AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Thanks, Spencer."
"All right, I better go. I think Grandmother saw the car, because the front door opened."
"Take care, and I mean it. She knows how to use your weaknesses against you, man. And then she has the audacity to say that it's for your own good."
"Gabe. Don't worry, I can take care of myself."
As I got out of the car, I couldn't deny that Grandmother had a point. Hooking Jake up with Natalie and Cade with Meredith was the best thing that happened to those two. It was largely due to Grandmother’s interference. But despite her best intentions, even she had to know that I was in no position to have a woman in my life—in any capacity.
"Good evening, Grandmother," I said, taking her arm once she stepped off the porch.
"You didn't have to get out of the car for me."
"Yes, I do. That's what you always taught me, right? Manners matter."
She smiled. "You boys make me proud. I do need help with this one," she said as I opened the door to the car.
The Range Rover was very high, but she slid in gracefully. I took her to a Michelin restaurant in the Seaport District. On the way, she filled me in on the friend who came to visit Grandfather. He always made plans when we went out with her.
“Think you can make it to lunch tomorrow?” she asked me as we arrived at the restaurant. The valet parked the car, so we walked straight inside.
“Probably not. I’m most comfortable with Ben inside the house. But in a few weeks, I should be able to join you.”
She invited my brothers and me to lunch almost every other Saturday, but I hadn’t been since I found out about Ben.
“All right. Maybe....” Her voice trailed as she looked around. “My, my, this is fancy.”
I'd wanted to take her somewhere she hadn't been before. I hadn't been here either, but the place had rave reviews. It was fusion cuisine, as they called it. I hadn’t had time to look at the menu. The space was a bit too dark and far too loud for my taste, but I'd requested a table in one of their smaller rooms for me and Grandmother.
"I don't want to know what these people think when they see you in this fancy restaurant with your grandmother instead of a beautiful young woman," she said as one of the waiters led us all the way to the back and then the door to another dining area. It was much quieter inside here.
As we sat down, I said, "They probably think I have a very close relationship with my grandmother, which is true." I completely ignored her jab about young women.
"Hello, how are you this evening?" a different waiter said as soon as we sat down. "Do you want to look at the à la carte menu? Or do you want to order one of our tasting menus?"
Grandmother looked straight at me. "You decide."
"We'll take the largest tasting menu," I said. "For both of us. It's just easier."
After he left, she looked at me tenderly. "I appreciate you boys making an extra effort to take me out, but you've got a lot on your plate right now."
I smiled at her. "I can always make time for my grandmother."
"Thank you. So, tell me, how are things really?"
"What do you mean? You know everything that is going on in my life." The waiter came back with an assortment of bread and spreads.
"Oh thank god. I was starving," Grandmother said, immediately taking a slice and putting a cheesy mixture on it. I did the same.
"Look, I’m just adjusting to this new stage."
"And I think you are doing wonderfully."
"No need to go easy on me, Grandmother. Last night I ended up mixing the formula with too much water. It was a nightmare. I don't know what I'm doing half the time."
"No one does when they become a parent. That's the problem. But you're doing your best, and that's all that matters. Is it just me, or is this spread funny?" she said after a bite.
I was still stuck on what she'd said before. Coming from Grandmother, that was high praise. I took a mouthful. "You’re right. The cheese tastes like it went bad.” But what did I know? We'd never been fans ofhogwash food, as Grandfather called it. Grandmother always cooked traditional recipes. But I liked to experiment.
