Page 19 of Charming Crosschecks

“My table is yours when you call…”

“They’re not that good of tickets…”

“My son would disagree – and the fact that you got everyone to sign a jersey for his birthday meant the world to Joseph.”

“He’s a good kid – with a good dad.”

“He’s got a great role model.”

“Oh, stop,” Gerry said nervously, flushing in obvious discomfort. “We both know how this world works. I won the lottery years ago and am smart enough to hang onto what I’ve got.”

“Ain’t that how it always works?”

The two men laughed, and Molly almost felt like a third wheel until Vinny looked at her, smiling affectionately, and nodded. “I’ll leave you two alone for a moment. Wine?”

“Ah, no, thank you,” Molly began and hesitated.

“Two of your best coffees,” Gerry suggested, giving her a knowing look.

“Ahhh…” Vinny smiled. “Anything in particular – or just surprise you?”

“Surprise us,” she looked at Gerry the moment the words left his mouth, speaking for her as he drew back a curtain, revealing a door.

“C’mon…”

“Where are we going?”

“Private dining,” Gerry whispered, letting the curtain fall behind them, and for a moment, she hesitated, realizing it was nearly pitch dark in the room, and didn’t move. She heard a click a moment later as warm ambient lighting filled the room – and she gasped. She turned to look at Gerry’s satisfied smile, stunned.

“I asked him to make it look nice,” he murmured – and that was the understatement of the year.

The white linen tablecloth was sprinkled with rose petals, and a taper candelabra was standing in the center of the table, waiting to be lit. In each corner of the room was a staggering bouquet of deep red roses – with a matching single rose on one plate.

“This isn’t just having coffee,” she breathed, unsure what else to say.

“It’s just a little something to impress you…”

“I don’t know what to say…”

“It’s coffee – and dinner.”

“Gerry…”

“We’re starting over, and I want to do so on the right foot,” he began, putting a hand on her lower back as he guided her to the table in the small room.“Vinny lets me hide out back here and carb load before a game – and in exchange, I give him some of my family tickets for the season.”

“What about your own family?”

“They’re in Canada.”

“Why don’t they come visit?”

“They used to,” he hesitated and gave her a strange look. “I stopped asking them after the last time.”

“What happened?”

“I tend to get a little frustrated when someone makes me feel bad about myself,” he admitted, looking at her nervously. “I try hard, you know. Some things just don’t come easy, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be happy – and I realized that after the last visit, things were better between me and my family if they stayed on their side of the fence.”

“I’m sorry.”

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