[upbeat jazz music]
Fire off the apps, please.
Table 7 needs to go out in 2 minutes and 30 seconds.
-Yes, chef. -What do I say?
[upbeat jazz music]
Here you go, chef.
Scallops, who's got my scallops?
Will you finish it?
But the Norwegian caramelized scallops is your signature dish.
What will be ruined if you don't finish.
Yes, chef.
Arret! Arret! Arret!
No pesto! Read the ticket.
That customer is allergic to pine nuts.
Here's an alternative.
Olive oil, basil, chives for a little bit of coloring,
parmesan to thicken it. Here you go.
Ah-ah! Are you seriously gonna serve
something that you haven't tasted?
[slow jazz music]
What's missing?
[upbeat jazz music]
That pasta's been sitting out for two minutes.
C'est froid.
No, no, no. Come on.
[fireworks exploding]
Ava, what are you doing? Come here.
Because of you, and of course, our talented Head Chef Ava,
who two years ago I convinced to leave Madrid
and move to Brussels to join us here at Baron LeRoux,
we have earned our first Michelin star.
- Bon Annee , everyone! - Bon Annee .
And as they say in America, thank you for your service!
-[Woman] Thank you. -[Man] Cheers.
[glasses clinking]
-[Ava] Bon Annee . - Merci .
♪ Never know
♪ Steady as she goes What a life we're living ♪
♪ Only Heaven knows
♪ It's the start of the beginning ♪
♪ Life of details
♪ So fragile So concerning ♪
♪ When life so short
♪ Tend your glow
Hi.
♪ Steady as she goes What a life we're living ♪
[phone ringing]
I know you have a few hours to go, but Happy New Year, Auntie.
I'll be on the next flight out.
[soft music]
♪ Blue skies all the way
♪ We laugh, we joke, we sing
So where are you traveling from?
-Brussels. -Brussels?
Home of the French fry, I think.
Belgium.
First time in Beaufort?
I haven't been here in a long while.
[Luke] Here for business or pleasure?
Neither.
Not one for small talk. Got it.
I'm sorry. I'm just tired.
Out clubbing till dawn?
I stopped clubbing in my 30s.
Oh. So like yesterday?
Oof. Can you please turn on the air?
Yeah.
So how long's that flight from Brussels?
Uh, nine hours.
Ouch! Was it cramped in coach?
Oh, my bad. You probably fly private.
Okay, let's not get carried away.
I hope I didn't offend.
I'm new to this driving thing. Still figuring out the rules.
Well, don't let a minor inconvenience of flying coach
stop you from a lifetime of experiences.
That's a hell of a sales pitch.
You work for the airline or something?
I'm a chef.
Really?
Wow, okay.
I've been to Cabo and Vegas a couple of times
for bachelor parties, but never overseas.
Well, you should definitely change that.
There's a big, beautiful world out there.
It's pretty beautiful here, too.
[phone ringing]
Quelle surprise.
Allo.
Didn't realize our breakup meant we were no longer friends
who could wish each other Bonne Annee ?
- Bonne Annee , Emir. -[Emir] How did last night go?
Just like last year.
The prime minister was raving about my scallops.
Only you would be nonplussed by that.
Try editing the same book over and over again.
If they handed me the Pulitzers like they do the Michelin stars
to you, I think I can manage.
Emir, can I call you back?
I just landed in Beaufort. I'm visiting my aunt.
[Emir] Oh, wow. How long will you be there?
A week or so.
Henri is already freaking out that I'm gone at all.
I appreciate the call.
Of course, I hope you know I think of you often.
Ciao.
[birds singing]
-[Luke] Here we are. -Thank you.
[Luke] My pleasure. Uh, real quick.
Just use your camera on it.
Just in case you need a ride
or somebody to show you around my city while you're here.
I'm your guy.
Your city, huh?
Yeah, born and raised,
so I know all the hot spots and cool people.
-Thanks. -You're welcome.
-It was nice meeting you. -Yeah.
I don't know what kind of Yankee Doodle operation
you are running here, but my people have been eating
black-eyed peas on New Year's Day since 1863.
And I intend for today to be no different.
So kindly take your cute little self on out of here
and see what you can rustle up, okay?
Okay. Yes, ma'am.
Ava! Baby, you didn't have to come all this way.
I told you I'd be fine.
Momma would haunt me from the grave
if I didn't come and check on her baby sister.
She's not haunting you already for not getting married
and having kids?
I swear, I heard her as I was tumbling to the ground.
"This wouldn't be happening if you had found a husband
and sent him to the store instead of going yourself."
[laughing]
Ow! It hurts to laugh.
Oh.
I hope these gift shop flowers make you feel better.
Well, I don't need flowers. I have a garden full at home.
What I need is some black-eyed peas.
I spoke to the doctor. He said your surgery went well.
And you know why?
Because last year on New Year's Day,
I ate a full bowl of
-black-eyed peas. -[Ava] black-eyed peas.
Auntie, it's a cute tradition and all, but it's not gospel.
Well, not being biblical doesn't mean bad luck won't befall me
if I don't get some peas before midnight.
Okay, I'll call Miss Mimi.
She's out of town visiting her son.
What about Miss Grace?
Her mind is failing her.
And that daughter of hers, she can't boil water right.
I remember you telling me.
Sorry.
Hey.
So, Mr. Hot Spot...
[line trilling]
[TV Woman] I can't believe you would do this to me
after everything we've been through.
[TV Man] Isabella, you don't understand.
-Ms. Moran? -[Judy] Luke Bailey?
Don't tell me your momma's back in the hospital?
No, ma'am. I actually came to see a patient that Ms. Denis
said had taken a nasty fall.
Had no idea it was you.
-Are you okay? -Oh, I'm fine.
When my niece was busy running her mouth
she should have told me I was having company.
Lord, Ava, get my lipstick.
I must look a mess.
I doubt you'll be worried about your lipstick
when you see what I got you.
[clears throat] You look fine.
[music]
You brought me Hoppin' John!
[Luke] Yes, ma'am. Yes, I did.
Hoppin' John is a one pot, low-country specialty.
We use slow simmered black-eyed peas with ham hock...
Pigs are considered lucky because they root forward.
-Over some Carolina rice. -Best in the world.
-Plenty of green vegetables. -Symbolizing money.
Got some cornbread on the side.
-For gold. -Yes, ma'am.
[laughing]
Luke, be sure to thank your momma for me.
Um, actually, I made those.
[snickers]
Oh, sweet baby Jesus, these are good.
I'm glad you like it.
You have got to try this, Ava.
-I made some for you, too. -Oh?
I figured you were hungry after traveling all day.
-Thank you. -[Luke] You're welcome.
[machines beeping]
It's a nice balance of flavors.
Garlic, green onions, bell peppers, salt,
pepper flakes, chicken stock base.
Why did you do that?
That's what the uh, recipe said to use.
Try pork stock next time.
It's a little closer to the dish's origin.
Pork stock. Yes, ma'am.
What has my favorite student been up to?
Last I remember, you were working at
Grayson's Hardware store.
Yes, ma'am. I'm a manager now there.
And I also started driving for Mr. Grayson's car service
to make a little extra money on the side.
I'm trying to go back to school.
