It only takes a few days for Ollie D'Angelo to lose his boyfriend, his job, and his home. Instead of mourning what he doesn't have, Ollie celebrates what he does: the freedom to pursue his real passion -- cooking. He begins Dinner at Home, a home-catering business, and it takes off.<br><br>Late one night, Ollie catches Hank Mellinger, a streetwise hood down on his luck, about to rob his car. Ollie soon discovers that appearances aren't necessarily what they seem. Hank isn't a criminal caught red-handed, but a hungry young man trying to make a life for himself and the four-year-old niece he's trying desperately to take care of.<br><br>Instead of calling the cops, Ollie offers Hank a job and a way to pull himself up by his bootstraps. Together, they discover they can really cook ... and that their shared passion for food just might lead to a passion for each other.

Dinner at Home

But for Hank? Ollie knew about his addiction and worried that the loss of Addison might propel him back into Tina’s arms. One could say a lot of bad things about the drug, up to and including the fact that it could eventually kill, but the one good thing it had going for it was that it brought oblivion.


The stress of the day, the loss, the upset…Ollie could very well understand and even sympathize with Hank if he went down to Belltown or Pioneer Square or even the Hill and sought out an old connection. He could even feel in his own self how nice it would be just to forget.


But he hoped Hank knew what he knew—the drug was a false promise. Sure, it would wipe out whatever troubles you had for several hours, maybe even days, depending on your endurance, but in the end, you’d come home to the same problems even more unprepared to cope.


Chapter 65