Chapter Ten
Iloved meetingmy friends for brunch. I looked forward to it all month long.
When Lucy quit working for Chris, she still came around for lunch at the building from time to time, but it wasn’t the same. With Yancy working from home two days a week and Tanya cutting back on her hours now that she was pregnant, the five of us rarely made it to lunch during the week anymore.
So, we decided to meet at least one Sunday per month and have brunch. No men allowed. Now that Lucy and Tanya were married, and Yancy engaged, it was rare that we got to see them without their partners. Which was fine since I liked Charles, Yancy’s fiancé, and Jordan, Tanya’s husband. I saw Chris all the time, so it was a little awkward to see him away from the office, but I was getting used to it.
Still, it was almost like the old days when we met for Sunday brunch. We would get together, drink a mimosa or two, or even a Bloody Mary, and talk like we used to. I loved seeing how happy my friends were.
This Sunday we’d decided to meet at Maggiano’s in Plano. It was one of our favorite places to eat. I loved so many things on the menu, including the crème brûlée French toast, and all the different types of Eggs Benedict. It was difficult for me to choose just one. Actually, all of us had that issue, so what usually happened is we would each order something different and then share.
Well, at least until Tanya got pregnant. Since then, it was safer not to ask her to share. She was a little scary about her food now. However, the rest of us still shared with each other and even Tanya if she asked, but we no longer expected her to reciprocate.
I walked into Maggiano’s, surprised to find that I was the first one there. I requested a table for five and explained that my friends would be there shortly. I sat at the bar while I waited and ordered a mimosa. Since we only met once per month, I splurged on an Uber so I could enjoy a boozy brunch and not worry about how I would get home. Tanya probably would have picked me up since she was our official designated driver now that she couldn’t drink, but I didn’t want to inconvenience her. She needed more rest now that she’d hit her second trimester.
A few minutes later, Grier, Lucy, and Yancy came in together and we greeted each other with smiles and hugs. The hostess came over and offered to seat us since most of our party was here.
Not long after we settled in chairs that surrounded a round table, Tanya arrived, looking fresh and aglow. Pregnancy definitely agreed with her. She hadn’t even had morning sickness.
We all jumped to our feet and there were more hugs and laughter. When the waiter came over and introduced himself as Adam, we all chorused, “Hi, Adam.”
He blinked at us in surprise for a moment before smiling gamely. “And what would y’all like to drink today?”
We kept it simple, ordering water and coffee…and a pitcher of mimosas. Once he left, Lucy’s eyes came to me and held. I knew before she even opened her mouth what she wanted to talk about.
“So, I hear you’re dating someone, Chels.”
Every head at the table swiveled toward me. Even Grier, who was usually the most laid back, seemed shocked.
I glared at Lucy. “Seriously? How did you find out?”
“Sexual favors,” she answered smugly.
I threw up my hands. “I don’t even know how he knew. Landen and I just went on our second date yesterday. And that was after he ghosted me for ten days!”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Yancy said, lifting her hand in a “stop” motion. “Landen? As in Landen Weber? As in Jackwad?”
I sighed and looked around for Adam. I was gonna need something stronger than a mimosa to have this discussion. Fortunately, he arrived with a tray of coffee and mimosas a few seconds later. Once he set everything on the table, I tapped his arm gently.
“Bring me a Bloody Mary stat, please,” I murmured.
His brown eyes gleamed as he smiled. “Vodka or whiskey?”
“I don’t care as long as it’s strong. I’m gonna need it to deal with these four.”
He chuckled before he straightened.
“Hey! I heard that,” Lucy said.
I shrugged. “I don’t care if you did. I can’t believe you brought this up now.”
Adam cleared his throat. “Do you want me to come back in a few minutes?”
“Yes, with my Bloody Mary,” I said with a nod.
He grinned at me. “Yes, ma’am”
I groaned as he left and looked around the table. “I’m not even thirty yet and I’m already a ma’am.”
