Not knowing which chair was Stevie’s, I motioned for her to sit down first. Once I did know which chair was hers, I planned to pull it out for her, but she quickly walked around to the other side of the table and sat down next to her new boss. I then took the seat directly across from Ms. Sinclair.
“How’s that adorable little boy of yours doing?” Brooke asked me.
“Malcolm is doing great.”
“I’d steal him away from you and Avery if I could get away with it.”
I chuckled. “You’d never get away with it. He’s mine.”
“So is he with Avery or your parents this evening?”
“He’s currently getting spoiled even more by my mom and dad.”
Without directly asking me, I knew Brooke was really wondering how things were going between my wife and me. Thescratch that she’d put on my face last night told the whole story, but only Brooke and Bash were aware of what that story was.
“Here you go, ladies,” a waitress said, walking up with a tray of drinks. She placed Brooke’s usual glass of Chardonnay on the table. Stevie’s drink came next and it looked familiar. “Would you like to order something from the bar, sir?” the waitress asked me.
“A Hendricks and tonic with extra lime would be great.”
“Got it. Would you like to order something to eat?”
She held out a menu but I didn’t need it. I already knew everything that was listed on it since I’d been here so many times.
“Let’s do the Mystic cheeseburger.”
“Curly fries or onion rings with it?”
“Curly fries.”
“Anything else?” she asked, looking up from her notepad.
“No, that’ll do it.”
“Then I’ll go put in this order and will be back with your drink in a few minutes.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
As soon as the waitress walked off, I looked back at Stevie. “Is that a gin and tonic you’re having?” I asked, nodding at her glass.
“Not just any old gin and tonic. I’m enjoying some Hendricks like you’re about to do.”
What she said surprised me. “I think it’s the best gin there is.”
“Same here. I love the cucumber and rose flavors mixed with the juniper berry, and I also love that Hendricks is made in Scotland.”
“That’s my second reason for drinking it. Ancestry.”
Stevie softly smiled. “Same here.”
“You’re of Scottish descent?”
“Very much so. According to my DNA test result, plus the extensive research that I’ve done apart from it, I’m seventy-eight percent Scottish with some Norwegian and English blood mixed in.”
Stevie surprised me again. “Same here. Exactly, in fact. And the world just got even smaller.”
I glanced over at Brooke, then immediately turned my focus back to Stevie. She smiled at me once more and then she and I continued staring at each other, studying one another’s faces. I didn’t know what she was looking for in mine but I was looking for traces ofsomethingin hers that would clue me in to more of her story. I could tell there was a whole lot more to it than what I’d already been told.