Page 43 of The Bet
Chapter 13
Fuck. Hard to believe how his Saturday was turning out.
The kid he didn’t mind so much, but Savannah’s parents? What was he supposed to talk about now that they’d eaten their lunch and were sitting around waiting for the server to clear the table? They were sitting in a semi-circular booth, with big comfy leather-clad seating. He and Jacob on the ends, and Dale and Jean in the middle. He had to make conversation, and it wasn’t always easy to talk to Jacob across the table.
It was all Laronde’s fault. His plan had backfired magnificently. That girl had one-upped him again, and it was starting to piss him off.
“Would you like to see the dessert menu?” A server asked him. Christ. No. He didn’t want to spend another second here. But then he caught sight of Jacob’s face. The kid wasn’t asking for anything, and he hadn’t snatched the dessert menu from him. Instead, he just sat there saying and doing nothing, but, goddammit, it was clear enough to see from the look on his face. There was hope, and wanting, and something else Xavier couldn’t put his finger on.
“What kind of question is that?” he replied, taking the proffered menu and handing it straight to Jacob. “We always have to have dessert. Knock yourself out, kid.”
“More calories,” giggled Jean.
“Now, now.” Dale got out his spectacles, as did his wife, and they looked through the menu again.
“What would you like?” Xavier asked Jacob. A pair of green eyes peeked at him as the menu lowered. “You can have anything you want, don’t be shy.”
“Is it okay if I have a triple-chocolate sundae, please? That’s what I would like.”
“Isn’t that too much chocolate, Jacob?” Grandma piped up.
“I think we can be a little lenient on him this weekend,” Xavier winked at them.
“We could share it.” The boy offered. “It looks too big, and I won’t be able to eat it all.”
“Eat what you can kid.”
He gave the server Jacob’s order, ordered nothing for himself, and watched the server take down Dale and Jean’s order. And that was when he saw Izzy walk into the joint, looking around the busy, noisy floor.
What was she doing here? He looked around, anticipating who she had come to meet until, like a dart out of nowhere, he was hit by the notion that she had come back forthem.
It had to be.
For a moment he indulged in the pleasure of watching of without her knowing. In her standard black leather jacket and jeans, still chewing that goddamn bubblegum, she had a didn’t-give-a-shit attitude he was starting to find irresistible.
When the server led her over to their table, he sat back, and a tiny explosion went off in his chest. She had come back forhim.
“Izzy!” Jacob cried. She greeted everyone, with “I changed my mind,” and sat next to Jacob who moved up to make room. Now she was facing him.
“What made you change your mind?” he asked, intrigued to hear how she would explain it.
He shoved a menu in her direction, and noted the way she took the menu but pretended she hadn’t heard him.
“Haven’t you ordered yet?” she asked, surprised, looking at the empty table. “We’ve eaten, dear. We’re ordering dessert,” said Jean.
“Why don’t you order something for yourself, Izzy?” Dale suggested. “We can wait.”
“Or you could order your main dish, and sides, and we’ll get our dessert,” Xavier offered. He had no intention of sitting here longer than he had to. Unless by some miracle, he managed to shake Jacob’s grandparents off, leaving him with Izzy and Jacob. Because now that she had come back, there was no point in wasting the day.
“I’m not actually that hungry.”
“Ate something on the way before you got here?” he asked, still none the wiser as to why she had changed her mind. She ignored him again.
“I’m having a triple-chocolate sundae,” Jacob told her. “You can share it with me, if you want.”
“Aw, that’s sweet of you to offer,” she replied. “I might try a spoon of it.”
The sound of a ringtone going off had them all checking for their cell phones. “Jacob,” said, Dale, fishing out his phone. “Your mommy’s on the line.” Wildly excited, Jacob reached for the phone and started to talk, but seemed to be having problems hearing.
