When I say this, I sense eyes upon me. Looking over at the drop dead gorgeous older man, I see he is staring at me. With his green eyes. Gah. I love green eyes. He smiles at me, sending jellied shivers down my body to my toes.
“Ms. Peters. Mae Peters.” he responds.
“Ms. Mae? Oh wow, I know your grandmother well. She’s a trip.”
The men laugh, nodding their heads.
“Yes, she sure is.”
Right then, the audience breaks into applause before standing up to head to the dining room. I watch Mae notice her grandsons and her face lights up. My stomach does a happy flip to witness her joy. It’s moments like this that give me my energy pennies at work.
Mae walks up to us, a broad smile across her face.
“Boys! Is this the first time you’ve met Artio Baer here? She is one of my absolute favorites in the home.”
Both men react with familiarity and the older one says, “Oh, wow, yes. Our grandma talks about you all the time. It’s nice to finally meet you. I’m Ray and this is my brother Trevor.”
We exchange formalities when Mae interrupts, saying, “Artio, are you here for dinner? I insist you join us.”
Brynn walks by, tapping my arm, “Go for it, Artio. I got things covered.”
“Oh, OK, thanks,” I say, half absolutely thrilled to break bread with this handsome Ray fellow and half dying because I am going to be breaking bread with this insanely hot Ray fellow.
I turn to see him smiling at me and his brother, fully focused on their grandmother.
“Wait, you met a man at your job? And he’s not like 80, right?” Artina asks, when I call her on my drive home.
“No, you dork. He’s like my age.”
“Girl! You are already manifesting hot-men for yourself!”
“Ha. Well, I don't know if he’s for me. First of all, he’s related to a resident.”
“So? It’s not like you’re her doctor or something.”
“True,” my cousin has me there, “seriously, cuz, he was so fine. Oh! And has green eyes.”
Artina bursts into laughter.
“Your kryptonite!”
“Always and forever. And his grandma wasn’t helping, either.”
“How so?”
“I sat next to Ray, and she kept commenting on what a good-looking couple we made.”
“Oh, I like that. Grandma has style. How did Ray react?”
“Honestly? I may have caught him blushing.”
Artina, once again, bursts into laughter.
“I have a good feeling about this, cuz,” and she adds, after I make an unsure grunt, “I’m serious. This isn’t like you, at least not for the last several years.”
“Bite your tongue. I may be a decade older than you, but I’m not dead yet.”
Artina snorts, and I hear her phone cut out for a second.
