Page 180 of The Maxwell Brothers
"Are you ready to order?" the waitress interrupted, appearing in front of us.
Tyler looked at me.
"Yes," I said, "we're ready."
We both ordered the house specialty: steak with fries, fried green beans, and salad.
“And champagne,” he said.
I shimmied in my seat after the waitress left. "That's right. We have something to celebrate."
He covered my hand with his over the table, stroking my palm with his thumb. "Ever since I got the news, I wanted to celebrate with you."
"I'm so happy for you," I said honestly. "Especially because it happened so quickly."
"I was expecting them to keep punishing me for a while. I can't wait to get back on the ice.”
“Hockey is important to you."
He nodded. “It’s my life, to be honest.”
"How did you get into it?"
"We played after school, and I was hooked. Then I begged my parents to take me to lessons, and they did, and from there it was history. I only realized later how much of a toll it would take on them, especially Mom, to drive me to games or take me to train and then for her and Dad to spend all that time in the stands. I didn't know it at the time, but it added a lot to their already busy day. But their efforts paid off. I’m the best goalie in the league."
"I'm sure they're proud. But again, I think they would be proud no matter what."
"Yeah, I think so too. They're great people."
"Did you ever think about going into the bookstore business back when they still owned the chain?" I asked.
"Honestly, no. I got the hockey bug early on, and by the time I was in college and playing, my parents had sold the company. They even set up trust funds for all of us kids. But I left all the money in the Maxwell trust. Maybe it's going to help future generations. I don't need the money anyway."
My eyes bulged. "Wow. I can't even wrap my mind around the idea of anyone working this hard when they don't need it."
"I can't say it's hard work."
I chuckled. "You train for hours a day, and you travel all the time. Itishard work. Your hotness score increased."
He looked at me with genuine surprise in his eyes. "The things that are important to you fascinate me."
Our food arrived a few minutes later.
"That was quick," I said.
The steak was mouthwatering. When I tasted it, I couldn't help but close my eyes and hum in pleasure. It truly was the best I'd ever had. It said on the menu that they cooked it with the sous vide method, so it was extra tender. And the flavor was to die for. I tried to block out the price, but it was dancing behind my eyelids, mocking me.
I opened my eyes, looking straight at Tyler, determined to enjoy this without even one ounce of guilt. Easier said than done.
"And?" he asked.
"It's amazing. Thank you for bringing me here."
"I'm glad you like it."
We chatted a bit about his schedule and how training the kids would change while we ate. The fries and the beans were perfect too, of course. Honestly, I couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that food could taste like this. But I'd never been to a restaurant this fancy.
We both ate quickly. I only paused to breathe after my plate was clean, as Tyler finished his meal too.
