Glancing at the clock as I hung up, I noticed it was time for me to head over to the restaurant. Sandra would be on my mind for the rest of the night, but I had a non-date to get to.
* * *
The South End had changed so much over the nine months since Gideon and I had been part of the revitalization that I didn't give walking to the restaurant a second thought. Unfortunately, my head was in so much of a fog after talking to Sandra and thinking about my non-date with Gideon that I didn't think to bring a coat.
Knowing the area lacked parking, I walked to the restaurant instead of driving my truck. I was lucky we were getting a warmer winter, but I still regretted leaving my jacket behind. I walked a little faster, trying to warm up as I turned on the block Mallory's was on. If I lived a little closer I would have run back home, but I hated being late.
Mallory's was in a triangular-shaped brick building on a busy five-point corner. The tall rotating front doors were in the tip of the triangle, which was surrounded by small bistro tables on the sidewalk. There were so many people waiting outside for a table, I considered texting Gideon for a rain check. The last thing I wanted was for us to be in some noisy crowded restaurant while we had our talk.
I squeezed through the entrance and was greeted by two hostesses with wide smiles. Behind them, the restaurant opened up into a large space with twenty-foot ceilings. Mallory's was decorated in earth tones with a stone tile floor and walls that were sponge painted to look weathered. Amber glass chandeliers dangled from the ceiling and matched the wall sconces in the entry. I moved away from the door and found a quieter spot for me to people watch while I waited for Gideon to arrive.
The bustling restaurant made me a little uncomfortable. People bumped into me as they tried to move from one place to the next. Standing there by myself, I looked around for Gideon even though I knew it was too early for him to be there. As I looked at the sea of faces, I spotted a familiar one with dark brown hair making her way towards me through the crowd.
"Oh my god, Jackie," I said. "How are you?"
Jackie Stone was one of Cassie's best friends. We were part of a group of women who met for lunch occasionally at a local restaurant downtown called Mirabella's. She wore a heavy cardigan sweater over her outfit that reminded me of something my Uncle Mack always wore. I hugged her tightly, stealing some warmth from her.
"What was that for?" she asked with a laugh.
"You have no idea how happy I am to see you. I hate waiting in crowded places by myself."
"I don’t blame you," she said. "The only thing worse than that is being with a bunch of people and feeling alone."
"Right?" I said with a laugh as I watched the door for Gideon. Slowly her words sank in. "Oh wait, are you here with a group? Because they don’t sound like much fun."
"They’re alright, I’m probably just being a little sensitive or something. I didn’t want to go out tonight."
"New Year’s Eve is a crazy night to go out," I said. "I can’t believe I let him convince me to do this."
"Oh? Him? Is this someone you’ll need to give us details on at Mirabella’s?" she teased.
Dammit! Why can't I keep my mouth shut?
"Oh no, absolutely not. It’s just Gideon. You guys tease me about him enough."
"Right, Gideon, the sexy, single architect and entrepreneur who just so happens to be your very good friend."
I laughed. "Don’t start. Wearefriends and that's it, nothing more."
I turned away from her as I scrunched my nose. Jackie didn't know me well enough to tell when I was lying, but I didn't want to give it away.
"Sure, sure. You know, if you’re friends now, you just might be perfect together as a couple," she said.
Ugh, why does everyone have to bring him up?
"Well, what about you and Mr. Billionaire Best Man?" I asked, hoping to change the subject. I knew Jackie felt just as uncomfortable talking about Brent as I did about Gideon.
"Okay, okay, I’ll drop the Gideon stuff as long as you don’t mention Brent ever again. Deal?"
"Deal," I said, relieved.
I looked back towards the door as Gideon arrived. His hair looked lighter in the amber lights of the restaurant, but he was still insanely hot. I had to admit that sometimes it was hard being best friends with such a gorgeous man.
He ran his fingers through his hair as he looked around. When his eyes found mine, he winked and grinned devilishly before heading towards me.
"Enjoy your night," Jackie said. "I should get back to my friends before they order without me."
I briefly thought of inviting Jackie to join Gideon and I, but the closer he got to us, the more I wanted to be alone with him. I pushed it out of my mind and reminded myself that it was the holiday effect on me, nothing more. But the more my heart raced as he approached, the more I realized he was right. We needed to talk about what was going on between us.
