“I knew what you meant. You were simply telling me about what happened today.” Something comes over me. I decide I don’t want to overthink everything anymore. I like her. “I know it’s probably a little strange, but…Applebee’s?”
She starts laughing giddily. “Are you serious? You donothave to do this.”
“I want to. Unless you think it’d be confusing for him.”
“No, I’m just going to tell him you were my boss and you want to take us out?”
“Great! But first, why Applebee’s?”
“It’s his favorite restaurant,” she says.
My eyes widen. “Applebee’sis his favorite restaurant? I mean, there’s a million amazing restaurants in this area.”
“He’s six…” she says as her smile fades. “And it’s just me. We don’t have a lot of money.”
“Shit, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.” Oh my god, I feel like such an elitist asshole.
“It’s okay. We can go anywhere, he’ll be fine. I’ll go grab him and our stuff. Do you want to wait here?”
I nod.
She goes up the stairs quickly. I’m thinking about how spoiled my kids are. Thank god, they’re still somehow well-rounded. I hope…
For some reason, I feel compelled to expand this kid’s palate, but I know it’s not my place.
Kate comes down carrying a booster seat and a small backpack. Tristan is trailing her with a smile.
“He’s still in one of those, huh?”
“Yep, age eight or eighty pounds. You’re gettin’ rusty.”
Oh man, what am I getting myself into?
I get in the driver’s side of my small Audi SUV. I don’t care that much about cars. I don’t drive a lot. Dani actually picked this car out. I would have never gotten black on black leather seats. It’s always hot in this thing. I’m sweating already.
“This is a really nice car.” Kate is looking at all the glossy finished surfaces and silver buttons.
“It’s a lease,” I insist on qualifying to her.
I’m about to tell her that I have an old Jeep Wagoneer, but I don’t, Dani does. When we first met, I gave her crap about that car because it always broke down. She insisted on keeping it. Years ago she had argued, “It will matter later, I promise, Alex. No one has the old Brady Bunch station wagon anymore.” She smacked the hood and said, “We’re gonna fill this baby up with lots of memories, and always have them here for safekeeping.” We took every road trip in that thing, most of our vacations, beach trips, driving up the coast with all the windows down. Of course I didn’t fight her for it in the divorce. It was hers.
“Well, it’s nice anyway,” Kate says.
“Huh?” I’m out of it.
Inside Applebee’s, I’m opening what can only be described asa multi-panel, trifold, presentation board menu, which once opened literally blocks 280 degrees of my view. Tristan is busy coloring the kids’ menu. I lower my exhibition display. “Whattya gonna get?”
She’s smiling. “Do you think the Four Cheese Mac & Cheese with Honey Pepper Chicken Tenders will be too ambitious? It says here it’s 1,350 calories.” She bursts out laughing and I follow suit.
“I mean, whatever you don’t finish, I’ll funnel down after I eat my Classic Whiskey Bacon Cheddar Clubhouse Prime-Rib Cheeseburger. Whatisthis place?”
We’re smiling at each other. The server comes over. She starts to give a spiel about the menu and Kate politely stops her. “That’s okay. Tell her what you want, Tristan.”
“I’ll have the kid’s quesadilla, French fries, and a Coke!”
“Sprite,” Kate corrects.
“I can’t have a Coke, Mom?”
