“What can I do to apologize to your mom?” Jeff said.
“You don’t owe her anything.” Alicia’s voice was stronger now.
“I want to make things right,” he said. “I mean, if we’re going to be friends, then I’ll probably run into your mom once in a while, and I don’t want her to be angry at me.”
Alicia sighed. “She’s always angry.” Her voice softened. “The flowers are beautiful.”
“I’m glad you like them,” he said, his spirits starting to lift.
“Why did you get me flowers, and how did your court date go?” she asked.
“I got you flowers because I’m glad we’re friends again,” Jeff said with a laugh. “And the judge ruled in my favor.”
“Wow, I’m so happy for you,” Alicia said. “I knew it! But I’m still so glad it actually happened.”
“Me too,” he said. “Kyle has threatened to counter-sue, but my lawyer isn’t too worried the case will hold water. He thinks Kyle is going to file for bankruptcy, and if that’s the case, he’ll have a hard time retaining a lawyer to represent his lawsuit.”
“Kyle’s crazy,” Alicia said.
“You’re telling me.”
“I guess you have to celebrate today’s victory, right?” she said. “I’ll bet your parents are thrilled.”
“I haven’t talked to them yet,” Jeff said. “I grabbed the flowers for you, and I just got to the office. My secretary is probably sick of me being AWOL.”
“I’m flattered to be the one getting flowers on your big day,” Alicia said. “What are you doing for yourself?”
“Uh, I’m taking my lawyer out for dinner tonight, does that count?” Jeff said.
“Depends on the place.”
It was good to hear laughter in her voice.
“Actually, I was hoping we could get a table at your restaurant,” Jeff said. “Say around 7:30?”
“I see how it is,” she said. “The flowers were a bribe.”
He grinned. “Maybe just a little.”
Alicia laughed. “All right, friend. I’ll see what I can do.”
When they hung up, Jeff turned off the engine of the SUV and climbed out. He walked into his office to find Clara sitting at her desk, on the phone. Clara was a vivacious redhead a couple of years younger than Jeff. She was outgoing and friendly, and although Jeff worked well with her, Clara could also wear him out. Two extroverts wore each other out after a while. She waved at him, and he nodded. Then he settled at his own desk and pulled up his emails.
When Clara got off the phone she came in and sat down. “Well, look at you. I thought I’d have to put out a manhunt for you.”
Jeff turned to look over at a grinning Clara.
“Court’s over, and now I can focus on moving forward.”
Clara raised her brows. “Sounds like court went great?”
“Judge ruled in my favor—”
Clara let out a whoop, and Jeff laughed.
“You’re happy,” she said.
It was his turn to raise his eyebrows. “I’m relieved. I didn’t know what a weight it had been until today.”
Clara nodded, still watching him closely. “It’s something else. More than just the court thing. Are you and Paige getting serious? Is there an engagement on the horizon?”
“No, nothing like that,” Jeff said. “In fact, we broke up last night.” At least, he’d tried to break up. He’d forgotten about her message until now. It seemed he needed to have another conversation with her.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Clara said, her forehead wrinkling. She rose to her feet, and Jeff thought she might come over and hug him. Clara was like that.
He waved her off. “I’m fine, actually. I’m better than fine.”
Clara tilted her head, and folded her arms. “Well, I can see that. What’s going on, boss?”
His phone rang, and the timing couldn’t be better. “I should take this.”
Clara pursed her lips, but her eyes were still bright and filled with amusement as she sat back down at her desk.
Alicia found her mom sitting cross-legged on the floor, flipping through a catalog that was at least ten years old. She had the gas fireplace turned up all the way, and the front room was way too warm for Alicia’s taste, but she didn’t want to deal with that right now. What she needed to deal with was how her mom had treated Jeff when he brought the flowers.
“Hi, Mom,” Alicia said, sitting down on the rickety rocking chair that had been a fixture in their home for as long as she could remember.
Her mom didn’t answer or look up.
“I talked to Jeff on the phone,” Alicia said, deciding to get right to the point.
