Page 2 of A Table for Two
“Whatever.” Gabriel stood. “I don’t know why I keep y’all around,” he said, trying to hide his smile. They’d all met at Morehouse, pledged the same fraternity, and were as close as brothers. No matter how much they got on each other’s nerves at times, he knew there was nothing they wouldn’t do for each other.
Darius shrugged. “Somebody’s got to keep you in line.” They all laughed. “Speaking of small towns, are there any women here under the age of fifty? We’ve been here for twenty-four hours, and I don’t think I’ve seen one. The two women I saw down the block were definitely over forty.”
Chuckling, Gabriel said, “I have no idea. Why is that always your first question every time we go somewhere?”
“Because I like women. And you ever know when I might luck up on my Mrs. Right. I can’t leave Glenn in marriage-land all alone.”
Glenn grinned. “Don’t hate. But he does have a point. At least Darius and Brent make time to play, but you work all the time. When was the last timeyouhad a date?”
“None of your business,” Gabriel grumbled. His love life—or lack of one—had been an ongoing conversation since he’d broken up with his ex a couple of years ago. Sure, he’d been brokenhearted and had buried himself in his job to cover the hurt. Though he wasn’t consumed by the pain anymore, he hadn’t changed his work habits. He found the long hours kept his mind off his nearly nonexistent social life. He dated sporadically and rarely asked a woman out more than once.
“Now that we agree Gabriel doesn’t have a love life,” Brent said, “do you know anything about the neighbor Drea mentioned?”
“Nothing other than she’s supposed to be a nice lady who does this dinner thing a couple of times a month with a small group of friends. Drea said she can throw down in the kitchen. This morning when I went out to the car, I found a note from her inviting me to a welcome dinner tonight. Nana’s invited, too.” Gabriel considered himself a foodie of sorts and enjoyed great food. He’d go once to check it out and hoped his sister was right.
Darius made a face. “Nana’s going, too? So, basically, that means she’s probably old enough to be your mother or grandmother. I don’t know any women our age who’d be cooking like that for people on a regular basis.”
“I guess I’ll find out tonight and let you know.”
Glenn glanced at his watch. “We’d better get on the road. I checked the traffic and it’s a little slow, and I want to get to the airport in plenty of time. I’m eager to get back home to my beautiful wife.” He and his wife had been married for only two years and were still in the honeymoon phase.
“What time does the flight leave?”
“Five. It’s going to be a long night because we don’t get in until early tomorrow morning.”
“I hear you.” Firefly Lake was about half an hour from Napa Valley, and the closest major airport was in Oakland. The flight wouldn’t leave for another four hours, but depending on the traffic, it could take two or three hours to get there. “I appreciate you guys making the trip to help me out.” He’d hired a moving company to transport a few larger items like his bed, his favorite recliner, large flat-screen TV, and his gym equipment. The guys had helped him out by renting an SUV, and between that and his Acura SUV, they’d managed to transport the rest of the things he would need for the duration of his stay. He followed his friends to the living room where they’d left their bags, then out to the car.
Brent clapped Gabriel on the shoulder. “That’s what friends do. I hope you enjoy small-town living.”
Gabriel scanned the neighborhood. The house was located in one of the newer subdivisions and had a more modern feel, but it still screamedsmall town. “Yeah.” Temporarily. He hadn’t told his sister, but he couldn’t see himself relegated to this place forever. Gabriel had paid the lease on his condo for the next four months, and the guys would keep an eye on his place until Gabriel returned to Atlanta. He planned to return by fall and figured he’d use these three summer months to convince his grandmother to move back with him. He didn’t think it would be too hard.
“We’ll talk on Monday about the new account,” Darius said. “I’m thinking around noon or one since you’ll be behind three hours.”
He’d forgotten about the time difference. “Sounds good. I can send the video conference link tomorrow evening.”
Brent and Darius nodded. The three men loaded the bags into the trunk, then after a round of handshakes and one-arm hugs, climbed in and drove off.
After taking another look around the area that would be his short-term home, Gabriel went back into the house. As soon as he closed the door, his cell rang. He dug it out of his pocket and sighed.
“Yes, Drea.”
Andrea’s laughter came through the earpiece. “Hey, big brother. Just checking to see if you’ve gotten settled in.”
“I’ve talked to you three times in less than twenty-four hours, and the answer is still the same.”
“Okay, okay. Have you met Serenity yet?”
“No, but she invited me and Nana to dinner tonight.”
“Oh, good. Nana came with me a few times, so she’ll be able to introduce you to everyone. You’re in for a treat. The woman can cook her butt off, and I know how much you like to eat.”
He had to smile at that. “Hmm. Is she a chef?” Gabriel stretched out on the sofa in the living room.
“No. She’s a nurse. When she first came to town, she worked in the hospital’s ER department. Now she works in Dr. Jacobs’s office. Serenity said she was getting too old for those erratic hours.”
“Isn’t that Nana’s doctor?”
“Yep.”
