Page 37 of Just for the Cameras
“Listen, little lady, I’m going to need you to eat these vegetables, okay? It’s important. If you want to get big and strong like me, you better not skip out on this stuff.”
The girl nods, mouth still agape.
“Good.” He stands now. “I’ll let you get back to your dinner. Have a good night.”
He offers the parents a wave as they profusely thank him.
Me…I stand there stunned.
Probably more stunned than the family because what the hell did I just witness?
Graydon can be…nice?
Not just nice, but actually go out of his way to be kind?
Consider me floored.
“You coming?” Graydon asks in a grumbly voice as the hostess leads us up a set of stairs.
“Uh, yeah,” I say absentmindedly, still trying to process.
When we reach the top, we are met with a private room and a booth positioned toward the front of the building, bathed in candlelight.
Oh boy.
I think he ordered us the lover’s special.
Before us is a red booth with a dark mahogany table. Battery-operated votives softly illuminate the area, while grapevines dance along the back of the booth and along a partition that closes the table off from the rest of the restaurant.
He wanted private. Well, he got it.
We both take a seat, him adjusting the table so it’s closer to me while the hostess places menus down in front of us.
“Your server will be with you shortly.”
“Thank you,” I say as she walks off, shutting the partition a few inches more. “Well.” I look around. “This is…intimate.”
He stares down at his menu, scouring the beer and wine list.
“So, you and that little girl, that was really—”
“Do not say ‘nice.’”
“Why not?”
“Because.”
Well, that answers that.
“I just wasn’t expecting—”
“Drop it, Maple.”
Ohhh-kay. I can see that he can converse with others, just not with me. Noted.
I bring my attention to the menu, looking for the wine list because it seems like I’m going to need some to get through this evening. “Going to order something alcoholic?” I ask.
“Several,” he answers, never lifting his gaze.
