Baklava Mornings, Ch. 7
Joe strokes Kevin’s neck, doesn’t speak for a long time. It isn’t the best start to a day he’s ever had, but he’s glad Kevin told him, instead of one day saying, “Hey, I’m leaving! Have a nice life!” He rolls over toward him, smiling faintly when he brushes his hair off his neck and bends to kiss his neck gently. “What’re you thinking?” Kevin asks quietly.
“I’m trying to figure out how to keep you here.” He admits quietly, nuzzling his neck. “I’m happy. I don’t want you to leave and take the happy away. Is there any solution? I mean, if you took the substitute job, you could move in with me once your lease is up. It won’t be so bad if we’re splitting the rent, right?”
Kevin hugs him. “That would be wonderful. But it’s three thousand dollars to buy my way out of my lease, and I’ve still got to support myself and pay my rent for seven more months since I can’t afford to get out of it.”
Joe leans his head against Kevin’s chest, his fingers curling in his shirt. “I could dip into my savings and see if I could help get you out of the contract.” He comments quietly. “There’s not a lot, but maybe combined with what you have…?”
“Joe.” Kevin’s voice is stern. “No. I’m not emptying your savings just because I’ve run into some financial trouble.” He sighs, rubbing his arm gently. “I will figure this out, and find a way to stay here with you. I’m not willing to leave if it means I’m going to lose you.”
Joe nods. “I’m scared.” He admits quietly. “I’m just… I’ve never been as content here as I am with you, and I don’t want to let you go. I wish I could give you a job at the bakery, but I don’t think we could afford to pay you a lot. We’re doing alright, just the two of us, but…”
“It’s okay, love. You don’t have to make excuses. You’re a small business in a small town.” He squeezes his hip. “I’ll figure it out, I promise. We’ll figure it out.”
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“What do you think?” Nick leans forward, resting his forearms on the edge of the desk. “It’s entirely up to you, Joe. We’re not going to do anything with the bakery or your products that you aren’t completely comfortable doing.”
“I know. I know.” Joe falls back into his chair, rubbing his hand over his face. “I just… I’m so worried about Kevin, and I just need to know we’ll be okay.” He runs his fingers through his hair. “And we can cover his rent and at least get him out of his lease if we do this, you know? And if there’s a little leftover, maybe there’ll be a way to support him a little bit while he’s looking for work.”
Nick shakes his head. “I know you’re trying to talk it out to yourself in your head, but I can’t give any comment or anything here. This is a decision you have to make for yourself. I don’t want to sway you one way or the other.”
Joe makes a face at him. “You’re oh, so helpful, Nicholas. You’re supposed to be here to help me make business decisions, and you are completely useless on the biggest decision I could possibly have to make. How very useless you are.” He lets his chin fall into his palm.
“Hey, this isn’t a business decision, Joe.” Nick laughs gently. “This is a personal one. Selling one recipe may change your life, and I don’t know Kevin well enough to know how he’ll take it knowing you’re doing it for him, but those are things you really need to consider, you know? Is he worth it? Are you willing to risk it? That’s all up to you. I’m no good at that kind of thing. You were always the romantic one.”
Joe stands up, leaning across the desk to smack Nick upside the head. “You’re still useless.” He ruffles his hair. “I have to go bake some muffins since Kevin will be here soon. I want him to have something yummy to eat.”
“You’re such a good little housekeeper to him.”
“You’re just mad that I don’t make things for you anymore.” He sticks his tongue out and pulls the office door shut.
“I’m trying to figure out how to keep you here.” He admits quietly, nuzzling his neck. “I’m happy. I don’t want you to leave and take the happy away. Is there any solution? I mean, if you took the substitute job, you could move in with me once your lease is up. It won’t be so bad if we’re splitting the rent, right?”
Kevin hugs him. “That would be wonderful. But it’s three thousand dollars to buy my way out of my lease, and I’ve still got to support myself and pay my rent for seven more months since I can’t afford to get out of it.”
Joe leans his head against Kevin’s chest, his fingers curling in his shirt. “I could dip into my savings and see if I could help get you out of the contract.” He comments quietly. “There’s not a lot, but maybe combined with what you have…?”
“Joe.” Kevin’s voice is stern. “No. I’m not emptying your savings just because I’ve run into some financial trouble.” He sighs, rubbing his arm gently. “I will figure this out, and find a way to stay here with you. I’m not willing to leave if it means I’m going to lose you.”
Joe nods. “I’m scared.” He admits quietly. “I’m just… I’ve never been as content here as I am with you, and I don’t want to let you go. I wish I could give you a job at the bakery, but I don’t think we could afford to pay you a lot. We’re doing alright, just the two of us, but…”
“It’s okay, love. You don’t have to make excuses. You’re a small business in a small town.” He squeezes his hip. “I’ll figure it out, I promise. We’ll figure it out.”
-------
“What do you think?” Nick leans forward, resting his forearms on the edge of the desk. “It’s entirely up to you, Joe. We’re not going to do anything with the bakery or your products that you aren’t completely comfortable doing.”
“I know. I know.” Joe falls back into his chair, rubbing his hand over his face. “I just… I’m so worried about Kevin, and I just need to know we’ll be okay.” He runs his fingers through his hair. “And we can cover his rent and at least get him out of his lease if we do this, you know? And if there’s a little leftover, maybe there’ll be a way to support him a little bit while he’s looking for work.”
Nick shakes his head. “I know you’re trying to talk it out to yourself in your head, but I can’t give any comment or anything here. This is a decision you have to make for yourself. I don’t want to sway you one way or the other.”
Joe makes a face at him. “You’re oh, so helpful, Nicholas. You’re supposed to be here to help me make business decisions, and you are completely useless on the biggest decision I could possibly have to make. How very useless you are.” He lets his chin fall into his palm.
“Hey, this isn’t a business decision, Joe.” Nick laughs gently. “This is a personal one. Selling one recipe may change your life, and I don’t know Kevin well enough to know how he’ll take it knowing you’re doing it for him, but those are things you really need to consider, you know? Is he worth it? Are you willing to risk it? That’s all up to you. I’m no good at that kind of thing. You were always the romantic one.”
Joe stands up, leaning across the desk to smack Nick upside the head. “You’re still useless.” He ruffles his hair. “I have to go bake some muffins since Kevin will be here soon. I want him to have something yummy to eat.”
“You’re such a good little housekeeper to him.”
“You’re just mad that I don’t make things for you anymore.” He sticks his tongue out and pulls the office door shut.