“Stella,” I greeted her when she showed up at eight. “Thank you so much for watching the kids for a few hours.”
She waved me off. “You know I don’t mind. Mason is busy patching up holes in the wall that I accidentally put there when I tried to help him. Better if I’m not there while he fixes them.”
“I won’t be late,” I said and grabbed my bag.
“You finally have a date. Be as late as you want. Just let me know if you want me to stay over,” she said, grinning at me like a madwoman. At least one of us was excited about tonight.
I was weighing up the consequences of leaving Sebastian behind when he came around the corner, looking like all my fantasies rolled into one.
Dark shirt, worn jeans, and a scowl on his face. I could do without the obvious displeasure, but he did this to himself. I didn’t even feel a little bad about it.
The thought of being stuck in a car with Sebastian and Peter was giving me hives, so I’d arranged for us to meet at the restaurant.
“Let’s go,” Sebastian ordered, nodding at Stella on his way past.
Her eyes went wide, and she fanned herself after he’d passed her. I shrugged and she waggled her eyebrows at me before disappearing into the living room.
I followed Sebastian outside, and we walked to his motorcycle. Of course he wouldn’t take my car. But since I loved riding on his bike—or, more specifically, being pressed against him—I didn’t complain. Besides, I was wearing pants, so it didn’t matter anyway.
The second time on his bike was just as good as I remembered, and I wished the restaurant was farther away.
When we got close, I saw Peter already standing outside. Sebastian parked just around the corner, helping me off the bike and taking my helmet off for me. I’d figured out how to undo the buckle, but I still didn’t stop him when he did it for me.
He walked next to me to the restaurant, and it looked like we were the ones going on a date. I entertained the idea for two-point-five seconds before dismissing it as ridiculous. He’d made it clear that he had absolutely no interest in me.
“Hey,” I greeted my actual date, and he leaned in. I leaned back and stuck out my hand, my back hitting Sebastian, who didn’t move out of the way.
Peter stared at my hand for a second, then shook it. We’d never hugged before, and I just didn’t want to give him the wrong impression. The only purpose of this date was to get him to lose interest in me and to get Malena off my back. And maybe to piss Sebastian off, since I guessed he felt as uncomfortable about this date as he looked.
Peter glanced behind me, and I stepped to the side. “Peter, this is Sebastian. He’s my, um, chaperone for tonight.”
Peter looked taken aback, and who could blame him? This was ridiculous.
“I’m sorry, did you just say he’s your chaperone?”
“Just ignore he’s even there,” I said and led the way into the restaurant. The sooner we had dinner, the sooner I could go home.
The hostess looked up when we walked through the door, and once her gaze hit Sebastian, it stayed there.
“Welcome to Rosie’s,” she greeted him, her voice perky. “Do you have a reservation?”
Peter cleared his throat. “We do. But it’s only for two. Is there any chance you could seat us at a table for three instead?”
“What name is it under?” she asked, clicking away on the computer in front of her.
“Peter Saunders.”
She clicked away for a few seconds before turning her attention to Peter. “Ah yes, I see your reservation, Mr. Saunders. We can just add a third chair.”
“Great, thanks,” Peter said, sounding anything but happy that she was able to accommodate us.
“Please follow me,” our cheerful hostess said and winked at Sebastian.
He smiled at her, and this time I did roll my eyes. Guess I just found out what his type was: tall and perky college girls.
We arrived at our table, and Peter sat down first. Sebastian looked around the restaurant and pulled my seat out of for me before he took his own.
“So, Sebastian,” Peter said, “are you our Nora’s brother? Cousin? Family friend?”
“Roommate,” Sebastian responded absently, still looking around the crowded space.
Peter turned to me with a frown. “You have a roommate?”
Guess now I have to go with that one. “I sure do. He’s a keeper, this one.”
Desperate to make the night less awkward, I waded into safer territory and asked him about his daughter. “How’s Lilly?”
Peter’s eyes lit up at the mention of her. She’d been living with him since his divorce and visited her mother every other weekend. “She’s great. Such a smart kid. Must take after me, because she certainly didn’t get it from her mother.”
He boomed out a laugh, and I cringed. I really hoped this wasn’t going to turn into a trash-talk-your-ex kind of night. As much as I hated Jim, the only people I complained about him to were Malena and Stella.
“Did you see the notice about the zoo trip?” I asked, hoping to change the topic again.
“I don’t know why they keep doing those trips. They cost money, and the kids don’t learn anything when they go to the zoo.”
“I think it’s a great way for them to learn more about animals they wouldn’t otherwise see. They might not be inside a classroom, but trips like that are invaluable for their development,” I said, swallowing down the rest of my lecture.
He boomed another laugh. “Of course you’d say that. My wife was the same. Always telling me that kids don’t just get their education at school.”
Time to change the subject again. “How is your job going?”
He was a used car salesman and loved to talk about his job. And surely that was a safe topic. And it was. Unfortunately, it was also the
