Page 36 of Grant’s Blaze

“I am, actually. Surprisingly so. Do you ever just not want to eat after feeding other people all day?” We waited by the host’s stand for the cutie to reappear. He must have been seating other patrons, because he was nowhere to be found. Hannah continued chatting. “Most weekdays are like that for me. I know it’s a terrible habit, but when I get home at night, ugh. The thought of one more pan, dish, or even cereal bowl makes me want to cry. What? Don’t tell me I have something in my teeth?”

She chuckled that last part out, responding to the way my expression tightened. I persisted in asking her, “Is it getting to be too much, Hannah? Are we working you too hard?”

My questions came out as quickly as I could pronounce the words because I was suddenly terrified she was priming me for her resignation. But she stopped me and my anxiety from spinning off into the next county with a firm hand on my forearm.

“Whoa there, boss lady.” Her smile was warm and sincere. “I love my job at Abstract. I guess I was just indulging a bit of hyperbole. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize. And seriously, I’m not that big of a basket case. I mean, let’s face it, I am a basket case. Just not that big of one.”

We both giggled, and I bumped my shoulder into hers as the handsome host strode up to us.

“Ready to be seated?”

“Yes, please,” I answered for us because Hannah looked like a deer caught in very bright headlights. It was adorable to watch her and the surfer-cute host give each other flirting glances as we were shown to a table on the patio. I think the guy walked us around the entire restaurant twice just so he could keep checking over his shoulder and sneak peeks at her.

When we were finally seated and he walked away, I held my menu in front of my entire face so the poor girl wouldn’t be embarrassed by my snickering over what I’d just witnessed. But just my luck, she flicked the back of my shield with her thumb and index finger.

“I know what you’re doing back there, boss, so you can just put it down,” she teased.

“How? No, really,” I persisted when she rolled her eyes. “I’m usually slicker at playing that kind of stuff off. I even got pretty good sleep last night…” After Grant had ensured I’d seen the stars a few times. The real ones, beyond all the light pollution…

“I have four sisters, remember? I know every move in the book when it comes to girlfriends.”

Unexpected emotion flooded me, and I darted my eyes from left to right and then past Hannah to see where the closest exit was. If I had to make a break for it because I was about to humiliate myself, I needed to know the quickest escape.

“Hey. Rio? Hey there. What’s going on?” My employee leaned into the table, her voice low and even. “Why are you tearing up?”

“Oh, just ignore me,” I said, pressing a hand to my throat. I could feel the heat crawling across my skin, and not because it was a warm summer afternoon.

“Not a chance.” She nudged my shin with the toe of her shoe beneath the table. “Everything okay? Was it something I said or did?”

“No, no. Well…yes, I guess it was. My emotions are just a bit raw these days. I’m so sorry, honey, really. When you mentioned being girlfriends, you have to understand—” Holy shit, this was so embarrassing, but I could almost hear Grant’s voice encouraging me to be honest and direct with Hannah. Just “put it out into the universe” as he always said. “You have to realize, other than Abbi, I don’t have many girlfriends—” I tick-tocked my head. “None, really. So, it’s nice that you said that. That you think that. Although now, after this, I wouldn’t blame you if you never wanted to hang out again.” I gave a painfully forced laugh because I knew I was rambling. “But again, I’d also be perfectly fine just leaving this here by the side of the road and driving away, you know?”

“I will do whatever makes you most comfortable and happy.”

I dropped my head and studied that damn menu like it contained the most fascinating four salad choices, six burger combos, two chicken entrees, and a tiny kids’ section. But damn it if the junior hot fudge sundae didn’t rivet itself into place as numero uno choice for my emotional stampede. I even bet that host hottie could put in a good word and let me break the twelve-and-under rule for it. But just in case, I eyed everything else again. At least ten times. If Hannah didn’t start a different conversation soon, I’d be memorizing the descriptions of everything as well, not just the clever names of the offerings.

Our waitress was the hero who relieved me of the hot seat post. Hannah and I chose the same thing from the salad list and giggled about that too.

“Either we’re both super boring, or we both have incredible taste,” she remarked.

“Oh, it’s definitely the latter. Definitely.”

“Agreed.” We clinked our water glasses together and grinned, but then Hannah’s face grew solemn. “I just want you to know you can talk to me about anything, Rio. I know I work for you, but I also would like to think of you as a friend. I assure you I’m capable of separating the two.”

“Oh, honey. I know you are. And I want to think of you as my friend, too.” I took a fortifying swig of water and backed it up with a long, deep breath. “I would like that very much, actually.”

There. I said something about my feelings—out loud and to another person, at that! And unbelievably, I survived it. Baby steps, right?

Which, right now, felt like more than enough for the day. But while the ball was in my conversational court, I decided to steer the focus to her. “So that guy up front… He’s pretty hot.”

At once, my gorgeous friend’s cheeks were an adorable shade of pink. “Well, you would not be wrong.”

“You saw that he was nearly tripping over himself to check you out.”

“I guess,” she mumbled. “I mean, he was probably just being nice.”

I tilted an incisive look across the table. “So there’s no game plan for follow-up, girl?” I asked. “Still no man in your life, right? Or do you have something new to fill me in on?”