Oh, what are you thinking of studying?
Um, I'm either getting my general contractor's license
or cooking school.
Ah. Well, I don't know if she told you,
but Ava's an award-winning chef.
Yeah, she mentioned the chef part.
I had to look up the award-winning part.
Um, well, thank you for the peas, Luke.
My pleasure.
Can I uh, trouble you to take Ava home?
I know she must be tired.
And now that I've eaten, so am I.
Yeah, it's no trouble at all.
Watch your step.
Oh, it's a little cold in here. Let me turn on the heat.
I've done a little handiwork for your aunt,
so I know where some things are.
Uh, tomorrow I can take you back to the hospital.
Or until you get a rent-a-car, after I open up shop.
Oh, I don't know how to drive.
Everywhere I've lived had public transportation.
I'm sorry. I'm just trying to picture you taking a bus.
Oh, I mostly travel by car service now.
I have a car, and I'm at your service.
Bonne Annee , Ms. Denis.
It's Ava. And you speak French?
No, no, no. I... I overheard you earlier.
[gasps] Emir.
I told him I'd call him back.
It's 4:00 a.m. there. I'll call him tomorrow.
Get some rest.
Uh, don't forget to lock up after I leave.
Oh, I thought the best part of living in Beaufort is
not locking your doors?
The best part about living in Beaufort is...Beaufort.
-Good night. -Good night.
[sighs]
-[Ava] Thanks for coming. -[Luke] No problem.
I gotta get my dog, Maxie in the same direction
if you don't mind?
You put a dog in this car?
It's just a car.
It's good to see you.
-You okay? -Yeah.
How's Miss Judy?
Oh, she is not happy that the hospital's
not ready to release her on her say so.
That sounds like her.
[phone ringing]
[music playing]
[phone ringing]
Sorry, that's my ex. She keeps calling.
It's getting a little annoying.
I mean, she's the one that demanded we get engaged
before Christmas or break up, so I don't know why...
Yeah, that's one of those, you know, break up,
but hang on moves. I got one of those, too.
-Oh, really? -Yeah.
So you and the French guy, y'all aren't together?
Emir is actually Moroccan. He just speaks French.
Moroccan?
We broke up two months ago,
but it feels like we talk more now than when we were together.
[chuckles]
Did you ever think about proposing?
Yeah, yeah, I did. Zadie's great.
She's just a little high strung at times.
I don't know. I'm just figuring out my life right now.
Like I definitely see myself going the wife and kids route,
-just not right now. -Yeah.
Okay. Okay, Miss too old to club.
I see you jamming to these Afrobeats.
-Amapiano. -A piano?
All right, cool. I'll be the drums.
Amapiano is a genre. It's South African house music.
Afrobeats is Nigerian jazz meets American, you know, funk.
Oh. [laughs]
I like how you teach me things without making me feel stupid.
It's pretty cool.
♪ Up and down they go
♪ Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh ♪
♪ I don't wanna live my life
Oh my God, Maxie couldn't be any cuter.
Say, "Yeah, we think the same thing about you."
I always wanted a dog, but being you know, an Army brat,
we never knew what our living situation was going to be.
Oh, what's stopping you now?
Same thing, I guess.
I mean, my lifestyle's not conducive to having a dog.
-I work 12 hours a day. -That's the life of a chef.
Hey Luke, I didn't see you come in.
-What's up, Deena? -Maxie.
Ava, this is Deena, she's the owner.
And Deena this is Ava.
She's in town visiting her aunt.
Deena? Oh my God, the last time I saw you had a Jheri curl.
-And you had braces. -I did!
-Hi! -Hey!
Oh my goodness, how do you two know each other?
Luke's been driving me to the hospital to visit Aunt Judy.
Oh, pastor did say Aunt Judy was not well, to keep her in prayer.
Shame on me for not coming to see her.
It's okay. She's coming home soon.
Come by the house. She would love to see you.
Oh, I would love that! How long are you in town?
We should grab cocktails.
Just for a little while, but I'd love that.
Okay, let me get your number.
Oh, okay, let's uh, let's do this.
What? Oh, look at that!
-Okay, cool. -[Luke] Look at that.
I gotta run.
Not everyone's as good as Luke at paying their bills.
-I'll see you. -Bye.
All right, Deena, have a good one.
Okay, excuse me, can you stop him?
Get him. Yeah. Hey! Excuse me!
There she goes.
[Judy] Thank you for oiling my scalp.
When they finally release me from here,
I don't want to show up to the church looking like a banshee.
You could've warned me that menopause is like a long,
miserable dance with the devil.
And you could have brought me one of them new dishes
you dreamt of. This food in here is terrible.
Even the tea is bad.
I haven't felt like cooking lately.
Well, how have you been keeping yourself busy?
Catching up on sleep mostly.
Well, that's not like you.
Well, treading quicksand is exhausting.
I was hoping the young Mr. Luke was showing you
our beautiful town.
Maybe enticing you to move here.
To Beaufort? And do what?
[phone ringing]
Oh. Oh, he's calling to see when I'm returning.
Bon jour , Henri...
Ouch.
[sighs]
I've been gone too long and I've trained my staff too well.
Baron LeRoux have decided to part ways.
Oh Ava, I feel terrible.
That's what I get for complaining about the monotony,
instead of focusing on being.
As Henri would say,
"I'm a very expensive line item."
Someone must've snitched that I was having trouble keeping up.
What do you mean having trouble?
Before coming here, I found out that I have
rheumatoid arthritis.
Oh baby, no.
It's in the early stages.
Sometimes I get flare ups and my joints are swollen,
and they're stiff.
Imagine a chef who can't rely on her hands?
But what else did the doctor say?
He prescribed some medication.
[sighs] Occasional icing,
massages and maybe red light therapy.
Okay, so when do you leave for Brussels
so you can start all of that?
It doesn't make sense to go now.
My lease is up soon.
Marie, my friend can put my stuff in storage
until I figure out my next move.
You are more than welcome to stay with me
for as long as you like.
Thank you.
-Two, three weeks tops. -Okay.
So much for black-eyed peas bringing good luck.
Sounds to me like you got fired from a job
you no longer wanted anyway.
Sometimes good luck has to slap you in the face
to get your attention.
Well, good luck better watch out,
because I'm this close to slapping back.
Well, you need good hands for that.
-Auntie. -So? So stop all this
pity partying and start following doctor's orders.
That's what momma would've said to me.
-[Ava] I miss her. -[Judy] Me too, love.
[soft music]
[doorbell rings]
-[Ava] Hi. -Hey.
-How are you doing? -I'm good.
You look good.
[chuckles] Um, thanks for doing this.
Yeah. No problem. Ms. Moran is good people.
[soft music]
[phone rings]
Sorry.
I should take this.
[drilling]
Shouldn't you be busy prepping for your publisher's conference?
[Emir] Taking a break. How's your aunt?
[Ava] She's coming home tomorrow.
- Thanks for asking . -[Emir] Nice. Hey, uh...
There's something I've been wanting to ask you.
Emir, I actually have someone here.
Any chance we can, like, you know, table this until...
Funny you said table. [chuckles]
Do you think you can make a reservation for me
at Baron LeRoux on Valentine's Day?
