AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You don’t have to come with me,” Clementine says, her steps as clipped as her tone.
“I know,” I answer, glancing at the rocking turtles jutting from the ground and plastic cars scattered behind the fence to the right of the building. It’s all very happy, and I can almost hear the kid’s laughter, even though the playground is empty.
Clementine pushes a button beside the metal door and we’re buzzed into a gleaming white reception area filled with bright colors on the wall.
While Clementine lets the blonde behind a glass window know she’s picking up Tennyson, I stare at the artwork of stick figures with swollen heads and disproportionate bodies and smile. She’s right. They do look like the paintings my grandfather cherished so much.
Escorted by a brunette with a kind smile, Tennyson bounds into the waiting area.
Clementine takes his small hand in hers and we head back to the car. It’s all so domesticated. And I’m not sure how I feel about it, but I don't hate it.
“Let’s do apples,” Tennyson says on the drive to the estate.
“Apples?” I ask.
Clementine smiles, staring over at me. “He wants to go to his favorite restaurant.”
“What’s that?”
“Applebee’s.”
“Apple what?”
She laughs, and the sound flutters throughout the car like music, making me smile.
“You’ll love it,” she tells me.
“Sounds great.” I rarely ever eat out, mainly due to the fact I have a personal chef, but I tell the change of plans to Stefan, and he turns the car around, heading toward the strip mall.
This should be fun. And I don’t mean that in a smart-ass way. Since Clementine has moved in, we haven’t had very many meals together. Most nights, I opt to eat in my office, working on contracts and making sure Bishop stays far away from my wedding. Plus, I don’t want to impede on Clementine’s time with her son. I almost feel like an outsider looking in, but I’m glad we’re remedying it.
My grandfather was never about family dinners. I think he ate in his office too, working late and dining on the souls of his competition. I’ve inherited his work ethic, I guess. Too bad none of it rubbed off on Ronin.
Stefan pulls into the parking lot of the local Applebee’s, and I follow Clementine and Tennyson to the entrance and open the door with an oversized apple on the glass. Inside, the place is packed, with a giant bar in the middle of the restaurant filled with people. The noise is deafening and I blink at all the happy families enjoying each other.
“How many tonight?” the blue-haired hostess asks at the podium near the front.
“Three,” Clementine says, glancing back at me.
“This way,” she says, grabbing menus.
We follow her to a booth near the back of the restaurant and slide in. The hostess puts down a menu in front of me, and one for Clementine, and then gives Tennyson a piece of paper and some crayons.
Tennyson is on cloud nine, and grabs the crayons and starts scribbling on the paper.
I open the menu. “Normally, the places I eat don’t have pictures of the food. It’s helpful.”
Clementine laughs a little from across the tiny booth. “That’s a shame. Tennyson loves it here.”
“Well, what’s good?” I ask her, letting her choose my next meal.
“I always get a burger,” she says. “We should do an order of mozzarella sticks. They’re Tenny’s favorite.”
I’m completely out of my element, but it’s something I can come to appreciate.
I glance around, observing the other families enjoying their meals, and I can’t remember the last time I ever spent real time like this with my own family.
The server, a bouncy young lady with long brown hair tied back in a ponytail, approaches our table with a smile all too big. “Evening, can I start you all with something to drink?”
