Chapter 28 Dinner
chapter Twenty-eight
Dinner
Tiffany
“Matthew, you are such a mess,” Ms. Rose says, followed by a giggle.
As disgusted as I am at the idea of my father and my son’s nanny being intimate, I actually really like the two together. I love Ms. Rose. And Lord knows Daddy deserved to find him a good woman.
I walk around the corner carrying Noah. The two smiling adults look up from the kitchen counter to find me.
“There goes my man,” my father says, coming around to grab Noah out of my arms.
My baby kicks his feet with excitement. He loves his papa. It’s been two weeks since I tossed my mother out of my house. What started as a one-day trip quickly turned into an extended vacation for my dad. I won’t complain. I’ve enjoyed having him here.
“Hey, sweet pea,” Ms. Rose greets, handing me a hot mug of coffee.
I take the mug and plant a kiss on her cheek.
“Thank you, I needed this. I have a full day today.”
“How’s the remodeling coming on the Blackwell house?”
I grin thinking about how well the renovations for Ezra’s house are going. Not only did I get it done under budget, but we may also even be a little ahead of schedule.
“Incredible. Moving that staircase to the other side opened up so much more space, already it’s making a difference.”
Ms. Rose grins.
“That’s good. I told you that was a good idea.” I enjoyed the fact that Ms. Rose liked me to bounce ideas off her. When Nico isn’t available, she listens for hours as I explain plans and drawings to her.
Speaking of Ezra, tonight was the night I was meeting him, his sister and brother-in-law, and their friends for dinner. The other couple was excited to sit down and meet me. Ezra says they have been raving about what I’ve done in the home so far.
Although I told my husband I have a business dinner with potential clients, I didn’t exactly tell him who it was with. In all honesty, I wouldn’t have lied to him if he’d asked, but he didn’t. And I didn’t see the need to volunteer the information.
Though I know Nico trusts me wholeheartedly, I don’t think he likes Ezra.
Any time I mention his name, he gets this cold look in his eyes.
And since there is no reason for him to worry, I omitted the details about who I was meeting.
Besides, he has enough to worry about. It’s been a week since the blowup with Mason, and the two still haven’t spoken.
“I’ll be home late tonight. I have that dinner with potential clients,” I say, sipping my coffee.
“How late?” Daddy asks, his brow pinching.
I shrug. “Maybe eight or nine? Why?”
He looks nervously over at Ms. Rose before turning back to me.
“Rose and I made plans to go out to the fair tonight.”
“I forgot about that dinner.” Ms. Rose places a hand on her chest. “Don’t worry about us. You go to your dinner. I’ll stay here with chunky man.”
“We can take him with us,” Daddy quickly says.
I look between the two of them. I can definitely see something brewing, and it warms my heart. Taking in Ms. Rose’s appearance, I try to gauge her reaction. She looks as if she wants to go, but will accept it if I say no.
“No, you two should go. I can have Mira come get Noah,” I say with a grin.
My father waves his hands through the air as he looks down at my son. “No need to do that. I’m only in town for a few more days. My grandson is welcome to come along with us. Besides, I need a wingman.” He looks up and smiles at Ms. Rose when he says the last part.
Ms. Rose’s face flushes. She’s not even a light-skinned woman, but I can tell she’s blushing.
“Okay,” I finally say. “You guys have fun. I won’t be back too late.”
I like the smile that appears on my father’s face. I hadn’t seen a smile like that since I was twelve and Ms. Felicia would come over and do my hair. Afterwards, Daddy would walk her to her car. He’d come back in with that same smile on his face.
“Good luck at your dinner meeting, sweet pea.” Ms. Rose winks at me. “I know you’re going to win them over.”
I wrap my arm around her and hug her close before letting go and placing a kiss on my dad’s head.
My day went by rather quickly. I was swamped. I had a meeting with two potential new clients, and I sat in on a sales pitch for a restaurant design. After, I made a few sketches for the restaurant pitch until it was time to meet for dinner.
Hubby: How was your day?
I smile as I read the text. Nico has been busy the last few days. The East River Hotel was almost done. I had to go in and reorder a lot of the flooring and carpets that were ruined during the flooding. Most of the furniture was spared, but there were a few things that had to be replaced.
Nonetheless, the place was looking more and more like the hotel I designed again.
We were a few weeks out from the grand opening, which meant Nico was busier than usual.
He was out of the house early this morning, so I didn’t have time to see him before he left, and I haven’t been able to talk to him all day.
Me: Busy. How about you?