Didn't I mention that I don't work there anymore?
Still have clout, right?
Julia's been dying to go and I think it's a perfect place to...
Propose.
Propose? Wait.
We broke up three months ago.
Were you still seeing her while we were dating?
We stopped being a real couple long before our breakup, okay?
We hardly saw each other and I had my kids every other weekend,
and your crazy schedule.
Oh, my God!
I figured I'd ask since we're friends.
No! Friends don't break up with you
and then date their son's teacher
and then, you know, call for help
to ask to propose to her at your former place of work.
What is the big deal?
It's not like you're even going to be there.
You know who else won't be there?
You!
Boy, bye!
[Emir] Hello?
[sighs]
-I um... -Just when I thought my life
couldn't get anymore pathetic. It actually does.
I know the perfect place
to put a smile back on that beautiful face.
[scoffs] Maybe some other time.
Come on now. You've been saying this for a month.
The Southern gentleman in me
can't leave you all sad like this.
So look, either we go out or we stay in and watch trash TV.
I'm talking, Couples to Thropules trash TV.
I don't even know what that is
and actually I don't want to know.
Uh, I'll get my coat.
[soft music]
[cheering]
♪ Listen to the jukebox singing ♪
[bell dings]
This okra soup is so good.
Another Gullah one-pot specialty.
Tell me about the flavors like you did back in the hospital.
You act like it's a party trick.
Well, I told you, I'm interested in culinary school,
so, you know, it's educational for me.
-You guys doing okay? -Yes. Yeah, we are.
You work at Grayson's, right?
-Mm-hmm. -Yeah, I've seen you there.
When I came in with my dad.
Yeah, he's always trying to fix something, you know,
-but makes it worse. -That's what's up.
I'm Venus, by the way.
[clears throat] Luke. This is Ava.
-Hi. -Oh.
Well, if you need anything, let me know.
[laughs] She was totally flirting with you.
You act like it happens all the time.
Well, I am a college educated, gainfully employed,
no kids having black man from an intact family, so...
Oh, so they probably erect statues of guys like you
around here. Wow.
Until you don't marry their little girl
and then they make a voodoo doll with your face on it
and put a hex on you.
[laughing]
I don't have any experience with it.
Yeah.
I'm still waiting.
Okay.
Almost everything starts with the trinity...
Salt, black pepper, garlic,
fish stock base, lima beans,
lemon juice, plum tomatoes,
bell peppers, and uh,
onions, probably yellow,
and ginger to add that rich, distinct flavor.
I find that so sexy.
Boy, how old are you?
Old enough to consent and young enough to back it up when I do.
That's a quip. That's not an answer.
I'm 31.
I think I have a skillet older than you.
It's probably your favorite one, too.
Probably the one you make the best meals with.
[laughs]
What's that thing Aaliyah said,
"Age ain't nothing but a number."
Yeah, I think you were sipping on the bottle
when I was clubbing to that song.
[Luke] That's a great idea.
Our first date, we should go dancing.
I am not going on a date with you.
-[Luke] Why not? -Because...
Because is a conjunction, not an answer.
Ah! Got that from your aunt.
Real mature.
And I'm the one that's too young for you?
Look, I got a lot on my plate. Like...
You mean that thing with your hands?
It's probably just carpel tunnel or something
from repetitive motions.
You should get it checked out while you're here.
Yeah.
I need to be looking for a job.
Well, there's a new hotel coming up downtown.
My father knows the GM. He could make a few calls or...
I'm not planning on staying here very long, so thanks.
Well, that's good.
I don't have to worry about you getting too attached to me.
[laughing]
-Attached? -Attached. Yeah.
Okay.
Well, you ain't got nothing else to say. Okay, no excuses.
Um, Saturday at 8:00. I'll pick you up.
Great.
[Ava] All right, give it to me straight.
Is the word out? Am I finished?
[Karen] This is the part of an agent's job I could do without.
I hate to break it to you kiddo, but...
You are still very much in demand, my friend.
[sighs]
Are you eating pizza for breakfast again?
As any self-respecting New Yorker short on time does.
Look, I'm fielding lots of offers.
London, Paris, New York.
All right. Any of them 60 plate,
dinner service only, Sunday/Monday guaranteed off
kind of offers?
You're not worried about finances, are you?
You know better than anyone that I've done all right for myself.
[Karen] So we can both afford to be patient.
Focus on getting better.
And I'll focus on getting you your next perfect situation.
Okay.
[doorbell rings]
Oh, I gotta go. Talk to you soon.
[music]
-Oh, good morning, James. -[James] Good morning.
She's waiting for you on the back porch.
Okay. Sounds good.
-See you later, Auntie! -[Judy] Alrighty!
[James] Hey, how's that wrist doing today?
♪ To make me feel all right
♪ Never lasted longer than a night ♪
♪ I wanted to be higher, further ♪
♪ From myself
♪ But coming back to Earth
♪ Is where I found my peace
-Hey! -Oh, hey.
Oh, I've been meaning to call you.
One of my employees was out sick.
It's been nuts.
Are you here to see Cheri?
Girl, she is the menopause whisperer.
[chuckles] Uh... Yeah, that's good to know.
Maybe we can grab coffee sometime.
Yeah, that would be great.
You know, I've got some errands to run.
Why don't we meet back around here
'cause girl, if we don't squeeze it in,
I'm afraid we won't get to do it before you fly off again.
-Okay, I'll see you in a bit. -See you soon.
[soft music]
Girl, I have tried everything.
And now, I'm paying to lay on a table to get red light therapy.
It takes some getting used to
but to cure the night sweats alone, it's worth it.
Whew, that would be icing on the cake.
But I'm being treated for arthritis.
It's affecting my hands.
Oh, wow. That sucks.
Thank you for saying that.
I mean, stating the obvious without looking at me
with pity in your eyes, I appreciate that.
No, I mean, I just had knee surgery.
Getting old is the worst.
But until there's an alternative that doesn't involve a coffin,
girl, I am taking it in stride.
[laughs] Oh, man.
All right, I've got a question.
Hmm?
It doesn't bother you to find gray hairs
in unimaginable places?
I'm more worried that nobody's gonna find my gray hairs
in my unimaginable places.
Girl, I haven't had sex in over two years.
What?
Not since my divorce. Oh, wait a minute.
I did have sex with my ex once,
so I haven't had great sex in over two years.
Oh, boy.
So tell me about Europe.
Do you have a lover in every port?
Is that why you like it over there?
Well, there's a particular Senegalese painter
that comes to mind...
Uh-uh, uh-uh, married, two kids, third on the way.
That is not it.
Anyways, the reason that I love Europe is that you know,
they understand the art of dining.
It's not about commerce.
It's about the experience, you know?
They don't rush to turn over the tables
because they understand food is about savoring it
and enjoying it, you know, with your loved ones
across from you and not some strangers on IG.
Yeah, that makes sense,
but I want to hear more about that sexy painter!
Ah, it was the love affair of a lifetime, I'll tell you.
Until the wife he failed to mention came back
from Senegal after visiting her family for three months.
Girl, don't you hate when that happens?
Yep.
It sounds like Europe is just as bad as dating over here.
