my favorite parts too — I love seeing her fall in love with something I made. She’ll rave for ages about how amazing the spices were, or how perfectly cooked everything was. And I’ll take furious notes so I’ll remember for next time exactly what worked.

Of course, sometimes it’s a total miss too… And she’s never too afraid to tell me with brutal honesty when something tastes like shit either. That’s a little less fun, I guess… Though sometimes the faces she makes are pretty damn hysterical.

I just wish the business side of things could be even half as fun.

It’s a little overwhelming, I guess. Making a business plan, figuring out a budget, finding suppliers, choosing a location, contacting builders, getting all the permits, hiring the staff, advertising… You never think about all that stuff that has to go on behind the scenes. Not until you have to deal with them yourself.

I had Dom come over and crunch some numbers with me the other day. It was kinda weird, actually. It was the first time we’ve ever hung out where it felt so… business-like. He was really helpful though… I never thought having my best friend be an accountant would come in handy like this.

Basically, we figured out my inheritance money is more than enough to cover all my startup costs, so financially I really don’t have much to worry about. But Dom kept telling me I shouldn’t put all my eggs in one basket. “Find an investor.” That was what he told me. He says maybe I should even look for a full-on business partner.

But I have no idea where to even start looking.

Anyway, I know I don’t have to worry about any of that stuff yet. I mean, I still haven’t even finalized a menu or theme or anything. That’s what I need to focus on right now. It’s just kinda scary knowing all that complicated crap is looming on the horizon, y’know? I’ve been stressing out every time I think about it.

Hope keeps telling me I need to take it one day at a time. And I know she’s right. I just wish things weren’t so complicated. I wish I could just snap my fingers and everything would magically happen just the way I want it to, without all the stress and work and worrying… If only life were that simple, huh?

Oh well. Like Hope says, one day at a time, right?

And today, well, it’s not even about the restaurant. It’s about us.

Which means I should probably wrap this up soon… She’s due back from a weekend shoot in Berlin in a couple hours, and I promised I’d have something special waiting for her when she got home. I have this awesome new chicken recipe I think she’ll really love, and I can’t wait to show it off (and get to try it for myself!). Plus I need to go pick up some candles and flowers to set the mood a little.

It started out as more of a joke than anything else, but Hope and I still like to celebrate the anniversary of when we met back when we were kids… Or, as she so lovingly calls it, our ‘Douche-a-versary’ (I know she’s kidding, of course. But I’ve still gotta admit that asking her out and then standing her up with no explanation was a pretty douche-y move on my part, no matter what my reasons were).

I know it’s kinda dumb… But hey, if we’d never met back then and I’d never stood her up, would we ever have gotten together? Would we be where we are today? Probably not. And isn’t that worth celebrating? (Plus, it’s a good excuse for an extra-fancy dinner and some extra-hot sex… Who could say no to that?!)

I think this is exactly what I need to get my mind off all the stress right now, and I have a feeling Hope could use it too. We’ve both been so wrapped up in our work lately… It’ll be nice to have a romantic evening together, and remind ourselves of what’s really important.

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