That much Caleb had gotten from the fact she was still at that table. “It’s worse.”
Mike made a face. “Let me see if I can do anything about that.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Have my wife call her and see if we can get her out of there.”
Caleb nodded. Hopefully, Kristen would be able to help because he didn’t want to get involved but wasn’t going to be able to stop himself soon.
Mike quietly explained the issue to Kristen and then ended the call. They both waited for Grace’s phone to ring but didn’t hear it.
“Bet she forgot it again. Not the first time.” Mike sighed. “Maybe I should go tell her Kristen needs to talk to her?”
Caleb started to agree, but Grace spoke again.
“I’m just going to go. Put my fries on Grandma’s bill. You two have a lovely night.” Grave was saying.
“Nah, she’s getting herself out of it,” Caleb explained, right before all hell broke loose.
CHAPTER 3
The woman cuthis steak for him. This grown man is letting his mother cut his steak for him. Grace decided enough was enough.
“You can’t just walk out. We haven’t finished seeing if you’ll suit Benjamin,” his mother’s voice rose as she spoke, growing more nasally as she did.
“I’m sorry. I don’t think it’s going to work out.”
Grace slid out of the booth and lifted her purse to put it on her shoulder. It was at that moment that it went from bad to worse.
Her purse hit her salad bowl, which she wasn’t eating, and had moved to the edge, knocking it just enough into her glass to topple it over and spill it on the table, and down into the laps of mother and son.
“Oh my God,” the mother (whose name was never given to her) squealed and jumped up from the table.
Grace, not having an ounce of her namesake, spun around to look for napkins or a towel that wasn’t soaking wet to give to the woman. This time, her purse flung outward, catching Tilly walking by with a plate of spaghetti and meatballs.
The plate flew out of Tilly’s hands and straight at Ben’s mother, landing on her white shirt. She flung her arms as the plate clattered to the floor.
“You did this on purpose. How miserable of you.”
“N-no. I swear it was an accident,” Grace stammered.
“Which part?” Ben snapped at her.
“Go. I’ve got this,” Tilly told her.
Grace turned to flee, but there was water on the floor dripping off the table. She took one step, slipped, and started to fall.
Strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her upright. “Whoa, there,” a deep voice said.
“Sorry.” Grace tried to pull away.
“Give yourself a second and make sure you’re steady,” the voice was just a whisper in her ear.
She pulled back and looked up to find Caleb, the man she’d only met right before this horrible date, holding onto her.
“It’s okay. Take a deep breath,” he soothed.
Grace did what he said, and his arms slowly dropped away. “I’ve got it.”
