Please don’t hit the server, Eric. We just got here.
“You need reservations. This is not a ‘walk in and pick your table’ type of establishment.”
I glanced around and realized the waiter was right. And my sister was right too. This place was fancy. And restaurants this fancy required reservations.
In a way, I felt relief. No double date tonight. Thank God.
“Oh well. I guess we have to go—”
“Where is Chef Lance?” Eric folded his arms and glared at the server.
“Chef Lance? He is in the kitchen.” The waiter appeared nervous. “Did you need me to get him for you?”
Eric smirked. “Nah, that won’t be necessary; I’ll go find him myself.”
He pushed past me and almost knocked the server down as he headed toward the back of the restaurant.
Normally, I’d go after him, but after the past few weeks, I was tired of fixing other people’s problems. My days of keeping secrets were over. I glanced down at Lola and knew, in order to be the best boyfriend to her and a great dad to our daughter, I had to walk the straight and narrow.
“I’ve been thinking... Maybe I quit being a lawyer.” I lifted the napkin and placed it on my lap.
It was time to settle in and enjoy life, not be afraid of it anymore. If my evil sister wanted to screw over my crazy friend, let her.
I was done being the sane one, being the safe one for adults who knew better. I had a family to take care of, and I’d be that for them. Everyone else could take care of themselves.
When I glanced back, I saw the server was still standing there, shaking.
“We need some menus.” I waved my hand at him.
“Uh, well... technically, you shouldn’t have this table—” his own yelp cut him off.
There was a crash, and a metal tray flew out of an entranceway leading to the back.
Voices grew louder to straight yelling. The entire restaurant stared at what was going on.
“Oh no,” the waiter mumbled.
Lola frowned and sank into her chair. She had the same thought I did.What had Eric done now?
“I wonder what’s happening in there?” My sister’s devil grin curled her lips.
This was her element. She loved chaos and fighting, and everyone around her was on edge. It fed her better than any food at the fancy restaurant could.
Eric suddenly appeared, walking toward the table rather quickly. “Let’s go,” he announced as he pulled Jocelyn’s chair out.
“But we just got here?” Joce made a pouty face but stood.
I got up and was helping Lola out of her seat when a short man in a white chef’s coat and hat stormed out of the back. His expression screamed murder. And with that gargantuan chef’s knife in his hand, I suspected he wanted to use it on someone here.
“What have you done?” I asked Eric as we all picked up our pace and began maneuvering around the tables toward the front door.
Jocelyn pushed me back to get ahead and got out the door first. We thought we were safe once we were all in the parking lot, but we were so wrong.
Eric had already given the ticket to the valet to retrieve his car, but the door to the restaurant flew open, and there stood the rage-filled chef.
We ran again. Eric and Jocelyn broke off toward the main road, and Lola and I headed behind the restaurant and farther down toward the woods. Once we made it to the tree line, I glanced back.
“I don’t think anyone is coming after us,” I said in between gulps of air.