Mr. Fiancé(33)
I nod. “It was nothing. Everything was already planned. I just suggested we do it out here.”
“Why?” she asks.
“Because you deserve it,” I say with a smile. “And I wanted to have a nice lunch with you.”
She stares at me, unconvinced. “I can’t tell if you’re playing or if you really mean it anymore, Oliver.”
“Maybe a little bit of both,” I tease. “Maybe I don’t really know myself.” And that’s the truth. I might be getting a little carried away, but maybe I actually mean it.
“Yeah, which means it’s bullshit,” she says. “You strike me as a man who always knows exactly what he’s doing and what he wants.”
“Isn’t that what you want?” I ask.
She starts to respond, but the kitchen guy comes out with the menu for everyone. He goes around to each table, leaving the menus and then taking the orders for drinks. John’s going all out. We’re practically at a restaurant.
There’s only a few selections of wine. Mary Jo is saving the best stuff for the actual wedding. I take a quick look, then hand it back to him. “Can I have the Darioush Chardonnay 2010 for us, please?”
The man nods, pleased. “Certainly, sir.”
Mindy immediately glowers at me when he’s gone. “Who said you could order for me?”
“I did,” I say firmly. “I’m supposed to be your fiancé, remember?”
“How y’all doing over there?” Roxy calls from her table. “Enjoying the view?”
“Just fine,” Mindy yells back, flashing a quick smile. “How about you worry about what’s on your own plate?”
“Smart ass,” Roxy yells.
I laugh. “You two are a riot. I bet you two were cats and . . . well, cats when you were kids.”
“Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet.” Mindy scowls. “It’s tame right now because people are around. It’s an all out rumble when it’s just me and her. Or it used to be.”
“What would we do without our younger siblings?” I ask, my mind briefly going to Anthony and wondering if he’s doing what I asked him to do.
He’d better, I tell myself, or when I get back, we’re going to have more than just a little talk this time. I really should find time to give them a quick call, but it’s been impossible so far.
“Repent,” Mindy jokes, “for thou art cursed with the younger sibling. And with great wailing and gnashing of teeth, the elder siblings were thus cursed.”
I can’t help but to laugh. “Something like that.”
“Nah, I’m just joking,” Mindy says more seriously. “I don’t know what I’d do without that girl.”
“Then why didn’t you come here with them? If a coffee shop is your thing, I’m sure John could’ve set you up.”
Mindy frowns. “Because when Dad died . . . I just felt paralyzed. Like, I didn’t know what to do with myself. Then running the coffee shop gave me something to focus on. Mom moving away was like a relief at the time. When she was around, it reminded me of him too much.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. But I definitely understand where you’re coming from,” I tell her honestly. “My parents . . . they’re not together either.”
She peers at me closely, looking at me with real concern. “What happened?”
Before I can reply, the waiter returns with my drink. I look over the menu quickly and decide. “I’d like the lamb kebabs with couscous and grilled vegetables. Mindy?”
“That sounds . . . actually, I’ll have the same,” Mindy says, giving me a little smile. “What? You were right on the wine, so I figure I’ll trust you on the food too. So . . . you were saying?”
“My father doesn’t speak to me,” I say when the waiter is gone. “We had a disagreement back at the company.”
Mindy fingers her wine glass. “You know, there’s a lot I don’t know about you, Oliver. Hell, I didn’t even have time to Google you. What was the disagreement over?”
I hesitate. This conversation isn’t going in the direction I want it to go. I’m supposed to be turning up the heat, not turning up the mush. “I’d rather not talk about it. At least right now.”
Mindy frowns. “That bad?”
“It was.” There’s silence for a few moments as I fidget, trying to think of anything to steer conversation away from me, but thankfully, Mindy doesn’t push things any further. Finally, I glance around the balcony at her family. “So how do you think it’s going?”