Her mom’s gaze snapped up. “I hope you gave him a piece of your mind.”
Alicia sighed. “Look, Mom, I should have told you this earlier, but Jeff and I have started to be friends again.”
“Since when?” Her mom narrowed her eyes.
“Since just a couple of days ago,” Alicia said. “He . . . came into the restaurant, and well, he apologized for what happened our senior year.”
“I’m sure he did—he probably didn’t want to lose his reservation.”
Her mom wasn’t going to make this easy, and Alicia didn’t want to give her any more details than necessary. If the past few months were any indicator, her mom would use any little thing against Jeff. “His apology was genuine,” Alicia said. It was strange to be in a position of defending Jeff. For so many years, she’d also held a grudge. “He’s really trying, and he even wants to apologize to you.”
With a scoff, her mom pulled her knees up and hugged them against her chest. “It’s a little too late for that. Look at you. You’re being gullible. Didn’t you learn your lesson last time?”
“Mom, that was ten years ago,” Alicia said, annoyed that she had to rehash all of this. “We were dumb teenagers. My crush is long over, and he . . . well, he’s a grown man who is a decent person. We’re friends, that’s it. No expectations.”
“Ha.” Her mom scratched at her unwashed hair. “Friends? You know a single man and a single woman who are attracted to each other can’t ever really be friends.”
Alicia threw up her hands. “I’m not attracted to him! And he’s not attracted to me!” She didn’t mean to yell, but it was either that or cry.
Her mom pulled her robe tighter about her body as if she could possibly be cold in this stifling room. “So, he just brought you flowers because he had nothing better to do? And don’t play me stupid, girl, I saw what he looked like. Fancy clothes. Expensive car. Probably spends every weekend at the spa.”
“Mom! That’s not fair,” Alicia said. “We can’t judge him that way. He brought me flowers because he was . . .”
“He was what?”
Alicia sighed. “Because he just finished a hard day, and well, last night we talked for a while. And the flowers were like a thank you for our talk, I guess.”
Her mom rose to her feet and walked to the fireplace. Holding out her hands to the fake flames, she said, “Men don’t change, Alicia. They never change.”
The bitterness in her mom’s voice was like a knife to her heart. Alicia rose to her feet too. “People do change. They grow, they apologize, they try to do better.” She paused, but her mom wouldn’t look at her. “Jeff’s my friend, and if he ever comes over again, you need to treat him nicely. He’s not the cause of our family’s problems. Yeah, I was crushed when our friendship ended. But people change friends over the years. I moved on, and so should you.”
Her mom shook her head. “It doesn’t sound like you’ve moved on. He just brought you flowers.”
Alicia closed her eyes for a moment. She wanted her friendship with Jeff to be a good thing in her life, not another stressful thing, and not something that would put a deeper wedge between her and her mom. But talking to her mom about it was like arguing in circles.
“I’ll be back late tonight,” Alicia said, changing the subject. “Friday nights we’re o
pen later than usual.”
Her mom said nothing, and Alicia was at least grateful for the break in sarcastic comebacks. She went into her room to change into one of her black dresses that she rotated through for her hostess “uniform.” This dress had a scooped neck and was longer than most of the others, but the slit on the left side came up to mid-thigh.
On impulse, she added a layer of eye-liner above her lashes and smoothed on a blush-pink lipstick called Kissable. The makeup was more effort than her usual powder base and mascara, but knowing that Jeff would be bringing his lawyer for dinner at the restaurant meant that she’d probably be introduced. And she wanted to make a half-decent impression. Alicia had been able to get them a great table on the covered terrace that had a huge roaring hearth fire in the winter months. It would be perfect for the men. And it would also mean that Alicia wouldn’t keep catching glimpses of them all night. Even though she’d argued with her mom about the flowers being completely friendly, Alicia’s heart was starting to betray her. And she couldn’t let that happen. Not with Jeff.
After one last check in the mirror, Alicia left her bedroom, locking the door behind her. Then she said goodbye to her mom, who mumbled something but didn’t look up from her catalogs on the floor. Alicia slipped on her coat, then hurried outside into the fading winter light. The sunset was gorgeous with pink and orange splashes across the sky. She snapped a picture with her phone, then climbed into her cold car and started it up.
