“Chef,” Kitty said apologetically a few minutes later. “Family at table twelve hoping to speak with you. Somebody’s birthday.”
“Thanks. In a minute, yeah?”
“Go ahead, honey.” Jo grinned. “You don’t want to disappoint your fans.”
He grimaced and bent to kiss her. “I will see you after service.”
“We should go, too,” Meg said after he left to say hello to the other table. “Our sitter’s waiting. Sorry we can’t stay to celebrate.”
Jo waved her apology away. “’S okay. I can hang with Trey until Eric gets off.”
Trey, notAmy.
I looked at him, waiting for him to say something.Willinghim to say something.
Nothing. Crickets. What did I expect? He was a good guy. A good friend. Practically a brother. He wasn’t going to bail on Jo.
“Love you. So proud of you,” Meg said to Jo.
“Love you, too!” Jo said as they embraced.
Meg and John were going. Leaving me to play third wheel again. It was like that night in Alleygators, like every time the three of us were together.
“I can get a ride home with Meg,” I said quietly to Trey.
“What? No. I’ll take you.”
“It’s no problem,” Meg said, overhearing.
“It’s kind of a problem,” Trey said. “Seeing as we came together.”
“Wait. What?” Jo said.
“Togethertogether?” Meg asked. “You mean, like a date?”
“Not exactly,” I said.
“Yes,” Trey said at the same time.
I couldn’t decide who was more surprised, my sisters or me. Jo’s mouth hung slightly open. Meg’s gaze was bright and speculative. I’m not sure what my face was doing, but my heart surged in my chest like a high-speed sewing machine.
Trey was choosing me. In front of my sisters. Instead of Jo. He wanted to be withme.
Eric returned to the booth. “Jo, someone wants to meet you.”
“Eric, Amy and Trey are dating,” Jo told him. She didn’t look upset, I thought with relief. Only confused.
“One date,” I said. “Dinner.”
There was no way I was telling my sisters about Paris.
Eric smiled kindly at me. “Sehr gut. All in the family, yeah?” He put his arm around Jo. “The girl at the table, the birthday girl, she is a reader. She would like to take a picture with my wife, the famous author.”
“Now?” Jo asked.
His eyes crinkled. “You would not want to disappoint your fans.”
She laughed and went with him.
