Page 7 of Coming Home

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“What are you up to, Tamara?” David asked, eyeing the woman with one eyebrow raised. He’d known she was up to something the moment she showed up at his office unannounced and said she wanted to have dinner tonight.

“I’ve even got us reservations somewhere,” she’d said with a wink.

Now he sat in the back of an SUV with her and Emily, who Tamara had apparently picked up on the way to the office. Never mind that his office was almost an hour in the opposite direction of his house.

“I just think you two could use a night out with friends.”

“Friends? Plural?” David asked.

“Just me for now. But the night is young.”

He looked at Emily with a scowl. “Why do I have a feeling I’m going to regret this?”

She just laughed. “I’m excited.”

And how could he deny her that? With a resigned sigh, he slid an arm around her and kissed her temple.

As they rode through San Francisco, his nerves grew more tense. Where the hell was she taking them?

“This is a terrible part of town, I thought you had reservations somewhere.”

Tamara turned from her spot in the front passenger seat and winked at Emily. “We’re on the list for the six-thirty seating at Lazy Bear. I thought Emily might enjoy it.”

David lifted an eyebrow. “How did you pull that off last minute? They only do two seatings a night.”

Tamara shrugged. “I might have tossed your name around. And they may have had a last minute cancellation.”

Beside him, Emily huffed. “I wish you would tell me what I’m walking into. She won’t tell me.”

David chuckled. “You have a smart phone, why didn’t you just Google it?”

Emily grinned. “She told me not to ruin the surprise so I’m trying to restrain myself.”

David kissed her cheek. “You’re going to enjoy this. I promise.”

Emily didn’t care for fancy restaurants, but this one would suit her. He wasn’t sure why it hadn’t dawned on him to take her there before. Then again he’d been preoccupied so a lot of things hadn’t occurred to him.

In the lobby of the small restaurant, Tamara gave their name to the host.

“Ah yes, Dr. Mallincoat and the Eastman’s. We’re delighted to have you. If you’ll follow me upstairs drinks and some light snacks are being served while we wait for everyone to arrive.”

Emily frowned. “Everyone?”

David held her hand as they walked upstairs to a loft bar area and explained the way the evening would work.

“It’s communal dining. They do two seatings each night of forty people each, and everyone is seated and served the same menu at the same time. It’s a multi course meal and we start upstairs in the loft with cocktails and snacks. If you’re part of the late seating, you get to look down into the dining room and watch the first seating finish their meal.”

Ahead of them, Tamara was already accepting a drink before she settled in on one of the multiple L shaped couches in the small space. Servers made their way around the room, offering the first of three appetizers that would be served before they went downstairs for the main event.

“We have whipped scrambled eggs with bacon and maple,” the man said as he set three shooter style glasses and small wooden spoons in front of them.

They enjoyed oysters topped with local kiwi next, and after letting his oyster slide down his throat, he leaned forward and eyed Tamara.

“What’s going on with you. You still seem stressed.”

Tamara shook her head. “Let’s enjoy dinner. I’ll tell you more about it on the way to the theater.”

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