Finding them is easy, keeping them is hard.
And you know, as a chef I work long hours.
I'm usually going to bed when they're waking up
and my days off, even the most evolved of them...
Don't say it. Don't say it.
-Expect me to cook! -Expect you to cook!
-Come on! -Yes!
No.
No matter how much I explain that the last thing I want
to do is the thing that I've been doing all week.
I'm still the bad guy.
Well, maybe you should date another chef.
And after you two get through puffing each other's pastries,
you can order in and critique somebody else's food.
I am delighted and disturbed by how you think.
-Oh, you know what? -What?
-I know what you should try. -What?
The GrayHound dating app.
Okay, you're taking your love of dogs a little too far now.
No, no, no.
It's about sexually active people of a certain age.
I mean, so far, it's a bunch of potbelly men
wanting full-body bikini shots, but, you know.
You never know. You might get lucky.
All right, next time, can we do this over cocktails?
-Yes, absolutely. -Great.
Dana's gonna be gone this Saturday.
And there is a new restaurant in Charleston.
We should try that.
I can't this Saturday. I actually have plans.
That's cryptic. Explain.
Just dinner.
Oh, no. You did not just blow into town and land a date.
It's not a date.
It's a man on a Saturday night.
I don't know what they call it in Europe, but that is a date.
-It's not a date. -That's a date, Boo.
[Judy] What is going on back here?
I don't have anything to wear.
This pile of clothes on the bed says differently.
Auntie, I need something that says,
"I'm not trying to look 30,
but please don't mistake me for his mama."
Well, what do you feel like wearing?
Oh, uh-uh.
What would you wear if you were going out with Emir?
[sighs]
Ooh, that's cute.
What size is that?
It's cute, but it's a jumpsuit.
Jumpsuits suck when you have to go to the bathroom,
which now, I have to go a lot
since my bladder is shrinking at the same exact ratio
as my waistline is expanding.
Well, where is he taking you on your little date?
Dancing and it's not a date.
Well, at least you're getting your steps in.
Would you listen to us?
I'm worried about going to the bathroom.
You're focused on my steps.
I shouldn't be going to the club.
I should be going to Bingo Night at the community center.
Never mind that.
What did you wear the last time you went dancing?
Ooh. Oh, oh, oh, we're going to church in the morning.
You hear me?
I'm just gonna tell him I'm not going.
You will do no such thing.
Look, I-I know he's much, much younger than you.
And the sight of you together will make some tongues wag but...
Are you trying to talk me in or out of going?
Luke's a good man. He always has been.
Even as a teen I saw it in him.
He's solid, dependable with deep roots planted in good soil.
Then maybe I should wear this
because you just described an oak tree.
Well, it's the perfect thing to grab
when you're treading quicksand, don't you think?
Mm-hmm.
I'm going back to my stories.
Tidy up before you leave, you hear?
Yes, ma'am.
[music]
[Ava] What is all this?
Well, the clubs don't get popping until 11 o'clock,
so I figured we would eat first.
-Is that okay? -Yeah.
Great. Great, great, great. Have a seat.
-Thank you. -You're welcome.
You good?
-Yeah. -Okay.
I read through the grapevine that you like sauvignon blanc?
I do, but you're not having any?
Nah, I'm a whiskey man.
So what are we having?
We are having Norwegian caramelized scallops.
Should've listened to my mom.
You talked to your mom about this?
No. Yes.
No, not not to get permission, but advice.
She said that you might not want to eat something that you made
-a thousand times. -Yeah.
My thinking was that eating it
is not the same as getting served.
I wanted you to enjoy your cooking without you cooking.
It's a bold move.
This dish got me my third Michelin star.
[nervous laugh]
Shoot.
[music]
-It's bomb. -Really?
-Mm-hmm. -Oh, stop.
You're saying that 'cause you wanna have sex with me later.
It's okay, though.
[laughing]
So you give me a grown and sexy dinner
then finish it off with a kiddie campfire treat?
What can I say?
I have an old man's soul with a young man's heart.
Mm.
Oh, hold on, I got it.
-I got it. -Damn, I'm sorry.
You're pretty good at this.
Did you always know you wanted to be a chef?
You know when people ask you where you're from?
I can only say that I was born on an Army base.
But if you find a kitchen anywhere in the world,
I'm home.
That's how I feel about baseball stadiums.
Really? On the field or in the stands?
Well, I went to Carolina Coast College
on a scholarship.
And then I played in a minor league baseball team nearby
until I tore my ACL.
I pouted about it for a year or so
and then I finally got a job at Mr. Grayson's.
I worked my way up to management
and then my mom got sick.
Right. You mentioned that at the hospital.
How is she doing?
She's good now, but during chemo she wasn't eating.
And because she wasn't cooking, my dad wasn't eating either.
So I had to mess around in the kitchen and...
I discovered that I really liked it.
Seeing my mom gain her weight back
from the food that I was cooking,
it felt better than knocking one out of the park.
It's getting late.
Uh-uh. Mm-mm. Nice try.
I said I am taking you dancing and I am a man of my word.
And I would like to be a woman of my word, too.
I don't wanna go to a hot, loud club.
I really don't.
Just because I said dancing doesn't mean I mean the club.
♪ I'm spending time away ♪
♪ But you're here because you crossed my mind ♪
♪ You never stay away for long
♪ I'm holding on to what is mine ♪
♪ So when you're feeling lost along the way ♪
♪ I'll still be here for you to find ♪
♪ Like coffee in the morning
♪ I'll be there to keep you warm ♪
♪ When you're lonely
♪ 'Cause I'm lonely
♪ Could it be, you and I
♪ Live a distant kind of life
I uh...I promised Auntie that I would go to service
with her tomorrow.
And she's not above pinching me if I nod off.
Okay, uh, I can... I can take you home.
No, it's okay. We've both been drinking.
I'm just gonna call a car.
Wow, you're just cheatin' on me already, huh?
Luke...
I can't remember the last time I had this much fun,
-but I'm not looking for... -Relax.
It was just a kiss.
It's not like we're going steady or anything.
That's what y'all used to say back in the day, right?
Back in Aunt Judy's day. Yeah.
I'm only hear for a couple of weeks.
A couple of more weeks. So you keep saying.
Yeah.
Whatever this is or isn't,
can we just take it slow?
You know, and keep it between us?
Slow and on the D low? Got it.
Are you ashamed to be seen with me or something?
No. It's...
It's your age. It's our age.
What if I said that to you?
What do you call a woman who dates a younger man?
A cougar, yeah, but I don't care...
And what do you call a man who dates a younger woman?
Lucky.
[chuckles]
What's so funny?
Even though I can't tell anybody,
I did finally get you to admit that this was a date.
So wait a second, you're talking about the movie
-from the other night? -Yeah.
No, I-I hate ambiguous endings, man.
Like, was it the right thing to do to runaway?
I don't know.
For me, running out of the church was smart,
but like, getting on the bus, that was a mistake.
-Exactly. -Yeah.
I just know I'm picking the next movie.
No plot, plenty of car chases, it's gonna be great.
-A bunch of action. -Yay.
I see you're not too busy figuring out life
to find a new girlfriend.
Jesus, be a fence.
She's just a client, so relax.
