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“So she did show up and try to get information out of you?” he asked, getting the plates down.
“Of course she did. You know how she is. I didn’t let on. She asked if I was getting dinner with a plus one. I told her yes, but before she could ask another question, Ella saved me.”
“Ella is good at saving people. I’m sure my aunt was running around questioning everyone at that point after.”
“Speaking of that,” she said, opening the boxes of food.
“Let’s split everything, if you’re good with it,” he said.
“Works for me.” She took half of the sandwich, then put a little spaghetti on her plate and a slice of tomato and mozzarella.
“No bread?” he asked.
“I couldn’t. I’ll be lucky to eat this much,” she said. “Back to what I was trying to say. Do you think it’s time we tell your aunt? I’m starting to feel a little guilty about everything. I know it is what your family does. It’s funny in a way. Everyone seems to know but won’t come out and say it directly.”
“Other than Ella.”
“I thought of that too. Ella is getting close to delivery. I think she doesn’t want to be out of the loop if it comes about and she isn’t in the office.”
He laughed. “That sounds like my cousin. She can say she was the first to get it confirmed and rub it in her mother’s face.”
“My thought too. What do you think and how do we do it? I’m not into walking in and announcing things.”
“Let me think about it,” he said. “We don’t need to do it now or in the next day. Might as well make it count.”
“I’ll leave it to you,” she said. “And wow, this sauce is out of this world. I can’t believe I haven’t had it before.”
“Aiden’s Italian is great too, but Nic’s is better. He even admitted it. There are things she does and no one knows the recipe. Her grandmother even comes in and helps out.”
“I’ve seen her,” she said. “I didn’t realize it the first time that it was Nic’s grandmother. I just figured it was an older employee.”
He grinned. “She didn’t want to get paid either, but Aiden insisted. She comes in when she wants. A few times a week, bright and early. She oversees the bread being made, trains new staff for that too. She’ll make the sauce when they’ve got it on the menu if Nic can’t.”
“And Nic is out a few more weeks,” she said.
“She was taking three months off and then only going back a few days a week to start. She gets back home before Aiden comes in for the night,” he said.
His family was good about that. Making sure that the kids came first, but everyone still worked. With all the money they made, no one skated by. Some might say his family was cheap or frugal too in that aspect, but they’d never admit it. They all wanted to keep making more money like him.
“I love how your family dynamics work,” she said. “Even to how everyone plays a part in torturing your aunt.”
“It’s fun. We can’t help it. She brings it on herself and loves every minute of it too,” he said.
“I think she does. You can see it in her face.”
They continued to eat their dinner, talk about their day, then cleaned up.
“Here,” he said. “I know we said we weren’t buying gifts, but it’s not a true Valentine's Day gift.”
She frowned and took the bag out of his hand. “Looks it to me in the red bag with hearts on it.”
“Sorry. I could have just kept it in the box and put it on the counter.”
She pulled it out and started to laugh. “This is great. It’s to keep here, right?”
He watched her pull the coffee cup out of the box with her name on it. It was red too. Nice and bright with her name in white. “I figured since you’re spending the night tonight, that maybe you wouldn’t mind doing it more often. Now you’ve got your own cup to use in the morning.”
“Thank you,” she said. “Then I can confess I kind of got you something too. Or something for both of us.”
