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“Why don’t we invite Leo and his wife and Rose and her family over for dinner? We can entertain everyone; I can cook, or you can order, if you prefer. That way, we can get to know one another better since our visit this afternoon wasn’t very long.”
“If you’d like,” I state, “I can text them both. How about we plan for tomorrow or Sunday afternoon, depending on their plans.”
“That will work, gives us some time to plan the food,” she states.
I reach for my phone, pulling up a text message with Leo.
Nathan:Are you and Candace free tomorrow night? Harper wants to have the two of you over for dinner, Rose, as well.
The three dots start bouncing right away, but I flip over to a text message with Rose.
Nathan:Harper and I would like to invite you over for dinner tomorrow, are you free? The kids are welcome to come. Your brother and Candace have also been invited.
Leo:We’ll be there. Time? Need us to bring anything?
“What time do you want them to come over?” I ask Harper.
“Um, I don’t know. What time do y’all usually eat dinner? Maybe five or six?” she suggests.
“I’m the wrong person to ask that question to, as I often don’t eat dinner until eight thirty or nine.”
Nathan:Be here around five, we’ll eat maybe around six thirty or seven. Haven’t decided yet if we’re ordering in or if Harper is going to cook.
Rose:Thanks for the invite! I can for sure come, the kids are gone this weekend as it is their weekend with Paul.
“Looks like it is a go for everyone. Rose’s kids won’t be with her as they’ll be at their dad’s.” I pass the information to Harper.
Nathan:Sounds good, I told Leo to be here around five and we’ll eat sometime after that.
Rose:Sounds good! See you then.
“So, I’m sure you already have ideas on what you want to serve, so lay it on me.”
“How are you on a grill?” she asks.
“Eh, I can make a steak or burger, but I wouldn’t call myself a grill master, by any means, but I can call a guy.”
“I can’t believe you can just call a guy up that will come work the grill.” She chuckles. “I still feel so out of place in your life.”
“Hey now,” I state, sitting up so I can look her directly in the eyes. “You belong here, don’t let anything make you think differently. I’ll agree that our lifestyles are different, and that’s something we’ll have to adjust to, but I’m not going to apologize for adapting to my surroundings and taking advantage of what my wealth can provide for me. I might be flashy with some things in my life, but at the end of the day, I’m still just a boy from the small town of Sweet Valley, Tennessee who wants a lot out of this one life I’ve got. My focus or reason to get out of bed every day might have changed throughout my life, but at least I have a reason.”
“I know, and I’m not judging you for anything, it is still just weird to think that calling someone to come in and grill for a little party you want to have isn’t something I’d ever have thought was possible. I mean, I guess I knew personal chefs were available for hire, and that’s basically what you’d be doing, it just wasn’t my first thought when thinking about inviting everyone over.”
“I say we hire someone for two reasons,” I start saying.
“Okay, give them to me,” Harper chimes in, ready to listen to what I’ve got to say.
“Reason one—you can focus on getting to know my friends. If you’re cooking, you’ll be more focused on that than on visiting with our guests.”
“Sounds reasonable,” she replies, “and reason two?”
“Reason two—Leave all the prep, set up, serving and cleanup to someone else.”
“Can you hire someone on such short notice?” she asks.
“Yep,” I state, popping the p. “Sometimes the money comes in handy.” I wink before I drop a kiss to her lips.
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