So this is the Driving Miss Daisy situation
-you were talking about? -[Luke] I never said that.
You said she was old and wealthy.
I said she was older and worldly.
[Zadie] You never said she was pretty.
Thanks. I think.
-I'm Ava. -Zadie.
We really need to talk. Call me.
Hey Maxie, I miss you.
See you later.
I didn't expect her to be so... young.
Sorry.
The whole time I couldn't stop staring at her neck.
What?
I promise you there is no locker room anywhere in the world
where guys will talk about a girl's neck.
Um, you're doing that all wrong I'm sorry to say.
Okay, can I take over just for a little bit?
Can you get me a bowl and um, creme fraiche?
-Okay. -I got you,
I got you, I got you.
-Creme fraiche? -Yes.
I'm gonna show you how to do it, baby.
♪ Girl, you're just my type Skin like caramel ♪
♪ Baby, you're favorite Taste like chocolate ♪
♪ You deserve kisses Dripping like honey ♪
♪ Girl, you're on my wish list
♪ If I was a doctor I would make a visit ♪
♪ 'Cause everytime you walk by my place ♪
♪ Girl, you're twitchy
♪ I can't get enough of you
♪ Baby 'cause it's all about the ♪
♪ All about the things that you do ♪
♪ So baby, can I have a taste of you ♪
♪ 'Cause you're the recipe
[Ava] All right, let's go.
So whipped cream is like uh, looked down on, huh?
-In my world...in my world. -Wow.
-For sure. -Makes me feel like a loser.
-Here. -What?
-Take it. -No, I don't want it.
I'm serious. Get...get in.
No, you are not the boss of me and I'm not about to drive
-your boss's car. -Ava, he's not worried about it.
-And it's just a... -A car, I know.
You said that, but I don't want it.
Ava...
Everyone needs to know how to drive.
Everyone needs an adorable driver.
Yes, that might be true, but flirting will not change
the fact that today I am the teacher and you are the student.
Please.
[Luke] Check your mirrors.
Got it. Okay.
See if someone's coming. You in drive?
-Yep. -Yep.
Just nice and slow. Ease out.
Okay. Okay.
[laughs] Ava...
That's what you get.
-What in the world are we doing? -I'm sorry.
Nice and slow, babe. Nice and slow.
Nice and easy, nice and easy. [horn honks]
Whoa!
[music]
[Luke] Okay, all right. Nice and steady.
-Yeah, this is fine. -Look, no hands!
No! No hands!
-Ava, this is not my car. -Okay, ten, two.
Yes. Ten, two. Nine, six, whatever you want.
Two hands on the wheel.
[music]
-Look at him. -Nah.
-What about him? -That's not for me.
No, no, no. Okay. Oh, there's a winner.
I thought we were friends. Now I can't unseen that.
Yeah, it's because we are friends
that I want you to share in my misery.
If I'd have known things were this bad,
I would've stayed married.
So what did happen in your marriage?
Ken was great. He's a good dad.
He has a great job. We're the best of friends,
but there was never any passion between us.
And one day, you know, it just hit me.
I may live another 30 or 40 years
with somebody I have no chemistry with.
That is like a jail sentence.
And if I did not do the crime, I will not do the time.
That's real.
-Thank you for that. -For what?
For listening and not judging.
Girl, I am 50, unemployed,
sleeping in my aunt's spare room.
I have no business judging anybody about anything.
I mean...
You made a bold, brave choice. And um, I'm proud of you.
You know, your marriage mirrors my career in a lot of ways.
You know, it's a great job.
To the outside world it looks ideal.
But I don't know.
I don't know if it's because of my age or my diagnosis, I just,
that fire, that passion you're talking about,
I just, I don't feel it for me. It's missing.
-Here you go. -Oh, we didn't order this.
-No, no. -Oh, must be the MILF special,
I guess.
What'd she say? Little girl.
Oh, oh, oh, oh!
What is going on with you two?
-Nothing. -Nothing?
Nothing as in nothing yet or nothing, nothing?
We've hung out a little bit. We've kissed a little bit.
-A little bit? -Maybe we kissed a lot.
Oh, you kissed a lot, okay.
-You know what? -[Ava] What?
I knew something was up that day I saw you at Day Paw.
-But now... -But now nothing.
I mean, look at us.
We're sitting here having an adult conversation.
-Haha! -Nice!
And he's over there giving off frat boy vibes, so...
Ooh girl, what I wouldn't give to vibe with a frat boy.
Oh, yes I would. Mm-hmm, I would enjoy that.
-I believe you. -As a matter of fact...
-No, no, no, no, no. -We should go over there.
-Come on, come on, Deena. -Yes, yes, yes.
Oh, yes.
[Ben] You are solids.
-Hey, hey ladies. -Hi.
-How y'all doin'? -Good.
Uh, Ben this is Deena. She is the owner of Day Paw.
Oh, uh, the doggie day care spot downtown?
-Yeah. -Nice.
-This is Ava. -Ava? Like as in Ava?
-Ava, hi, Ben. -Hi. Hi.
Nice to meet you.
So are you two playing for money or are you playing for pride?
-We're playing for fun. -Yeah.
Because Ben here can't shoot for nothin'.
Come on.
And Larry over there is shooting his shot at anybody
that wants a stray. Yeah, just for fun.
Okay, well, I guess it's us against these two.
Yeah. Okay.
You know how to play?
No. Oh, no. No, not really.
-Are you good? -Oh, I'm good, baby.
Rack 'em. We got this.
[music]
Start her out. Take a shot.
♪ Yeah we go hard We some dirt road rockstars ♪
♪ Rawhide This is how we do it ♪
Yeah, there you go! Yeah!
♪ Sippin' on that whooptee good shine ♪
♪ Lightin' up the boonies
♪ Cause we party hard
Whoa!
Shot!
♪ Livin' like some rockstars
Whoa!
Shot!
♪ Yeah, we going hard We're some dirt road rockstars ♪
♪ Kickin' dirt up Doing donuts in the ♪
♪ Drinkin' Let's with the 10 digit mitts ♪
♪ Keep it pumping so legendary ♪
♪ We go hard We're some dirt road rockstars ♪
You have no idea how sexy you look right now.
Mind your business.
-Yes, baby! -Whoo!
Bring it home for us!
[music]
-Oh, you had me worried. -Y'all ladies need a ride?
-No. -No.
But Ava does.
Hey babe, I've got an early morning.
-Luke, you don't mind, do you? -Oh yeah, it'd be my pleasure.
Okay, see? Good. He doesn't mind.
See you later, girl. Don't stay out too late.
-I'ma take a rideshare. -All right, I'll text you, bro.
[clears throat]
[Ava] I hope we didn't embarrass you in front of your friends.
What? No way, Deena is bomb diggity
and you are all that and a bag of chips.
Okay, you're outdated slang is actually killing me.
I try, I try, I try.
[music]
I've been waiting all night to do that.
-What are we doing? Luke... -Nothing yet.
What's that supposed to mean?
Ava, come on now, don't do that.
Don't give some, some fake reason why we can't take this
-to the next level. -Oh, so now I'm a video game?
See, that's what I'm talking about.
You keep on talking about this age thing.
