While they all would’ve preferred an earlier time, Fredrick had insisted he couldn’t meet any earlier than three. Actually, they’d all gotten the impression he’d rather not meet at all, but after multiple messages with his executive assistant, he’d finally set something up.
“Do you think your dad will call you afterward or wait until he gets back?”
“I think it’ll depend on the news.”
“You’ll call me as soon as you hear something, right?” Emma asked.
“Emma, you know I will.”
Outside, a couple walking their dog stopped to read the menu by the restaurant’s door. While they did that, the dog—Liv suspected it was a Great Dane—peered inside at her, and she smiled. As a lifelong dog lover, they always brightened her day, no matter what else was going on.
“How was dinner with Brian’s parents last night?” Liv asked.
A conversation would help distract her, not to mention she was more than a little curious about her friend’s first meeting with Brian’s family.
“It was a little awkward at first.”
Liv listened while she watched the cars outside. Right now, traffic wasn’t too bad, but once Memorial Day, the unofficial start of summer, rolled around, the cars and bikes on the road would triple. While great for business, it made getting around town unpleasant, to say the least.
A gray Ferrari pulled up to the curb. Ferraris and other luxury vehicles like them weren’t unusual once wealthy individuals descended on the town. Some owned vacation homes in the area, while others came to escape at the luxury spa that had opened two years earlier.
“By the time we finished our salads, it felt as though I’d known them forever.”
That sounded promising to Liv.
“Well, at least his parents and brother. I’m not sure about Brian’s sister and sister-in-law.”
Liv didn’t know Brian’s sister, but her own brother, Owen, used to complain about her and their sister, Faith, being overly critical of his girlfriends. Who could blame them, though? Owen might drive them insane, but they had wanted the best for him. They’d also wanted to avoid a repeat of his first short-lived marriage after college. Thankfully, he’d met Jenny five years ago, and they’d all known she was the perfect person for him.
“I’m sure they’ll come around. How could they not?” Emma was one of the sweetest people Liv knew. “Do you have any plans this Saturday night?” Liv asked.
This Saturday night would be the first one she’d had off in a month. She’d like to do something besides clean her apartment or do laundry—two things she needed to tackle but would happily push to another day.
“I’m not sure yet. Brian mentioned camping this weekend if he can get Friday off.”
Emma only used rest stop bathrooms as an absolute last resort. How would she ever manage to make it through the whole weekend without indoor plumbing?
“Camping? As in you sleeping outside in a tent?”
“Are you nuts? No, Brian has a camper.”
Well, her friend’s willingness to camp made a lot more sense now.
Across the dining room, the door opened, and Liv was glad her butt was safely planted in a chair. No one would disagree that the Worm was gorgeous, but the man who just walked in was pure male perfection—a full god she hadn’t seen in about a year, at least not in person. Every other day, his face appeared on the internet or on a magazine cover, and she might have watched One Last Heist once or twice. But who could blame her? Anderson Brady and Matt Sherbrooke starred in it. She wasn’t the only person on planet Earth who’d watched it multiple times because of them. Of course, it also helped that the plot was good.
“I’ll let you know as soon as Brian finds out.”
“Sounds good. A customer just came in. I’ll talk to you later.”
At one time, she’d waited tables three or four nights a week and every weekend. These days, though, she spent more time in the kitchen or meeting with clients who needed an event catered. But if Maggie, the waitress on right now, came out and saw who their newest customer was, she’d lose it. Matt might be used to fans bothering him, but if Liv could ensure he enjoyed his lunch in peace, she’d do it.
Liv switched her cell phone to vibrate and put it into her pocket as she opened the door to the kitchen. “I’ll take care of the customer who just came in, Maggie.”
“Okay, thanks,” Maggie answered before she turned back toward Russ and resumed their conversation.
Lunch menus in hand, she crossed the dining room and ignored the butterflies that had taken up residence in her stomach. Seriously, she was too old to get butterflies just because she was around a handsome man.
“Hi, Matt. Just one today?”
