“I want extra cilantro with a side of cilantro,” I said.
Tess shuddered. It was one of the few things we disagreed on. She insisted it tasted like soap. I claimed it was the best herb.
“Oh my God, this is to die for,” I exclaimed twenty minutes later as we were both devouring burritos.
“I know, right? We need to take this to a working lunch.” My family would love this.
“I was just thinking about that.”
“Was there a line?” I asked, keeping my fingers crossed for a yes. The guy really deserved to sell out.
“Unfortunately, no, but it’s still early in his business. He’s super nice. And hot, and single.”
I laughed. “How did you find that out in the time it took you to order?”
“Well, I only needed two seconds to figure out the hot part. He just gives off a nice vibe, and I told him his girlfriend would get a discount at our store. He said he wasn’t seeing anyone.”
“Damn, you’re efficient.”
“I know, right?” She did a small pirouette, laughing. “Who knows, maybe he and I will click.”
“Oh, Tess.”
She had a dreamy smile on her face.
The other thing we didn’t see eye to eye on? Love.
Even though Tess had taken Dad’s leaving harder, she still believed in love... more than I did, at any rate. She had dreams of big weddings and huge families, and I tried to keep my expectations low.
“Sooo... since you’re in such a great mood, want to tell me why you’re so secretive?”
I was betting on the fact that our delicious lunch would loosen her tongue.
She rolled her eyes. “It’s nothing. I’m just observing some interesting changes about you.”
I tried not to look too pleased that my bet had been so spot on.
“And what’s the verdict?”
She shook her head. “None yet. Still in observation phase.”
“I see. Well, you can add to your pool of data that Rob will stop by with dinner tonight.”
“Oh, duly noted.”
The rest of the afternoon just flew by, and it had been one of our best days yet. Damn, I was sure my good mood was having a magic effect on my clients, because I managed to upsell a lot more than usual.
At six o’clock, my phone beeped with an incoming message.
Rob: Can’t make it after all. Got a last-minute meeting. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.
Oh no. My stomach bottomed out. I’d been looking forward to our dinner so much. I swear, even my heart seemed a little heavier. I couldn’t believe I was so disheartened.
All of my past relationships had ended in disappointment, but I tried to channel Tess’s optimism. Besides, this was different. Rob seemed to legitimately care. He wanted to see me again, but he was just having a tough week. I needed to get out of this melancholy.
Pasting a smile on my face, I turned to my sister.
“Looks like Rob can’t make it after all.”