Yes, I play video games and you play Solitaire.
So what?
I'm trying to figure out my life just like you're trying
to figure out yours.
Only you've convinced yourself that you are so far ahead of me
on this journey that you don't even realize that I used
-to be where you are. -Only you haven't been anywhere.
-Wow. -I'm sorry.
I was speaking metaphorically.
Oh look, the kid used a big word. Oh.
Oh okay, Luke, I never said that you weren't smart.
Only that I'm not old enough to have lived through anything.
Your carpal tunnel is my torn ACL.
So I know what it's like to have a possible career ending injury
and then fall into a bit of a...
funk.
As far as traveling, I haven't been anywhere.
And you've been everywhere.
The one place that I've been dying to take you,
you're scared to go.
I'm just interested in you.
[music]
Your bathroom better be clean.
It's super clean.
And your mattress better not be on the floor.
It's not on the floor.
♪ La, la, la, la, la
♪ I've kissed a lot of frogs to get to my prince ♪
♪ And now that you're here
♪ There no need for tears
Wait.
I don't mean for you to stop. I just want you to slow down.
You promised you would take me to a place I've never been.
Let's take the scenic route.
♪ Reminiscin'
♪ All the times we spoke, you didn't listen ♪
♪ All the lies you told to keep us distant ♪
♪ Just to keep control
♪ Somethin's missin'
♪ In your heart, if you don't feel the difference ♪
♪ Difference...
♪ You walkin' blind with how to fold ♪
♪ Only half the story's told
♪ Both these times don't turn me cold ♪
♪ 'Cause I feel it in my soul
♪ Feel it in my soul right now
Can I ask you something?
After that thing you just did to me, you can ask me anything.
I was just trying to return the favor for that thing
that you did to me two nights ago.
Yeah, I surprised even myself.
It's good to know I still have some tricks left in me.
You definitely do.
Now I'm starting to see that there's
a big difference between loving someone
and being in love with them.
Which is why I'm trying to understand,
why has no man snatched you up yet?
I haven't met the one, I guess. I mean,
I've come close twice.
You don't wanna hear about this.
I do, actually.
I wanna know everything about you.
I guess that's what happens when you're in a relationship, right?
Oh, that's what we're doing now?
[relaxing music]
Look, I know you're leaving eventually,
but while you're here, you're mine and I'm yours.
Okay.
That's...
♪ We'll be all right
Good morning.
You're spoiling me.
All part of my master plan to keep you here.
Luke, um, Zurich is looking more and more likely.
I mean, we're aligned on a lot of things
and uh, if talks keep going the way they're going,
I'm gonna be gone by the end of summer.
Nice touch with the beer. Mm.
That palette of yours is like the eighth wonder of the world.
I swear, I thought I was gonna sneak that one past you.
Mm-mm.
My dad, right, he didn't cook much,
but occasionally when he did,
instead of using milk, he would use beer.
And me and my sister thought it was the coolest thing ever.
We'd pretend we were drunk the rest of the day.
You know the beer does add an earthy, rich flavor to the eggs.
Yeah.
I gotta get in the shower. Do some inventory.
I got this big Father's Day weekend sale coming up so...
Wait, what's today?
Wednesday.
-No, the date. -June 8th.
It's Aunt Judy's birthday tomorrow.
I've been wrapped up in so much that I totally forgot.
Get her some flowers or something.
So I can hear her say that she already has a garden full?
No, I wanna...I wanna get her something special.
You know, something she'll really appreciate.
-Oh, that was... -Sweet strawberries are usually
darker in color, deep, deep red, not pink.
-How's that? -It's better.
Oh.
That one is good. Definitely better.
We'll take half a pound.
Ooh, maybe I'll make some strawberry prosecco spritzers.
-That sounds good. -Yeah.
Oh, and I can garnish them
with some fresh rosemary sprigs.
What do you think?
Keep on doing that and Aunt Judy's gonna have
some cold cereal for dinner.
Speaking of which, I applied to the
Culinary College of the Carolinas.
Do you think you would mind looking at my application?
I'd love to.
I think it doesn't hurt to think bigger, you know,
there's the Escoffier in Denver, Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.
I mean, that's where all the greats trained.
Is that where you trained?
No. I went to Ferrandi.
I mean, it's a lesser known school, but higher ranked.
-[Luke] Thank you. -[Ava] Thank you.
[Luke] Humble brag much, huh?
Listen, when I first started there were very few women
and zero black women.
I mean, even though I graduated at the top of my class
at the Harvard of culinary schools,
I had to struggle for years to get hired, to be promoted.
And when I finally got in, I still had to fight
to earn the respect in the position that I earned.
It's better now though, right?
Yeah, thanks to people like me, Marcus Samuelson, David Chang.
I mean, now kids can be top chefs if they want to.
But it makes the competition that much worse.
Where you graduate can make the difference of
being in the minors or being called up to the bigs.
So how far is Zurich from Paris?
-I think 90 minutes. -[Luke] That's it?
Yeah. But Luke, you can't make this about me.
School's gonna be intense.
You're not gonna know anybody, which is gonna be new for you.
I don't want you to get there and hate it, or worse drop out.
And I don't want you to blame me.
[sad music]
Running hot and cold seems to be a recurring thing for you.
That's what happens when you date a woman of a certain age.
-We get hot. -Save the lecture, please.
I know all about hot flashes.
My mother had 'em for years.
I'm talking about how one minute you tell me to think bigger
and the next you shut me down when I do.
I didn't mean to.
I just...I just want you to understand.
I'm not the one that lacks understanding here, Ava,
you are.
I may not be as experienced as you, but I know enough to know
that what is happening between us is most definitely real.
And yeah, it might not lead to no happily ever after.
But it just doesn't make sense for us to not even try.
[music]
♪ Ooh, ooh
♪ Even turnin' white lights
♪ Talking in the late night
♪ Waiting for the sun rise
♪ Because we don't wanna say goodbye ♪
♪ I've been trying to stay cool
♪ Act like I don't know you
♪ We don't wanna break rules
♪ But I'm up if you're up tonight ♪
♪ I'll try to resist
♪ But you've got that something ♪
♪ I can't miss
You think you can just take my towel?
♪ I don't wanna keep fighting but I've won ♪
♪ Because you know I don't like to hold my tongue ♪
♪ Oh, baby
♪ I don't wanna be right if this is wrong ♪
♪ Take me to Take me to ♪
♪ The unknown
♪ Saw you at the function
♪ You were on your own ship
♪ Trying not to notice
♪ You were flirting
♪ Don't ask me why
[Judy] Oh girl, I just wanted you to see everything
I've been doing with my flowers.
[Mimi] With the flowers, yes.
-[Judy] Aren't they gorgeous? -[Mimi] Oh, the color.
Mm, mm, mm.
Oh my goodness.
Oh good Lord, Ava,
how old do you think Judy is?
I know she's older than me, but damn!
Oh, hush up.
Looks like a celebrity died in here.
When the time comes, I want my repast to be just like this.
Okay, aren't you two the belles of the ball?
You look gorgeous.
We're a little late getting there, but we still got it.
Yes, you do. Yes, you do.
I told you, you didn't have to go through all this trouble.