As she drove to the ski resort, she thought of the drive up here the day before when she’d spilled all her stress onto Jeff. He’d been a great listener, even though things were stressful in his own life. Yet, he’d spent the time to take her on a drive when it meant lost work hours. And then again last night . . . or early this morning . . . talking on the phone. After all that, he’d brought by flowers, only to be barraged by her mom. It was a wonder that Jeff had even answered his phone when she’d called him back. The least she could do was get him that reservation.
Twenty minutes later, she pulled into the restaurant parking lot and parked in the row that was designated for employees, which meant she had to walk a little farther in the cold. Her heels clicked as she walked, and she realized that her footsteps were lighter than usual. Something like happy anticipation buzzed through her.
By the time she reached the restaurant doors, she was smiling.
“Hey, you,” Gwen said as Alicia walked in. “You’re looking . . . sparkly.”
“Sparkly?” Alicia said, slowing her step.
“Yeah, sparkly,” Gwen said.
“If anyone’s sparkly, it’s you, blondie,” Alicia said. Gwen’s blonde hair was nearly platinum, and it was natural too. Although she was the most giving and selfless person Alicia knew, Gwen had a thing for beautiful fingernails. Every few days she changed the color and design. Tonight they were a light blue with plenty of glitter. She’d already made the change from her pink nails with Valentine hearts on them.
“Oh, you mean these?” Gwen said, holding up her hands and wiggling her fingers. “You’ve got to come with me to the nail salon one of these days. Bring your mom, too.”
“We’ll see,” Alicia said. Gwen knew Alicia lived at home, but not under what circumstances.
“All right,” Gwen said. “But you need to tell me what’s going on. You’ve got the glowing skin going for you.”
Alicia ignored that comment. “Do you need help setting up?” She looked past Gwen. The dinner hour would begin in about twenty minutes, so the restaurant was nearly empty, and a couple of the waiters were setting tables and folding napkins. Soon, the place would be filled with patrons.
Gwen grasped Alicia’s arm before she could walk past. “It’s got to be a guy. What’s his name?”
Don’t blush, Alicia commanded herself. She shook her head. “There’s no guy.”
Gwen brought a hand to her chin as if she was in deep thought. “That reservation you called in—Mr. Finch and Mr. Harris.”
When Alicia couldn’t hold back a blush, Gwen clapped her hands together. “You’d better dish, girlfriend. I want details.”
“Ten minutes,” the restaurant manager said, coming up to them. Seth Owens was maybe twenty-five, but he acted like he owned the place. In fact, his father did own the place, and Seth had been given free reign over the restaurant.
Gwen had worked here long before Seth, so she had plenty to complain about, but Alicia really had no issues with Seth. The restaurant was successful, things ran smoothly for the most part, and Alicia had gotten the schedule she wanted.
“We have some VIPs coming tonight,” Seth continued, looking from Alicia to Gwen. He was a decent-looking guy, but too much of a pretty boy for Alicia. Besides, he was three years younger. When Seth wasn’t managing the restaurant, he spent his time on the slopes, at least according to Gwen. And he was the ultimate ski bum. His blonde hair was darker than Gwen’s and was always a bit unruly, like he kept it messy on purpose. But he wore expensive suits and always dressed immaculately—at least in the restaurant. “We need to make sure they enjoy their evening.”
Gwen gave Seth her classic bored look.
Seth merely ignored it and kept talking. “Mr. and Mrs. Kensington are hosting the mayor and his press agent. We’ll put them at table twenty-one.”
“All right,” Alicia said because Gwen didn’t seem to want to contribute any sort of conversation with their boss. “What time will they be arriving?”
Seth’s gaze shifted to Alicia, and she was struck by his clear blue gaze—not like a ski bum at all. “Eight o’ clock. I’ll let you know if there’s any delay.”
“Very good.” Alicia gave him a reassuring nod.
Gwen said nothing, even though Seth looked to her for confirmation.
