The Restaurant (The Nantucket Restaurant #1)(49)

“I wish you didn’t have to go. Can’t you cancel and reschedule with him? Better yet, don’t go out with him at all.”

Jill laughed. “What do you have against Mac? I think you’d actually like him. He’s a nice guy.”

“I’m sure he is. We just don’t get to see you often enough.”

“Well, I’m looking forward to tomorrow night. Tell me again about the place we’re going to?”

“It’s a small place, but fancy. Everything is top notch. I don’t know what kind of food it is, but it’s all good. You’ll like it.”

“It sounds great. I probably should get going, though. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”





Jill made her way out of the bar, flagged down a cab and gave the address of the restaurant where she was meeting Mac. It was the flagship location of his family’s steakhouse. The last time she’d been there was over a year ago, with Billy, when they were celebrating a new client and another big placement.

Mac was waiting for her just inside the door and was chatting with a tall man at the reception desk that looked vaguely familiar. She realized why as soon as Mac introduced him.

“Jill, this is my brother, Ryan.” The resemblance was strong.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

Ryan led them to a quiet table in a corner. The lights were dim, and the leather and wood were dark. A small candle glowed in the middle of the table. The overall feeling was comfortable elegance.

Jill wasn’t a big meat eater, but now and then she enjoyed a good steak and ordered the house aged sirloin that was coffee crusted and served with a butter sauce. Mac got the same, and they shared a side order of creamed spinach and scalloped potatoes. Mac ordered a good bottle of cabernet and they sipped it while they chatted. It was nice catching up with him. Jill felt like she was with an old friend. There wasn’t any nervousness, and they chatted easily. Mac was especially interested to hear about the changes they’d implemented and the reopening party.

“I should have suggested a party. That was a great idea that Mandy had. And it sounds like it went well?”

“It really did. It let us introduce Paul’s menu changes to a lot of people and once they sampled the food, they were sold.”

Their steaks were perfect, and Jill thought it was pretty much a perfect date except for one thing. Mac was a perfect gentleman. He was funny and attentive and easy to talk to and they had a lot in common as they swapped restaurant stories. It was a fun night, but Jill still didn’t feel any kind of physical attraction. She wanted to want to kiss him, but it just wasn’t there. And she was pretty sure that it would have been by now, if there was anything there. It was frustrating because on the surface, Mac seemed ideal for her.

And he seemed interested too. At the end of the evening, as he walked her to the Uber that she’d ordered, he seemed almost nervous about suggesting they go out again, so she didn’t have the heart to say no.

“Thank you for a lovely night and for dinner. It was wonderful. I’d love to do it again.”

He looked relieved. “Great. Let me know when you’re in town again, and we’ll make a plan.”

“Will do.”

She settled into the Uber and gazed out the window as they pulled into traffic. Her cell phone buzzed, and she smiled when she saw a text message from Billy.

“Hope you’re behaving yourself. I’ll be by to get you at six tomorrow. Sleep well.”

Jill put her phone back in her purse. She’d text Billy back in the morning.





Jill stood in front of her closet the next day, staring at her clothes and feeling like she had nothing to wear. She finally settled on black dress pants and a shimmery pewter top that was whisper soft with a flattering neckline. Unlike her date with Mac the night before, Jill was feeling a little nervous about her non-date with Billy, which was ridiculous. She’d accepted that nothing was going to happen between them, but some part of her obviously still held out hope.

When Billy called to say he was downstairs, the butterflies in her stomach danced again and she tried to ignore them. She made her way downstairs, and he was waiting in the lobby wearing a blazer and tie—which meant the restaurant was expensive. Billy looked sharp. His tie was a deep purple which looked great against his dark hair.

“You look handsome,” she said as she reached him.

He grinned. “Thanks. You clean up pretty good yourself.”

She followed him outside to where his black BMW was waiting. The restaurant wasn’t far but traffic was heavy, so it took them almost a half hour to get there. Billy turned his keys over to the valet out front and they went inside.

Jill loved the feel of the restaurant when they walked in. It was intimate and quiet with rich fabrics and plush carpet. Billy gave his name to the hostess, and she looked up their reservation then led them to a cozy table in the back. It was a semi-circle shape, and they sat side by side, looking out on the dining room. The leather seats were soft and comfortable, and the service was excellent. Within moments of sitting, they were greeted by their server and told the specials.

One of the drink specials was a hot and dirty martini, vodka with blue cheese stuffed olives and red pepper juice. Billy looked her way when their server finished, and Jill nodded.

“I’ll have that, please.”