Page 56 of The Betrayer
This made Rita laugh.
The truth was, I wasn’t planning on making any moves with Rita. I’d realized early my interest wasn’t romantic, at least at this stage. I found Rita interesting, and her company was far more stimulating than anyone I had been around in a long time. If I wanted to be around her, it was because my life was suddenly far more interesting with her in it.
“Dinner is at eight. I’ll pick you up at 7:15 to make sure we’re there in time. Will that give you enough time to get ready after work?”
“Sure.” Rita nodded. “I’ll text you my address.”
I left the coffee shop feeling better than when I had entered it. Rita had that effect on me. Even with everything she’d said and with the realities she had forced me to face, I was still in a better mood now than I had been after my conversation with Paul.
Talking about Paul, I didn’t want to call him and confirm whether Rita was actually invited to dinner. Rita’s words about trust-earning taking time were still fresh in my mind. I didn’t want the gala fiasco to happen all over again.
Paul picked up after the fourth ring. “Dad?”
“Hey, Paulie. Quick question—do we need a date for Monday or not?”
Silence on the line, then, “Well, it’s not mandatory. I mean, you know how these things are. No one’s going to expect you to bring anyone, though. I’m kind of surprised you’d even ask.”
“Why would you be surprised? I’m asking to ensure I show up the way you want me to.”
I wanted it made clear I was extending an olive branch.
Another small silence met my words before Paul spoke again. “In that case, it’s up to you.”
“Great. I have someone in mind. I think you’ll like her.”
“As long as it’s not that bimbo from the gala, then fine.” My son sighed. I could almost hear him rolling his eyes. It was clear he didn’t need me bringing some fling to dinner.
“No, really. She’s really interesting. Bright, funny. I think you’ll like her.”
“Sure, Dad.”
From my son’s tone, I knew he didn’t believe me. This time, I was right. Rita was different, and Paul would see it right away. In fact, I had a feeling Rita and Paul would get along well—she might even give him a run for his money. I grinned, thinking about wiping the superior smile from my son’s face when Rita made him trip over his words or when she called him on something smugly ridiculous.
This would show Paul how serious I was, even if Rita was young. There would be no way my son could fault me for bringing her along. She would probably outshine everyone at the table, and it would show him just how serious I was. This time, it wasn’t going to be me making a fool out of myself.
I couldn’t wait to see what Paul had to say about that.