Finally, something else caught his attention, and he moved past them.
“What’s your problem with him?” Alicia asked Gwen when their boss was out of earshot.
“Besides the fact that I have to let some kid tell me how to do my job, and that I haven’t had the raise I’ve put in a request for twice, I don’t have any problem with him.” Gwen rolled her eyes and walked away.
Alicia was annoyed that Gwen had brushed her off; but then again, Gwen had completely dropped the subject of why Alicia might be glowing. She put her hands to her cheeks—they weren’t extra warm or anything. She couldn’t dwell on Gwen’s comments, or the fact that she’d be seeing Jeff in a couple of hours. So Alicia got busy, helping the waiters with the table arrangements, double checking all the reservations, and refilling the glass bowl with candied mints.
She wasn’t surprised when her mom texted her, demanding that Alicia bring home “some of that fancy food.” She wrote back, assuring her mom that she would, but to remember she wouldn’t be home until nearly midnight. Her mom didn’t respond to that.
Alicia sighed. She hoped she got her message through to her mom, and even if Jeff never did come to their house again, Alicia was glad that she’d faced the topic with her mom. Their therapist had told them to not let anything fester because that’s when addictive behavior was exacerbated.
The first dinner patrons arrived at 5:45 p.m., and Alicia greeted them, then led them to their table. From then on, she was consistently busy, and so when Jeff arrived with another man, Alicia was surprised that it was 7:30 already.
Alicia felt an unwanted thrill run through her when Jeff came in through the doors. Their eyes locked, and then his gaze fell to her dress. Was he checking her out? Alicia smiled, ignoring the butterflies in her stomach. This was Jeff. Her friend. The man she didn’t have a crush on.
Right behind Jeff was another man, who must be the lawyer, Mr. Harris, and wow, he looked like he’d stepped off a magazine photoshoot. What was it with Jeff’s friends? Every inch of Mr. Harris seemed to exude power, and if Alicia put Jeff into the charming category, she’d put Mr. Harris into whatever category was above charming.
She was instinctively wary of Mr. Harris. His smile was brilliant when
Jeff introduced his lawyer as Dawson Harris, and his handshake confident, yet lingering. When Alicia withdrew her hand from Dawson’s, she felt as if she’d just ingested a five-hour energy drink. She had no doubt that Dawson was an excellent lawyer and always won his cases.
“This way, gentlemen,” Alicia said, turning and leading them to their table.
Jeff walked close behind her, and Alicia thought of how different this was compared to when he’d come with his girlfriend. Seating Jeff with his lawyer was a much more pleasant task.
They sat down, and Alicia handed over their menus.
“Thanks again for working us in tonight,” Jeff said, his ice-blue eyes holding her gaze and his mouth quirked into a half smile.
She would not blush. “You’re most welcome. I’m glad you have something to celebrate.”
“Jeff said this is the best restaurant in Pine Valley,” Dawson said. “I can see what he meant.”
Now she blushed. Dawson wasn’t even checking her out, at least not that she could tell. Just the tone of his voice made her feel like he was. “Great. I hope you enjoy it. Our chef trained in Paris, although he’s an expert at American cuisine as well.”
Dawson smiled that brilliant smile of his.
Alicia tore her gaze from his and nodded at Jeff. “Can I get your drinks started? Your waitress will be here soon.”
The men both ordered, and Alicia felt like she had to fan herself as she walked away. But she refrained. When she returned to the hostess stand, she closed her eyes for a moment to gather her wits.
“Wow.” Gwen sidled up to her. “I get why you’re glowing now.”
“Please don’t start anything,” Alicia said.
Gwen folded her arms and stared Alicia down.
“All right, all right,” Alicia said. “Jeff Finch is a high school friend, and Mr. Harris is his lawyer. They won a big case today, and they’re here tonight to celebrate with dinner. Satisfied?”
Gwen smirked. “Mostly satisfied. So what’s the story with Jeff Finch? He looked about ready to punch his lawyer in the face when you led them to their table.”
Worth the Risk Page 7