I know Auntie, but I forgot how much I enjoy this.
That's why the Zurich job is so appealing.
We'll talk about you leaving later.
Today is for happy things only.
You mean, like the Homegoing services?
-Oh, well... -Well...
I am glad that you are giving your Auntie her flowers
while she can still smell them.
Auntie, you've always held a special place in my heart.
And you always will.
Happy birthday.
Thank you.
It's so good when something tastes as good as it looks.
-Hey. -Hey.
-Happy birthday. -Thank you.
-And thank you. -Oh, and thank you.
-Cheers. -Cheers.
[music]
[clears throat]
-[Deena] Hello, Luke. -Hey Deena, how you doing?
-Hey ladies. -[Judy] Hello.
Good, good, good. Hello, my name is Luke.
-Nice to meet you. -[Mimi] Yes, I heard.
Oh, Miss Mimi, don't you look lovely?
Yeah, I do clean up nice, don't I?
[laughing]
-Wow. -Wow.
-Damn, girl. -You look good.
No, you look good.
You two stop googly eyeing each other
and you come and give your favorite teacher a hug.
Happy Birthday, Aunt Judy.
I know you have a beautiful garden outside,
but I thought you deserved one inside, too.
Oh, thank you.
I can't remember the last time somebody gave me flowers.
I can tell you exactly when.
So the young Mr. Luke, I am just flattered that
you would want to spend your evening...
With a bunch of old ladies!
Not old, just well seasoned.
But no, there's no place I'd rather be.
Well, why are we all still standing?
I'm ready to eat.
-Thank you. -[Luke] Food looks good.
♪ I just received some good news ♪
♪ Who's the first I'm gonna share it with ♪
♪ Baby, it was you, you, you
♪ Should have been smile When did you find out ♪
♪ I'm so excited
♪ That would've been music to my ears ♪
♪ But on the contrary
♪ Seems like every time
♪ The sun shines for me
♪ You want a cloud on my day
♪ You just can't be happy for me ♪
♪ Happy for me
[Judy] Ava, you out did yourself.
Thank you, Auntie.
Well, I couldn't have done it without Luke, my sous chef.
Seriously, I cannot believe that you cook like this
-every single night. -I do.
My birthday is Labor Day this year, just saying.
That's what the kids say, right? I'm just saying.
-I'm just saying. -[Judy] Oh, Luke.
My friend, she has clearly had too much to drink.
Yeah, sure, sure, sure.
Let me help Ava with the dishes first, okay?
No, no, no, no. You're good.
It's good, babe, thanks.
What happened to the chef code, no dishes left behind?
-It's okay. -I'll help her.
-I'll stay. -Aw, thank you so much.
Well, it looks like they're kicking us out
whether we like it or not. Come on, Miss Mimi.
-You good? -Yeah, yeah.
I'm good. I'm good.
Happy birthday, Aunt Judy.
I hope you felt Ava's love in every bite.
Oh, I did and a little bit of yours, too.
I wanna thank you for this invitation.
It has been the most wonderful time.
Well, thank you so much for coming
and thank you for being Auntie's ride or die.
Oh listen, I've buried two husbands and she was at my side
for each one of them, I'm telling you.
There ain't nothing I wouldn't do for your auntie.
-Yes, ma'am. -I'm ready to go.
-Now, Mimi... -[Mimi] Uh-huh?
Luke is already taken, okay, so don't go trying to make him
your third husband on the ride home, you hear?
Baby, good men are hard to find!
I ain't gonna make no promises. Oop, my bad.
Yeah, that was an accident.
-Look at him going on. -Come on, Miss Mimi.
Good night.
What was in her drink?
[laughing]
-Wow. -I know.
I didn't think it was gonna be so good.
I thought I was losing my touch.
I've only cooked pasta and eggs since I got here.
I was talking about Luke.
The way he was staring at you all through dinner.
You guys were just looking at each other,
finishing each other's sentences.
And don't get me started on all that secret...
But not so secret.
Touchy feely stuff, holding hands and all that.
Well, it looks to me like you two are falling in love.
[laughing]
[clears throat] Well, I mean, you know,
we have good chemistry. We enjoy each other's company.
[Deena] Mm-hmm.
Other than that, I don't know what you want me to say.
We don't have to say anything, but what are you telling him?
Well, I'm certainly not telling him, "I love you."
But do you?
[scoffs] I mean, he makes me laugh
like nobody else has ever made me laugh.
I'm gonna try not to take that personally.
When I'm with him, I feel light, but grounded.
Sexy and safe.
And he's kind.
And he reminds me to be kind to myself.
Aw hell.
You know I blame you two for this.
You with the hold on to an oak tree
and you with the frat-boy antics.
As a matter of fact, the only time Auntie spanked me
is when you convinced me to sneak out of the house
and go to that beach party at Hilton Head.
Remember that?
Oh no, you shouldn't be mad at me. You should be thanking me.
That's when you got your first kiss.
Ooh, what was that boy's name?
-Tony Franklin. -Tony Franklin!
That was reason you got a spanking.
That boy's been in jail his whole life.
You needed to learn which boys were worth kissing
and which ones were not.
And young Mr. Luke
is worth kissing
and he's worth loving.
Now if you break his heart
because you didn't think this through,
I am not above spanking you again.
Auntie.
Now I'm going to watch my stories.
When you two finish, make sure this kitchen
looks the way I left it this morning.
You hear me?
-Yes, ma'am. -Yes, ma'am.
[music]
♪ Who do you think you are, eh
♪ Who do you really think you are ♪
Yes, the Gullah Festival is every year.
Y'all really know how to throw a party.
Oh, you ain't seen nothing yet. Just wait.
I haven't seen you do that in a while.
Oh, I think it's the humidity.
It's got my joints, you know, stiff a little bit.
I didn't know that's how carpel tunnel works.
Luke...
I don't have carpel tunnel.
I have rheumatoid arthritis.
Why didn't you tell me?
Tell my virile boyfriend that he's dating a decrepit old lady?
No.
As much as you run,
you're probably in better shape than me.
The meds and the red light therapy
are really starting to help. I'm getting less flare ups.
And uh, I think I'm ready to start cooking again.
Well, thank you for finally letting me in.
I said I wanted to know everything about you.
The good, the bad and the in between.
-So yeah. -Well, now you do.
Yeah, uh, um...
Did you not tell me because
you thought it might change the way I felt about you?
Yeah.
Ava, I knew something was up with your hands
from the first moment I met you.
And the only thought I had was,
I hope that one day we're close enough,
she lets me ease her pain.
♪ This love is on fire ♪
♪ Fire
♪ This love is on fire
♪ Fire
♪ Try to put it out but you won't ♪
♪ Ooh
♪ Try to put it out but you won't ♪
♪ Ooh
♪ Try to put it out but you won't ♪
♪ Ooh
♪ Try to put it out but you won't ♪
♪ Cool down
[Ava speaking in French]
I feel like things are maybe finally coming together for me.
Like I'm right where I'm supposed to be.
And I have you to thank for that, Ava.
I'm serious.
If you hadn't got into the back of my car,
I don't know if I would've had the courage to fully commit
to going to culinary school.
You're strong enough. You would've figured it out.
I know it.
