Page 22 of How We Fooled

I nod my head with a duh huff. “Right, your parents met at Stanford. I should have put that together.”

We sit in silence for a brief moment, and I can tell he’s feeling different about what he just told me.

I lean in. “Why were you afraid to tell me that?”

He shrugs. “Money changes people. It was kind of nice, getting to know you without you knowing where I come from. My parents have tried their hardest to keep my sister and me out of the spotlight when it came to things related to TimeLand, but honestly, they can only do so much. Unlike Dalton, who’s been put on display as his dad’s little trophy kid.”

I reach over and place my hand on his, hoping he truly believes me when I say, “It changes nothing. Do you feel people treat you differently?”

He exhales slowly. “Sometimes. The company was started by Dalton’s dad, Mike, and his three friends, one being my dad. Mike is the head guy, and our dads are listed as creators. They all have kids my age, so we just grew up together.”

“You’re all pretty close then?” I sit back, moving my hands from his, and take another bite of my garlic bread.

He nods. “Yeah. There’s Dalton, Ben, and Maya.”

“Only one girl? How does she put up with you boys all the time?”

He lets out a sharp laugh. “Wait until you meet her. She’s a trip. The tiniest thing you’ll ever meet, but also the sweetest. She and Ben are inseparable.”

“They’re a couple?”

He shakes his head. “Should they be? Yes. Are they? No. You’ll think for sure they’re a couple, even with how they act, but they’ve never crossed that line. We all hang out at Ben’s place a lot, but she practically lives there.”

“And their parents don’t care?”

“I’m telling you, they’ve never crossed that line.” He smirks. “They will one day. It’s just not their time yet. Their moms grew up here and were best friends, so they were literally made for each other.”

I love hearing him talk about a relationship like this. Most guys couldn’t care less about their friends or their relationships, but it’s obvious he cares about these people.

“And what about you? Have you brought a girl into your little group before?”

He shakes his head slowly, looking right into my eyes. “Not yet.”

“And why is that?”

He shrugs. “I don’t like people knowing my business. Our lives have been so public, especially in that small of a town.”

“Even from your friends?” I laugh in shock.

“One, there’s never been anyone special I cared to bring around them. But now …” He doesn’t finish that sentence.

“Now what?”

“Now, I want to keep you all for myself.”

His words make me blush, and I’m thankful when our food arrives so I can recover from the butterflies he causes within me.

We spend way too much time at the restaurant, talking well after our food is gone and dessert is eaten. Feeling bad we are holding up a table, I keep an eye on the entryway to make sure there isn’t a wait for one, but there never is.

I guess that’s the difference with a small town. This place is decent in size, and many people have come and gone, never having to wait for a table. Back home, if you wanted to get a table at your favorite restaurant on a Saturday night, it wouldn’t be uncommon to have to wait twenty or thirty minutes, sometimes over an hour, for a table.

“Can I get you two anything else?” the waitress asks.

I glance at my watch and suddenly feel very guilty, realizing just how late it is. “I’m sorry we’ve been here for so long.”

The waitress seems to be in her early forties with very tiny specks of gray hair just starting to arrive and smile lines barely showing on her face.

She places her hand on my shoulder in a caring way. “Sweetheart, you are totally fine. You two have made our night, just watching you. We have a bet going on in the back, if it’s your first date or not.”

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