“Excellent,” she beamed.
And Rebecca actually started clapping. “Perfect.”
“What’s perfect?” I asked her.
“I don’t plan to serve dinner until at least six. I know a lot of people do an afternoon time for Thanksgiving, but we prefer to snack throughout the day and eat at our normal time. You’ll do your shift and then come to Grant’s immediately after.”
“Mother,” E.G. growled. “I’m certain Flowers…I mean Anna…would prefer to determine her own plans. It’s her day off, after all.”
“Oh, of course,” Jackie said. “I don’t mean to intrude on your personal time, I just thought...”
“But it’s Thanksgiving,” Rebecca said, with all the privilege of someone who always had plans for the day, no matter what. “You get to eat without counting a single calorie.”
Jackie reached across the table and placed her hand over mine as I was playing with the stem of the wine glass.
“It’s just that we’re only in town for a short time,” she said, looking at me like there were more important things than just turkey on the line. “It would be nice for us to get to know you better. You’re a part of Grant’s life now-”
“Mom,” E.G. barked.
“Work life,” she quickly corrected. “That’s all I meant. Anyway, I have so much food being delivered. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all have dinner together, no? I’m making your favorite corn bread stuffing, Grant. But Anna, if you don’t think you would like our company. Or maybe you’re afraid of my cooking…”
Jackie’s voice trailed off and she looked as if I’d broken her heart.
“What’s happening?” I asked E.G.
“It’s called a guilt trip,” he supplied.
“Ha! Jackie excels at them,” Evan Sr. volunteered.
Jackie frowned. “I do not. Anna can do what she wants. Isn’t that right, Anna?”
“I guess.”
“So you’re coming for dinner?” she asked, her hand still covering mine.
I looked at E.G. and he simply shrugged, once again resigned to his fate.
“I guess?”
“Wow!Holy cow. So that’s what family is like?” I asked E.G.
We were back in the office; his parents and sister having taken an Uber back to E.G.’s place from the restaurant to rest and prepare for tomorrow.
E.G. was sitting behind his desk, fingers calmly interlaced, while he watched me pace, as I was still trying to unpack the events of the last hour.
“Pretty much,” he said. “At least my family. They are nosy, pushy, stubborn as all hell, and when that doesn’t work, well, they like to guilt people into doing things they want. At least my mother does.”
“It was like there was no way to say no without hurting her feelings. Totally diabolical. Because she’s so sweet and nice. How could anyone hurt her feelings?”
It was an amazing dynamic.
“Flowers, you don’t have to go. You can make any excuse you want. My family can’t force my employee to have Thanksgiving dinner with them.”
It sounded like he tripped a little over the word employee. Or maybe that was just how I heard it.
I stopped and turned to him. “Would you prefer if I backed out? Be honest.”
He sighed and leaned back in his chair. “I have no opinion either way.”
