“But my mother thinks you do, so that’s that. Anything else?”
His full mouth tightened, and he looked so damn adorable I wanted to swoop in and kiss the crankiness out of him.Shit.I’d better get control of myself.
“Yeah. Your mother’s present. I had Tiffany’s send it over. Dev once gave something like it to Brody’s mom for her birthday, so I think she’ll like it.”
“I’m sure it will be perfect. If I haven’t already said it, thank you. You’ve made the day extra special for my parents.”
He nodded and pressed the button. After a minute, the doors opened, and he left. My parents were enjoying some cheese and fruit from the board. Mom handed me a plate, and I took a few things without paying much attention, my mind still on Fallon. My former assistants had always jumped at the chance for a free dinner, or to get tickets for a premiere or a sold-out show or concert. Fallon didn’t ask for any of that. He deliberately held back from revealing too much of his personal life, which only made me want to know more about him.
“Fallon’s such a lovely man. So different from the other assistants you’ve had who never tried to get to know us.”
“Yeah. He helped me find this place and got me settled without me even being here.”
Dad popped a piece of cheese into his mouth. “How did you find him, again?”
“You remember Devlin Summers? The quarterback who retired and came out?” They nodded. “Fallon worked for Dev—seems they’ve known each other since they were kids. Dev retired and he didn’t need him as much, so he recommended him to me.”
Mom sipped from her glass. “That’s good—being able to help the people who were with you all your life. I’m glad he’s coming to dinner with us. But why did he look so sad when we said he’s like one of the family?”
“No idea.” But I planned to find out.
Chapter Eleven
Fallon
I debated calling Patrick and canceling, claiming a sudden onset of stomach pains, but that sounded fake as fuck even to me. Plus, Lori was a nice lady. She’d invited me, and I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. Against my better judgment, I put on a suit, sprayed on a little cologne, and called for a car to take me uptown.
To my surprise, I was the first one there. Before sitting at the table, I talked with the manager, ordered a bottle of champagne, and made sure the cake I’d chosen for dessert was there and decorated. I’d also arranged for a beautiful bouquet to be delivered to the table when Lori arrived, and it was already waiting. Assured everything was ready, I finally sat and took a sip of my sparkling water.
The day spent with Patrick’s parents played in stark contrast to the recent conversation with my mother and father. Where they kept a laundry list of my faults and deficiencies, never hesitating to point out my shortcomings, Lori and Don lavished praise on Patrick, showing him all the love and affection I’d always hoped to receive.
“Fallon?”
Lori and Don stood across the table from me, Patrick behind them. I jumped to my feet.
“Hi. I’m sorry. Welcome to your birthday dinner.” Themaître d’appeared with the flowers and presented them to Lori. I saw she wore the present I’d ordered for her from Patrick—a diamond heart necklace.
“This is such a beautiful place.” They took the flowers to hold them for her while we ate, and we were seated—Lori and Don next to each other and Patrick next to me. The man radiated heat, and he wore a delicious cologne that invaded my senses. Great. Here I sat, turned-on beyond belief, and I had to make nice with his mother.
“It’s one of my favorite restaurants—not super trendy, but always perfect.”
Patrick gazed around the dining room. “I sure don’t know any of the spots. This was perfect. Thank you.”
The server presented us with the menus.
“Steak is a must,” I joked. “In case you didn’t realize.”
“What have you had, Fallon?” Lori asked. “It all looks so delicious.”
“Well, you can never go wrong with the filet, in my opinion. I’ve had the ribeye, which is excellent as well. One day I’ll order the Chateaubriand for two because I’ve heard it’s incredible and I’ve always wanted to try it. And I suggest we order some sides for the table—the fries are a must, the gouda mac and cheese is delicious, and if we want to pretend to be healthy, green beans.”
Everyone laughed. The sommelier stopped by and opened the champagne, and Patrick raised his glass.
“I know we did this earlier, but I want to wish you a happy birthday again. I’m so glad you’re here and that we got to spend the day together.”
“Thank you for my beautiful necklace. I love it.”
“I’m so glad.”
