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“Oh, no.” Ann lost her pissy look and smiled demurely as she held a up hand to the waiter. “They’re not getting a table. They’re not staying.”
“It’s our game night,” Henry said as Jason jumped up into his arms.
My heart melted at the sight of their tight hug.
Ann huffed. “Butwe?—”
“Hey, it’s cool,” I interrupted, smiling quickly at the waiter too. “We’re not staying. She’s right.”
Henry nodded, smiling at Jason. “Ready for skee ball?”
“You’ll never beat Mia,” Jason argued playfully, and loudly. More than a few diners glanced at his outburst, and I caught the sight of Ann glowering at me again.
This was no place for a rambunctious kid. And it was no place for a third wheel like me, either. “Listen, I’ll take Jason home,” I offered, smiling at Henry and wanting to melt all over again at the soft expression he gave me. “Then we can order pizza and hang out until you’re done with this date.”
“Aw, man,” Jason pouted, squirming to be put down.
Henry lowered him, still looking at me. “It’s not a date.”
I did my best to ignore Ann shooting daggers at me with her spiteful eyes. As long as Henry had his back to her, she’d carry on giving me the clear message thatshethought this was a date.
“I wanna go play skee ball, Daddy.”
“Then we will.” I scooped him into a hug and a quick spin, risking the distraction with so many tables close together. My trick worked. He laughed and squealed.
“I’ll take you to skee ball, okay? Then next week, he won’t have any hope to beat either of us.”
“Yeah!” Jason held his hand out for a fist bump.
“We can set up another time to get to know each other,” Ann told Henry, her tone sugary and sweet.
“No.” Henry sighed, glancing at me and Jason, then back at her. “You’re not here to get to know me.”
Henry, don’t be so dumb. Wake up and open your eyes. She thinks she is.
“You’re here to get to know the city.” He signaled for the check. “I told my father I’d show you around, so I may as well get to that now. I can show you the area where you said you’re interested in buying a place.”
“Oh. Well, there’s no rush to leave and?—”
“No, I said I’d show you around, so I will.”
I pulled my lips in and fought the urge to grin. I knew that tone. I recognized that no-nonsense manner of Henry trying his best not to saythis is how it’s going to be. He was a take-charge man. He had to be as the CEO of a huge business. And he wasn’t shy to have control in his personal life as well.
He was acting like he did when he wanted to get an annoying task over with.
“I’ll take him home, then,” I said again, hugging Jason to me as we backed up to leave.
“Thank you, Mia.” He signed the check but glanced up to smile at us. “I’ll see you at home, Jace.”
I sighed, leaving before the waiter or hostess would come back and harass me to get lost again. Disappointment filled me, swarming in with the ache that Henry had chosen to stay with Ann instead of going to the arcade with me and Jason. We did it every week. It wasn’t like the opportunity wouldn’t come back. Still, it wasourthing, and I hated to be a secondary person in his life.
He’s your boss. You’re not supposed to be a person in his life. Just a staff member at his office.
Jason groaned as I carried him. “Why’s he gotta stay with that cranky lady?”
I smiled, turning so he could crawl behind me and I could carry him piggyback style. “Don’t call her cranky.”
“Do you know her?”