Chapter 14 Norm
Eva
In my quest to learn to like Davey, I agreed to dine with a VIP.
I felt alright about this—it was a small request, and I dealt with partnership bullshit before.
Davey promised Norm Palchuck wasn’t handsy and promised to mind himself.
Even now, in his fabulous Bentley, I felt okay about it.
As we approached the restaurant, all bets were off. Sushi!
I kept my mouth shut as Davey spoke.
“We have a reservation for David Delphine. For three.”
“Yes, Mr. Delphine, of course. We’ve been able to guarantee you the chef’s table. The other half of your party is waiting at the bar.”
Oh, fuck! There was nothing worse than being stuck in a kitchen! Puke was a biohazard, and the menu was pre-fixe never mind the prohibition on sushi. Thankfully, Davey read my concern.
“Oh, shit!” Davey facepalmed. “You cannot eat sushi, right?”
The host jumped in. “We have other options if that doesn’t appeal.”
Before I could say anything, a woman pushed past us and demanded a table as if reservations were not a thing. I took the time to sync with Davey.
I whispered, “It’s the smell.”
I opened my purse and pulled out a Zofran, arming myself in hopes it would work to keep my nausea at bay like cloves of garlic against a vampire.
“That really is so bad?”
I glared. “David, it is horrendous. You have no idea.”
“But doesn’t it get better?”
“Ask your sister that stupid fucking question!” I clapped back.
I had no energy. I took a quick couch nap in my office but flagged about eight when I was piling my hair into a somewhat presentable bun in the ladies’ room.
“Do I look pregnant?” I whispered. “In this dress?”
“You look great. Only you would know,” Davey answered with a slight smile.
It wasn’t rude. It wasn’t skeezy, but it showed interest. Why the hell didn’t he get the hint that I really didn’t think about him that way anymore?
Were all straight men eternally hopeful pursuers of pussy?
They always told us that we confused them and weren’t direct.
Meanwhile, I’d always gotten clear answers from women.
“Are you okay otherwise?” Davey asked as we waited on the host to finish dealing with a Karen sans-reservation.
“Davey, this is bad news.”
He turned back to the hostess once the woman left in a huff. “The chef’s table… will not work for us. My colleague has a dietary restriction, and I know the menu is very bespoke. She cannot have any fish.”
“Sir, the other party member requested it. I just… assumed you’d prefer it. Let me speak to the chef. I am sure for you we can make some sort of accommodation.”
I breathed a sigh of relief.
“I told you that I had your back,” Davey said.
“Thanks.”
The hostess returned. “Yes, the chef said he understands and is glad to accommodate any dietary restrictions.”
Davey looked to me for confirmation. I nodded in return. The medication was keeping my nausea at bay so far.
We found Norm—a skinny, short man in his seventies—at the bar with a fruity drink. He wasn’t what I expected.
“You did bring a friend, didn’t you?” Norm asked. “Who is this lovely woman?”
He was flamboyant. I got a feeling the reason Norm wasn’t handsy was he preferred women to bro-y straight dudes like Davey.
“Norm, this is our new Business Information Security Officer, Eva Pavlak. She’ll be at the leadership retreat next month. Daphne couldn’t make it.”
“Daphne couldn’t make it? What a shame. I suppose she gets a pass with the pregnancy. Terrible thing,” he made a face. “Go easy on her. She’s earned it.”
“I try not to be too much of an ogre to the women in my life,” Davey said.
I resisted the desire to roll my eyes. Davey wasn’t an ogre, but would toot his own horn.
“They said we have the chef’s table,” Davey confirmed. “Should we head back?”
A server took us to the kitchen. It was as “elevated” as you’d expect.
I’d been to a chef’s table before. Mona loved shit like this.
Sadly, I preferred to choose my own food.
I wasn’t into gastronomy. I would have gladly consumed sushi any other time in my life.
In fact, after the miscarriage, I had it as my first meal as a fuck you to the universe.
“So, what does a person like yourself do?” Norm asked as we were seated.
“I work with Daphne and Claire to translate technology priorities or concerns into real talk. I’m an attorney first,” I explained. “A lot of my job is boring compliance stuff.”
“Contrary to what I thought, she doesn’t fix computers,” Davey said.
“How is your broken PC working out?” I tried not to glare.
“It is… broken. I gave up. I am still just using my iPad at home.”
I rubbed my temples. Just what we need, a mobile device used by the CEO at home to expand our threat surface.
“Let’s order you an iPad Pro,” I said.
“And why?”
Because we can lock it down like Fort Knox and unfuck things.
“You deserve an upgrade, David. Don’t you think?”
He shrugged. “If you say so, Eva. You’re the expert.”
