He doesn’t seem too sure about this. The way his gaze is scanning the parking lot repeatedly tells me so.
“Relax Jake. There are no secrets between me and my husband.”
I can tell he’s not happy, but he dips his chin. “Alright, but you need to let him know who you’re meeting.”
Nodding, he and I come to an agreement. Jake climbs out of the newly replaced G-Wagon. He hands the keys to the valet before coming around to get me out. We quickly make our way inside.
“Hi, I’m here for Blackwell, party of six.”
The hostess looks down at her list. Her brow pinches momentarily before she looks back at me.
“Right this way.”
I glance at Jake, who discreetly fades into the background. The hostess takes me to the back corner. Ezra spots me and immediately stands. He looks nice in his crisp button-up shirt and black slacks.
“Hi,” I say. He hugs me before pulling out my chair. “Where is everyone else?”
He takes his seat before answering. “Running late. I ordered you a glass of wine.”
I’m still breastfeeding, so I ignore that glass of wine. “How late will they be?”
Even though Ms. Rose and my dad had Noah out with them, I still needed to get back at a reasonable time. Plus, the two of us sitting here alone is feeling a bit too intimate.
He gives me that charming grin. “Well, my sister is always fashionably late. But her friends shouldn’t be too long.”
This eases my concerns a little more. I remove my coat and place it on the back of my chair. Ezra and I do a little small talk until the server comes to the table.
“Can I start you off with some appetizers?” she asks.
“The rest of our party isn’t here,” I tell her.
She looks at Ezra. “Oh, I thought it was just the two of you.”
He chuckles. “We can still order some food while we wait. I know you must be starving.”
I was definitely hungry, but I wanted to wait until everyone arrived.
I wave him off. “I don’t mind waiting.”
“Nonsense.” He turns to the server. “Can you get us the spicy calamari rolls and the spinach dip to start?”
The woman nods before walking off.
“I know you’re hungry,” he says before I can speak. “There is nothing wrong with eating before the rest of the guests come. Who knows, they may not show up at all.”
Although his words are said in jest, they cause an unsettling feeling to hit my stomach.
Ezra starts back chatting. He’s talking about painting and legacies. I’m barely paying attention. I keep glancing down at the time on my phone. When the server brings our appetizers to the table and walks away, I start to get a little anxious.
“It’s been fifteen minutes,” I say. “Have you heard anything from your sister?”
Ezra chuckles, grabbing a small plate. He takes a spicy roll off the tray and places it on his plate.
“Relax, Tiff, you’re in good hands.”
That unsettling feeling increases. I’m not sure where it’s stemming from; it’s not like Ezra is doing anything wrong. There is a possibility his sister and her friends are just really late.
I look around the room, and for the first time I noticed the restaurant wasn’t packed. There are a lot of vacant tables, which is uncommon because this place is usually overly crowded. Something else I notice is that there aren’t many couples in here; in fact, there are no women other than the hostess and the waitress.
