Page 9 of The Deadbeat DILF
He just wanted dinner. The least I could’ve done was agreed. I didn’t want him to spend any money on me, but now that I thought about it, it had been rude of me to refuse.
I snatched up my phone and tapped on his contact. I’d received his phone number when he messaged me his rental contract.
The phone rang and rang and rang…
“Hello?” His deep voice answered.
For a second, I was distracted by the smooth gravel of his voice, but I quickly snapped myself out of the daze.“Hi Robert. It’s Brooke.”
“Hey Brooke. Everything alright?”
“Yes, um,” I stumbled over my own words, grimacing at myself. “I’d like to take you up on your offer of getting a meal. Would lunch tomorrow work for you?”
“Yeah, of course. Did you have a place in mind?”
“Meet me at Silver Lotus at noon,” I told him. “It’s one of my favorite places. You like sushi, right?”
“Sure,” he said, and I could hear a smile in his voice. “I’ll see you there at noon.”
“See you there,” I replied, hanging up the phone before I said something regrettable.
Maybe this was a bad idea, but I wouldn’t know until tomorrow.
A fresh, oceanic smell floated through Silver Lotus as I ventured through the dimly lit restaurant, searching for the table Robert had already claimed for us. The sounds of light chatter, plates clinking, and a decorative fountain running in the foyer surrounded me, but a voice immediately broke through the swarm of noise.
“Brooke.”
I turned to see Robert seated at a table in the corner. Compared to the fashionable couples and the rich retirees in their polos and khakis, he looked a little out of place in his jeans and wool sweater, but he still looked good. With his handsome face and fit body, I was sure he could pull off anything.
“Thank you for meeting me,” I said, taking my seat across from him.
“No, thank you,” Robert replied with a smile. “I’m glad we could do this.”
I picked up the menu. “Me too. If you like sushi, you’ll definitely like this place. I get takeout here after work all the time.” I flicked through the thick pages, but paused when I caught sight of the prices.
Maybe I made a mistake choosing this place. I had wanted to eat somewhere familiar and this place served some of the best food in the city, but maybe it was too expensive for Robert.
Guilt flooded me but I managed to collect myself enough to look through the menu and select something on the more affordable side.
“What would you like to eat?” our waiter asked once he appeared at our table.
“I’ll just do a spicy tuna roll,” I replied as I handed him my menu.
Robert frowned at me. “That’s all?”
I nodded.
“That’s not fine with me,” Robert told me. “This is your favorite place. You need to show me the ropes.”
“Okay,” I said with a smile, my shoulders relaxing. I ordered a few dishes to share with Robert — Tuna tataki, salmon sushi, and the sashimi selection. I ordered a Yuzu Spritz cocktail for myself, while Robert ordered a glass of Japanese whiskey.
“So, a big-time lawyer. Your family must be really proud,” Robert commented after the waiter left.
I tried not to wince, because I didn’t want to think about my family. “They are,” I said, and it was mostly true. They didn’t care about the intricacies of my work, but they loved asking me about my salary.
“Your dreams came true. I remember you wanted to be a lawyer back when you were with Mike.”
I nodded. “It’s been my goal since high school,” I said. “Are you still working in construction?”
