“Hang on a minute,” she said to Max, picking up her phone. “Laura sent me a message.”
Amy: There’s only me and one other guy here. His name is Max and he’s new. Where is everyone else?
Laura: I’ll check the online group.
“I asked her for an attendance update,” Amy explained.
He nodded and picked up the menu. She followed suit and had decided on a cheeseburger with blue cheese and bacon when her screen lit up again.
Laura: They all cancelled. Every one of them.
Amy: Really? Has that ever happened before?
Laura: No. Usually at least two or three show up. Most of the time it can be up to twenty. I just reserved for eight because that’s how many said they were coming. I don’t know when I’ll be there either. Farah’s softball game is in extra innings, and then I have to drop her off at home. I don’t want you to have to wait so go ahead and leave. We’ll do this another time. Sorry!
Amy glanced at Max, who was still perusing the menu. She’d only ordered water and she could still leave without putting the waitress out too much.
Amy: Don’t worry about it. I hope Farah wins!
Laura: Me too! It’s an exciting game!
She slipped her phone back into her purse. “Bad news. No one else is coming.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I’d understand if you want to leave.”
He closed the menu. “If you’re staying, I will too.”
She smiled. “Then it’s a nondate.”
“Those are the best kind.”
For the next hour, she and Max ate—he had a cobb salad—and talked about their lives, which couldn’t be more different. “I’m a corporate attorney,” he said, spearing a bit of avocado. “Have you ever heard of Pickett & Jones law firm?”
She shook her head. “Nope. Haven’t had to deal with a lawyer since my divorce.”
“I joined the firm last year. They primarily do criminal law but now they’re branching out into different sectors. I work in the McKinney office. I don’t see Mr. Pickett or Mr. Jones that often, but they occasionally stop by the office and shake hands. They’re decent people.” He gave her a sheepish grin. “I get a little defensive about my profession sometimes.”
“I understand. I don’t watch much TV, but when I do, I’m inundated with ambulance-chasing ads.”
“Yeah, those are the worst. But we aren’t all like that.”
Amy nodded, selecting a thick french fry from her plate. “Sometimes I feel a little protective of my profession too. Teachers get a bad rap, and some of them deserve it. But most of us love what we do and want our students to succeed. I can’t imagine doing anything else.”
“I had some excellent teachers throughout my school years.” Max sipped his second Coke. “I often thought about teaching law after I retire.”
“When will that be?”
“I’m fifty-seven, so I’ve got several working years left. Crystal and I had planned to tour the world after we both retired. She was a nurse and worked for almost two decades at Children’s Medical Center before she moved to work in a private practice.” He pressed his lips together. “Plans have changed, obviously.”
Amy’s heart went out to him. She’d had plans with Daniel too. Lots of them. Other than buying the house in Allen and having Britt, none of them had come to fruition. But she’d had lots of time to mourn those losses.
“There I go again.” He shook his head. “Turning a perfectly fine conversation maudlin.”
“Thirty years and a tragic death are hard to get over,” she said gently. “It’s understandable.”
“Thank you.” He smiled. “I have to admit, tonight’s turning out much better than I thought it would.”
