Her sixth sense was downright eerie. I glanced at my phone in awe, then remembered I was driving downtown where I'd need every sense and ounce of attention on the road. “Everything is fine, Mom. Sorry it took me a bit to get back to you.”
“A bit?” she snorted. “It's been nearly two weeks. If it wasn't for your father I'd be in the city right now.” The phone shifted, the crackling sound probably the result of her shifting it to her other ear to give my dad a look. Her volume dimmed, the next bit for him, but I still heard her loud and clear. “I was not overreacting, Earl. She could have been dead in a ditch or God knows what.”
“Luckily, I'm not dead in a ditch,” I shook my head, smiling at my mom's brand of crazy. It just wouldn’t be complete without the necessary guilt trip. “Work has just been crazy, Mom.”
“Uh huh.” Her disbelief oozed from the phone. “Well, I'm glad you could squeeze me into your busy schedule.” Like she could sense me rolling my eyes and fishing for an excuse to cut the conversation short, she changed strategy. “How are you?”
“I'm good.” 'Now' was left unsaid. I had no interest in hashing out what happened between me and Jacob. The last time I let it slip that there was trouble in paradise she launched a mission to fix my relationship that ended up making Alicia avoid any functions that had my mother's name on the RSVP list. There was no love lost between the two of them and learning that Jacob's mother had a child that she kept from her son for 24 years would do their tenuous association no favors.
“And Jacob?”
“He's good too,” I said cryptically. “Everything is good.”
“Uh huh.”
I rolled my eyes, glancing at my screen. Just a few more blocks until I arrived at my destination. “How about you and Dad?”
“Your dad is just fine. Working on his latest project in the garage and keeping all sorts of noise. And I'm doing just fine. Worrying about my only daughter, but fine.”
“Don't worry about me, Mom,” I sighed. “I'm living the dream, remember? Rich husband, incredible job-”
“All the money in the world can't buy happiness.”
I practically slammed on my brakes. My mother had always made it quite clear that my ultimate goal should be marriage and being well taken care of. The fact that her daughter met and married a billionaire was like one of her soap operas had come true.
“Hello?” she said, all but tapping the mic. “You still there?”
“I am,” I said, picking my jaw off the floor. “You just caught me by surprise.”
“Jesus,” she huffed. “Give me a little credit, Leila.” Before I could remind her about the paparazzi or any number of things she’d done that contradicted her statement that there was more to life than men and celebrity, she added, “I know I’ve made some missteps, but your happiness is paramount. You’re my daughter, and I just want you to be happy.”
I’d been so eager to arrive at my destination so I could disconnect but now that I’d arrived at Bite Restaurant and we were having some sort of moment, I wanted to savor it.
“And speaking of happy, I was watching PR the other day with Jeanette and I would just love it if you could pass along some ideas to Jacob.”
Anddd she was back.
I pulled to the curb in front of Bite, trying to not take it personal. At least she asked how I was and said something super sweet before she got to the real reason behind her call. “I gotta go. Give Dad a kiss for me.” I disconnected and hopped out of the car. I refocused on my mission: meeting Cole and inviting him over for dinner.
I’d cleared out my schedule from 2 pm on in an effort to avoid the lunch rush and steal a sit down with Jacob’s brother, but when I stepped through the doors of Bite, I realized that ‘rush’ probably applied to the time between open and close.
The first word that came to mind was bright. It was more than the white walls and vaulted ceilings with chandeliers that seemed to triple the size of the room. It was more than the circular tables, framed by modern yellow armchairs.The oversized, floor to ceiling windows let the sunshine in, but it was still more than interior decorating magic. It was all about the energy in the room. The excited chatter of the people lined up at the hostess stand. The visibly exhausted server who managed to smile; a real smile, not a fake, wince inducing one. It was beautifully plated dishes that made their way to the tables. It was the sparkle and glee that rounded the customer’s eyes as they brought the first bite to their lips. Things were so bright, so optimistic that I didn’t waste time with chit chat once I made it to the grinning hostess.
“Table for one. Please seat me in Cole’s section.”
Her smiled wavered. “What?”
“Cole Sommers is on shift this afternoon, right?” It was rhetorical since I had already done my research and knew he was working until 5pm.
Her cheeks darkened but there was something in her dark brown eyes that told me she wasn’t embarrassed. When she pulled herself to every inch of her height, I was sure she was about to challenge me to some sort of duel for Cole’s heart. “You’re a ... friend of Cole’s?”
I shifted my purse to my other arm, fighting the urge to tell her that I was married and so not interested. “I’m kind of in a hurry. And starving.”
She glared me up and down then slapped on a smile that looked like she was sucking on a lemon. “Right this way.”
I practically sprinted trying to keep up with her, the brightness I'd seen a whirl of color now. The voices were teeth gratingly loud. The food overwhelmed my senses. And I didn't see Cole.
Are you overstepping your bounds? Doing the exact kind of meddling that you chastise and avoid your mother for?
I didn't give those questions a second thought, focusing instead on the fact that the restaurant was significantly bigger than it looked...or she was taking me to some secret room to off the competition.
Just as I was about to ask for an ETA, she dumped me at a table near the back, whipping a menu in my direction like a frisbee.
“He'll be right with you. Enjoy!”
As delicious as the room smelled, my eyes didn’t scan the plates on the table. They searched the staff. Blond, tall, with gray eyes, should have been easy to spot, but I came up empty. I glanced down at my hands, the tremble rippling through me and taking the menu along for the ride. Nerves were natural in these kinds of situations, but I searched for a liquid remedy anyway.