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Was that so bad? She was changing herself, was she not? Scarlett shouldn’t be judging her friend for the same thing that was happening in her own life.
She needed to just brush this off like Annabel was clearly doing.
They arrived at the restaurant and Scarlett pulled into a parking space. It wasn’t super busy for a Saturday morning, but it would be by the time they left. At least that was what her research suggested. There was still plenty of parking on the street and in the small lot behind the historic building. On Sundays, this beautiful brick building boasted tea parties for mothers and daughters alike.
Scarlett took a moment to appreciate the Dutch Colonial Revival architecture that had managed to stand the test of time in this particular part of the city. Surrounding the building was a variety of old and new buildings, but this one stood out mostly because it used to be a home. It was as if the city had grown around it, and yet left it intact. There was a balcony on the second story to the right, several windows on both floors and a large, almost arch-shaped awning over the front door.
Annabel glanced up at the building, her expression almost the opposite of Scarlett’s. “This is the restaurant you wanted to take me to? Are you sure it’s not like an old folks home?”
Scarlett laughed, looping her arm through her friend’s and moving them both toward the front entrance. “They converted it to a restaurant on the inside but left the outside the same. You’ll see, it’s going to be amazing. I’ve seen all the pictures online.”
They entered what would have been the foyer back in the day and a grand staircase came down to one side. On the other was a large parlor filled with small tables and ornate chairs. A hostess stood with a set of menus scooped into one arm. She smiled brightly. “Do you have a reservation?”
Scarlett nodded. “Perez for two.”
The woman looked down at a clipboard on a stand and nodded. “Right this way.”
Much of the interior of the building had been kept the same as far as décor was concerned. It appeared that the biggest changes that were made had to do with moving walls to accommodate guests. The place was absolutely beautiful.
Their hostess placed two menus on a small table and gestured toward the chairs. “Today’s meal comes with complimentary bottomless mimosas. Sound like something you ladies are interested in?”
“Um—”
“That’s great, thanks,” Scarlett said and nodded. She picked up her menu and glanced over to her friend, noting some apprehension. “Is everything okay?”
Annabel glanced in the direction that the hostess had gone, then brought a reassuring smile back to Scarlett. “Yes. Everything is great.” She seemed a little more fidgety than she’d been in the car and Scarlett nearly demanded to know what was going on, but she thought better of it. This was supposed to be a fun morning out just for the two of them, and she didn’t want to spoil it by discussing something that Annabel had no interest in talking about.
They glanced over their menus, and then Annabel suddenly placed hers on the table. “Okay, so tell me why you didn’t give Derek’s cousin your number.”
Scarlett coughed, having sucked in a little too sharply. “I’m sorry, what?” She tried to make her words sound like they were coming with a laugh, but instead, she probably sounded like she was getting defensive.
“Derek’s cousin. He told Derek that you didn’t give him your number, so you clearly didn’t want to see him again. Did he do something wrong?”
“What? Of course not.”
Annabel placed her elbow on the table and then her chin in her hand. “Did you find him unattractive?”
“No. He was cute enough.” Scarlett flushed and tried to keep her focus on the menu in her hands, but Annabel placed a hand on the edge and forced her to lower it.
“Then what was it? He wasn’t inappropriate, was he?”
“No!” This time her voice was sharper than she’d intended, and it drew the focus of a few others in the room. “No,” she said quieter. “It’s just that I’m interested in someone else.” The second those words escaped her lips, she knew she was done for. Annabel wouldn’t let her walk away from this conversation without telling her exactly who she was crushing on—or rather, who she was in love with.
Scarlett grimaced and picked up the menu again, only to have Annabel let out a soft squeal and lower it to the table.
“You didn’t tell me you were seeing someone. Why did you let me set you up then?” Her eyes were wide, excited, and brighter than they’d been in a long while. “You have to tell me who it is! Is it someone I know?”
She didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t like she could pull out her phone and text Elijah to give him the heads-up that this was happening here—now. She could already hear what their next conversation would sound like. He’d tell her she was foolish for letting the conversation even get this far.
Shoot! What was she supposed to do?
Annabel looked at her expectantly, literally on the edge of her seat.
Scarlett sighed. There wasn’t any going back, only moving forward, and now that she knew Elijah loved her, she knew they’d be able to work out any bumps in the relationship—together. “I don’t want you to be mad.”
“Mad? I’m not going to be mad. You already came back and told me that you wanted to settle down and start a family. That was earth-shattering as it was. Why would I be mad about you actually doing it? You’ve always been an overachiever. I figured you’d make quick work of whatever you set your mind to.”
Annabel’s words hit harder than Scarlett had anticipated. Her sweet friend, who had been nothing but her cheerleader since they were younger, was still doing her duty to be there for her. How could she have kept this secret from her in the first place?
