AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She merely stepped into her boots, which was answer enough.
“Still feeling stressed out?” I asked as we walked out of her apartment building.
“No, but my ass stings.”
“I’ll kiss it better tonight.”
When we arrived at the restaurant, Gemma tried to make a break for it, but I held her to my side as the hostess in all black led us to a table, where Frank and Caroline were seated. Her eyes rounded, pieces clicking into place. “Am I imagining this?” she asked, bobbing her head excitedly. “Are you two…?”
I held up our linked hands and nodded.
“This is wonderful!” Caroline hugged each of us. “I knew it. I knew you two would make a good match. Didn’t I say that, Frank?” She whipped her head back and forth from her husband to her daughter. “I did say that. Oh, this is amazing.” She settled back into her seat, dragging Gemma to the chair next to her. “Why didn’t you tell me? I’m so happy.” She clasped her hands together in front of her heart, beaming. “One big happy family.”
I handed Frank an envelope as he sat down. “Happy birthday.”
“Thanks, Jay.”
“It was Gem’s idea. I wanted to get you Depends, but she said that would be rude.”
Frank opened the birthday card, and a gift certificate fell out. “Hot Sauce of the Month Club!” He grabbed Gemma’s hand. “Excellent. Thank you.”
A young waitress, probably barely eighteen, in a vest and tie, approached the table. She introduced herself and offered a drink menu along with the specials. Frank ordered a round of appetizers, all of which had some sort of animal in them, and I held up my hand to order something else for Gemma, but she tapped my foot under the table. Even though she had playfully made a big deal about eating at this steakhouse, I knew she wasn’t going to say anything about how there were literally only two items she could eat in this whole place. Yet instead of letting me ask the server about options, she glared at me and reached for the bread basket.
Dinner went relatively smoothly as Frank stayed quiet, sawing his way through the biggest cut of meat in the place, and Caroline stuck to basic questions about me and Gemma, no real prying. For dessert, the waitress brought out a round chocolate cake topped with a few tall candles which Frank repeatedly failed to blow out. After his fifth attempt, he wiped his forehead. “Guess you hit sixty, and the lungs are the first thing to go.”
“They’re trick candles.” Caroline giggled behind a napkin.
Frank’s gaze transformed to pure adoration as he reached over the table to kiss Caroline, and I wondered what my life would be like at his age. If there would be romance and laughter and love.
I took hold of Gemma’s hand under the table, her eyes puddles of some emotion I couldn’t read, though from the thoughtful quirk to her lips, maybe it was the same thing I’d been imagining. “Gem, I—”
Before I could finish my sentence, the waitress tripped next to the table, sending a glass pitcher full of water flying high into the air. Its descent to the floor ended with a spectacular smash into a million pieces, but not before most of the liquid made a pit stop all over Gemma.
Every head in the restaurant spun to find the clatter. Her once-loose cream top was soaked through and almost entirely sheer.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” The young girl apologized from her position on the floor. A middle-aged man, who I assumed was the manager, sped toward our table. When the waitress spotted him, she wiped her face with the back of her hand. “I’m sorry. I’ll get this cleaned up as soon as—”
“It’s okay.” Gemma slipped off her chair to the floor and began to pick up some bigger pieces of glass as the man reached the table. “It was an accident.”
“Morgan, in the back, please.”
The girl nodded but was slow to get up.
“Now!” he barked.
She ventured another glance at her mess, tears trickling down her cheeks before hurrying off toward the kitchen, head down, broken pitcher in hand. The man offered his hand to Gemma. “I am very sorry about this unfortunate incident.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Gemma ignored his help, getting up on her own. Although once she was upright, the manager’s eyes glued to her chest and the distinct outlines of her nipples through the thin material of her bra and shirt now stuck to her skin.
I curled my hand into a fist, striving to remain calm, knowing Gemma could handle herself. She wouldn’t want me to step in.
He cleared his throat and brought his attention to Gemma’s face, which was a good fucking thing because I didn’t know how much longer I could sit at this table with his leering. “I would, uh, like to offer a discount on tonight’s meal.”
Turns out, I didn’t even last a few seconds. I got up and wrapped my jacket around Gemma’s shoulders, making sure she was covered. She smiled her thanks to me then said to the manager, “It’s no big deal.”
“I insist.” He brought his hand to his chest, inclining his head to Frank and Caroline. “I apologize again for this inconvenience on your birthday. You can be assured I will be taking care of the problem.”
Most of the patrons in the place were watching the scene unfold, and I felt Gemma tense next to me. “Morgan was very helpful tonight. She was polite and knowledgeable, and if you fire her over a few drops of spilled water, you can be assured you will lose my business here.”
