Ruby smiled. She was happy to be corrected if it got the girls talking to her.
As they moved toward the sixth window, Rashid leaned in close to Ruby. “Okay, these windows are cool. And so was the tree. You did good, Red.”
Ruby beamed. “I made Dr. Rash feel holiday joy! I’m going to ride that high all day.”
After leaving the mall, Rashid drove them to the restaurant. There was a huge crowd outside. Ruby told Rashid and the girls to wait on the sidewalk while she went in to see if their table was ready.
“Did you make a reservation?” the hostess asked.
“Of course I did.” She told the hostess her name.
The hostess frowned and looked at her screen. “I don’t see it. Did you call it in?”
Ruby shook her head. “No, I made it online.”
After a few more moments, the hostess shook her head. “Your reservation is for tomorrow afternoon. Would you like me to cancel it?”
Crap. She screwed up. “Can I switch it to today?”
The hostess shook her head. “We’re fully booked for reservations right now. If you’d like to wait for a walk-in spot, it’s about forty-five to fifty minutes.”
Ruby cringed. The girls were clearly tired. “I have kids with me. Any way we can get a seat sooner?”
The hostess was shaking her head when Rashid came in,holding Tara in his arms and Noor’s hand. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Oh… they can’t find my reservation,” she said, forcing a smile. She couldn’t let Rashid know she’d made the reservation for the wrong day. She was supposed to be impressing him with her organization skills, maturity, and all-around employability.
“She made the reservation for tomorrow instead of today,” the hostess said to Rashid. “I can get you a table in forty-five minutes. You’re welcome to wait in the bar.” She handed Ruby a plastic disk. “This will buzz when your table’s ready.”
Ruby glared at her. Why had the hostess told him she screwed up? Was there no girl code?
Rashid, at least, didn’t look irritated or angry. More like exasperated. Unsurprised. “Should we go somewhere else?” he asked.
“I want Santa pancakes!” Tara said.
Ruby cringed. She should not have shown them the pictures of the pancakes on the drive over.
“We can sit in the bar!” Ruby said, doing her best to sound enthusiastic. “It’ll be fun. Maybe they can make Shirley Temples. Have you ever had that drink?”
“Pancakes,” Noor said before hiding her face in Rashid’s legs.
“Okay,” Rashid said. “We’ll wait in the bar.”
They clearly weren’t the only ones with that idea, because the bar area was quite full. Thankfully, another group got their table, so they were able to get an empty bar table that had three tall stools at it. Rashid lifted each girl onto a stool, then told Ruby to sit.
“It’s fine,” she said. “You sit. I’m okay.”
He shook his head, his eyebrows knitting together. “I’m going to the bar. Sit. What do you want to drink?”
Ruby exhaled. She’d planned to have one of their holiday cocktails—like an eggnog martini or something like that, but after screwing up the reservation, she didn’t want to see more of Rashid’s disappointed face at her festive drink. She asked for a hot tea. He went to the bar, leaving Ruby alone with the girls.
Ruby tried to engage in some conversation, like asking if they were going to order the Santa pancakes and what they thought of the Christmas windows, but they were quiet. They only looked at each other, clearly terrified of the big red lady who talked too much. Which was fine. They were tired.
Rashid returned then, with a server carrying a tray of drinks behind him. The girls got red drinks that had little plastic swords with cherries on them—apparently, they did make Shirley Temples here. Rashid got a black coffee, and Ruby a hot tea.
Ruby tried to get up and give Rashid her seat, but he insisted that she sit. He still looked irritated.
“I’m sorry,” Ruby said. “About the reservation, I mean.” She felt terrible. Not only because she was supposed to be impressing Rashid, but now he had to stand in this dark and crowded bar with two cranky kids instead of being in the cozy dining room feasting on little pancakes. It was a stupid mistake. She’d undone all the good she’d done by taking them to see the Christmas windows and the tree.
