Page 12 of Until Kendal
We all needed to help as at the end of the day. We were all humans. I let out a sigh. “So you don’t help the other sex?”
The service was fast. The waitress brought our dinner, interrupting our conversation. Once we were alone again, he said, “We do, but my mom took a more hands-on approach with a home for girls. She only adopted boys and not girls, so now she’s taking a more active role in that home.”
I cut my fish into pieces as I asked, “Why did she only adopt boys?”
He cut his burger in half then added ketchup to his plate on the side, just as I expected. “She didn’t want to mix in girls as she only gave birth to boys naturally, so she figured it was a sign. So she chose to adopt me and others to raise a dozen boys close in age together and decided she’d help me and others directly instead of just donating cash to a cause.”
I tasted my meal, and my tastebuds came alive. The fish was delicious. I let out a "Mmhmm"then saw he was eating his burger holding it in his hand instead of using his fork.
The world seemed calmer when I was near Joel. I tilted my head and watched him for a moment. For a second, I could see Joel and I as a couple who spent our nights laughing together.
Once he finished his half, I put my fork down, reminding myself I was fueling a fantasy in my head. Then I asked, “You were fourteen when she took you in?”
He stilled, and his shoulders were tight as he looked down at the table. “One of the boys she adopted died of brain cancer.”
My heartbeat doubled, and I reached for his hand. “That’s horrible.”
Joel squeezed my palm. “After grieving, Maman—that’s Farsi formom—realized she had only eleven sons now, and she decided she wanted to continue helping someone who needed a mom. They had the finances and room. I was lucky.”
His adoptive parents sounded wonderful. I wiped my tears. “That’s quite a story, and she sounds like a great person.”
He held my hand for a moment then let it go. “I don’t think I ever mentioned Evan to anyone. We don’t talk about him at family dinners much anymore, but his presence is always there, and I didn’t even know him.”
“He was loved, clearly.” The way he spoke about his family confirmed to me Joel was one of the good ones. My arms had goose bumps from his touch. “Thank you for sharing, though. Your parents sound like great people.”
“They are,” he said quickly.
We'd finished our delicious meal, and as he put his napkin on his empty plate, he said, “Your mom is sweet. Has it always just been the two of you?”
His question invoked the image of Gene Brown, and it soured my stomach for a second. I shook it off, folded my hands together, and said, “I don’t like talking about my father.”
He picked up his wine, and I did the same as he said, “Understood.”
The image disappeared, and the taste of the wine sweetened in my mouth. I swallowed a sip, wishing he would kiss me.
“So what do you want from life?” he asked.
When the waitress came and cleared our table, he asked for the dessert menu. My stomach was full, but the options all sounded good. She returned, and I chose mocha truffle, and he picked the Tennessee battercake. My hair stood on end—this was like the first date with the guy of my dreams.
I took a sip of my wine then said, “More first-date questions.”
He winked. “You seem nervous.”
That was only because I wanted him. I usually avoided rich, successful men, or maybe I’d never seen one like Joel. Butterflies grew inside my stomach. “I never let myself dream of the future. It causes me pain, and it’s better to live in the moment.”
Our sweet desserts arrived, and his lips curved higher. “Starting a company has taken all my time lately, but it’s never living in the moment. It’s always about what we intend to achieve in the business plan.”
The waitress left, but I hardly noticed. I saw only Joel, like we were in our own cocoon. My heart was beating a mile a second, but I sat back and said, “That has to be fun.”
We both tasted a few bites, and he offered me a piece of his. I savored the flavor and nodded. Both were delicious, but I always preferred chocolate. Then he said, “Thank you.”
I furrowed my eyebrow but finished my dessert. “For what?”
His warmness made my body zip as he said, “You bring me back to reality, where I just get to live in the moment.”
I cupped his cheek and said, “Well your determination is cute.”
The waitress came and left the bill. Once again, he used his black American Express. Once the bill was paid and he'd left a generous tip, we walked back to the hotel. The night was warm and inviting. Country music blared from a bar nearby.
