Christmas at the Restaurant (The Nantucket Restaurant #2)(16)

“Is your chicken okay?”

“It’s fine. Delicious as usual. I’m just not that hungry I guess.” She took another bite and set her fork down. “Did I tell you Cory might be getting engaged soon? His young girlfriend is expecting.”

“Oh! Wow.” Matt took a sip of his beer and looked at her closely. “Is that what’s bothering you?”

She shook her head. “Not anymore. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it when I first heard. It’s strange to think that Cory is basically going to start over. He might have several kids, who knows? You could do that too. I bet Amy would be up for it.”

He reached over and took her hand and squeezed it. “I’m not interested in Amy. And I think kids are great, but mine are in college. The thought of starting over again makes me tired.” He looked into her eyes. “Unless you really wanted more, then I could find a way to get on board. You’re still young enough if that’s what you wanted to do?”

Mandy laughed. “Oh, my goodness, that’s the last thing I want. I love my children, but I agree with you. The thought of doing it all again—diapers, sleepless nights….no, thank you.”

Matt looked relieved. “Good. I’m glad we are on the same page.”

Mandy was very glad too and relieved that Matt said he had no interest in Amy. Because it was clear to Mandy, that Amy was interested in Matt. She thought it was brazen of her to walk up while they were having dinner together and to mention in front of Mandy that she’d given Matt a gift. Who did that? And Mandy had been wondering what to do about a gift for Matt. She wanted to get him something meaningful but not too much or too little. She needed to check with Jill and Emma for ideas. She had no idea what would be appropriate after dating someone for three months, but she wanted to get him something special.





Chapter 7





Gina stared at her closet for a good ten minutes trying to decide what to wear for her night out with Alex. She still wasn’t sure if it was meant to be an actual date, so it felt silly to be so worried about what to wear, but she couldn’t help it. It had taken her all of two seconds to decide what to wear when she met Jared at the stroll, but she knew that wasn’t a date, so it was different. There was no pressure, no expectations. She’d been surprised by what a fun day it had turned out to be. Jared was a nice guy and the time had flown by.

Boots, her all black cat with four white paws, sat on her bed watching her intently in-between yawns. She was in her usual afternoon nap spot, on Gina’s pillow.

Gina tried on a few different tops, then settled on a navy blue v-neck sweater and jeans. Her outfit was casual but the sweater was a nice one and flattering. It was a good color for her and she always felt confident when she wore it. She added a swipe of rosy pink lipstick, grabbed her coat and purse and headed out. She punched Alex’s address into her phone’s GPS, connected it in the Jetta’s console and a few minutes later, pulled up to his house on Orange Street.

His rental was an apartment that was part of a very old house. It was a convenient location within easy walking distance to downtown and the Lawson Group’s office. Alex was outside, talking on his phone and looked up when he heard her car. He ended the call, walked over and got into the passenger side.

“Thanks for coming to get me.” He looked and smelled great. She couldn’t place his cologne but it smelled freshly applied and she guessed from the dampness of his hair where it met the collar of his shirt, that he’d recently showered too.

“You’re welcome. How’s the new job going?”

“Great so far.” He told her all about his new role and how awesome the company was as they drove to Millie’s. “In a couple of years, if all goes well, I’ll move into the top spot, as a Portfolio Manager. That’s where the real money is, although, it can be good at my level, too, as a senior analyst. The guys are great. Two of us started yesterday.”

“Oh, is the other one John? One of the girls at the restaurant said her husband just got hired there.”

“That’s him. Seems like a smart guy. Kind of on the quiet side.”

Gina pulled into the lot, and they went into Millie’s and upstairs where the view of the ocean was better, though it was too dark to see much this time of the year. They sat at a high-top table in the bar and both ordered margaritas and some guacamole and chips to snack on while they decided what else to have. Alex went with a beef burrito and Gina decided on scallop and bacon tacos.

“So, you’re still working in the restaurant business,” Alex said when the waiter set down their drinks and appetizer. “Did you go to college for hospitality?”

Gina smiled. “No. I kind of fell into it. I was a fine arts major. At one point I thought about teaching art, but I ended up liking the fast pace of restaurant work. I really like the mix of what I do now, mostly managing the bar and covering for the dining room and front desk managers on their nights off.”

Alex nodded. “I never minded it, but I was ready to get a real job once I graduated. Not that restaurant work isn’t a real job. It just wasn’t what I wanted for a career.”

“I knew what you meant. I’m glad you found something you love to do. You used to play hockey, too, I think, didn’t you?”

He grinned. “Yeah, I was on a men’s league. My brother was too. We both played in high school.”