Yeah, but getting there with someone that you love
is more fun.
Falling in love with you
has helped me fall in love with being a chef
and everything that comes along with it.
Maybe this is one of our generational things,
but usually exchanging "I love yous" is a happy moment.
It's just that our timing sucks.
I mean, I'm this close to closing my deal in Zurich.
I mean, they've offered to back me in my own restaurant
if I get them a Michelin star.
How do I say no to that?
Well, you know,
in a year or so, I do know this sous chef
that might be able to come help you out.
I could check his availability.
I think he might be free.
A lot can happen in a year.
A lot can happen in a night, too.
[Luke] You're in an awfully good mood.
How could I not be?
I'm cooking for and with people that I love.
And I have a little surprise for you
but you're gonna have to wait until after dinner.
Hmm.
I like the way that sounds already.
I'll bet you do.
And I have a surprise for you. I can't wait.
-Okay. -Close your eyes.
Close your eyes. Come on.
-Okay. Okay. -Close your eyes.
[sighs]
Read it.
You got excepted into Le Cordon Bleu?
Yes!
Oh my God!
I did!
And I got a scholarship, which I know you had something
to do with, but I don't care right now.
It's-it's Paris! Food capitol of the world, babe.
Like why settle for the minors
when you get drafted by the bigs?
Yeah, except I had nothing to do with it.
I mean, I was tempted to,
but you did this on your own.
I am so happy for you.
-Me? -Yeah.
Babe, be happy for us.
I get to visit you on the weekends.
Maybe the Master chef will let me knock off
some apprenticeship hours.
We can work together and play together.
You know how we do.
What's wrong?
My after dinner surprise is that I'm not going to Zurich.
What do you mean you're not going?
This whole time you've been talking about freakin' Zurich.
I know that was the plan,
but then you had your dad call the GM
at The Charles Place Hotel and they called my agent...
Hold up. Yes, I reached out to my dad,
but he said that I was out of my weight class
and I should just mind my business.
Wow, I guess the universe is showing out.
Luke, maybe you're not the only one that needed to think bigger.
I mean, Zurich gave me what I wanted,
but The Charles Place Hotel is giving me things
that I never even dreamt of.
I'm their new CEC.
I'm sorry, CEC, what's that?
Their Chief Executive Chef
overseeing all their staff
in over 10 properties across the U.S
with plans to grow more.
I mean, it's the perfect situation except...
Except for us.
I'm so confused right now.
You made it pretty clear that you were leaving.
And you made it pretty clear that you didn't have plans
to do the same.
Look, I know you told me
not to make any decisions based off you,
but how can I do that when I'm in love with you?
I was open to Paris because of you.
Because I saw myself lying in bed with you or
standing at a stove cooking with you every day
for the rest of my life.
Luke, I love you too,
which is why I had my agent return the GM's call, initially.
Because I was willing to stay in Beaufort because...
Because of you.
-What are we gonna do, Ava? -I don't know.
[sad music]
[Karen] Are you sure about your decision?
My divorce was easier to negotiate.
[Ava] You had no business marrying that girl.
[Karen] I learned my lesson.
I'm taking things much slower with Liv.
Not as slow as you took with Zurich.
But thanks to you, I finally got there.
Call me when you're settled. Bye.
Okay.
Auntie, you're killing me.
I'm going to miss you.
And I'm going to miss you.
Being here with you
was exactly what I needed.
But now...
You need to fly on your own again.
[sad music]
-You are welcome back anytime. -I know.
You know this jumpsuit stays here with me, right?
You make sure this room looks like it did when you arrived.
Yes, ma'am.
[upbeat music playing]
Ooh, turn that up.
Afrobeats, I love this.
-It's Amapiano. -It's Amapiano.
Oh, sound like drums to me.
-Should we tell her? -Nah, it'll be our secret.
[music]
Hey.
We agreed.
A short and sweet goodbye.
If you get out of the car now, I might not make it on this plane.
Okay.
Hey, hey, hey. I'm gonna miss you, okay?
[music]
♪ You know I never understood how to love somebody ♪
♪ So come on We've got nothing to lose ♪
♪ And I've never really tried my hand at trusting somebody ♪
I didn't expect it to be this hard.
But it's the right thing to do.
♪ We can figure out what all the hype's about ♪
♪ Maybe we can talk
Deena, Stop.
No, seriously, it was the right thing to do.
No, I mean, stop the car.
Excuse me, pardon me.
Luke.
Luke!
Go get your man, girl!
It's the right thing to do!
Luke.
[horns honking]
Are you blowing at me?
[horns honking]
Luke!
[Man on PA] To Paris is now boarding at gate 17.
Luke!
[music]
What are you doing here?
I can't let you go.
-Without making sure... -We're gonna figure this out.
You know how much you mean to me.
You loved me
through a really dark time.
And I'll always be grateful.
And why can't I keep on loving you?
It's only a year. We can figure this out.
Luke, you know that the perfect dish
is about having the right ingredients at the right time.
The ingredients are our experiences
that we bring to one pot.
So you have to go to Paris as a free man,
so you can focus on school
and take in all that the city of lights and love has to offer.
What kind of girlfriend sends her boyfriend
to possibly find another girlfriend?
One that's hoping that maybe after you do,
you'll come back
a little older, a little wiser,
a little more clear of the difference
between loving and being in love with someone.
You're using my words against me.
They were good words.
I almost forgot.
I have something for you.
Look inside.
No matter what happens,
you and I can stand in front of a stove and cook together
every night
for the rest of our lives.
You know I'm not good with ambiguous endings, right?
Think of it as an interlude
that may or may not have a second act.
♪ I'm not alone
Oh, oh, oh ♪
♪ I'm not alone ♪
♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Baby.
[music]
[horn honking]
[Deena] I'm so sorry.
Letting him go was the right thing to do.
[music]
Okay, so what do you wanna do?
Do you want to go to the real estate office and get your keys?
Do you wanna go to the bar and get drunk?
We are gonna go to the DMV.
I'm gonna get my driver's license
and then we're gonna get my keys and go to my new house.
And then we're gonna get white-girl wasted.
Hey!
I am delighted and disturbed by how you think.
Maxie, you wanna get white-girl wasted, too?
♪ Cause we don't talk much
♪ And steady I'm moving moving like cursor ♪
♪ Hooked on your anchor
♪ Distant sea shore
♪ Actually I can't keep up
♪ And I no fit understand
♪ How you do not see the plans I've got ♪
♪ Ooh ooh ooh
♪ If you tire make you go
♪ Ooh ooh ooh
♪ I don't wanna live my life
♪ With ups and downs
♪ Tell me what you're down for ♪
♪ Am I still yours
♪ Sick of the ping pong
♪ Cause we don't talk much
♪ And steady I'm moving moving like cursor ♪
♪ Hooked on your anchor
♪ Distant sea shore
♪ Actually I can't keep up
♪ And I no fit understand
♪ How you do not see the plans I've got ♪
♪ Ooh ooh ooh
♪ If you tire make you go
♪ Ooh ooh ooh
♪ I don't wanna live my life
♪ With ups and downs
♪ We're going back and forth we're stuck in limbo ♪
♪ I don't wanna live my life... ♪