CHAPTER 30

Dakota’s POV

Chef Ivo’s party is a success, and the other guests are slowly leaving. We stayed at our table because we wanted to say goodbye to Chef in person before we went home to the restaurant. Ashton and Kurt obviously had a lot of alcohol, while Liam didn’t drink. Shane and Wendy are both blushing because they also drank red wine.

From where we were sitting, we could see Chef Ivo talking to the guests, saying goodbye and leaving. Even though he had been drinking, his thinking was still normal. I accidentally looked at Almira, who was looking at me. I wasn’t sure if it was mine, but when she raised an eyebrow, I confirmed it.

“Am I the only one who noticed or you too? I didn’t see Chef Ivo’s family at the party and even now that I’m back here, they’re still not here,” said Wendy. She yawned and closed her eyes. She knocked on the table in front of us.

I was also asked and thought when I heard that. Yes. It’s Chef Ivo’s party, but his family is not there. ‘Couldn’t he have a good relationship with them so they are not at the party now?’

Shane suddenly tapped Wendy’s shoulder, which is why their friend was surprised. “Didn’t Chef Ivo mention that his family is not here in the country? They are somewhere else, but maybe they didn’t forget to at least congratulate their son.”

“But have you ever seen Chef Ivo’s family?” I asked, because I was curious.

My friends looked at me and thought. “Have we seen it yet?” Shane asked Wendy.

Wendy shook her head. “I don’t know, but I’m sure I haven’t seen it before. I just don’t know if you saw it before I arrived at the restaurant.”

Shane also shook her head. “I didn’t see his parents or siblings either, but I did see his cousin. That was a long time ago.” Her gaze went to Ashton. “Ashton!” she called here with his head almost hanging down. “Ashton! You are greedy for wine, now you will fall!” We laughed because Shane said that.

Ashton only answered with a grunt, so we confirmed that he was drunk because if he wasn’t, I’m sure he would yell at us again. I just shook my head. It seems that my friends haven’t even met Chef Ivo’s family yet. I was more and more curious about where they were now.

“Aren’t you going home yet?” Almira asked us when she approached us. She is not with Chef Ivo while walking to our place with my friends. Willow and I are the only ones who are sane. Liam is not at our table at that moment. I don’t know where he went.

Even Shane and Wendy were both pounded on the table and it looked like they couldn’t stand up or walk anymore. I looked at my friends before looking back at Almira. “I don’t even know how we’re going to get home because my friends are like this.”

Almira looked at Willow for a moment. “What about she?”

“What do you mean?” I asked her.

“Why don’t you two work together to lead your friends so you can go home? The night is getting too late.”

“W-we still have someone with us who is not drunk. It’s Liam,” Willow said, then she smiled at me.

Almira wanted us to leave, so I just looked at her. I breathed deeply. I was about to talk to Willow when I heard Almira speak again. “When Liam comes, you should leave. You can’t sleep here.”

I frowned. Who is she to tell us like that? First of all, it was not our intention to spend the night at Chef Ivo’s house. Second, why can she say that we can’t be here? She is not Chef Ivo. I took a deep breath to somehow calm myself down. I’m starting to get annoyed with Almira because of her narrow mind.

“Yes, we will leave when—”

“Leaving? Who will leave?”

We both looked behind Almira, and our eyes widened when we saw Chef Ivo. Liam was with him.

“Oh, you’re here. I’m talking to Dakota. It’s getting late. They will have a lot of trouble on the way home, so I told them to leave while it’s still early.”

“Leave? They are not leaving tonight, Almira,” said Chef Ivo.

Almira’s face showed surprise because of Chef’s words, but still laughed. “You’re just kidding, right?”

“It’s too late for me to allow them to travel, Almira. It’s especially dangerous and there are a lot of them.” Chef Ivo looked at me, so I looked away.

“What? You mean they will sleep here at your house?”

“Yes. There’s nothing wrong with that. Even you are sleeping here now because it is dangerous. There are many rooms upstairs.”

The register on Almira’s face couldn’t believe it as Chef Ivo exchanged glances at the two of us. She looked at me for a few moments before speaking, “It’s up to you.” That’s all she said before she walked away from our table.

I heard Willow laugh softly from my side, so I immediately ignored her. My gaze went to the Chef as he cleared his throat. I smiled at him even though I was shy.

“It looks like they drank too much.” He even touched Ashton, who just took Chef’s hand away. We laughed at what Ashton did. Ivo just shook his head and looked back at me. “There are lots of rooms upstairs. You can choose a place to sleep. Liam, I’m going to send Migs over here, so you have a helper when Aston goes up.”

I was just listening to what the two of them were saying when I felt Willow touch me. “Why?”

“How about them? Can we handle them?”

“Of course.”

“I will also call someone to help you to support Shane and Wendy.”

“Thank you, Chef,” Willow said.

“Thank you.”

“No worries. I’ll just escort my other guests to the gate. Liam, you take care of your colleagues first.”

“Okay, Chef Ivo.”