Page 21 of The Charming Checklist
“Do many coffee places roast their beans on the premises?”
“Some have in the past. I don’t know that any of them do right now. They usually have a roasting plant off-site.”
“Probably for volume.” Max expertly pulled his convertible to the curbside valet parking. “But if you stick to roasting the beans on-site, that already makes your space more unique.”
Max climbed out and met her on the passenger side. They both headed toward the entrance to the restaurant.
She walked ahead, until Max reached for her hand and pulled her back to him. “Wait. How long have we known each other?”
“I told my mother we’ve been dating for three months.”
“All right. If there’s anything we don’t know, and they ask, let’s cover for each other.”
“Sure,” she said, not surprised he’d thought that far ahead.
So had she. At three months, they could still be learning things about each other.
Ironic that she was pretend dating a man who was everything her parents would want for her. Her past boyfriends had been free spirits, bohemian types that her family abhorred. She’d dated them precisely for that reason.
But for the first time, her date was someone she might even want for herself, if only she hadn’t seen his List. Max took her hand and confidently led her to the restaurant and toward the maître d’. He walked with authority, as if this washisdinner,hisreservations. It occurred to her that he always acted as though everything was his.
Tonight, that included her.
Chapter Seven
“We’re here for the Long party,” Max said.
Ava bit her lower lip and tried to squash a laugh. She wanted to make a joke about a long party, such as the miserable two hours they were likely to spend here tonight. But she would behave herself. No overt displays of affection, dial back on the wattage, take her cue from her boring sisters-in-law. Always an exhausting evening.
This was all easier to do when she’d already asserted herself by being late, and by wearing the birthday tiara that annoyed her family. As they approached the table, Ava caught sight of her father first. He sat pensively stroking his white goatee, no doubt deep in thought about a patient. She hadn’t seen him in six months, and her heart ached because he looked so much older than he had the last time. He worked too hard, cared too much. She wanted to launch herself into her daddy’s arms the way she had when she was a little girl, but he’d stopped accepting that kind of public affection long ago.
All three men stood as Ava approached, even if James always seemed annoyed to do it, scowling and readjusting his tie. Granted, if she’d been here on time none of them would have had to stand, so he had a point. Another perk of being late.
It had become difficult to ignore Max’s hand firmly around her waist. She turned to him.
“Everyone, this is Max Del Toro. My b-boyfriend...that I told you about.”
Brutal men’s handshakes were exchanged all around and introductions made. No hugs, of course. Ava noted that Mikayla, one of her sisters-in-law, was missing.
“Mikayla couldn’t make it,” Robert said, at the same time as he reached inside his coat pocket and handed Ava an envelope. “Happy birthday, sis.”
Almost simultaneously all the men reached inside their pockets and handed Ava an envelope.
“Thanks so much,” Ava said.
Granted, she would have preferred a heartfelt gift but had stopped hoping. They thought by giving her cash they were funding her shopping habits, when every dollar they gave her went into her coffee shop dream fund.
“Tell them why Mikayla couldn’t make it, Robert,” her mother said proudly, but then went ahead and said it for him anyway. “Andrew is the youngest ever to make it into the National Spelling Bee finals. They had to go to Maryland this weekend for the first round.”
“He’sfive,” Ava said.
Not to mention the last time she’d visited, little Andrew seemed to have a big biting problem.
“Isn’t it incredible?” her mother said. “Youngest ever. The second-youngest, a girl, was six. She eventually got disqualified because she couldn’t pass the written test.”
“Fascinating,” Max said to Robert. “You must be so proud.”
“Did Ava tell you she was once a finalist in the National Spelling Bee championship? We’re more of a math and science family, Max, but our little Ava has always been unique.”
