“The pancakes. Thanks.”
The waitress took our menus and toddled toward the kitchen without another word.
Into the brief lull, I asked, “How is he?”
“How’s who?” Neil grabbed a sugar packet and shook it a few times.
“Lawrence.”
The corner of Neil’s mouth instinctively tugged upward at the name, and while he was able to tamp down the expression before it got a foothold, there was nothing he could do to hide the lovesick in his eyes. It was kind of cute. I hadn’t seen him happy in a long time. I hadn’t seen him head over heels for someone in even longer, and this guy Neil had been dating for a few months now seemed like the real deal.
Neil said, as the waitress dropped off his coffee and refilled my own, “He’s fine.”
“Uh-huh. And where’re you registered?”
“For what?”
“The wedding.”
Neil dumped the sugar into his coffee and stirred it. “Fuck you.”
“Because I’m a pretty terrible gift-giver without direction.”
He took a sip and added another packet. “Believe me, I know. Remember the first year we were dating? You bought me a charcuterie board for my birthday.”
“I thought it was a cutting board.”
“Why would I want a cutting board for my birthday, Sebastian?”
“I don’t know! You didn’t have one in your kitchen! But you got a fancy charcuterie board instead, so what’s the problem?”
Neil pointed at me with the spoon. “When has either of us, since that exact day, eaten from a charcuterie board?”
I made a face.
“Exactly.”
“Then how do you feel about matching couples robes?”
“For fuck’s sake. If you buy me a monogrammed robe, I’m shoving you into oncoming traffic.”
Our waitress returned a final time, depositing plates heaped with enough bacon to block an artery and pancakes like I was prepping for hibernation.
“That was quick,” Neil mumbled, staring at his plate.
“Saul’s isn’t exactly known for its quality meal preparation.”
“So this has been warming on the griddle for an undisclosed amount of time?” Neil asked, shoveling the eggs onto his fork.
“Probably.” I poured syrup over the stack of pancakes.
“We could have gone to Ellen’s Nook,” Neil said in between bites. “She does eggs benedict atop smoked salmon.”
I gave him an incredulous look while chewing a mouthful of pancake. “I’m not buying you bougie eggs. I won’t even buy my husband a twenty-dollar breakfast.”
“You’re a cheapskate.”
I ignored that. “Besides, I was already in the area.”
