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He bobbed his chin.
I glanced over at Kyra and Max. They seemed to be deep in conversation and enjoying their lunch. Max caught me watching them and waved. I waved back with a smile. Kyra glanced my way and just rolled her eyes.
I sighed.
“Teenagers,” Ray said with a little laugh.
“Yep.”
We sat quietly for a moment, enjoying our drinks and food.
“What do you do for fun?” Ray asked.
I finished chewing, thought for a moment, and then answered, “I honestly don’t know. I mean, my kids are everything to me.” I shrugged. “Max is in basketball and Kyra is in dance. They both have practices almost every day or at least every other day, so that doesn’t really leave much room for anything else.”
Ray frowned. “That’s not okay.”
“What do mean?”
“Well, my wife was the same way. Her life revolved around the boys and me, but I realized a little too late that she needed more time for herself. She needed to do something for just her, and we needed to do more stuff for her.” He sat back in his seat and gazed out the window. “She…” He cleared his throat. His eyes grew misty. My heart swelled a bit. “She did too much. I think when the boys left for college she kind of got lost. Then she got sick. I didn’t know what to do.” He sighed with defeat then cleared his throat again. “I’m sorry. I haven’t talked about her in years.”
“But you think about her every day?” I asked.
“So make sure you take time out for you. I know it’s easier said than done, but it’s important. And don’t feel guilty about it.”
“Right,” I said. “Easier said than done.”
Honestly, I couldn’t remember what I liked to do for myself anymore. I loved reading but never had time. Well, I supposed I actually could read more. I could read while I was waiting for the kids at their practices. That would be a start, right?
I checked the time on my phone. “Uh, boy, I’m sorry. I’ve gotta get back to work. I have another conference call in fifteen minutes.”
Ray looked disappointed but pushed back his chair and stood. “Well, thank you for having lunch with me, Cass. I’d love to take you out on a real date,” he invited with a smile.
My heart raced; my stomach tossed and turned. Surprisingly, I was able to stand despite my trembling, wobbly legs. I glanced over at the kids and gestured them to follow me as we walked toward the exit. When we were outside, I finally answered Ray. “I’d love to go out on a real date with you.”
“Yes,” Max said with a little too much enthusiasm.
Kyra squinted her eyes. I couldn’t tell if it was because the sun was in her eyes or if she wasn’t sure how to feel about me accepting an invitation for a real date.
Ray grinned. That smile seemed to radiate from him straight into my soul. It made me feel warm.
Kyra groaned.
“How about Wednesday night? I’ll pick you up at seven. Take you to dinner and a movie?”
“Does this mean I have to watch Max?” Kyra grumbled.
I nodded. “We’ll talk about it later,” I said.
Chapter Five
On Wednesday evening, Ray held my hand as he guided me toward Jammin’ Jazz Room restaurant in Los Angeles. “I hope you like smooth Jazz,” Ray said as he pulled open the door and held it for me.
“Yes, I do, thanks,” I said.
“You look beautiful, by the way.”
He had no idea how many outfits I tried on and discarded before Kyra and Max finally convinced me that the yellow sundress was the one to wear. Kyra insisted that I wear sandals and also insisted on giving me a personal pedicure and manicure. She painted my nails a bold red, but not before chastising me for not taking better care of my nails. She filed and buffed them before painting. Max watched the entire time in pure fascination.
