Page 19 of The Disasters of Dating
Dan raises his hand as a server walks by. “We’re ready to order,” he says.
The server nods and mumbles something about being right back.
“Have any of you eaten here before?” Claire asks, still looking at the menu. Dan may have been a bit premature in summoning the server. I haven’t even picked up the menu yet.
“I have,” Jasmine says. “The fish and chips are delicious. And I enjoyed the mac and cheese.”
Claire gives Jasmine a look. “You had to pick the most fattening things on the menu.”
Jasmine shrugs. “My date said the salmon was good. But I don’t do salmon. I don’t do much fish, actually.” She grins. “Unless it’s beer-battered and fried. Then I can manage it.”
I look over the menu. Several things look good, but I decide to try the Philly cheesesteak.
The server hurries over, looking slightly frazzled. The chatter in the restaurant continues to increase as the tables fill up. “What can I get for you?” He asks.
Claire points to Dan. “Why don’t you start with the guys first?” Her eyes drop to the menu, and her lips push out in thought.
Everyone orders—Claire finally found something to eat— and we all settle back to wait. Several sporting events are playing on various TVs around the room.
“Do you know when Mr. Barrington is planning to come out?” Dan asks me.
“Hey, this was supposed to be a no-business-talk dinner,” Jasmine scowls at him.
Dan holds his hands up. “Sorry.”
I lean toward him and whisper loudly. “Evan’s scheduled to come out in October. And he’ll be here for all the interviewing.”
Dan nods. “Thanks,” he says with a quick look at Jasmine.
“So, Brenden says you have a girlfriend here?” Claire asks as she takes a sip of her drink.
I shoot a look at Brenden. It was not his place to say anything about my girlfriend—or not girlfriend, as the case may actually be. I shake my head. “Nope. I don’t. There’s a girl that I met at the airport last night when I flew in. But I’d hardly call her my girlfriend.” Why am I even telling them this much? It’s none of their business.
“You are dating a tourist?” Jasmine eyes me, like she is seeing me in a new light…and she doesn’t like what she sees. “What, are you a love ‘em and leave ‘em kind of guy?”
I’m only slightly mollified by the thought that she seems disappointed with this new revelation. I’m glad her first impression was that I am a stand-up guy. “No. She works in one of the shops at the airport. She tried to have me arrested for shoplifting.”
All the eyebrows at the table shoot up, and Jasmine looks at me in a completely different way. Still disappointed—not because I’m a player but because I’m a thief. I think I might prefer for her to think I’m a player? I take a sip of my Dr. Pepper and shake my head. “I wasn’t shoplifting. But she saw me slip my lip balm into my backpack pocket and she thought it was a pack of gum.”
Brenden grunts. “She was going to arrest you for a pack of gum? Uptight, ever?”
Claire smacks him in the arm. “Stealing is stealing. It doesn’t matter if it’s a million dollars or a pack of gum. It’s still wrong.” I’ll admit to liking that response from my HR manager. I’d guess she has similar feelings where company items are concerned. I nod in agreement.
Dan looks conflicted by her example. Does he not think they are both wrong? “Yeah,” Dan says hesitantly. “But I’m not sure the penalty should be the same. I mean, he should still get in trouble for stealing the gum. But he should get in more trouble for stealing a million dollars.”
“Just to be clear,” I interrupt. “I didn’t steal a pack of gumora million dollars.”
Jasmine laughs. “We didn’t think you did. You’re way too straight of an arrow for that.”
Really? Judging from the look she was throwing my way, I’m not buying it. I think there might be a little CYA going on.
“If she tried to have you arrested, why are you dating her?” Brenden asks in confusion.
I’m now hoping Poppy doesn’t show up. She may not get the kindest reception from these guys. “First of all, we aren’t dating.” Geez,how many times do I have to say that before they clue in? “We went to dinner last night at the airport so she could apologize for the arrest thing. But that is all. So no girlfriend. Not dating.”
“But you like her?” Claire asks with a penetrating stare.
When did these people decide we were besties and should share our deepest, darkest desires with each other? Actually, let me amend that. When did they decide I should sharemydeepest desires with them? They have yet to share a single personal thing with me, unless you count Jasmine’s aversion to unfried fish.