Hubby: Same. I’ll be home late tonight. Have a meeting to attend. Don’t wait up.
I feel like lately he’s always having late meetings. I’m not worried; I know this has a lot to do with how crazy his life has been lately.
Another text pops up on my phone from him.
Hubby: And good luck with your dinner. I know you’ve got this.
I smile down at the screen.
Me: Thank you. Love you!
Hubby: Love you more.
I tuck my phone back inside my purse. Jake pulls the truck up to the front of the restaurant.
“Do you want me to check inside and see if your party is here yet?”
I also purposely didn’t tell Jake who I was meeting either. He knew I was here for a pitch for a potential client, but I didn’t give him a name. Telling Jake was like telling Nico.
“No. It’s okay. He’s here.”
Ezra sent me a message about ten minutes ago letting me know he was here.
Jake’s gaze narrows through the rearview mirror at me.
“Don’t give me that look,” I warn. “This is just business. I’m meeting Ezra and a few other people.”
Jake shakes his head. “I don’t like this, Boss lady. I don’t keep things from Saint.”
I hold up a hand to stop him. “And I’m not asking you too. But I will tell him. It’s not like I lied to him.”
He doesn’t seem too sure about this. The way his gaze is scanning the parking lot repeatedly tells me so.
“Relax Jake. There are no secrets between me and my husband.”
I can tell he’s not happy, but he dips his chin. “Alright, but you need to let him know who you’re meeting.”
Nodding, he and I come to an agreement. Jake climbs out of the newly replaced G-Wagon. He hands the keys to the valet before coming around to get me out. We quickly make our way inside.
“Hi, I’m here for Blackwell, party of six.”
The hostess looks down at her list. Her brow pinches momentarily before she looks back at me.
“Right this way.”
I glance at Jake, who discreetly fades into the background. The hostess takes me to the back corner. Ezra spots me and immediately stands. He looks nice in his crisp button-up shirt and black slacks.
“Hi,” I say. He hugs me before pulling out my chair. “Where is everyone else?”
He takes his seat before answering. “Running late. I ordered you a glass of wine.”
I’m still breastfeeding, so I ignore that glass of wine. “How late will they be?”
Even though Ms. Rose and my dad had Noah out with them, I still needed to get back at a reasonable time. Plus, the two of us sitting here alone is feeling a bit too intimate.
He gives me that charming grin. “Well, my sister is always fashionably late. But her friends shouldn’t be too long.”
This eases my concerns a little more. I remove my coat and place it on the back of my chair. Ezra and I do a little small talk until the server comes to the table.
“Can I start you off with some appetizers?” she asks.
“The rest of our party isn’t here,” I tell her.
She looks at Ezra. “Oh, I thought it was just the two of you.”
He chuckles. “We can still order some food while we wait. I know you must be starving.”
I was definitely hungry, but I wanted to wait until everyone arrived.
I wave him off. “I don’t mind waiting.”
“Nonsense.” He turns to the server. “Can you get us the spicy calamari rolls and the spinach dip to start?”
The woman nods before walking off.
“I know you’re hungry,” he says before I can speak. “There is nothing wrong with eating before the rest of the guests come. Who knows, they may not show up at all.”
Although his words are said in jest, they cause an unsettling feeling to hit my stomach.
Ezra starts back chatting. He’s talking about painting and legacies. I’m barely paying attention. I keep glancing down at the time on my phone. When the server brings our appetizers to the table and walks away, I start to get a little anxious.
“It’s been fifteen minutes,” I say. “Have you heard anything from your sister?”
Ezra chuckles, grabbing a small plate. He takes a spicy roll off the tray and places it on his plate.
“Relax, Tiff, you’re in good hands.”
That unsettling feeling increases. I’m not sure where it’s stemming from; it’s not like Ezra is doing anything wrong. There is a possibility his sister and her friends are just really late.
I look around the room, and for the first time I noticed the restaurant wasn’t packed.
There are a lot of vacant tables, which is uncommon because this place is usually overly crowded.
Something else I notice is that there aren’t many couples in here; in fact, there are no women other than the hostess and the waitress.
That unsettling feeling soars. Something is off. I scanned the empty restaurant looking for Jake. He’s sitting at the bar facing me. His face is blank yet relaxed. It should ease that feeling in my gut, but it doesn’t.
Ezra starts talking again, but this time I don’t even pretend to be paying attention.
My phone vibrates on the table. I pick it up and flip it over. There is a message from Nico.
Hubby: Til death, Tiffany.