Davey’s gaze wasn’t benign or professional. We hadn’t even gotten Sake, and he already stared at me too much. I could have been flattered, but why? In this state, I expected different treatment. Did he have some weird breeding kink?
The server arrived with Sake and three glasses.
I covered mine with my hand. “Nothing for me, thanks. I’m a teetotaler.”
“Really? Oh, that’s a shame. But congrats on your sobriety.” Norm was kind.
I plan to drink heavily once this thing is out of me. I’ve more than earned it.
Davey changed topics. “Eva is Daphne’s former mentee. How did that all start again, Eva?”
“We were paired up by the Oxford Alumni group for American students. She was a young barrister, and I was just leaving law and cybersecurity. I had no idea how to navigate the British job market.”
“And you were staying?” Norm asked.
“I was trying to. I was in a serious relationship with a Brit and had no intention of moving back to the States to live with my parents and find a job.”
“Oh, exciting. Did your husband move back with you?” Norm made all kinds of assumptions.
“No,” I said. “Ironically, I moved back when Daphne hired me and am currently living with my family. Both my parents are retired, and my mom needs some interference now that Dad is always around.”
Norm chuckled. “When my wife was alive, that was how it was. So, no husband? No boyfriend?”
“No girlfriend, boyfriend, or partner of any sort,” I answered.
Norm smiled. “Oh, you young people can be so free. It is good. Davey, I know I shouldn’t ask—”
“No,” Davey answered. “There is someone I was sort of seeing, but that is… complicated.”
If he meant me, he barked up the wrong tree. If not, he was being tacky.
“Well, no doubt Lady Danna would prefer to see you end up with someone—especially as Daphne has just gotten married.”
“Daphne was married before, too.”
I pulled a face.
“Oh, she didn’t like the first husband,” Norm chuckled.
“He was an ass,” I confirmed. “Cal is much better for her. Not that I have an opinion, of course.”
“I agree,” Davey added. “And Mum is… a challenge in this regard. I’d like to settle down someday. I am trying.”
He said it, knowing I wanted to hear it. Talk was cheap, but I wanted to believe—even just a bit—he wasn’t lying.
“I keep telling that to my friend Lyle,” Norm said.
“He always gives me hell for acting like I’m sixteen, but it keeps me young.
I think the wife sometimes rolled her eyes, but she wasn’t a stick in the mud, either.
Find a girl like that—one that won’t bore you.
Oh, and if you like sleep, don’t have kids. I have no regrets on that front.”
Davey choked on his water. “Well, some might say children are the spice of life.”
“That’s certainly what your father thought,” Norm said. “Six children is not for the faint of heart. Don’t tell me you want six of them.”
“No,” Davey saw my gaze drop. “One or two is fine.”
Davey
Eva started to give up around eleven but rallied for dessert. Norm found her charming. He relaxed on his concerns and ate out of her palm. Eva was clever—more than I gave her credit for. She was also beautiful, even more so done up to the nines.
“Could I interest you in drinks? My friends are at the wine bar across the way.”
“I’m good,” Eva said. “It was lovely to meet you, but I’m knackered.”
“That’s British for tired,” I joked. “Same. I should head out.”
“Suit yourself,” Norm said. “Nice seeing you, Davey, and wonderful to meet you, dear Eva.”
She gave him a little wave as he disappeared to find his second watering hole.
“Home?” I asked.
“If that is still the offer, yes. I feel bad asking your driver—”
“It is what I pay the service for,” I said. “It’s their job, Eva.”
“Fine,” she agreed.
We dipped into the waiting car in the circle drive outside.
“What’s your address, Eva?” I asked.
“7213 Thistle Rd, Krakow, Indiana. This time of night, you’ll be there in about 35 minutes,” Eva answered. “Sorry. It feels like the country.”
“Don’t apologize, miss,” Earl, a regular driver, said. “I’ve been out that way before.”
She turned to me. “And you can drop him first, obviously.”
“Nah, I’m down for a tiny road trip—”
“Davey, I live a million miles away. It will be late.”
“I don’t have anywhere to be tomorrow. I’d rather make sure you get home safe and… I wouldn’t mind the drive.”
She rolled her eyes but didn’t protest. As Earl made his way south, Eva gazed at the lake to our left while I stared at her. She let out a long sigh and began disassembling her hair, as if trying hard to relax.
“Do I really make you that uncomfortable?” I asked.
“No.” Eva turned. “You don’t. But my hair is pulling and everything sort of hurts.”
“Everything?”
“My back is killing me. My tits hurt. My feet are swollen. It’s hellish, Davey. I am not complaining to garner sympathy, just for perspective.”
“It is okay to complain to garner sympathy,” I said.
She shook her head. “Don’t go there.”
“Go where?”