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“Thank you,” I said, letting him lead me inside. He gave the waiter his name before we were led across the room to a quiet table in the back. It was far too intimate, and I suddenly wanted to fucking bolt. Fucking Dani! Never trust the cousin you left behind without a word. Revenge comes in many ways.
“This restaurant is really hard to get in, but I recently had a client who knew the owner, and he got me reservations,” he bragged, the false bravado not endearing in the least. The poor guy was about as dangerous as a golden retriever. I was used to men who didn’t need to brag because the weight of their reputations did the talking for them. In my Family’s world, if you were someone worth talking about, you didn’t need to do that talking yourself.
The waiter approached right then, saving me from giving him an awkward response. “Hello, could I start you with something off of our wine list? Perhaps an appetizer?” the waiter asked, his smile bright as he gave us a small bow.
“Oh no, I don’t drink alcohol” Lance started, but I sure as fuck wasn’t getting through this without something.
“I’ll take a glass of white wine, please,” I said quickly. The waiter bit back a smile as he nodded then turned to Lance who looked a little pale as he glanced over the menu.
“I’ll have water, please,” he said, likely worried about the price, but honestly, I had no intention of him paying for me. I was a big girl with a big girl job.
“Don’t worry, Lance. I’ll cover my half,” I said, waving him off when he tried to stutter out some kind of explanation. “Listen, I always do on first dates. Now, tell me about yourself?”
“Uh, sure,” he said, swallowing hard and taking a drink of the water they’d brought over. “I’m a general manager over at the South Side Bistro, and I have a dog named Bubbles. I’m a Gemini.” He stopped abruptly when the waiter came over, very obviously shifting his tray so the glass of white wine spilled, filling his lap with the cold liquid. My eyes went wide as Lance yelped, scooting back and dabbing at his lap with his napkin. Feeling sorry for him, I tossed him mine as wel
l.
Unfortunately for him, it had been a full glass of white wine, so he now looked like he’d pissed his pants. His cheeks were so red he resembled a tomato, and I was more than a little confused. What the fuck does the waiter have against him?
“I’ll be right back.” With that, he ran off to the back of the restaurant, probably in search of a bathroom. I let out a long sigh. This date was definitely going downhill fast, and call it mafia cynicism, but someone was out to sabotage it with a move like that.
“Apologies, ma’am. I’ll go replace your glass,” the waiter offered, still sounding amused as he walked away while another waiter replaced the likely sticky chair.
“What the hell just happened?” I muttered to myself, pulling out my phone.
Me: I fucking hate you
Dani: What? You asked for wholesome.
Me: No, I didn’t. YOU decided wholesome. Why did I let you boss me into this?
Dani: Because I’m persuasive? Really, you had to see what you were missing, right?
Me: He’s way too… nice. Like charity work and kissing babies nice. He doesn't even drink alcohol. And the waiter just dumped wine on him.
Dani: OMG that’s hilarious!
Dani: You just like the stabby, bloody kind of men, huh??
Me: Fuck you.
Dani: No thanks, I’m not into you. Too much baggage.
Me: Fuck you, you have the same baggage.
Me: Did you pay the waiter off?
Dani: No… why?
Me: My wine ended up in his lap.
Dani: Ouch. If you need to be saved, text me an SOS.
Me: Here he comes. Wish me luck.
Dani: Sounds like you’ll need it
What the hell is that supposed to mean? I didn’t have long to dwell, Lance taking his seat a moment later.
