Page 14 of Stay With Me

“It’s a little funny, sweetie.”

“Your laughing doesn’t exactly encourage him to behave.”

Nick lifted his eyebrows. “Hello? I’m sitting right here.”

James shook his head as he laughed.

“She did come to the office, but it was work related,” Nick clarified.

“Work related,” Evelyn repeated.

“Yeah. She was there with her family and there was a minor accident so I comped the meal and she wanted to thank me.”

“What was the minor accident?” Evelyn grilled. “And how did she thank you?”

Nick lifted his gaze to the ceiling briefly. “There were three kids who belonged to a married couple at the table and they got a little restless, made a mess, and there was a little bit of chaos. I wanted to give them something for their trouble in hopes they’d come back.”

“And?”

“And she said thank you and gave me her phone number. She initiated the whole thing. And I called her this morning.”

“And what’s her name?”

“Samantha.”

Evelyn offered an approving look. Nick never remembered women’s names.

“Samantha what?”

“Well, I guess I’ll find that out later.”

James whacked Nick on the back. “Way to go, sport.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

“Well,” Evelyn went on. “I’d love to meet her at some point.”

“Mom, I think that may be a little premature right now.”

“That’s why I saidat some point.You could actually take her on more than one date, you know.”

Nick nodded. “I suppose I could.”

Or maybe not,he thought.

But his mom didn’t need to know that. She was satisfied enough to drop the subject so Nick left it at that.

Chapter Five

Samantha

“You’re going out tonight?” Jenna asked, adjusting her sunglasses. The two women lay sprawled out on beach chairs next to their parents’ pool, sipping on weak margaritas.

“Yup.” Samantha grinned to herself.

“That was fast.”

“I know. He called me first thing this morning. It was barely ten a.m.”